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Bodo
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Jun 25, 2017 07:55AM
Victor seems only to get more capable and paranoid as the series progresses, learning from past events and adapting his MO. How difficult is it for you to come up with new creative ways to make life hard for him?
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Before the Game was out there was a blurb on a bookstore website, claiming that Victor's "mentor" was the leader of the group of assassins in Rome. Did someone make this up or was it from an early draft of the book?
While I suspect you didn't initially intend it, over the course of the series, you've deconstructed and gleefully murdered many fiction tropes and conventions that other writers use relentlessly and play straight, whether it be character archetype or plot related matters. Is it easy/difficult to subvert or take a trope to the point of destruction? And as a writer, how do you judge when it's the right time to play a trope perfectly straight, with no stings in the tail for the reader or characters?
Dialogue. It's one of the main challenges of being a writer, coming up with suitable things for the players on the stage you've built to day. Along with the distinct, minimalist edge, in the sixth book, I noticed a slight, poetic, feel to quite a bit of the character dialogue, from Victor and the pontificating sociopath he's trying to kill. What's your process in coming up with dialogue, and would you say, there's either been an evolution in said dialogue that's come about with the refinement of your writing, or is it because Victor adapts to the situation, saying what needs to be said in the roles he's in.
Bodo wrote: "Victor seems only to get more capable and paranoid as the series progresses, learning from past events and adapting his MO. How difficult is it for you to come up with new creative ways to make lif..."It's more and more difficult the more I write. I'm continuously frustrated because Victor's capabilities stop me in my tracks so much of the time. Having a high quality of opposition is therefore key, as is ramping up the odds in other ways.. He's usually up against similarly dangerous individuals, almost always outnumbered and so on.
Bodo wrote: "Before the Game was out there was a blurb on a bookstore website, claiming that Victor's "mentor" was the leader of the group of assassins in Rome. Did someone make this up or was it from an early ..."That blurb was taken from the original outline of The Game. The character Hart was going to be someone from Victor's past, but it would have been overkill. The book had enough going on without adding something else, and I decided that this concept would work better as the main plot for a later book instead of a subplot.
Bodo wrote: "While I suspect you didn't initially intend it, over the course of the series, you've deconstructed and gleefully murdered many fiction tropes and conventions that other writers use relentlessly an..."Hmm, I think I'll need some specific examples to be able to answer this properly
Tom wrote: "Bodo wrote: "While I suspect you didn't initially intend it, over the course of the series, you've deconstructed and gleefully murdered many fiction tropes and conventions that other writers use re..."We will have to wait for Sam for that! The question is his;)
It is noticeable that Victor has never come as close to death again as he did at the end of The Hunter and he hasn't been shot since The Enemy. So was it a conscious decision from you to not overuse serious injuries as a means to create tension or was it due to plot necessities?
This question is from Sam again.You've said in the past that all the thousands of enigmatic hints of Victor's background will all link up nicely the day things come to an end. I've fallen in love with the approach you take to Victor's characterization due to the fact it allows the readers to make their own theories on who the hell he actually is. For instance, I once thought he was a Canadian, then possibly a Russian and now I'm starting to think he's from a central European country (not many people outside of Hungary, learn that difficult language) and served some time in the Balkan wars of the 1990s. My question is this. At this point in time, do you, Victor's creator truly know the real man behind the thick curtain made of lies, omissions, false identities and plastic surgery? Or are you, like the reader still trying to find out who Victor really is?
Do you like to listen to music while you're writing? And if yes does what you're writing influence your choice of music? Do you have a writer's playlist?
Bodo wrote: "Dialogue. It's one of the main challenges of being a writer, coming up with suitable things for the players on the stage you've built to day. Along with the distinct, minimalist edge, in the sixth ..."Yes, there has been an evolution when it comes to dialogue. I think I used to write dialogue as succinctly as possible, whereas now I like to play around with how people talk. It's not always about what's said, but how it's said. I'm learning all of the time, so I'm glad it's paying off
Bodo wrote: "It is noticeable that Victor has never come as close to death again as he did at the end of The Hunter and he hasn't been shot since The Enemy. So was it a conscious decision from you to not overus..."Yes, it was a conscious decision. If Victor is injured all of the time it strains credibility, and I've learnt how to create suspense in other ways. Also there is a character-based reason: we know Victor is heavily scarred and he sees those scars as lessons. At this stage of his life Victor is injured a lot less than he used to be because he has heeded those lessons
Bodo wrote: "This question is from Sam again.You've said in the past that all the thousands of enigmatic hints of Victor's background will all link up nicely the day things come to an end. I've fallen in lov..."
