Ask the Author: Paddy Magrane
Answered Questions (4)
Paddy Magrane
I'm looking forward to reading Persons Unknown, by Susie Steiner. I loved Missing, Presumed, which was such a fresh take on a crime novel - bursting with humanity, humour and personality. It reminded me of Happy Valley, which is, as we all know, the best crime drama on telly. Will also be checking out Crash Land, by Doug Johnstone, which has a phenomenal premise. And of course He Said, She Said, by the mighty Erin Kelly.
Paddy Magrane
As a psychotherapist, I've always been intrigued by the way clients reveal information – often their most intimate thoughts, feelings and secrets. They may do this consciously or unconsciously, through the contents of a dream, say, or with their body language. When first thinking about DISORDER, I wondered what it would be like if the client was a powerful man, and the secret he unconsciously revealed was of a whopping nature!
At the time, I was not long back from a trip to Damascus. The winding alleyways and crumbling buildings of the Old City struck me as the perfect place to set a thriller. And as a tightly-run police state, Syria was a country in which committing a dark crime would have presented so many more complexities and potential dangers than, say, Oxford!
Needless to say, the tragic civil war soon put an end to my idea of setting the book there. But the souk of Marrakesh has proved a worthy understudy!
At the time, I was not long back from a trip to Damascus. The winding alleyways and crumbling buildings of the Old City struck me as the perfect place to set a thriller. And as a tightly-run police state, Syria was a country in which committing a dark crime would have presented so many more complexities and potential dangers than, say, Oxford!
Needless to say, the tragic civil war soon put an end to my idea of setting the book there. But the souk of Marrakesh has proved a worthy understudy!
Paddy Magrane
My writing time often gets interrupted by work or childcare so, when I eventually sit down at the laptop, I'm bursting with ideas (not always good ones, but ideas nonetheless) about how to move the book forward. So no, it's not a problem. For me, it's plotting, proofing and editing. They do my head in.
Paddy Magrane
The hackneyed advice about reading and writing loads is true, but don’t give yourself a hard time if you can’t manage both all the time. The most important thing to remember is that, even if you’re on a bus or walking the dog, if you’re thinking about your book you are, in effect, shaping it – and therefore driving it forward. Oh, and if a literary agent you like offers some editorial advice, take it. First of all, it’s free. Second, they know what they’re talking about. Third, they will be much more inclined to work with a writer who’s able to accept and act on feedback.
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