Ask the Author: Neil Turner
Answered Questions (21)
Neil Turner
Like many writers, I now do the majority of my research online. I’ve gone down some rabbit holes with topics and people I abhor, reading biographies, interview or testimony transcripts and the like—many by some pretty appalling human beings. It’s been frightening at times, but also instructive. I’ve gained a deep appreciation for the people who confront the world’s ugliness and pain in ways many of us can’t imagine. I also interview people to get a feel for how events impact them; police, reporters, paramedics, even a doctor or two. I want to get inside their skin in an effort to understand what they feel and experience in the moment, allowing me to relate that emotion to readers. Is success a jubilant Eureka! moment, or something quietly satisfying? What if they hit a dead end or a lead doesn’t work out, or perhaps they lose a patient? What do they feel in those moments? Frustration, anger, perhaps a sense of forward momentum if they learn something useful in the process? Then there’s the usual crime author search for unique ways to kill people and get away with it, how to destroy evidence, misdirect investigators, frame others … all of which leads to a tired old writer joke: I never want the police to see my internet search history! I’m afraid I haven’t (yet) killed anyone to test a thesis … well, at least that’s my story and I’m sticking to it. 😉
Neil Turner
Many aspects of completing a book are quite difficult, at least for me. I think the answer changes as one publishes more books. For a first book, pushing through to the end can be difficult as doubts enter a writer’s mind at many stages. Of course, once you reach the end of that first draft, the real work is just beginning! As I’ve become somewhat more proficient and felt the pressure to produce the next book, I think the most difficult (and valuable) skill I’ve developed is determining if a story idea has the potential to grow into a fully realized novel. My fevered little brain throws up bits and pieces of stories all the time, most of which don’t lead anywhere. Some intrigue me enough to go down that rabbit hole for a time to see if I can flesh the idea out enough to build a novel around. The answer is generally no, but several of these exercises have ended up as scenes or subplots of novels.
Neil Turner
What a great question! I play something of a game with myself when I land on an intriguing potential novel idea. Step one is posing a string of questions to myself to work through possibilities. Some examples are: What if this were to happen? And then what? Who would do this or that? What does the protagonist want/need to achieve? Who and/or what stands in the way of the protagonist achieving his or her goals? How will our hero overcome this opposition? What can go wrong to make it harder? What will make the situation worse? How can I make things desperate! If I feel confident the idea can be developed into a full length novel, I’ll flag it as a potential book and allow the idea to further develop. By whatever alchemy these things work themselves out, a point will come where the story crystalizes, and then it’s time to start writing. Sometimes the idea works out, sometimes it doesn’t.
Neil Turner
This is an interesting craft question in two parts, and there are probably as many answers as there are authors. Here’s my take, which I offer from the perspective of a thriller writer. I consider character to be the single most important aspect of writing. Unless I care about the people in the story, what happens to them doesn’t much matter to me. As for balance, just because we care about a character doesn’t mean we’re going to stick with them through 400 pages of navel gazing. For my money, a good book includes compelling characters navigating their way through a propulsive tale with plenty of obstacles to overcome, huge dollops of uncertainty at every turn, and all with a universal theme underpinning the story. Now, I may not be able to actually do that myself, but it’s what I like to read! 😊
Neil Turner
This is a timely question, as I’m in the midst of editing my eighth Tony Valenti Thriller, A Law Unto Itself. There isn’t a set number of rounds I adhere to, but the process is generally as follows: After completing the first draft, I go through the manuscript a couple of times, paring it down, cutting scenes that aren’t necessary, adding scenes as needed, and generally shaping the story into something readable. I’ll do some editorial and copy-editing-type work at this stage. Next step is sending it to beta readers, who provide me with a good sense of what’s right, what’s wrong, and what’s missing. I have also sent manuscripts out for a professional editorial or structural edit at this stage, which supplements the insights from my beta readers. After reworking the manuscript to incorporate those thoughts, I’ll do another pass that starts drilling down to something much closer to the finished product in term of structure, characterization, and pacing. I also run the story through an online tool called AutoCrit, which inevitably tells me that I’ve overdone my dialogue tags and also shines a light on one or two of my other persistent bad habits. Then it’s off to copy-editing. Now that I’m growing really tired of editing, it’s time for proofreading, proofreading, and more proofreading. When I think I’m done, I reluctantly push myself to complete a final pass through the manuscript using the software’s read aloud feature, which inevitably picks up yet another few things we’ve all somehow missed. At this point, I hate the story with a passion and never want to see it again. Ever!
