Review here
.
Dietrich has taken his turn answering a few questions for me.
Is the writing a full-time or a sideline-passion-hobby? If not, whatʼs the day job?
I write
every day, and for me, itʼs the best job in the world. Five
years ago, my wife convinced
me it was time to close my graphics business and start writing full time, something Iʼd
talked about for a long time. And thatʼs what I did.
Whatʼs
been the most satisfying moment of your writing career so far?
Coming home
one day two years ago and finding out I had a book deal. After I finished my first
novel Ride the Lightning, I sent several queries to agents and publishers that accepted
submissions over the transom. A few weeks later I heard from Jack David at ECW Press,
and he liked the story and offered me a contract. As far as high points in my life,
that was right up there.
From start to finish how long did
“Ride the Lightning” take from conception to completion?
I started
with a single scene and just started writing. That first draft was finished in
about three
months. After a short break, I went back over it with fresh eyes and started
editing, taking out
anything that didnʼt work and adding in some new
details. I ended up going back over
it three/four times over the next nine months before I was satisfied that everything
flowed the way I wanted.
How close was the end result to the
book you envisaged writing at the beginning? Did you have a beginning and end in mind
before you started, or is it a case of making it up as you go along?
I write by
the seat of my pants. For Ride the Lightning, I started with the spark of an
idea based on an
article I read a few years ago, and it set the overall theme for the story. The article
talked about the incredible number of illegal grow-ops here in British Columbia: an industry
generating billions annually. It claimed our pot industry was bigger than fishing or
lumber or tourism. It fascinated me, and so I started putting scenes together and forming
ideas for the story. I borrowed my lead character, Karl Morgen from a short story I
wrote a couple of years earlier about a process server who tries to serve up divorce
papers on the manager of a travel agency. He has a hard time getting past the
guyʼs
pretty receptionist, and I liked the way the dialogue between the two sizzled. Dropping
Karl into a scene, I just started writing, letting his character develop along
with the story.
I didnʼt work to a tight outline, rather
letting the story unfold.
Whatʼs
your typical writing schedule?
Itʼs
very simple: Walk dog, eat, write. Repeat. I do throw
in some strong coffee and loud music, writing every morning until noon, often coming back
to it later in the day, but morning is the best time for me. Iʼm
sharp, focused and more
energetic then.
Do you insert family, friends and
colleagues into your characters? Would they recognise themselves?
I havenʼt
modeled characters after family members, friends or colleagues, although I may have
borrowed a trait here and there. The characters are pure fiction, true Frankensteins
in the sense that theyʼre a little of this and a little of
that.
Are there any subjects off limits as
far as your writing is concerned?
I write the
kind of books I like to read, and for me, crime fiction with elements of dark humour fits
the bill. I donʼt think I could write something I
consider morbid, depressing or completely
horrifying. Something the length of a novel takes many months to complete, so I have
to feel fully committed in order to stay enthused for that length of time.
What are the last five
books youʼve read?
I just
finished Tourist Season by Carl Hiassen. Before that, my summer readings
included
Black Rock by John McFetridge, White Jazz by James Ellroy, American
Detective
by Walter Mosley, Forty Lashes Less One by Elmore Leonard (the only book of his
that I hadnʼt read at least once).
Who do you read and enjoy?
I read a
lot, both fiction as well as non-fiction, and enjoy anything that is well
written, with a lean
toward crime fiction. Old favorites in the genre are Elmore Leonard, James Ellroy,
George V. Higgins and Robert B. Parker. Thereʼs
also a whole sea of great contemporary
crime-fiction writers: Robert Crais, Carl Hiaasen, John McFetridge, Peter Leonard,
just to throw a few names around.
Outside the genre, I like anything by Hunter S.
Thompson, Patti Smith, Jack Kerouac, Leonard Cohen, William Burroughs, Charles Bukowski,
Tom Wolfe, Ken Kesey, Allen Ginsberg, as well as classics by Hemmingway, Salinger,
Steinbeck, Twain …
Is there any one book you wish you
had written?
I canʼt
say thereʼs any one book I wish Iʼd
written. But there are many great books that I admire,
writers with jaw-dropping voices that inspire and leave me in awe.
Favourite activity when not working?
I like to
paint, play with cameras and guitars, watch football (soccer) and go for long walks and
longer trips. And, of course, I read a lot.
Whatʼs
the current work in progress? Howʼs
it going?
I just
handed over the final edits for my second novel, due out next year: itʼs
a crime story
called The Deadbeat Club, set in Whistler, BC. The story was never intended to
be
part of a
series, but it does borrow a minor character from Ride the Lightning. Dara Addie
becomes a main character in the new story. Sheʼs
a year older, just as edgy and ready for
the deep end. I also have a third crime novel complete and am presently working on
some historical fiction.
Have you done much meeting and
greeting in an effort to get the book in front of people? Do you enjoy that aspect of
being an author? (Me - I can think of few things worse, TBH)
Iʼve
attended conferences, been on panels and taken part in interviews and readings. Along with
several local writers, we put on a Noir at the Bar, Vancouver-style, and are getting
ready for our next one in November. Itʼs all a lot of fun.
If I check back in a couple of yearʼs
time, where do you hope to be with the writing?
Book ten –
still getting up every morning, keeping to my schedule: walk the dog, eat, write and
repeat.
And lastly,
I want to thank you for inviting me to be your guest, Col. I wish you and your readers
all the best.
Cheers,
Dietrich
Many thanks to Dietrich for his time. You can catch up with him here on his website or over on Facebook here.
NIce interview Col, I'm really enjoying these.
ReplyDeleteThanks, Moira
DeleteComing home and finding a book deal waiting for you...I don't that happens to writers very often; and writing the kind of books one likes to read is a useful tip. Thanks for the interview, Col. It's good to read about the people behind the books you read and review.
ReplyDeletePrashant, that is a pretty cool story isn't it? Writing the books you want to read is handy, awesome that they happen to be the books I want to read also!
DeleteNice to hear this author's point of view. Writing is really hard work, and I admire people who have the discipline and the talent.
ReplyDeleteTracy agreed. I'm suitably lacking in both attributes, so I'll leave to those who can! Sticking to the reading...
Delete