As the dust settles – part 5

And just like that #NN19 was over! But if you weren’t able to make it or you want to re-live those criminally fabulous memories again, here’s Louise Fairbairn’s roundup of the week-end that was #NN2019!  […]

Sunday 5 May, Part 2

9.30am – If You Go Down To The Woods Today
Antti Tuomainen, Matt Wesolowski, Will Dean and MJ Arlidge

I’m never good at getting up early – except when there’s a great panel to watch! And this one chaired by Miriam Owen was definitely worth that early alarm call. There was also evidence of the festival’s determination to widen access in the shape of British Sign Language Interpreter Emma Watson – particularly apt for this panel, as the protagonist of Will Dean’s Dark Pines and Red Snow, Tuva Moodyson, is deaf.

Miriam started by asking what using a forest setting brings to a book. Will Dean raised a laugh when he said: “I live this panel, I live at the centre of a Swedish moose forest!” He said anything that takes away a sense – the ability to see or hear, including using darkness – brings a sense of unease, and that the forest is a landscape with natural tension, which makes a better plot.

Matt Wesolowski’s Changeling is set in a fictional forest on the England-Wales border, but was informed by his childhood memories of woodland walks in Northumberland. He said they are places older than us, and with a rich mythology – “you can feel the woods watching you back”.

Antti Tuomainen, talking about Palm Beach Finland, said that he “was hoping that fake plastic palm trees count as forests”! Though the book also has plenty of real woodland, because woods are a much-used natural resource in Finland, and many people live in and near forests. MJ Arlidge said the latest in his DI Helen Grace series, aptly called Down To The Woods, was set in the New Forest, which has a sense of permanence and “history under your feet”, even straying in to fairytale territory. He added that it’s easy to lose yourself in woods, which is fantastic for writing a thriller!

Matt said his research had thrown up interesting parallels in stories about fairies or “hidden folk” across countries – Iceland even has laws about moving certain rocks, which have essentially been deemed “fairy churches” – and there is a sense that Nature is fighting back in these tales. Will said the folklore of Sweden, where he now lives and sets his books, can be quite dark, particularly in stories and beliefs about trolls. The forest sends you back to a childlike state, he said, where it’s easy to get lost or hurt, so you’re vulnerable – but also is heightens the senses.

Antti said the forest also adds to the underlying theme of something exotic and/or strange in his book. MJ said he used the historical murder mystery of William II as a link in his book, and spoke of the “primal fear” we have in forests – including the ease with which animals or people can get in to your tent while camping!

Discussing the nuts and bolts of how they work, Matt said he came up with the Six Stories format after loving the podcast Serial; he starts with a cold case, then adds appropriate mythology to the mix. His top tips for would-be writers were to read everything they could, and to just start writing, rather than waiting around for the muse to come. Will said Tuva came to him “like a lightning bolt” in an image of her driving through the forest – he’d visualised her from that moment as a young woman with hearing aids, so he had tried hard to be respectful and get the details right. He went even further than Matt, giving up watching TV to read more, then giving up listening to radio to read even more, making a point of reading voices that were not like his own – from the past, from other countries, and so on. And while he writes the first draft of a book in perhaps four weeks “like an exorcism”, it then takes 15-20 rewrites to get all the secrets figured out.

MJ, who also spent a long time working in TV, scriptwriting and editing series from Monarch of the Glen to Silent Witness, said there is no one way to write and his TV  background means he still writes a detailed “treatment” for a novel before beginning to write it. It can take two months to plan and then two months to write, but although he knows before he starts what will happen in every chapter, there is still room for diversions along the way. Antti agreed there was no substitute for reading, and said of writing that the best way to see what to write was to sit down and write it. He said he worked in advertising for many years, and if you didn’t have an idea on Monday but there was a deadline on Friday, that meant you knew you would have something by Friday!

One interesting question from the audience was about having a personal “brand” as an author. Matt said he wants the books to be out there but doesn’t want to be seen himself – though he did joke he would describe himself as “Lovecraft with tattoos”. Antti said he prefers the books to be out there rather than himself, as even after 26 years of writing he is uncomfortable talking about himself. MJ said that a clear angle can help getting journalists and others interested in the work, which Will agreed with, adding that agents and publishers think more about this than authors – “author in the forest” is just what I am, he said.

11.30am – Do You Come From A Land Down Under?
Vanda Symon, Nathan Blackwell, Rachel Amphlett and Helen Fitzgerald
The prize for the furthest distance travelled to get to Newcastle Noir was shared between Vanda Symon and late addition to the programme Nathan Blackwell, who had come from New Zealand to join the fun. Rachel Amphlett lived in Australia for more than a decade but recently moved back to the UK; Helen Fitzgerald was born in Australia, came to Glasgow to study and never left (though retains her Aussie accent). Craig Sisterson, who founded the New Zealand Ngaio Marsh crime writing awards, chaired the panel.

