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ASK ME ANYTHING INTERVIEW WJ
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Hello everyone. We are about to conduct an interview with one of our group member, Will Jordan. Will is a Scottish writer of the Ryan Drake espionage epic, a true saga, where the Gods are replaced by intelligence services and the warriors and demons are spies and assassins. It focuses on the life of Ryan Drake, a member of the Company subsection assigned to asset extraction and recovery, and a conflict kicked off in the Cold War.
There's about 48 hours till Will comes, so even if you haven't read his books, do think of something creative (but appropriate, no flippant or wildly off the mark questions) to ask.
This is an ask me anything interview after all.
Special thanks to group member Bodo Punfdel for coming to me with the idea of starting the interview, and drawing up a list of group members to be interviewed (which shall remain between him and myself)
Hi Sam, looking forward to it! Will
Me too! Would you like to share the questions we sent you here on Sunday along with your answers, Will? Or shall we post the questions again here on Sunday and you just answer them ?;) and would do you think Sam?
Be great if you could send me the questions so I can give proper, hopefully well thought out answers!Will
I meant the questions we already sent you; Could you maybe post them here together with your answers so that other people can follow?;)Bodo
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Bodo"
Hi again, if necessary, I'll post the questions in bursts, or a massive dump.....maybe one just to start off.
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Will"
Hi Will, pleasure of you to join us. This first question is this.
After the first 3 book published by Random House's "Arrow Books", what motivated the switch to ebook exclusive with the new Canello firm?
I have a question Will. You're a British author, and your protagonist is British, yet you have him operating in an American setting with a CIA pay master? Is this to appeal to the larger US reading market, or for other related reasons?
Hi Will,I'm a new author in the espionage/spy thriller genre, and I am curious about how to establish a relationship with readers, because I keep hearing (and reading) how important it is for authors to develop a platform. How does a new author do this? What steps did you take to connect with fans of our genre and gain a readership?
Samuel wrote: "Will wrote: "Be great if you could send me the questions so I can give proper, hopefully well thought out answers!Will"
Hi Will, pleasure of you to join us. This first question is this.
After ..."
Well, it's technically a bit early for replies, but I don't see any harm in answering a couple of questions in advance.
The truth is that at that point in my career, it felt like the right time to switch publishers. Being an author with a big imprint like Random House has its benefits certainly, but unless you're an overnight million-selling sensation then you very much feel like a small cog in a very big machine. You don't necessarily get the support or attention you might want, whereas my current publisher Canelo made it clear right from the start that they believed completely in what I was doing, that they supported my creative vision and would constantly push my books and really try to build the series into a big success. For me, there was no comparison.
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Will"
Hi Will, pleasure of you to join us. This first question is..."
Excellent answer.
Next question. Alex Yates. Many writers deliberately make their fictional characters their alter egos. Only a few however have essentially written themselves into their thrillers, namely Frederick Forsyth and Robert Ludlum.
You, have appeared to do the same thing with Mr Yates. He's British, is a dab hand with information technology (like you) and has, up until Hawkins and the CIA systematically destroy his life, no significant combat experience under fire. Would you say that Yates, as the classically every man protagonist, would be the closest alter ego for you in the Drake series?
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So do keep asking questions and keep them coming.
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Will"
Hi Will, pleasure of you to join us. This first question is..."
While writing Ghost Target you one shared on twitter under the #WritersProblems that you like some of your bad guys more than the good ones. Could you elaborate a little on that?
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Will"
Aiden's question.
I have a question Will. You're a British author, and your protagonist is British, yet you have him operating in an American setting with a CIA pay master? Is this to appeal to the larger US reading market, or for other related reasons?
Paul's question:
I'm a new author in the espionage/spy thriller genre, and I am curious about how to establish a relationship with readers, because I keep hearing (and reading) how important it is for authors to develop a platform. How does a new author do this? What steps did you take to connect with fans of our genre and gain a readership?
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Will"
Aiden's question.
I have a question Will. You're a British author, and y..."
While writing Ghost Target you one shared on twitter under the #WritersProblems that you like some of your bad guys more than the good ones. Could you elaborate a little on that?