Neil Turner
What an interesting question. I suppose we’d all like to imagine ourselves as an adorable animal or a majestic beast, or even just a cute little puppy or some such. I’m none of those things, so claiming one of them to represent me seems out of bounds. Besides, the question specifies that I’m choosing an avatar to represent me as a writer, so I’m selecting a beaver. Why a beaver, of all things? Well, it’s the national animal of Canada and I’m Canadian. It’s also a truly industrious little rascal and a writer must be industrious, and you don’t have to look far to find people who think beavers are pests. Voila, it’s me (albeit without the impressive tail and chompers!) So here I am! 🦫
Neil Turner
I love this question! As I generally write in a series, I tend to know who’s going to be in a story, but there’s always at least one character I don’t see coming. Sometimes a twist in the story requires a new person, other times a character simply forces their way out of my head and onto the page. I love it when that happens, as these tend to be inimitable folks who are a lot of fun. Our computer hacker, Chippy, is such a character. Turning the computer geek stereotype on its head made for some unexpected fun.
Neil Turner
I receive a lot of questions through my reader's club, and post some of them here. I’ll answer this with my reader's hat on. I appreciate a book that entertains me, teaches me a thing or two, and allows me to spend time with characters I identify and engage with. A good book carries us away to a world with adventures limited only by the author’s imagination. How cool is that?
Neil Turner
There are a couple of ways to answer this question. I’m going to answer how long it takes me to write a first draft, leaving aside everything else, such as research, editing, production, marketing, etc. Producing a first draft generally takes me around three months, writing up to six hours daily, six days per week—often more when I’m in the home stretch. If I’m exciting about getting to the end to see how things play out, then I like to think readers will feel the same way. Wishful thinking on occasion, perhaps, but it feels good while it lasts. 😊
Neil Turner
Good point, Tom. Thank you.
Neil Turner
What a great and timely question! I mentioned to my Reader's Club last month that I was working on a deal to have the first eight Tony novels produced as audiobooks, and I’m happy to report the deal has been finalized.
To answer the question, the truth is that I can’t read fiction that way. I enjoy listening to comedy and have gotten through some nonfiction audiobooks. The problem for me is that I’m easily distracted while reading, often pausing to think about what I’ve just read—perhaps a particularly clever turn of phrase or description, or simply a bit of information that gets me thinking—and suddenly I’m lost with no idea at what point I stopped listening. Some say my problem is that I’m flaky and have a miniscule attention span. I prefer my explanation. 😉
To answer the question, the truth is that I can’t read fiction that way. I enjoy listening to comedy and have gotten through some nonfiction audiobooks. The problem for me is that I’m easily distracted while reading, often pausing to think about what I’ve just read—perhaps a particularly clever turn of phrase or description, or simply a bit of information that gets me thinking—and suddenly I’m lost with no idea at what point I stopped listening. Some say my problem is that I’m flaky and have a miniscule attention span. I prefer my explanation. 😉
Neil Turner
My immediate thought was Middle Earth from J.R.R. Tolkien’s Lord of the Rings, but that seemed a little too obvious, so I sifted through other fictional world options … and then I came back to Middle Earth. Why? I found Hobbiton and the Shire delightful; a familiar, tranquil setting transformed into something quite out of the ordinary. There’s also magic in Rivendell and Lothlórien, and what the Dwarves wrought under the mountains sounds majestic. I could easily picture the beauty of Rohan and Gondor. I’m certain I would be filled with awe and wonder while travelling Middle Earth, and I suspect the company of Frodo and his friends would be delightful. That said, I felt the utter desolation of Mordor as Tolkien brought it to life; I could hear, see, even smell the evil and rot in that dark land and the foreboding it inflicted on the world and its inhabitants. Thankfully, I would be my own tour guide on my visit to Middle Earth, so I’d give Mordor a pass, thank you very much. 😉
Neil Turner
As with most things to do with a published novel, covers are a team effort. For the first novel, A House on Liberty Street, I engaged the services of David Prendergast, who is an excellent cover designer based in Dublin. We established the look of the series in terms of layout and fonts, a concept that I’ve used with every novel in the series. The graphics for each novel are selected to dramatize a pivotal moment of tension in the story. I occasionally fantasize about having the graphic arts chops to do the covers myself, but, hey, who am I kidding? Stick men brandishing stick guns might not sell very well outside of the cartoon aisle.
