For those who missed it, here's a condensed version of the live chat I did on the UK Amazon Kindle forum.
You ready Shaun?
OK,
thanks for turning up everyone. Some great questions. Hope you enjoyed it, and
I'll see you next time. Night.
Lol. OK. I'm here.
Hi and welcome everyone,
thank you all for being here. Some of you will already know Shaun, but for
those among us who haven't met you yet, please, Shaun, would you mind
introducing yourself?
OK,
I’m 46 years old, and I’ve been writing books and stories for probably half
that time. I grew up in a house in a cemetery, so I guess I was never going to
be writing romance novels. In that respect I’ve had five novels published and
one collection. I was also lucky enough that my novel, The Kult was filmed last
year by an independent production company. No release details yet, but there is
a trailer up on Youtube. I work full time on the railway as a signalling
telecommunications engineer. And in my spare time I go jogging, work out at the
gym and do Tae Kwon Do.
You seem to always be on
the go, how many hours do you sleep on an average night?
Nowhere
near enough. If I'm lucky I'll get about 6 hours kip. That's why I look like a
zombie most of the time.
Didn't you know a wise
man only needs 4 hours sleep a night? You're OD-ing! LOL.
I
don't feel like a wise man. Lol
Have you ever had
nightmares/were scared as a kid living by a graveyard?
Not
really. I was very young at the time, but to be honest, a graveyard is a very
serene and quiet place. And if there's any such thing as ghosts and ghouls
they'll probably inhabit the area where they died rather than where they're
buried!
They do say about weird
things going on in graveyards... ever witnessed anything unexplainable?
I
have had a couple of weird experiences, and seen a couple of strange things,
but not in a graveyard.
Did you ever read the
names on the gravestones & then make up little stories of who you thought
that person may have been?
I
find the epitaphs very sad. It makes you wonder about the person interred
beneath, but I've never made up any stories about them.
Did you always want to
be a writer? If not what had you planned on doing?
Writing
is something I just enjoyed doing. As it's not my full time profession I can
just enjoy doing it for fun. If I had to do it for a living I'm not sure
whether I'd enjoy it as much, mainly because then I would know how important it
was, and that my living would depend on it! That would be quite scary I think.
What made you start
writing or is it something you have always done?
I
suppose I started writing because I just thought it was something I could do.
How wrong was I!!! At first you think everything you write is fantastic. The
truth is it's not. But I persevered. And here I am, 20 odd years later. I'm not
famous and I don't make a living from it, but I still enjoy making stuff up :)
Did your early
experiences at school inspire you to write?
To
be frank, I hated school. They certainly weren't the best times of my life, and
that probably manifests in some of my characters, such as Prosper Snow!
When given the choice,
what would you rather do? Read a book or watch a movie? Or do something else...
I
guess I’d rather read. It’s harder than watching something on the box as it
takes more effort, but you get far more out of it as you're more immersed in
the story and the characters. At least I think so anyway. If it was something
else, it would stray into adult themes ;)
Have you finished the
'ink' yet?
No. My second full tattoo sleeve is still in progress. Next appointment in
December. More pain to look forwards to.
Which genre do you
prefer?
I
used to read primarily horror, but now I lean more towards thriller, so my own
fiction is leaning that way more too.
Which of your books is
your personal favourite and why?
The Kult. It took me so long to write that novel, and it went through so many
changes, but when it all fell into place it just felt ‘right’ if that makes
sense.
Which was easiest to
write and why?
I don’t find writing any of them easy. I struggle to find the right words.
Which was most difficult?
See above answer. They were all difficult. Writing doesn’t come naturally to
me, and I’ll take ages to write a couple of pages.
Which of your characters
do you truly dislike? Which would you like to share a pint with?
To be honest I don’t truly dislike any of them. I mean strange as it seems, I
created them, so they’re all my children in a way, faults and all. In that
respect, I’d share a pint with any of them. Although I may have to watch some
of them very carefully, if you know what I mean?
Who is your favourite
character of your books and why?
Tough
one. I like most of the characters I create. In a strange way they are like my
children as I gave birth to them - without all the pain of course. But I guess
my two favourites are Prosper and Wolfe as those two characters are based on me
more than any others.
Which of your books
should I read first and why?