Samuel wrote: "Next question. Alex Yates. Many writers deliberately make their fictional characters their alter egos. Only a few however have essentially written themselves into their thrillers, namely Frederick Forsyth and Robert Ludlum. You, have appeared to do the same thing with Mr Yates. He's British, is a dab hand with information technology (like you) and has, up until Hawkins and the CIA systematically destroy his life, no significant combat experience under fire. Would you say that Yates, as the classically every man protagonist, would be the closest alter ego for you in the Drake series?
"
I see Alex as less of an author insertion and more of an audience insertion persona. He is in many ways the voice of the reader, questioning the same things the reader would question and struggling with the same challenges they would.
As you say, aside from his skill with computers he's the classic everyman, and it was refreshing to have such a protagonist in Black List. With highly trained operatives like Drake or Anya, you're always under pressure to make them super competent and smart at all times to maintain credibility, but with someone like Alex you can relax a little, allow them to make mistakes and just generally have a bit more fun. It's also enjoyable having him play off someone like Anya, who is pretty much his polar opposite. Black List was an espionage thriller, but for me at its core it was kind of a buddy movie, with each of them learning a few things from one another. Alex grows in confidence and courage throughout the story, while Anya learns to be a little more compassionate and understanding.
Samuel wrote: "While writing Ghost Target you one shared on twitter under the #WritersProblems that you like some of your bad guys more than the good ones. Could you elaborate a little on that?"I've said before that every character has both light and dark in them, in varying measures, and it's my job as a writer to bring these different facets to the fore. The light side of them is what defines them as decent, virtuous people, but it's the darker side that is, for me, more interesting to explore. Why do people do bad things? How can they justify things like torture and murder? What drives them to this, and is there really such a big gulf between good and bad people?
With antagonists, you have both the freedom to explore that darkness while also having no pressure to make them likeable or relatable, so you can take more risks. That creative freedom often results in a character that's a lot more fun to write about.
Paul wrote: "I'm a new author in the espionage/spy thriller genre, and I am curious about how to establish a relationship with readers, because I keep hearing (and reading) how important it is for authors to develop a platform. How does a new author do this? What steps did you take to connect with fans of our genre and gain a readership?"Hi Paul. Welcome to the genre!
I don't think there's any magic formula for developing a fan base or connecting with your readers - the best you can do is make yourself as accessible and open as possible, and try to make sure everything is interconnected. Most people will spot your books online, so make sure it's as easy as possible for them to learn more about you.
This might mean including links to your official website on your Amazon page, posting regularly on Twitter and Facebook, and approaching reviewers and bloggers about doing guest blogs. Generally such people are quite welcoming of new authors, so make sure you get off to a good start and develop a reputation for being flexible and approachable.
A good publisher will help set things like this up and promote them for you, but it certainly doesn't hurt to throw your own ideas into the mix and make it clear you're keen to do it. Keep in mind that most publishers have dozens or even hundreds of authors on their payroll, so you need to be proactive if you want to stand out.
Aiden wrote: "I have a question Will. You're a British author, and your protagonist is British, yet you have him operating in an American setting with a CIA pay master? Is this to appeal to the larger US reading..."Yes and no. When I created this series, I did very much have in mind that I wanted it to cover broad, international issues and not just be stuck in one location. For me, this meant setting it within the CIA and having the protagonist based in America. However, I wanted him to be someone that I personally could connect with and in some ways, relate to. It allowed me to bring in some distinctly British humour and experiences, and some of our observations of American culture. And there's a slight fish out of water aspect to this that I get to play off at times, where other characters don't always fully trust or understand him because he's a foreigner.
I also liked the slightly unusual setup of a Brit working for an American agency, because straight away it generates questions in the reader's mind. Who is this guy really? Why is he working for the Americans? How did he end up there?
These kinds of questions give Drake, I think, some initial momentum that prompts people to want to learn more about him and the world he lives in.
Which character came to you first Drake or Anya and which was easier to write and why?
