Ask the Author: William Ruby
Answered Questions (8)
William Ruby
Back in time, to 14th century England during the Black Death. It's too easy to imagine the world has suffered uniquely during C19. It hasn't. Plague in Europe was the ultimate expression of what a pathogen can do to society. I would be fascinated to see how people lived their everyday lives, how they coped and survived.
William Ruby
'Fall' by John Preston (about the life and times of Robert Maxwell), 'All in it Together' by Alwyn Turner (a short history of Britain in 21st century) and 'Madhouse at the End of the Earth' by Julian Sancton (about a disastrous Belgian voyage to the Antactic).
William Ruby
Plug away. Like a sports performer who hits a tricky patch, there is only one way out. Work harder, get your head down.
William Ruby
Freedom. Freedom to create and invent and compose and mould worlds. And freedom from the everyday concerns of life. When I write, I am lost in the work. It's liberating.
William Ruby
Practice. Practice. And more practice. Don't believe all that nonsense about writing talent, and genius. An innate flair with words and ideas is really helpful, of course, but it's the sheer graft of repeated trial and error over many years that gets you where you need to be in time.
Don't give up. If you do, it means it simply wasn't for you.
Don't give up. If you do, it means it simply wasn't for you.
William Ruby
I'm currently researching the second book in what I hope will be a four book series on British crime; this time it is infamous miscarriages of justice.
I'm also working on a novel, called 'Balham'. More to come......
I'm also working on a novel, called 'Balham'. More to come......
William Ruby
I write every day, in some capacity. Can't help it. However, I like to write in the morning before the day and its happenings starts to crowd in.
A lot of the worst British crimes I wrote about were grim, upsetting and horrific in various ways, so there were days when I had to force myself to the computer. The crimes in which children were victims are especially hard. One feels the need to get the tone just right, and portray victims (young and old) as more than the simple collateral many true crime writers go for.
A lot of the worst British crimes I wrote about were grim, upsetting and horrific in various ways, so there were days when I had to force myself to the computer. The crimes in which children were victims are especially hard. One feels the need to get the tone just right, and portray victims (young and old) as more than the simple collateral many true crime writers go for.
William Ruby
My previous book-'A Murderer's Game: the Death of Lynsey Quy' sold pretty well in USA, so I saw that there was a market for British crime across the Atlantic beyond Sherlock Holmes and Miss Marple.
I therefore set about researching and writing 'The American Compendium of British Crimes' as my number 1 lockdown project. It's a big book, but I got there!
I therefore set about researching and writing 'The American Compendium of British Crimes' as my number 1 lockdown project. It's a big book, but I got there!
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