That would depend on what you like. Evilution, Deadfall and Fangtooth are more
horror orientated, whereas The Kult and Killers are more psychological
thriller.
Have you ever been part
of a "Kult"?
I’m
not at liberty to answer that one.
Can you tell us how
Prosper Snow's name came about? It is most unusual to me…
To
be honest, the name just popped into my head. I never know where my character's
names come from. They just are who they are. It's pretty hard to explain
really. Strange even!
When you started writing
about Prosper Snow did you start the story with him already named? Or did his
name pop into your head later as the book progressed?
His
name popped into my head.
Do you remember the
first idea that started the writing of the Kult?
Yes,
it was about a deformed family seeking retribution for their treatment by
others! So as you can see, the original novel was nothing like the published
book. I had an agent trying to sell that original novel though before we parted
ways and I rewrote the novel from scratch.
Before the movie based
on The Kult was made, did you ever have in mind any actors you would have liked
to play Prosper?
I
hadn't thought about it really. I never imagined the book would ever be filmed.
Even when it was optioned (which means the company bought the rights to film
it) I still didn't think it would progress beyond that. Then when it was
filmed, I didn't think the actor asked to play Prosper looked anything like my
character, but having seen him in action he was perfect for the role.
Did you write the
screenplay for The Kult for the film people?
No,
I didn't write the screenplay. I read it and made some suggestions, but that
was the only involvement I had.
How does it feel to see
your characters on screen? Do you think you will watch the movie with a
critical eye, or will you just sit back and enjoy?
I
haven’t seen the complete film yet, only the trailer, but as you can imagine
I’m looking forwards to seeing it. Who wouldn’t be eager to see a film based on
one of their books? I guess I will watch it many times. First time I hope I can
just sit back and enjoy the experience. The times after that I’ll probably be
more critical. But to be honest, even if the film sucked I am still proud that
my novel was turned into a film. Not many people can say that.
How did it all start?
Did you have to submit your novel or were you "discovered"?
I
submitted. I'm still waiting to be discovered. I'm like an old fossil. Lol
However,
Dark Regions Press is an invitation only publisher, and they contacted me to
submit to them.
How did Dark regions
come across your books then Shaun? Do you know?
No
idea really. I guess they'd just heard about me on the grapevine.
You released Killers
last month, and it's had excellent reviews, with lots of readers saying it was
better than The Kult. Did you expect the novel to be such a hit among your
readers?
I
was nervous releasing it, mainly because lots of people liked The Kult, so to
write another book with the same characters I only hoped that I did them
justice. When the reviews started appearing, it seemed that people liked it
more than The Kult, which did surprise me, but in a good way.
Were you set on looking
for another plot or did you come across and idea and thought it'd be good for
novel 2?
I
had an idea that I wanted to write about, and it just made sense to use Prosper
in the role of the police officer. I wasn't sure whether I'd be able to pull it
off though...
I really like the
Obituary Man character. So how much of his 'techniques' was based on your
research, or was it all your own ideas? It certainly made me have another look
at my house on Google Maps!
I
can’t recall whether I read about people committing crimes in this way or not,
but if I did I probably pieced together various angles. Then I imagined what I
would do if I wanted to rob somewhere. And in this day and age, many of the
things I’d need during the planning stage are at my disposal from the comfort
of my own home.
I've told you several
times that I feel very drawn toward Wolfe's character. How do you feel about
him?
Of
course he's popular. He’s based on me ;)
Did you
expect him to be so popular among the ladies? Will he come back in number 3?
I expect he'll make a return. But I won't say any more.
Was Killers
self-published and are you looking for another publisher?
I
had sold it to a publisher, but I withdrew it. So yes, it was self-published,
partly because due to numerous reasons I’m disillusioned with conventional
publishing. But it has gone through numerous edits and an editor before being
published, so I hope it’s the best that it can be.
Kult#3: any teasers and
when will this be available in 2012?
I’ve made a start, but I don’t like to talk too much about a work in progress
because it takes away some of the magic of writing it if I discuss it. It can
also make me talk myself out of writing it if people say ‘that sounds rubbish’.
Have you planned how
many novels Prosper will appear in?
No.
I never expected to write another novel with him in. But I had this idea, and
it just made sense that if I was using a police officer in the story, that I
resurrected Prosper. I think it worked well.