Over the course of the Ryan Drake series, you've played with and deconstructed multiple tropes and conventions of the genre, whether it be for plot and character purposes. Would you say this was a conscious decision or something that gradually happened over time, similar to how Anthony Horowitz showed the true psychological horror of the "teenage spy" concept in his Alex Rider books?
Your long running series-arc is one of the most complex and extensive of the entire genre. Could you tell us a little about how you initially conceived it, what your inspirations were and how the story evolved over the years?
Bodo wrote: "Which character came to you first Drake or Anya and which was easier to write and why?"Anya came first. I was drawn to the concept of the older, jaded veteran reluctantly pulled back into the action to help a younger, less experienced counterpart. Typically such roles are filled by men, but then I thought, wouldn't it be interesting to flip this on its head and make the woman the older, more experienced and in many ways, more capable character? What unique experiences would have created a person like that? What sort of personality must it have required to survive and thrive in such a male-dominated profession? How did she get to be where she is today? Those questions eventually formed the basis for Anya's character.
With Drake, I knew I wanted a character with room to grow, someone who was nearer the beginning of his journey but still with some interesting history to explore.
As for which is easier to write, they're both pretty equal by this point. I've been with them through six books (seven if you count Shadow War), and feel I know them like old friends.
Bodo wrote: "Over the course of the Ryan Drake series, you've played with and deconstructed multiple tropes and conventions of the genre, whether it be for plot and character purposes. Would you say this was a conscious decision or something that gradually happened over time, similar to how Anthony Horowitz showed the true psychological horror of the "teenage spy" concept in his Alex Rider books?"The key for me is to do the unexpected, to keep the reader guessing and have a bit of fun with it. Life doesn't always play out according to preset rules and expectations, so why should my books? Whether that means intentionally subverting the genre or just trying to stay one step ahead of the reader, the goal remains the same - tell a story that doesn't always end the way people expect, but which crucially still flows logically and makes sense. There's no point throwing in total curve balls for shock value that actually create giant plot holes in your book.
I want people to get to the end of my novels and be able to say, "Wow, didn't see that coming" rather than, "Wait, how the hell did that happen?"
For me this also means playing with character expectations. For example, way back in Redemption there's a character named Dietrich who is both a secret drug addict and a former rival of Drake's, with a clear grudge against him. When he's placed in charge of the manhunt to apprehend Drake and Anya, the expectation is that he'll become an antagonist bent on killing his enemy. Instead, over the course of the book he begins to question his orders, sees his own mistakes for what they are, and actually ends up helping Drake. By the end, he's something of a reformed character.
There are more character surprises like this coming up in Shadow War.
Will wrote: "Bodo wrote: "Which character came to you first Drake or Anya and which was easier to write and why?"Anya came first. I was drawn to the concept of the older, jaded veteran reluctantly pulled back..."
Great answer!
Bodo wrote: "Your long running series-arc is one of the most complex and extensive of the entire genre. Could you tell us a little about how you initially conceived it, what your inspirations were and how the story evolved over the years?"Firstly, I'd always been fascinated by the concept of interwoven plot threads, how seemingly random acts always have a story behind them, and how decisions made in the past can come back to haunt people months or even years later. And I love stories that really feel like they're building up to something, that every action and choice brings the various characters closer to that eventual singularity where everything gets decided. Even the idea that everyone, no matter how insignificant they might seem, has a part to play.
Secondly, with Anya in Redemption, I'd already created a character with an extensive backstory, and it just kept growing and growing to the point where I knew it would take more than one book to resolve. It really did take on a life of its own! Her history and the people who had influenced it eventually formed the backbone of the big overarching storyline that has dominated the series. I've also been linking in Drake's life more as time has gone on and his role becomes more and more important.
There are still revelations to come from both characters.
Your writing sometimes is surprisingly bold and uncompromising for a published author, the most recent example would be the ending of Ghost Target. Do you sometimes worry that you push it to far? And what do you say to people who want to see the Overarching story arc come to an end?
As someone who has taken the very brave and rare technical step of writing serialized arcs rather than wham - bam stand alone novels, what would be your advice to those aspiring writers who wish to make a grand espionage epic like the one you've crafted? Hints about how to keep track of events and not get lost, that sort of thing.
