Hello again everyone,
As most of you know I have been quite active over the last year on Twitter, interacting with the lovely people of the #WritingCommunity. They've been a very helpful and friendly bunch. I thought it was about time to give a little back to the community. As such I've decided to start doing Indie Author Interviews - a chance to introduce you to some of the writers I have bumped into along with their work. So let us begin with the wonderful Richard Wall!
1. If you could begin by introducing yourself Richard by letting us know who you are, where you are from, and how we can find your writing online.
By day I’m a freelance Technical Writer, by night I write (or attempt to write) dark fiction and occasional poetry. I was born in rural Herefordshire, left home at 18 to join the Royal Navy. After 22 years spent on or around nuclear submarines I retired to live in rural Worcestershire.
As it says on my website, my stories reflect my life-long fascination with the dark underbelly of American culture in its many forms. You can find my work on Amazon, or via my website.
2. You're quite a prolific writer, is there anything in particular you would like to promote today?
My latest novel, NEAR DEATH was released in October 2020 (shout out to Burning Chair Publishing) and I’m actively touting it on social media in the hope of generating enough interest to land a blockbuster Hollywood movie deal that will make me rich and all my dreams will come true (the odd book sale would be nice, too).
3. How long have you been writing for, and what initially inspired you?
I’ve been writing odd things all my life, ever since I could read. But I started taking it seriously in 2003 when I joined a writing group (shout out to Malvern Writers’ Circle) where I learned a lot from a bunch of very talented people, and discovered that I enjoyed writing poetry. In 2012 I went on a road trip from Memphis to New Orleans (for Mardi Gras) via the back roads of Mississippi. That experience inspired me to write my first novel, FAT MAN BLUES. Around that time I discovered Amazon and self-published a few short stories.
I self-published FAT MAN BLUES in 2015 and learned a lot about book promotion and marketing. A couple of years later I had the germ of an idea for a story, which eventually became my second novel NEAR DEATH.
4. What is your favourite book/books and would you say you have a favourite genre and author?
My favourite book changes with the wind, but my favourite genres are crime fiction, supernatural thrillers (or any combination thereof). As for favourite authors, anything by Andrew Vachss, James Lee Burke or Ran Walker will grab my attention.
5. How do you get started with each book you write? Do you write notes, or do you see what comes?
All of my stories usually begin with a single idea, or even a random sentence that appears in my head. I read somewhere that a writer should plan out a story, chapter by chapter, before starting to write. I tried to do this for my very first novel and wasted several weeks because I just can’t do it. In the end I gave up and just began writing and as I did so the story began to weave in and out of situations that I could never have dreamt up beforehand. I have found that this is my style - it works for me so that’s how I write. Other writers will have different techniques.
6. How long does it take you to write your books, and how much quicker are your short stories?
I have to write around my day job and home life. Novels typically take a couple of years; short stories a couple of weeks.
7. How have you found marketing your book? What do you find works for you and what doesn’t?
I learned a lot from trying to promote FAT MAN BLUES. The key thing is to find out who your audience are (and then go to where they hang out), try not to annoy people and don’t take it personally if a reader says they don’t like your book.
8. Have you met any particularly interesting people in the Twitter #writingcommunity?
The #writingcommunity on Twitter is full of interesting people. One that stands out is the writer Chris Walsh, whose debut novel THE DIG STREET FESTIVAL is just magnificent.
9. Do you have any handy tips for #indieauthors just getting started?
Find your own voice, don’t try to write like anyone else. Believe in yourself. Find a good editor.
10. What are you currently working on? Should we expect any new work coming out in the near future?
Currently I’m working on the sequel to NEAR DEATH. I also have an idea for a paperback collection of all my short stories (which are currently only available on Kindle).
11. What is your favourite thing about writing?
Meeting new characters, listening to their story and following them as they make the story unfold.
12. And finally could you tell us an odd fact/story about yourself that not many people know?
I once woke up to the sound of machine-gun-fire.
And with that cliffhanger I am going to stop there. Thank you Richard! If you're a writer and would like to have your own little interview send me a message on Twitter (@JonBolithoJones) or email me on jbjonesauthor@gmail.com. More importantly if you want to find Richard online you can do so by the following ways:
Website: www.richardwall.org
Amazon page: https://www.amazon.co.uk/Richard-Wall/e/B0088AZOIC/
Twitter: @writinblues
Instagram: @richardawall
And with that it's bye for now. I'll be back soon!
Jon