Neil Turner
I can only answer from my perspective as a writer. I approach chapters in much the same way as scenes are framed in the performing arts. Before I begin a chapter, I establish why I’m writing the scene, particularly how does it advance the book. Then I write the chapter as a microcosm of how an entire book is constructed: beginning, middle, and end, and there needs to be tension and/or conflict of some sort. Finally, the chapter should propel readers into the next chapter. In my world, this an author decision, although editors can certainly weigh in.
Neil Turner
Here’s a fun question! This has crossed my mind from time to time when someone asks, but it’s never make it into a Q & A. I can’t say anyone ever struck me as right for the part until I watched the film version of Michael Connelly’s The Lincoln Lawyer, in which Matthew McConaughey starred as Mickey Haller. Great book; great movie; perfect Tony Valenti!
Neil Turner
I have a creative process? I thought I just made stuff up! The biggest challenge, especially when writing a series, is to create something fresh so I’m not writing the same story over and over again. I imagine readers would grow bored if I churned out essentially the same book time after time. I enjoy putting Tony and company into new predicaments and pitting them against new villains to discover how they handle things. I want the characters to evolve, growing before our eyes as they tackle new challenges using tools and experience gained along the way. I often hear from readers who appreciate character development as much as thrills and chills.
Neil Turner
I’ve enjoyed many movies over the years; selecting just one is
incredibly difficult. However, when pressed to do so, I selected
the Steven Spielberg classic, Close Encounters of the Third Kind.
Why? Because I enjoyed it! The movie was entertaining and thought provoking (I’ll return to this), the casting was excellent, the
cinematography and special effects were outstanding—especially for
its time, the film still looks great—and the film was laced with laughout-
loud humor to relieve tension and humanize the characters. Any
time I’m fortunate enough to get out of the city where I can see layer
upon layer of stars twinkling in the night sky, I find myself wondering
what’s out there in the vastness of space. And, as I gaze up in
wonder, what do I hear? If you know the movie, you know which five notes I'm talking about: G, A, F, (octave lower) F, C
incredibly difficult. However, when pressed to do so, I selected
the Steven Spielberg classic, Close Encounters of the Third Kind.
Why? Because I enjoyed it! The movie was entertaining and thought provoking (I’ll return to this), the casting was excellent, the
cinematography and special effects were outstanding—especially for
its time, the film still looks great—and the film was laced with laughout-
loud humor to relieve tension and humanize the characters. Any
time I’m fortunate enough to get out of the city where I can see layer
upon layer of stars twinkling in the night sky, I find myself wondering
what’s out there in the vastness of space. And, as I gaze up in
wonder, what do I hear? If you know the movie, you know which five notes I'm talking about: G, A, F, (octave lower) F, C
Neil Turner
This is a tricky question. It’s a significant challenge to write each series novel to stand on its own without weighting it down with too much backstory from previous books. This can slow things down for those who have read earlier books. Then again, not enough backstory runs the risk of leaving new readers somewhat adrift when it comes to character motivations. As Tony’s stories are written with overarching character and story arcs that unfold over the course of the series, I suspect they are best read in order, but a number of reader's say otherwise..
Neil Turner
I once heard a Chicago news story about a bewildering shooting at the same time I was reading an article about local governments abusing eminent domain power. The two ideas somehow merged in my mind in the context of the people involved. As is often the case, asking myself a series of “what if?” questions eventually developed into A House on Liberty Street.
Neil Turner
I love to write and I love to read. Reading inspires me to write and writing inspires me to read. How’s that for a virtuous circle? I do find that I’m often motivated by injustice. If I read or hear about an event that disturbs me, my mind files it away as a future story idea. While some of these nuggets eventually blossom into viable novel ideas, most do not. I once heard the author John Irving (one of my favorite writers) refer to this as a story gathering in one’s mind. I think it’s a terrific way of defining that mysterious and magical creative tinder… trust Mr. Irving to finds the right words!
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