All the way back in your first book, you mentioned how you took a trip to America and the Czech Republic to gain first hand experience on how to use firearms. In your second book, you interviewed veterans of the Afghanistan Theater of the War On Terror. How would you describe your research process? What would you say the highlights of the research process have been (any highlights you can share from a past book?), how would you describe the perfect way to integrate real world detail into a fictional narrative and are there any things you researched that you were found were so insane, people would only believe them if they were inserted into a thriller?
Bodo wrote: "Your writing sometimes is surprisingly bold and uncompromising for a published author, the most recent example would be the ending of Ghost Target. Do you sometimes worry that you push it to far? A..."The single biggest mistake any author can make is to disregard their own creative instincts and write what they think people want to read - I can pretty much guarantee they'll get it wrong. The best thing is to go with your gut and tell the story you really care about, because it will show through in the quality and emotion of your writing.
The ending for Ghost Target was necessary both to the plot of that book, the development of the characters and the overall narrative, and if I'd pulled back from it then I'd have ended up always regretting it. Also, I'm blessed with an editor who trusts me to tell the story in my own way, even if that means not every book ends with all the main characters laughing about their adventures and slapping each other on the back. Life isn't like that, so why should fiction be?
As for the overarching story, everyone's entitled to their opinion about whether or not it should end, but I try not to worry too much about it and just focus on the story I want to tell. Yes, it does require a bit more of a commitment on the reader's part, but I believe those people will be rewarded with a deeper and more satisfying storytelling experience.
It also allows me to show the changes that their various adventures have had on the characters, particularly Drake. I wanted a character who could change and grow and develop over the course of the series, which is why I intentionally made him fallible and occasionally even vulnerable early on. If he was a total ass kicker right from the first page, where the hell are you supposed to take him as a person? Where would be the fun and satisfaction of seeing him develop and grow in skill and experience?
My hope is that when all is said and done, people will be able to look at the Ryan Drake series and see it not as a connection of individual novels featuring the same character, but rather as one complete, rich and detailed story.
Bodo wrote: "As someone who has taken the very brave and rare technical step of writing serialized arcs rather than wham - bam stand alone novels, what would be your advice to those aspiring writers who wish to make a grand espionage epic like the one you've crafted? Hints about how to keep track of events and not get lost, that sort of thing."Write a history! Seriously - just as you see historical events documented on something like Wikipedia, aim to do something like that for your own series. Jot down the key plot points and decisions, what's at stake, who's involved and most importantly why things happen the way they did. It has to make sense, it has to seem like something that could actually happen in the real world. This kind of early planning can help avoid writing yourself into a corner later.
And leave plenty of room to flesh out key elements, or even add in new ones as you go. Writers are constantly getting new ideas and inspiration, so don't be afraid to incorporate them into your work.
Brilliant answer to which I agree 100% A serialised story arc is that more satisfying!
You have shown a passion for incorporating real life events into your stories. Can you tease a little bit about what events will be featured down the road and is there any chance we will see the Snowden revelations happen in the Drake universe?
Your series seems to be similarly structured like a long running tv show. Especially with the first three books dealing with standalone stories and different bad guys while slowly establishing the bigger picture with the big bad pulling strings from the shadows. Was this a consciousness decision on your side and if yes were you influenced by a particular tv show?
Bodo wrote: "Your series seems to be similarly structured like a long running tv show. Especially with the first three books dealing with standalone stories and different bad guys while slowly establishing the ..."I like it when writers do that, with each story being self-contained but an overarching plot to reward readers who stick with the series. I like Bodo will be interested in your answer to that one.
Bodo wrote: "Your series seems to be similarly structured like a long running tv show. Especially with the first three books dealing with standalone stories and different bad guys while slowly establishing the bigger picture with the big bad pulling strings from the shadows. Was this a consciousness decision on your side and if yes were you influenced by a particular tv show?"I wouldn't say I was influenced by TV shows as such, though I did learn a thing or two from the way Marvel has crafted their cinematic universe, having all the characters splitting up to take part in their own solo adventures, then reuniting every so often for a big dust off, and all the while there's a looming threat slowly building throughout the entire series. The stakes keep getting raised, the dangers become more and more challenging. That's the kind of storytelling I think it's possible to incorporate to some extent into what I do.