Craig kicked off with a mini quiz for the audience, the prize for the correct answers being one of Vanda’s coveted Toffee Pops biscuits (I confess that I *really* coveted them myself!). Which of the authors is which: One is the 12th of 13 children. One has a private pilot’s licence. One played guitar in rock bands. One is a medal-winning fencer. Answers later…

Then he asked the panel what brought them to writing their latest book. Vanda Symon said that her protagonist, Sam, had ambition, so had to move to the city from her small town – and after the events of Overkill she had burned her bridges so had to leave anyway. She knew that before she began The Ringmaster she wanted to explore stereotypes including of the circus and its people.

Nathan Blackwell, a former undercover police officer, said people wanted to know what being a cop was like but he didn’t want to bore them. Then a fellow cop had a book published, which spurred him to finally finish a book he had been working on for years. Rachel Ampheltt raised a laugh with the audience when she said she had been inspired by a news story about a monkey falling through a ceiling in a renovated store and then thought to herself “what if it was a bloke…?” Helen Fitzgerald said the success of The Cry, which was made into a BBC miniseries, allowed her to leave work and write full-time – including about the day job, which she hadn’t felt the freedom to do so earlier (it features in Worst Case Scenario).

On getting the details of the justice system correct in their books, Rachel said the story comes first but that she doesn’t want to get things wrong, and now has a team of people on hand for “ask the experts” advice. Nathan said he went on his own experience, and asked questions of others in a roundabout way (“my mate’s writing a book…”) as he didn’t want to tell people he was writing – undercover cop to “undercover writer”. Vanda said she read a lot and also had people who she could talk to. She added that she creates what the reader expects and then adds in detail from experts where it’s needed. Helen said she started by getting the story down and then sent it to various people to read for authenticity. 

Discussing the outsider idea and how distance has affected their writing, Helen said the humour is very different in Australia, very black – though it has similarities to that of Scotland and Ireland. Rachel said her attitude was changed by living out there – she was rejected and then decided to get on and self-publish instead. Nathan also self-published, though this was because he didn’t think his book was good enough to submit. He also mentioned humour, and said they “talk weird”! Meaning that conversation carries a distinct Australian/New Zealand flavour. Vanda said she thought the two were optimistic as nations, which was reflected in how people deal with situations, despite the darkness.

Linked to this was the problem of getting seen worldwide, which has been tough for writers Down Under. Vanda said the best words she ever heard were from the publisher who said “make it more Kiwi!” after she had been told previously to tone it down. Rachel said social media was helpful as the whole world was there – though she had moved back to the UK in an effort to boost her writing career. Vanda added that the ebook phenomenon has been helpful, as suddenly you have a global market and don’t have to think about printing and distributing physical copies.

Their recommended Australian/New Zealand authors included Paul Cleave, Paddy Richardson, Simon Wyatt, Michael Robotham and Belinda Pollard. (If you are on social media, Craig frequently talks about great authors to try, do look him up.)
Finally, the answers to that pop quiz: Helen is the 12th of 13 children, Nathan holds the pilot’s licence, Rachel is the ex-rock guitarist and Vanda is the fencer.

1.30pm – Wonderwall – Northern Noir
Caroline England, Rob Parker and Mel Sherratt

Dear Newcastle Noir, with all these northern voices you are spoiling us! This panel focused on three writers from north-west England, chaired by a Newcastle Noir favourite from just over the Border, Ann Landmann.
Ann started off by asking about how well the authors know their characters. Mel Sherratt said she used to write a biography of her characters before she started a book, but now she lets them grow and “do their thing” more organically. Rob Parker said if he was struggling to find a voice he started asking questions about them, on all sorts of topics, and then they come through clearly. Caroline said she often lies awake thinking about her characters, and likes to add layers as she writes. She added that you also need to know your book to know your characters – and that inspiration comes in the bath!

On settings and using places you are familiar with, Caroline said you worry that you might offend someone if you’re using a real place, but equally knowing the location well gives the book heart. Rob said he only writes about places he has been to for authenticity, and he feels he can take more liberties if that is there. Mel said her publisher wants more Stoke-on-Trent in the novels – she had originally self-published after being rejected for not setting books in London. She said she uses areas and main roads, but changes names of the local newspaper, or invents a block of flats to balance the authenticity with being respectful.

Discussing starting a new project, Mel said if it’s part of a series she will go back and re-read earlier books to refresh her memory, or if there is a new setting she will start researching. Many of her ideas are inspired in some way by a song lyric, a snippet of overheard conversation, or something seen in a magazine; she is always making notes on her phone and in notebooks. She has her whole year mapped out as she has so many projects on the go! Rob said he is never short of ideas, it’s about picking the most pressing one. And Caroline said she gets the spark of an idea, then the characters and then she is a “pantster” – she just starts and see where it goes!

A member of the audience asked if there was anything the panel wouldn’t write about. Mel said child exploitation, and other things she is uncomfortable with. She has less swearing in her books than she used to as she’s increasingly uneasy with that, too. Rob agreed that he was toning down the language as he wrote more. Caroline said she would never write historical fiction as she would have to do so much research!