Honestly, I just took a swing at it. I was getting bored with my university dissertation, and I had an idea that I thought might make a decent fantasy book, so I started writing that on the side. I was wrong... it was a mess! But I loved writing it and using my imagination.
What inspired you?
That’s such a great start, sometimes the best way in is just to begin, even if it’s a mess at first. I think a lot of writers have that early draft tucked away that taught them more than any course ever could. And loving the process, that’s what keeps us going, right?
For me, it started with an obsession with 1920s Berlin. The city was full of contradictions, modern yet unstable, vibrant but on the brink of chaos. I began to imagine what a police detective would look like in that world, trying to do his job while the ground shifted beneath his feet. That’s where Gereon Rath was born.
That's a very cool intro to the world you wanted to build. Having the frame of the character, but wanting to see how the sociopolitical backdrop would help or hinder him in his job. I imagine the research was quite extensive, or did you want to keep it a little loose to allow a bit more room to manoeuvre?
Thanks, and yes, you’ve hit the heart of it. I had the character early on, but the world around him needed to be just as alive and volatile. The sociopolitical backdrop wasn't just setting; it shaped every choice he made. The research was definitely deep, I wanted historical accuracy, but I also left space to let the story breathe. It's a balance: anchoring the fiction in truth, while still letting the narrative roam where it needs to.
Hello Charles. Everything is hunky dory at the moment, apart from the fact that I'm having a very hard time trusting the sources of the questions I've been getting asked lately, as they all sound very generic and similar; one could almost say bot-like. If you don't mind my asking, how come a writer of your calibre, with four Best Novel nominations from Nebula, only started your AllAuthor account this month?
Haha, fair shout. I’d be suspicious too with the way some of those questions sound, like they’ve been cooked up by the same slightly overcaffeinated bot. As for AllAuthor, I only just signed up. Been deep in the writing cave for a while, books, research, rewrites, the usual chaos. Figured I’d pop my head up, see what this place was about.
Since we’re on it, what’s your writing process like? Do you plan everything out or just dive in and see where the story takes you?
Yes, well frankly, staying in the cave seems like a preferable alternative sometimes.
Once I get a general idea of who my main character and what the story is about, I do tend to draft out a plot line. There's always alterations to various degrees, but I like to make sure the big, key points are cemented in, and then the fun part is seeing how I get from A to B.
I’m definitely more of a plotter than a pantser, though I do leave some room for discovery. I like to map out the big turning points first, then break it down into scenes so I always know where I’m headed. That said, characters have a way of surprising me and forcing course corrections along the way.
I actually sent you my email through your contact form earlier, I’d really like for us to talk more about this. Do you ever find yourself veering off the original outline, or do you manage to stick to it pretty closely?
I'm Judith Hermann, I love connecting with fellow writers it’s always fascinating to hear how others found their way into storytelling. How did your writing journey begin?
I wrote my first novel whilst I was do my dissertation at university. It was terrible, but the experience was brilliant, far better than my studies. After that, I wrote a horror novel that caught an agent's eye. He passed on it, but then signed me for my next book. I now have a different agent, but I'm still writing.
What inspired you to become a writer?
