Khaleel Datay's Blog - Posts Tagged "writing"

A few months after completing my first book, I started writing the second book as a follow up novel. Problem is I found second time a lot harder. You keep second guessing yourself. I wonder if other writers have the same problem. First time round I just sat down and wrote with a general idea of where the plot was moving. Along the way I did my research and wrote some more. Things more or less flowed. This time round plotting has been a lot harder. Not that there are a shortage of ideas. One has to be so careful not to get too elaborate with the plot. A good story is still a good story. The first book was about a former soldier who is also an academic in Eastern languages and history. A product of a mixed marriage, father English and mother Kashmiri. Although the story is a thriller about finding a terrorist and stopping a terror plot in Mumbai, there are also some deeper questions asked. Questions about friendship, betrayal, and love. Do we really know ourselves? Do we really know who our parents are, what they were before we got to know them as our parents. Respect, honour, and integrity, are becoming foreign concepts to many people. While we seem to be getting smarter technically, we seem to be regressing ethically, with disastrous consequences. The protagonist in my books, Nick Winter, is someone who suffered racial prejudice in his youth and in his adulthood has taken it upon himself to help others. A good soldier, he always acts with honour and respect. In the second book he seeks vengeance for a wrongful act. Some would say that's a bad thing, but he sees it differently. When the woman he loves is brutally sexually abused, his response is to fight for her honour. What if he gets the chance to take his revenge but is forced to stand down in the interests of the greater good. Can he do that? Can we do that?
At the moment I'm at a point where I'm adding layers to the main plot idea to flesh out the story. Its been lots of fun doing this. Events in South Africa and elsewhere in the world certainly are keeping writers on their toes and providing endless plot material. After years of saying writing is something I've always wanted to do, I'm finally there. I'm writing and enjoying every moment.

A few weeks ago our president sent the POPI Bill (Protection of Personal Information) back for redrafting before he could sign it into law. This bill has been an issue for several years now with citizens giving their input and government trying their hardest to push it through. Its a contentious issue and personal freedoms are at stake. Then last week I watched Enemy of the State starring Will Smith and Gene Hackman. I've seen it before but seeing it again just brought the Bill's debate alive. Whereas the congressman in the movie was arguing for a similar thing to counter terrorism, our government have been trying to push it through so we cant see what they were up to. Like the president spending over 200 million on his private residence. On many levels I wouldn't like to see it going through. look at what the abuse thereof did to Will Smith's character. He lost his job, his wife and kid, everything. It was scary to see how much we'd advanced technologically since that movie was made. They still had those big clunky cell phones and wire taps with actual wires. Great movie, I'd advise anyone to see it again. I've also recently read George Orwell's 1984. So I've had enough of Big Brother's big eyes and big ears. That little cabin in the woods I've always been thinking of is looking like a good idea again. But you cant hide out forever, can you. We are social creatures and need each other for the sake of our sanity. That's why solitary detention is such a feared punishment. I hope our government gets the balance right with this Bill. Can you just imagine being in the room alone with a stunning woman and you say "wow what a bombshell", next thing you know ten cops break through the door shouting to get your hands up, wanting to know where's the bomb. Do you think the mind police will get there?

A slightly rejigged extract from the first chapter of The Winter Deception.