However
there were lots of problems that I had to resolve, as he obviously has some
baggage from his first story, so it was hard to write about him without giving
too much away for those who've never read The Kult.
I like to follow
characters through multiple books eg.Rebus, Lincoln Rhyme, Alex Cross; does
this make it easier or more difficult for the author working with a
well-established character?
It's
nice to continue with a character you've used before, as you know all about him
so it makes it easier to create the character, but it's also hard as you have
to remember everything that's happened to said character so that timelines etc.
don't cross, or that one minute he's 35 years old, and then in the next book
he's 34 etc.
I can’t
wait for the next novel, there will be one won't there?"
I'm working on it, but it's slow going until I get in the groove, so to speak.
Hopefully it will all come together soon.
So you'll be doing a
straight series, or will you be trying to do other things in between as well?
Well
I had started another novel that's unrelated, and I've written a screenplay
that I want to turn into a novel. As with most things, it's finding the time to
do everything I want!
I loved the female lead
in Deadfall. At what point did you decide this and will you be writing another
strong female character?
I just liked the concept of a female mercenary pitted against both antagonistic
men and zombies. I assumed people were used to male leads in a mercenary sort
of role, so I thought it might be different to make it a woman. As for writing
another female lead, it depends on the story. Some protagonists suit being
female, while others work best with a male lead.
Why the
two different endings? How did they come about?"
The
book was previously published, but I had rewritten the ending for the original
book, so I thought people might be interested in reading the original ending.
I’ve seen it done with films before, so I thought why not. I also tweaked parts
of the story from the original novel, so hopefully this version is far better.
You have worked on a
screenplay, is it much different to writing books?
They
both have the same structure, but with a novel you often have internal dialogue
and you have to describe each scene, which you don’t have to do with a
screenplay. Screenwriting is far more concerned with visuals, movement and
speech than with the art of language.
Who was the most
supportive about your writing?
My
better half, Deb. She is the one who has had to put up with me locking myself
away and writing. She also puts up with all the other stuff that comes from the
writing, such as me spending time on the computer on message boards etc.,
promoting. So yes, Deb is my number one fan and my rock.
I'm plotting at the
moment and I was just wondering whether you like to plot a story first or just
have a rough idea and go with the flow. Some writers have to have it all worked
out beforehand and others prefers the character to lead the way as it were.
Which kind are you?
I
have worked both ways. Sometimes if I'm stuck I like to plot to know where it's
going. But other times I like the free writing approach so that the story
surprises me as I write it as I don't know what's going to happen next.
Do you ever write in any
other genres? If so which ones?
My
main genres are horror and thriller. But if I had an idea that was in a genre
that I don't write in then it wouldn't stop me writing it. Ideas are too
precious to waste, especially if they are good ones.
Have you ever based a
character on anyone you know?
The
main person that my characters are based on is me. I only have my own
experiences to work from, so many of them probably come out in my writing.
Do you base any of your
characters on friends, relatives or colleagues and if so do they know?
No.
I wouldn't want to offend anyone I know. That's my answer and I'm sticking to
it ;)
Do you carry a note book
and jot down mad antics of Railway Engineers?
If
I wrote about my real job, the truth is people would never believe it. I
couldn't make up some of the characters I work with! There was a drama on the
TV about 10 years ago based on the railway. It doesn't come half way to the
truth!
Have you written any
stories based on your job?
I once wrote a short story based on a factory that I worked in that involved a
man being hypnotised by a machine, and then going on a killing spree. Aside
from that, I don’t think I’ve written anything else based around my job(s).
I was wondering if the
area that you live in has ever influenced your wonderful books? :)
My
first novel, Evilution was based around a village I used to drive past on the
way to work, but I've never based a novel in a real place. I never actually say
where they're based, that way I can make it all up without someone saying that
place doesn't exist or you can't reach that road by going down there.
Do you prefer to write
by hand and then transfer to computer, or straight to computer?
I
always write straight to a computer. I'm lazy and it's easier that way.
Do you keep notebooks in
various rooms so you can jot down ideas as you think of them?
I
used to, but I don't seem to do that as much now. If an idea strikes I just
have to use any medium at hand to make a note of it.
How long does it take
you to write a book on average? How many hours a night do u lock yourself away
writing?
