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Featured Author - Stuart MacBride


Kell

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I first read 'Cold Granite' last year after it was chosen as a read in my reading group (The Posh Club - based in Aberdeen) and have since gone on myself to read your other two books 'Dying Light' and 'Broken Skin' and I thoroughly enjoyed reading all three of them. Was wondering if you have any plans to write more? :lol:

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I think the people who really inspire me are writers like R.D.Wingfield (sadly no longer with us, but he wrote the books A TOUCH OF FROST were based on), Val McDermid, Mark Billingham, and Larry Niven believe it or not.

 

I think I take something from every book I read, whether it's 'Jesus, I'm going to have to try harder to come even close to this...' to 'Holy shhhhhhh that was bloody awful. NEVER, EVER do something that bad!'

 

The only person who scares me - writer or otherwise - is me. I know what actually goes on inside my head...

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Was wondering if you have any plans to write more? :lol:

 

Hi Sooz,

 

Glad you liked them! And yes, I do indeed have another one in the pipeline, no so much on the horizon as bearing down on me like a Sumo wrestler in spandex pants. I'm editing the fourth Logan McRae book at the moment and I've got about... 4, maybe 5 days more to do, then there'll be a huge chunk of typing up to do.

 

FLESH HOUSE (as it's going to be called) will be out in the UK in May 2008. And after that I've got a contract for another two Logan books with HarperCollins, so I'm still going to be doing this in 2010.

 

After that, I'm thinking about becoming a plumber.

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Cold Granite is the only one I have read although hubby enjoyed your second too. We love the sweetie eating police boss. What made you do that? And why did you make the weather so bad?

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Here's a writer question. Do you plot? And do your characters talk to you?

 

So... do I make this shhhhhhh up as I go along, and am I schizophrenic?

 

Hmm...

 

Sort of, and sometimes.

 

I use mind maps to get an overview of what the story's going to be about and some of the things that are going to happen. A novel takes up pretty much the whole whiteboard in my study (a short story takes a sheet of A4) and once I reach the edges of the board I sit down and start to write. I'll usually go back and replan 2 or 3 times during a book to keep up with all the little stuff that pops up while I'm writing that I didn't expect. Sometimes these are pretty major deviances from the original plot, but it's all grist to the whatnot.

 

As to the talking characters: some days it's easier than others, but as I'm not a complete crazy person I don't actually talk to them. I know what they're likely to say in any given situation and I write it down, simple as that. I'm not a big believer in all this 'channelling characters as if they're real people' stuff. They're not real people, I made them up. I am their GOD and they will worship me or suffer the consequences!

 

AAAAAAAAAAAARGH!!!

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Cold Granite is the only one I have read although hubby enjoyed your second too. We love the sweetie eating police boss. What made you do that? And why did you make the weather so bad?

 

 

Ah, the good old weather question ;}# I was living in Kingswells when I started writing COLD GRANITE - it was the dead of winter and every time I looked out the window, ready to start the next scene it was either hammering down, drizzling, or snowing fit to burst. And that was what I put into the book. I don't think we've had a winter quite that crummy since, but that year it was sodding awful.

 

As for DI Insch, his sweetie addiction just came about by accident while I was writing him. Now I use it as an excuse to put in all the sweets I remember loving from my childhood. I've recently discovered a wee sweetie shop in the nearest town that does old-fashioned Scottish confectionery, so look out for 'soor plooms', 'tatties' and 'granny sookers' making their appearance.

 

And while we're talking about such things: I've given Tunnocks Tasty Caramel Wafers a plug in every single book and I've never received so much as a single freebie, never mind a lifetime's supply. COME ON TUNNOCKS - WHAT'S A GUY GOT TO DO?

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Hi Stuart! Obviously you don't go around maiming, murdering and committing random violent crimes (or at least, I hope not!), so you must have a network of contacts for research purposes. How did you go about getting in touch with people who could give you first-hand information and details for use in your novels? And do you enjoy the research side of things?

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So... do I make this shhhhhhh up as I go along, and am I schizophrenic?

 

Hmm...

 

Sort of, and sometimes.