Mumbai, India

Finding someone can be infinitely harder than killing him. Look how long they searched for Osama Bin Laden. They say they found him in Northern Pakistan. Ten years after 9/11. They say they killed him and dumped him at sea. Maybe he walked the plank first, justice served pirate style. Then, they killed him. That’s what they say. What if he’s still alive? What if one of his videos pops up on the internet, with our bearded villain feet up at Waikiki Beach? You never know, right?
My target wasn’t quite in Osama’s notorious league, but if taking on one of his kind meant a safer world, I was game for the takedown. Three weeks ago I received an email of a contract in Mumbai. All I had to do was find someone. Easy money, right? I had to think twice though, my last visit to the subcontinent ended in a bruising episode with the local constabulary. No doubt, they weren’t looking forward to my return.
After I almost blew up the Gateway to India, who could blame them
Fact is, my funds were running low and the money they offered was good. India was hot and London was cold. There was international women’s tennis and a cricket test-match on in Mumbai. Short skirts, rackets, bats and balls. All things considered, it was a no-brainer.
One of the first things that struck me about the city was the smell. I know what many would think, but no, it wasn’t all bad. Spices, fried foods and open drains assault your senses at every turn. Then there’s this constant movement of people and cars in a symphony that played itself out ‘till three in the morning. Three hours later it all started up again. Mumbai certainly wasn’t for the faint hearted.
The target’s name was Hafiz Khan. My contact provided a picture of a male, medium height, thin, dark hair, skin and eyes. Based on the visuals, the description matched the entire male population. We also knew he prayed five times a day at a local mosque and dealt in cell phones. The last two bits of information were more useful and ultimately led to a successful search. That was two days ago. He managed to give me the slip but I picked him up again this morning as he made his way to the Friday mid-day prayer.
Faith has always been a big deal to the people of India. Almost as if needing to prove the point, many of them had miniature temples on vehicle dashboards. The way they drive, I completely understand their need for prayers on the go. Some also adorned their trucks with colourful trimmings to ward off the evil eye.
I made sure this time to keep my eye on him as he weaved his way down Sardar Vallabhai Patel Road. We passed stretches of grimy old buildings, many of them at least two storeys high. They housed the more formal traders of books, perfumes and electronics. We battled through throngs of pedestrians in an area known as Chor Bazaar, part of a large and depressing district called Donghri. Years ago the market dealt in stolen merchandise, hence the name ‘Chor’. Nowadays, it was a market for second-hand goods. Wherever you looked, pavements were lined with little stalls selling anything and everything from kitchenware to clothing and toiletries. For those wanting street food, roadside food vendors plied their trade at every corner, frying potato wadas or some other assortment of spicy delicacies.
Khan sported a kurta suit – traditional wear for the Friday congregational prayer. The garment was perfect for blending in the busy market place. We made a right turn into Mohammed Ali Road. His gait was smooth and sure, like one who knew exactly where he was going. He kept his head down much of the time, averting eye contact with those around him.
He must have had a lot on his mind
His determined step was broken when he stopped at a perfume shop, otherwise known as an attarwala. The pure oils of perfume were extracted from flowers and fruit. Based on my case file, Khan would never have applied the Western perfume with its forbidden alcohol content. For believers like him, that which was considered optional became compulsory.
Hard core stuff
Satisfied with his last grooming rite, he was on the move again. There were many mosques in the district, each packed to capacity. From a surveillance point of view, following him was easy with thousands of people about. Unfortunately, the crowds made it difficult to carry out a quick one on one of ‘how’s your mother’. Khan had picked up his pace in the last few minutes, like someone on a mission. Every few moments, he glanced back as if checking for tails. Was it nerves, or a measure of awareness as someone trained would do?
In Mumbai, hot and steamy was par for the course on any given day. Every so often I popped into an air-conditioned store just for a blast of cool air. A white linen shirt and cotton khaki trousers with leather sandals was as much covering as I could manage in the oppressive heat. Not the best footwear for sudden pursuit, but staying in character was critical. I tanned easily and, after a few days in Mumbai, my skin had acquired a healthy olive complexion. Over the last while, I had cultivated a thin beard that wasn’t out of place with the crowd making its way to the mosque.
Khan was probably no amateur, but I was pretty certain he wouldn’t spot me, but you never knew, right? Some guys had a natural feel for this stuff and could smell a tail a mile away. Why was I following this guy again? Information from my contact said he supplied his buddies in Pakistan with intelligence on the ground in Mumbai. His other speciality was engineering cell phones as bomb detonators. As part of his cover, he operated a cell phone shop. Of course, the definition of a shop in Mumbai was a lot different to that in London. Here, it was as small as one square metre on a pavement.
The Winter Deception