On
average it takes me about six months to write a first draft. I'm not the
fastest writer in the world. But I suppose if I put my nose to the grind stone,
aside from having a sore nose, I could write a novel in a couple of months. After
the original draft, I revise it over numerous rewrites. So probably a year from
start to finish.
As
for how much I write a day, it depends. When I'm in the zone, I try for a
minimum of 1k words a day, but I can get anywhere up to 5k if I had all day to
work on it.
When do you do most of
your writing?
I
work shifts, 24/7 so I have to fit in any time I can. I don't have a routine in
that respect.
Where do your ideas come
from and how do you create them to paper?
My
ideas arise from anything that sparks my interest. It might be a news report, a
picture, a snippet of conversation. Anything that conjures a 'what if'
scenario. Then when I have an idea, I just expand upon it to create a story.
Have any conversations with
fans given you a 'eureka' moment?
Not
that I recall. Sorry :(
How do
you build a story from scratch and create characters.
As
I said above, I start with the seed of an idea, and then expand upon it. For
example, say I have an idea of a man pulling a suitcase through an airport. Now
this is a pretty general scene. But 'what if' there's blood seeping from the
case? From that I have to come up with something to explain it. Of course it
could be a chopped up body, but then there's the who, what, why and where? Of
course it might not be a body. If not, then I would have to imagine something
else is in there. Perhaps a dead animal. Again though, why?
For
characters, they just arrive on the scene as and when they're needed. It's hard
to explain, but if I need a protagonist, I just start writing and they appear
as if by magic!
Do you
start off knowing what the title of your book is going to be, or do you decide
later on or even after you've finished the book???
I know
authors who start off with the title and people who wait until the book is
finished.
Sometimes the title will come to me as I prepare the story, other times I have
to read through after and see if something stands out that I think would make
an apt title. Titles are important though, as it's what your book's going to be
known by herein after!
Have you ever felt the
need to act out scenes from your books?
Lol.
I don't think I'd be out in public if I acted them out as I'd be in a prison
cell somewhere. But I can't say I've never thought about it...
Do you find that
researching is a bit of a chore, or do you enjoy the process?
I
always find research interesting as I'm looking into subjects that I know
nothing about. It's also hard though because you have to make it seem that you
do know what you're talking about when it comes to writing without it seeming
like an information dump.
When doing your research
for books, what mediums do you use? Do you think the internet has made it
easier for writers to research stuff?
My
research is basically sourced from books and the internet. But I do ask people
in certain professions for advice. For example I have a friends and family in
the police force, so I quiz them about certain things. But any inaccuracies or
liberties taken with the truth are purely my mistakes or choices.
Do you write from start
to finish or sort out the end and work backwards?
I
start at the beginning, but sometimes an ending or plot development might arise
as I'm writing (if I haven't plotted the story that is), so I make notes and
then continue where I was.
Do you
prefer writing with men (the Kult) or women (Deadfall) as the main characters?
I don't really have a preference. I guess it's easier for me to write from a
male perspective, but I hope I can open up to my feminine side too :)
Do you
find it easy to write the gory scenes, or do you really have to think about it?
I
don't have any problem writing gory scenes. Is that as wrong as it sounds? Lol
You kill one of your
main characters. How does that make you feel? Is it easier or worse depending
on whether the character is a good person or a baddie?
Just
like the reader, I would hope that if I had to kill a good character it would
be a little upsetting. When you’ve spent ages creating a character, you can
start to believe they are real in a way. So to kill them can be hard. Even
killing a baddie can be hard, especially if it’s a character that in some way
you like.
Good vs.
Evil: who wins according to you?
Neither.
Everyone is a loser to some extent.
Which authors do you
look up to? Who inspired you?
My
favourite authors are Graham Masterton, Stephen King and Richard Laymon. When I
started reading books, I read a lot of the Pan Books of Horror, which were
short story anthologies. They probably warped my mind. Lol
You said you were a fan
of Richard Laymon. I read some of his books (not all, but most of them) about
12-15 years ago. I've only met 2 other people who were fans of his work. He had
a very warped and twisted mind, don't you think?
I
think he wrote easily readable stories that flow well. Yes, he was a little
gruesome and warped in places, but for the good. My favourites are The Stake
and The Travelling Vampire Show.
Do you use character
profiles to keep all the information on your characters together in one place
for reference or do you just 'wing it'?
