Who is Andy Lucas?
I first
started writing for pleasure when I moved up to secondary school, in the very
early 80s. I was fortunate to have a couple of enthusiastic teachers who
fuelled my interest in story writing so, by the time I was sixteen, I knew I
wanted to be an author. Like thousands of other hopefuls, however, after a year
or two I could have papered a wall with the dozens of rejection letters from
agents and publishers I acquired. In those days, mainstream was the only game in
town and I was spectacularly unsuccessful in interesting a publisher with my
initial offerings. I did receive a few positive nibbles here and there,
including for a screenplay I wrote, but this did little to improve my sense of
failure. I figured they knew what they were talking about and that I must,
after all, just not be very good at this writing lark. For nearly two decades
thereafter, I wrote only sporadically and fitfully. If I am brutally honest, my
writing was so haphazard as to be virtually non-existent for years at a time. A
growing family and work took up most of my time and I considered stopping
writing altogether, on several occasions, but could not bring myself to do it.
Fortunately, the dawn of the indie author arrived, possibly just in the nick of
time!
Tell us about your
latest work.
I am
currently writing the sixth book in my James Pace thriller series. I write each
story set across two volumes i.e. a duology format, so this new book will
complete the third duology, called BLOOD GURKHA. Part 1: Prophesy is available now and my new book; Apocalypse, is scheduled for release on 19th December
2016. Right now, I am hard at work, drawing the threads of the story together,
and I have to say that I am thoroughly enjoying writing this new book. Once
completed, I will be taking a brief break from this series to complete the
second book in my new Ian Flyn science fiction thriller series, which I intend
to release in March 2017 before commencing a fourth James Pace duology, with
planned release slots of July 2017 (Part 1) and December 2017 (Part 2). All
these book are currently untitled although I already have a good idea of what
each story will look like. My intention is to release three books every year
from now on.
Describe a typical
writing day.
I wish there
was such a thing for me!
Although I
still work a full-time day job, my writing is now regular and I have learned to
be a little ruthless when it comes to making sure that I have enough time to
write. The most important revelation has been that I write more fluidly (and better)
when I set aside entire blocks of days and write for at least six hours on each
of these days i.e. holidays or ring-fenced weekends. On these dedicated days, I
rise early and write solidly from 07:00 until 13:00, undisturbed. Not only has
this approach improved my word output i.e. 4000 - 7000 words each day but the
intensity of the creative process allows me to focus more effectively on the pace
and flow of the narrative. I also tend to write outdoors during the spring and
summer months; sitting at my garden table, beneath the parasol, with my laptop
humming, fuelled by copious mugs of coffee!
In essence, I
write a little most days but I create the bulk of my books in a few
concentrated bursts. This approach allows me to keep on top of every planned
twist and turn in the plot lines and develop the characters in a believable
manner. A writing blitz can add up to 30,000 words to a story, usually over a
week of frenzied, focused effort. I am not suggesting this is the right approach
for everyone – it just works for me so I am happy to share.
How do you handle negative reviews?
I don't
often read reviews any longer; dipping in only occasionally to see if there
have been any technical issues picked up by readers. I used to get quite hung
up on negative comments but found the soul-searching and my natural, defensive
reaction to be self defeating and damaging, especially towards my own
enthusiasm for writing. I hold a genuine respect for a reader's opinion whilst also
understanding that two people can read the same book and experience very
different outcomes. Engaging with a book, as a reader, is a very personal event
and I am just grateful that readers are prepared to give up their time, and
hard-earned money, to join me in my own world. Of course, I want every reader
to love my books because I pour my heart and soul into each one but this isn't
realistic, I realise. As a developing author, I now stay intently focused on writing
new material and let the existing work speak for itself, with the hope that the
writers of any negative reviews are still able to find some elements of my work
that they enjoyed.
Have you ever read a
book and thought “I wish I’d written that!”?
Far too
many to list, including offerings from the likes of Tolkien, Lewis, Innes,
Bagley and even your own Tom Gray books! Strangely, though, if I had to choose
just one, it would not even feature in the genres I write. My favourite book of
all time, from childhood and still today, is a toss up between 'Stig of the Dump' and the other classic
children's tale of 'Watership Down', with
the latter just nosing ahead of the race. The genius of personification that
the author applied to bring this band of wandering rabbits to life, with such
diverse and relatable characters, remains a powerful reminder to me that
storytelling is truly worth doing. It does enrich people's lives and, if you
get it right, it can leave a positive, indelible mark upon another human being
that lasts a lifetime.
If you could collaborate with one author, who would
it be?
As a huge
fan of Jack Higgins and Clive Cussler, of course these two authors would be at
the top of my list. Their heroes, villains and twisting narratives have kept me
company on many holiday beaches, train journeys and aeroplane flights over the
years. That said, since first reading his novels, I rate David Leadbeater as
highly as any thriller writer I have ever purchased from a book shop. I feel
privileged to have been included in a couple of boxsets with David, alongside
some other fantastic authors, but collaborating with him on a book would be a
great experience, I'm sure.
Do you plot your
books to the smallest detail or do you write by the seat of your pants?
Both. I
start with an idea; fairly detailed, and then I throw the characters at it to
see what happens. I always have my eye on the end result and rein them in if
their own interactions threaten to lead the narrative too far off course. For
me, a good book is about the characters and how they all react differently to
situations. The readers need to care about them and, for this to happen, they
have to be believable even if the situation they find themselves in seems to be
bizarre. Sometimes this means that a couple of sub-plots or strands crop up
that I never envisaged at the outset but they always seem to enrich the overall
story. I tend to flesh out story structures broadly by chapter nowadays too,
which is something that I find increasingly useful i.e. in this chapter, these
characters will meet the villain, in the next chapter, a new setting will be
introduced with a new character and a key event, like a murder etc.
When you’re not writing, how do you relax?
It is a
cliché, I know, but I enjoy spending time with my family. I love watching my
children grow and develop - time with them is hugely valuable to me. On a less
emotive note, I enjoy riding horses and have, in the past, also enjoyed riding
motorcycles. I have fairly recently taken up target shooting as a hobby and I
am really enjoying beginning to learn the sport of marksmanship out on the
ranges. Not only do I hope that I might end up being good enough to take part
in competitions one day but I am also looking forward to being able to increase
the level of realism that I instil whenever my characters use firearms in my
books. Finally, I enjoy getting stuck into building and DIY projects. Working
with my hands; measuring, sawing, filing, fixing and painting, is oddly
relaxing for me.
Where can we find
your books?
All my books
are available on Amazon, in Kindle or paperback formats. Visit my Amazon author
page at https://www.amazon.co.uk/Andy-Lucas/e/B007BS5S0Q/ref=ntt_dp_epwbk_0 Links to
each book can also be found through my website: www.andylucasbooks.com
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