 

I use mind maps to get an overview of what the story's going to be about and some of the things that are going to happen. A novel takes up pretty much the whole whiteboard in my study (a short story takes a sheet of A4) and once I reach the edges of the board I sit down and start to write. I'll usually go back and replan 2 or 3 times during a book to keep up with all the little stuff that pops up while I'm writing that I didn't expect. Sometimes these are pretty major deviances from the original plot, but it's all grist to the whatnot.

 

As to the talking characters: some days it's easier than others, but as I'm not a complete crazy person I don't actually talk to them. I know what they're likely to say in any given situation and I write it down, simple as that. I'm not a big believer in all this 'channelling characters as if they're real people' stuff. They're not real people, I made them up. I am their GOD and they will worship me or suffer the consequences!

 

AAAAAAAAAAAARGH!!!

 

Mine never listen to me. :)

These sound wonderful! And I second Kell's question. What's your favorite research location?

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Stuart, loved the three Logan McRae books and so looking forward to reading 'Flesh House' when it comes out.

 

My questions for you are...

 

When you have time what do you like to read? Do you have a favourite genre or author?

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And while we're talking about such things: I've given Tunnocks Tasty Caramel Wafers a plug in every single book and I've never received so much as a single freebie, never mind a lifetime's supply. COME ON TUNNOCKS - WHAT'S A GUY GOT TO DO?

Send them a copy of the books and highlight the pages you mention them...you never know!:)

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Obviously you don't go around maiming, murdering and committing random violent crimes

 

Say's who?

 

How did you go about getting in touch with people who could give you first-hand information and details for use in your novels?

 

This is going to sound freaky weird, but I used my telephone. I rang Police Headquarters and spoke to some police officers, then I rang the Morgue and spoke to an Anatomical Pathology Technician. Everyone was incredibly helpful.

 

For other stuff I just asked friends and friends of friends. You'd be surprised just how wide a spread of intelligence you already have at your fingertips. You just have to make use of it.

 

And writing novels gives you the ultimate excuse for being a nosey 'person of dubious parentage'. What more do you need?

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When you have time what do you like to read? Do you have a favourite genre or author?

 

Ever since I started going to crime conventions I've had a huge chunk of extra books to read - whenever I meet someone at these thing that I like, I do my best to go read their books. Which means I always have a vast backlog of crime fiction to read.

 

This is good, because I genuinely love crime fiction. I don't think any other genre is so focussed on delivering a gripping plot, action and character-driven narrative.

 

Writers I frequent are: Mark Billingham, Val McDermid, R.D. Wingfield (sadly nolonger with us), Simon Kernick, John Rickards... and many, many others.

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Hi again Stuart.

My OH is an Aberdonian born and bred, and loved the fact that the stories are set in Aberdeen. Obviously public places are 'real' but the descriptions of private homes etc looked like they'd been disuised a bit, presumably to make sure there are no repercussions...or am I talking drivel?:)

Pp

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Obviously public places are 'real' but the descriptions of private homes etc looked like they'd been disuised a bit, presumably to make sure there are no repercussions...or am I talking drivel?

 

 

Nope, you're not - I never use a real address for a scene in the books unless it's a public building (Force Headquarters, the Music Hall etc.) Given the kind of books I write I don't think it'd be fair to use someone's home as the setting for something horrible. So I make up streets that fit the general pattern of the area they're in and then feel free to have all manner of nasty things go on there.

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I used to live on Marischal Street and have got it into my head that Logan lives in my old flat No. 44a, just over the little bridge bit, on the right hand side of the road (looking towards the harbour). The dining room window looked out over Theatre Lane (where the "ladies of the night" were often to be seen plying their trade). I'd love to know Logan's proper address...

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I used to live on Marischal Street and have got it into my head that Logan lives in my old flat No. 44a ... I'd love to know Logan's proper address

 

Well, you're definitely in the right neighbourhood. I'm going to have to keep Logan's actual address a secret though, just in case someone's looking to break his legs...

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I know you base your books in Aberdeen, but would you ever consider basing them in another Scottish town/city or abroad even, but still using the same characters?

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