Hi John, thanks for talking to me today. I am sure that you
are tired of being asked the usual questions that would be interviewers ask
authors, so hopefully this interview is an interview with a difference and I
have come up with some unusual questions!
If your latest book was adapted into a TV show or a film, who would you
like to play the lead role?
The latest (still to
be published) book will be A Heart of Stone.
The Hero? (Arthur): Jamie Bell
The Heroine? (Mary): Emma Watson
The Villain?
(Robert): Hugh Lawrie
If, as a one off,
(and you could guarantee publication!) you
could write anything you wanted, is there another genre you would love to work
with and do you already have a budding plot line in mind?
Crime! (nothing
specific plot-wise in mind yet)
Do you have any
rituals and routines when writing? Your favourite cup for example or ‘that’
piece of music...??
I always write at my
table and in my favourite chair. The only routine as such is to clear all the
other tasks out of the way first to give myself a clear couple of hours.
What is the worse
book you have ever read? What made it unreadable for you?
I am not saying!
Other than writing
full time, what would be your dream job?
I've done my dream
job! I was a ship's officer and captain in the last few years of the era where
going to sea was still an exciting and romantic career.
Coffee or tea? Red
or white?
Tea and Red
If you had free
choice over the font your book is printed in, what font/fonts would you choose?
Garamond 12pt.
Imagine that you
could get hold of any original source document. What would it be?
The court documents
relating to the case of Crim Com between Robert and Arthur Rochfort.
Historical fiction
authors have to contend with real characters invading our stories. Are there
any ‘real’ characters you have been tempted to prematurely kill off or ignore
because you just don’t like them or they spoil the plot?
None so far.
Are you prepared to
go away from the known facts for the sake of the story and if so how do you get
around this?
Yes – that's why
it's called Fiction, but it has to be done with care, and for a deliberate
reason.
Do you find that the
lines between fact and fiction sometimes become blurred?
Oh yes! We NEVER
know exactly what or how, or even why "someone said something" We
weren’t there, and history is written by the winner.
Have you ever
totally hated or fallen in love with one of your characters?
I think you have to,
to get the best out of them. Just don't be indifferent to them.
What do you enjoy
reading for pleasure?
Historical and
contemporary fiction, especially books by my friends (all genres) because I can
see them in their works.
What drink would you
recommend drinking whilst reading your latest book?
Red wine –
especially a Malbec from Cahors!
Last but not
least... favourite historical author?
© Diana Milne July
2016 © John Jackson November 2016
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