I've been a reader for as long as I can remember, like most of you out there. Over the last three to four years I started writing as well. Driven by a number of factors, one of which was contributing something to the discussion of the human condition. In South Africa we had some very specific problems with apartheid. Although it was seen as a colour issue, which it was, it was also about the denial of access to very basic human rights like a space to live, clean water and participating in the broader economy. Things that are universal to us all. The world also marched on in that time, with terror attacks, wars and invasions. Many countries have progressed economically but regressed in other ways. Journalists and writers are curbed, and we are monitored electronically like never before. The Arab Spring has toppled regimes but also seen a greater scramble for the key resources in the Middle East. So where is this all going? I wish I knew. As writers we are always looking at new plots for our books but I dare say that reality these last few years has proved that truth is stranger than fiction. This space is not meant for political views. There are many other forums for those. Our society has become increasingly violent, with deeply set root causes. We need to seek a way out, to reach out, to educate and work together. You have any ideas? Lets talk.

Just completed first draft of my second book with a working title: BITTER VENGEANCE.

What a massive learning curve its been writing the second book in the Nick Winter series. What started out as doing something you think, okay lets give it a shot, has become so much a part of me. This time I've paid more attention to the art of writing thrillers, focussing strongly on characterisation and keeping my readers hooked. The one thing one has to do as a writer is to keep reading, keep learning and adapt the way you do things as you go along. Now for the editing and rewrites. I know some authors dont enjoy the rewrites part, but I do. I get a real kick out of the effect of inserting a few sentences which could add a real twist where there was none before. Using a healthy dose of creativity you could change something good to something great. Just love it. BITTER VENGEANCE, the name says it all, is based in South Africa for the best part against a backdrop of a changing political situation where political freedom has been outlived by the desire for economic freedom. This creates an explosive environment that could only end in increasing clashes with the government. Nick Winter is engaged to find a missing person only to learn he bought himself a whole lot more than an apparent stray husband. So there's vengeance, missing persons, murder and political intrigue all thrown in there. I had lots of fun writing it and hope readers will equally enjoy the final product. Now looking for some beta readers to assess the book.

Khaleel DatayThe last few months I worked on the publication of my second book. A stressful time of editing, rewrites and chasing deadlines, but now that its done and dusted I can breathe again. In between I've been painting landscapes and much like writing it never seems to quite end. A rewarding pastime nevetheless. For a while now I've been thinking of writing a book based on a personal experience a few years ago. A departure from the espionage/thriller genre, but something that had a quite profound effect on my life. Wanted to write this one before the second novel, but needed to resolve the first book's issues in the sequel. Guess my left brain took over. I've started penning some thoughts and already its been interesting to learn how small things that have happened can have such a big effect on your life. Apologies,I have to stay cryptic at this stage. Will share the journey as we go along

The writing of THE WINTER DECEPTION , and TO KILL A SPY, had been a wonderful experience for me in the espionage genre. Two months ago I published a book under a pseudonym in a different genre, more personal, and very fulfilling. 3 books in five years had exhausted me, but the itch to write again is working away at me. Blade Patel - One of the new characters in TO KILL A SPY - was so much fun to develop, that I've decided to do my next book with Blade as the main protagonist. A former fraud, crook, and all round bad boy, Blade has that roguish good looks and charm that wins over the toughest critics. Having recently been inducted into South African local intelligence's DOMESTIC BRANCH ( something like an MI5), Blade's wife is killed by an international crime boss. He opts out of the game, painting on the mountain side to soothe his grief. But Blade's not the kind of man who gets to walk away. Abducted by a man he had 'killed' Blade's life turns a corner when he's contracted to take out his wife's killer. No problem right? But can Blade deal with the conditions, and consequences?...see where it goes.....