Again, this is partly a result of switching to a publisher who had more belief in my creative vision. The first three books were much more standalone mostly out of necessity, and pressure on me to make them as commercial as possible. Although they addressed elements of the backstory and overarching plot, they did have a 'villain of the week' feel about them, and I knew that kind of format couldn't go on much longer.
Black List and Deception Game, which take place simultaneously and actually overlap at points, form the turning point of the series. That's the point where the Drake universe suddenly gets a whole lot bigger, the story gets richer and the stakes get raised. It was a great feeling for me to suddenly be so liberated as a writer.
Bodo wrote: "You have shown a passion for incorporating real life events into your stories. Can you tease a little bit about what events will be featured down the road and is there any chance we will see the Snowden revelations happen in the Drake universe?"I think there's all kinds of things I could potentially still do with the Drake universe. Because it's grown so big, with so many characters and sub-plots, and can take place virtually anywhere on earth, it gives me tremendous creative freedom as a writer to explore anything that interests me.
Given my own background, information manipulation is something that interests me a great deal, particularly living in a world of 'alternative facts' and 'fake news' as we do. You start to see how people who control the flow of information can influence the course of world events. I'd imagine there's a lot that can be done with a premise like that.
That being said, the 'current' Drake series is set around 2010, so it takes place slightly before most of this stuff came out. I would however be interested in skipping it forward to the present day once the current storyline is resolved. I've said before that I like the idea of Drake's story coming full circle, of him winding up as the older, jaded and cynical operative brought in to help a younger generation. Just as in real life, we all grow older and our outlooks change, so it would be cool to have my characters reflect that, instead of trying to time lock them into some unspecified age so they can keep kicking ass forever.
Aiden wrote: "Bodo wrote: "Your series seems to be similarly structured like a long running tv show. Especially with the first three books dealing with standalone stories and different bad guys while slowly esta..."Hi Aiden. It's certainly a balancing act with a long running series, trying to both tell a complete story in the context of each book while also acknowledging the increasingly complex events that led there, and what impact each book will have on the universe you've created.
Bodo wrote: "All the way back in your first book, you mentioned how you took a trip to America and the Czech Republic to gain first hand experience on how to use firearms. In your second book, you interviewed veterans of the Afghanistan Theater of the War On Terror. How would you describe your research process? What would you say the highlights of the research process have been (any highlights you can share from a past book?), how would you describe the perfect way to integrate real world detail into a fictional narrative and are there any things you researched that you were found were so insane, people would only believe them if they were inserted into a thriller?"For me, research is a mixture of pre-production (establishing basic facts, getting the premise of the book correct) and on the fly (finding out the detailed stuff as and when I need it). A lot of it is just fact checking and making sure a specific location you're describing is geographically accurate, but sometimes I get to do genuinely fun stuff like shoot a bunch of guns so I can relate to what it feels like.
Travelling to Washington DC and actually visiting some of the places Drake has been to was a real highlight, and somehow made the whole thing come alive a little more for me. Particularly so because I was only able to afford the trip due to my income as a writer. That was when I started to see the real impact my books were having on my life.
Speaking to Afghan veterans for Sacrifice was a very illuminating experience, and I did learn a lot of things about the country that I never would have thought of, like how dust is a constant problem for electronics and computer systems, how local wildlife can be a real hazard and even how troops from different countries perceive each other. A lot of it could only be touched upon, as spending too much time on such things would detract from the narrative. In fact, there was one scene in particular based directly on a story one of them told me, that had to be axed because it just slowed down the pace too much. It's still saved on a flash drive though, waiting to one day see the light of day. Maybe I should put together a Deleted Scenes section on my website for anyone interested in what might have been...
Wow your answers really deepen my understanding of the series, thanks! So I think we can all be happy that you are with Canelo now. A deleted scenes section would be a great idea!