I like to learn about Victor as I write about him, but I know exactly where he's from. There is a concrete clue in one of the books so even if I wanted to change my mind at a later point I'm now trapped
From Russia I guess...Anyway. What is most important to you as a writer when creating a key character for a new Victor novel and are there any general tricks you picked up on how to influence a reader's amount of sympathy towards a character?
What is your writing process like? Your more of an outliner or a freestyler? And how has your writing process changed over the course of the series, especially considering that the later novels had to be written a lot faster than the first two due to deadlines? And do you experience writer's block, if yes how do you deal with it?
You once shared on Twitter that the US version of A Time To Die has over 200 word changes compared to the UK edition. Which publication of your novels do you prefer and why?
Another one from Sam.Many authors make their fictional heroes their fictional, wish fulfillment alter ego. Fleming, Flynn and Thor come to mind. You however took a different approach and have been on record saying that Victor is a man you would certainly never want to be, mainly due to the psychological sacrifices he decided to make in order to maintain his vastly superior edge in the killing business. Is it easy or difficult to maintain this "distance"? And what would you say is the thing you admire about Victor in spite of the fact that he is a self - confessed bad guy who is a killer or men and women, good or bad as the case may be?
Bodo wrote: "Do you like to listen to music while you're writing? And if yes does what you're writing influence your choice of music? Do you have a writer's playlist?"'I'm over music,' is what I usually say whenever I'm in a conversation about music, bands and gigs. Very little music moves me, so I don't listen to it often. So, no playlists. That said, I did listen to The Killers a lot when I was writing The Killer (and I feel the need to point out I had already decided to name my book such before The Killers were on the scene).
Bodo wrote: "From Russia I guess...Anyway. What is most important to you as a writer when creating a key character for a new Victor novel and are there any general tricks you picked up on how to influence a r..."
If a character makes a good joke, you'll like them. If they kick a puppy, you'll hate them. The tricks are quite obvious!
Bodo wrote: "What is your writing process like? Your more of an outliner or a freestyler? And how has your writing process changed over the course of the series, especially considering that the later novels had..."I plan every book, but then I only use that outline as a rough guide. If I come with a good idea for a scene or character then I'll write it and work out how it fits in later. I can always tell when a writer is a freestyler and not a planner. If the ending is unsatisfying, doesn't make sense or comes out of nowhere then they didn't have a plan and wrote themselves into a corner
Bodo wrote: "You once shared on Twitter that the US version of A Time To Die has over 200 word changes compared to the UK edition. Which publication of your novels do you prefer and why?"Those two hundred changes would be due to the differences between American English and (proper) English... Whichever version is printed second is probably the better version as the occasional typo or whatnot has a better chance of being caught
Bodo wrote: "Another one from Sam.Many authors make their fictional heroes their fictional, wish fulfillment alter ego. Fleming, Flynn and Thor come to mind. You however took a different approach and have bee..."
I think overtime I'm a little more self-aware and therefore better able to see where Victor is similar to myself, but I stand by what I said before: Victor's life is no life worth living. But he is absolutely fine with who he is. He knows he's an awful human being and it doesn't bother him. I go through an existential crisis every other week, so I'd love to have Victor's assurance of self
Great answers sir! Here we go again;)Are there any specific locations you would like to see Victor travel to in future novels and if yes why?
The next four are from Sam.It could be said that Victor embodies all the qualities one would need to be the perfect killer. A lack of empathy and no self righteous idealism in regards to murdering men or women, yet enough honesty and sanity to not fall prey to the character flaws generated by anti - social personality disorder. However, you also deconstruct this, by pointing out how much having that edge would cost someone. Was this intentional from the start or did it evolve after the first book?
Some readers have a rather curious disgust with swear words and prefer books with few, if no foul language. You delightfully turn this on its head, by making Victor the only person in the entire series who does not swear, while everyone else, who dies and suffers in his presence swears. Was this a deliberate touch on your part, or did Victor's dislike for swearing gradually take root as you wrote the first drafts on The Hunter/Killer
Victor is a cold-hearted and selfish individual most of the time. But sometimes he goes out of his way and takes a risk or even setting his very life on the line to protect those he considers worthwhile. Is this a vestige from his old self or is it a counterweight to atone for his sins? And how came this character trait about?
A question about the most torturous part of the writing process. Editing. How would you describe your editing procedure and what tips and warnings would you give to any aspiring writers who haven't been hardened by the presumably numbing reality of editing a large number of words?
Bodo wrote: "Great answers sir! Here we go again;)Are there any specific locations you would like to see Victor travel to in future novels and if yes why?"
As I said before: setting is just setting, so I don't have any particular desires
Bodo wrote: "The next four are from Sam.It could be said that Victor embodies all the qualities one would need to be the perfect killer. A lack of empathy and no self righteous idealism in regards to murderi..."