I
really should, but I don't. I'm my own worst enemy in this respect as I have to
keep reading things to check what colour their eyes are etc. I really am going
to have to make a profile though, if only to make it easier for me to keep
track.
I think Kindles will
make it even more difficult for authors re continuity issues as readers can use
the search facility to check. Do you have a Kindle Shaun?
Would having one help authors with this
problem?
Yes,
I have a Kindle. I don't think it would help authors any more than the 'find'
facility on my word processor though.
Would you say that the
Kindle has opened up new doors for you as an author or if it hadn't been
invented would you have been in much the same place as you are now?
I
think the Kindle has changed everything. Some people have become bestselling
authors in a short period of time. Some of them had tried to be traditionally
published but failed, so yes, it's opened more doors. If it hadn't been
invented, I'd still be a struggling author I guess. So not much change there.
How do you handle the
proof-reading problem Shaun? We hear so many horror stories about Indie authors
being torn apart because of the bad proofing.
I
have some beta readers who read my work first, then for Killers I hired an
editor to go through it. But even my previous edited books have errors, some of
them quite jarring/annoying. I only worry about it if someone points it out,
but I do try to make it the best it can be. But I do think some people want to
find fault for faults sake.
Do you like readers
pointing out spelling mistakes / missing words / bad apostrophes?
I
appreciate the time someone takes to point things out.
How mean is too mean and
how sweet does a writer have to be to their readers? How much PR (online vs.
real world) is effective for you?
I
respect the thoughts and opinions of all my readers. You have to take the rough
with the smooth. Not everyone is going to like what you write, because they
don't all have good taste (lol). As for PR, one never knows what's effective
and what isn't. I just hope it all has a cumulative effect.
I'm interested that you
self-published even when you'd got a publisher. I imagine that's a
nervous-making decision. Do you think you'll continue with the self-publishing?
Yes,
I had sold Killers, but I withdrew it. I know there's still a stigma about
self-publishing, but lots of people are making a success of it. What I like is
that all the work I do promoting etc., is purely for my benefit. I put a lot of
hard work into it, and I sometimes think that publishers who don't always
reciprocate don't appreciate it. As for whether I'll continue to self-publish,
I don't see why not - unless I was offered a good deal of course.
I saw that some of your
books were printed with luxury cover and trimmings, have you ever sold any? Why
did you opt for this kind of books?
I
don't sell them myself. They are published by Dark Regions, and yes, they do
sell them. There was a very limited deluxe edition of Fangtooth, which had 13
copies printed. They all sold out.
Awesome! So you don't
actually get to know how much of your books they sell, do you?
I
will when they send me a sales report. Again though, by self-publishing I know
instantly when something sells!
What advice would you
give to someone wanting to become an author?
Don't
do it. Lol. Seriously though it's hard work with little reward for the most
part. You have to really enjoy writing in and of itself above all else, because
if you don't then it's going to make it harder. Also read a lot. Then write a
lot. Then read some more. Also read books on writing. Then put it all aside and
just start writing. Everyone starts somewhere. And don't worry, after the first
million or so words, your writing will hopefully improve.
I
think I wrote four novels before Evilution, which was my first published one.
They will never see the light of day.
Would you not think
about maybe re-writing them one day?
In
a word, no. There's maybe one that's salvageable, but whether I ever will look
at it again I don't know.
Have you ever thought
about not writing anymore?
I
don't really think about it. Sometimes I don't write for weeks or even months
though, but I always start again. When I was commuting to work, a round trip of
110 miles a day, I didn't write a word for five years!
Do you think people
thrive on thrill and gore because they are weird? Or do you think we all have a
bit of a sick side in ourselves?
Lol.
Well I must be weird then. I don’t really know why people like such things.
Perhaps it’s as you said, for the thrill. And it’s by far the easiest way to
experience such things without getting arrested.
So... writing... is it
really sex, drugs and rock'n roll??
No.
It's hard work, but meeting great people like those in this forum makes it all
worthwhile :)
Well,
I guess I'll wrap it up here as I have to go to bed ready for work in the morning.
A big thank you to everyone who took time out to turn up and ask me questions.
Hope you found my replies worth hanging around for. And thanks to Lorraine for
arranging it, and Patti and Simon for such a great forum populated by such
great people. XXX
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