James’s Comments (group member since Oct 09, 2013)

James’s comments from the Ask James Howell group.

I'm not sure if you're allowed to plug your books in these discussions, but there's a list here on Goodreads called Best Female Lead Characters. Can I get a few votes for Hannah Harker please!

https://www.goodreads.com/list/show/2...

Thanks for your question Alistair. Fleming's method sounds very appealing, but I don't have that luxury just yet.

A lot of authors say you should write something every day, but I don't like to force it when I know that I'm not on form. I'm very easily distracted and take a while to get in the zone, so generally I like to just lock myself away for a couple of days at a time and "binge write". I also write a lot in the early hours of the morning when the house is quiet and I have no interruptions.

Depending on what scene I'm working on, I might have a glass of red or a vodka to get the creative juices flowing, but there's a fine line between enhanced creativity and pissed! I'll sometimes listen to Aphex Twin or NIN while I'm writing, but this again depends on what scene I'm writing.

I'd be interested to find out more about the Steve Klein method of working one day...

I used to be the bored local journalist trying to find a cure for my boredom, so Hannah became an alter-ego where I could explore fantasies and push them to the most extreme level.

There are elements of other people I know in Hannah's character, and a lot of it is pure invention, but she is essentially my evil twin!

Thanks for your thoughts Teddy - I think your three words sum her up pretty well!

James

Hi Nica,

Without wanting to give away any spoilers, I think it's safe to say that the virus is contained within India.

I could have gone into loads more detail and explored the contagion idea further, but that would have become a novel in itself and I wanted to focus more on Hannah and her search for redemption.

Maybe a post-apocalyptic follow-up may come one day, but I'm always more interested in writing about people and relationships to be honest.

James

Hannah Harker has been explored over the course of three books, but still remains something of an enigma. Is she a hero, is she a villain, or is she a complex and morally ambiguous protagonist? Do you want her to win, or do you want to see her suffer for her sins?