I think this evolved after the first book. I didn't know what I was doing with The Killer, so it was all making it up as I went along.
Bodo wrote: "Some readers have a rather curious disgust with swear words and prefer books with few, if no foul language. You delightfully turn this on its head, by making Victor the only person in the entire se..."Interesting characters have flaws and contradictions, so it was very deliberate on my part to have Victor not swear or blaspheme. I too find it odd that people can be so offended by swearing in books that are so full of violence, but there we go. I've noticed though that there are fewer and fewer instances of swearing as my books go on. I don't think The Final Hour has anything stronger than sh*t in it. Maybe it's a sign of my advancing years
Could you describe to the normal reader how the work with your publisher is like when you craft, write and finally release a new novel?
Do you have a close confidant from whom you take advice during writing? And who is the first to see the manuscript?
Was the final confrontation in THE DARKEST DAY partly inspired by Skyfall? It reminded me of Bond's last stand with Victor firing first at the chopper, then engaging the enemy indoors and finally Raven taking out the chopper in a gigantic explosion...
Bodo wrote: "Victor is a cold-hearted and selfish individual most of the time. But sometimes he goes out of his way and takes a risk or even setting his very life on the line to protect those he considers worth..."Such risks are rare, and always telling about who Victor is or was. With Gisele, for example, he goes through hell to protect her because of a previous association with her mother. It's never explicit what that association was, but the very fact Victor does whatever it takes to keep her alive should tell the reader everything they need to know about that. With Eva in A Time to Die, he makes her a deal, a promise; if she helps him, he'll help her. That he does his utmost to deliver on that deal reveals much about his personality. I'll leave it up to the reader to decide if this is atonement or whether it's because of who he used to be
EDIT: this trait, as you call it, came about through wanting Victor to be a three-dimensional character. If he's wholly bad, it's not compelling and it's not believable. As mentioned earlier: villains are better with a little humanity and Victor is no different
What makes a good blurb for you and are you still writing your own ones?
Bodo wrote: "A question about the most torturous part of the writing process. Editing. How would you describe your editing procedure and what tips and warnings would you give to any aspiring writers who haven't..."Three words of advice:
COLOUR-CODED SPREADSHEET
Could you please outline the road from the first thought about Victor entering your mind till your first published novel?
How many pages do you think you have written over the years which got either cut away or drastically changed?
Bodo wrote: "Could you describe to the normal reader how the work with your publisher is like when you craft, write and finally release a new novel?"I wouldn't know where to begin. Let's just say that it's complicated, and can be both a lot of fun and a lot of stress
So my pre final question. What should Readers look forward to the most when reading The Final Hour?
Final question from me!What can readers expect from Victor 8 (as of now) and how will it be different from previous books?
Bodo wrote: "Was the final confrontation in THE DARKEST DAY partly inspired by Skyfall? It reminded me of Bond's last stand with Victor firing first at the chopper, then engaging the enemy indoors and finally R..."I'm trying to think when I saw Skyfall. I really REALLY disliked Quantum of Solace and was in no rush to see Skyfall, which I didn't like either when I finally did see it. So, there was definitely no deliberate inspiration taken from the film, but I can't say for certain that my mind didn't repackage the scene and deliver it up to me under the guise of my own imagination. That's happened before to my horror...
Bodo wrote: "What makes a good blurb for you and are you still writing your own ones?"I've never written them but will make suggestions on occasions. Usually, I leave publishers to do their thing and hope they know what they're doing.
Bodo wrote: "How many pages do you think you have written over the years which got either cut away or drastically changed?"Not many. Generally if I make a lot of changes it's adding to what's already there, not taking things out. When I wrote the first draft of The Killer my first agent told me to take out 20% of the action and replace it with plot. Instead I added 20% more plot on top of what was already there.
Bodo wrote: "Could you please outline the road from the first thought about Victor entering your mind till your first published novel?"That's a long and winding road and was fraught with difficulties. It would take me all evening to outline it, I'm afraid.
Bodo wrote: "So my pre final question. What should Readers look forward to the most when reading The Final Hour?"There's a scene wherein Victor says 'Whatever you've done, whatever you're capable of, I've done worse.' They should look forward to that scene
Tom, as a fellow thriller author, I was curious if you find it difficult to sustain a sense of "newness" when writing multiple books about an ongoing central protagonist. Any tips for keeping things fresh and interesting as a series progresses?
Tough one to answer, Andrew. It is a challenge. When I write a book I always want the central concept to be different from the last. So, we have Victor as a bodyguard, Victor on the run, Victor undercover etc. If that concept is new then the book will hopefully feel new too. Also, as I said earlier, I'll mix things up stylistically. So lots of point of view characters in one, not so many in the next and so on
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