The Ryan Drake series takes us across the Post 9/11 theaters of battle, whether it be in Saudi Arabia, the FSB office at the Lubyanka or in the case of Ghost Target, Islamabad and some of the more up market mansions. How do you decide what setting your books takes place in, and in the case of Ghost Target, are some of the locations Drake finds himself fighting through real?
Over the series we have seen Drake becoming more and more ruthless the turning point for me really was when he killed Letla in deception game could you explain that scene a little and will Drake's evolution continue in that direction?
Protagonists, secondary protagonists or antagonists, which would you say you write the best and why? I think you have touched a bit on that already.
Bodo wrote: "The Ryan Drake series takes us across the Post 9/11 theaters of battle, whether it be in Saudi Arabia, the FSB office at the Lubyanka or in the case of Ghost Target, Islamabad and some of the more up market mansions. How do you decide what setting your books takes place in, and in the case of Ghost Target, are some of the locations Drake finds himself fighting through real?"In terms of setting, variety is the spice of life. Redemption was, in some messed up way, a road movie with Drake and Anya, so it made sense for much of it to be set in America. This allowed me to depict Anya's struggles to adapt to everyday life after spending several years in prison. Only when they move on to Saudi Arabia and Iraq does she start to regain her footing. Sacrifice was unusual in that it pretty much took place entirely in Afghanistan. That was a country whose history I was eager to delve into, so I was fine with that. For Betrayal, I was done with writing about hot, sweaty desert countries, so my theme for that book was cold, and what better place to visit than Russia?
By the time Black List came around, I was conscious that I'd never set any of my books in the UK, so I figured it would be fun to try that. And as for Deception Game, I was ready for some warmth again after spending two books writing about ice and snow and rain, so it was off to Libya for the majority of the action.
Most of the locations I describe are in fact real places, or at least based on them. Most of the time if I've created a specific place or building for a major confrontation, I at least want to make sure the layout makes sense architecturally, so I'll study designs for similar structures to ensure I understand how they're put together. Katyrghan prison where Anya was being held in Redemption was entirely fictional, however.
In some cases I've been able to physically go to the locations and walk through them myself, because nothing beats actually being there. However, Google Maps comes in equally handy when I don't fancy booking a flight to Afghanistan or Chechnya. I like to be able to pick a location for a fight or confrontation and think "If Drake bursts out the back door of this place, what will he see? Where can he go? And how would his pursuers try to box him in?"
Those things really make the action come alive for me. Often you end up spotting interesting features you'd never have thought of by yourself, and think, "That's a bit unusual. I'll work that in."
Bodo wrote: "Over the series we have seen Drake becoming more and more ruthless the turning point for me really was when he killed Leyla in deception game could you explain that scene a little and will Drake's evolution continue in that direction?"I can indeed. I'd said before that every character has both light and darkness within them, but in Drake's case it's much more definite than that. You can think of it best as a Tale of Two Drakes, with both aspects vying for control in any given situation. Most of the time, Good Drake wins out and he does the decent, compassionate or merciful thing. But there's another version of Drake lurking in there; a version that used to be far more dominant. This Bad Drake comes to the fore when he's backed into a corner and forced to act without mercy in order to prevail.
The killing of Layla is a prime example. She was about to murder the man that held the key to Drake's redemption, and after everything he'd risked and sacrificed to get to that point, he simply couldn't allow her to take it all away. So in that split second where he had to choose, Bad Drake took charge and killed her.
I think even he was a little shocked by how it played out, which was partly why he took his team into hiding following the events of Deception Game. By the time Ghost Target begins, it's nearly a year later and although he's been living a peaceful existence far removed from the ongoing battle, he's still haunted by what happened.
The problem is, once Bad Drake gets out, he becomes harder and harder to force away. Expect to see a lot more of Drake struggling with both aspects of himself in Shadow War, and more insight into where Bad Drake came from.
Bodo wrote: "Protagonists, secondary protagonists or antagonists, which would you say you write the best and why? I think you have touched a bit on that already."As I've mentioned, I enjoy finding the humanity in antagonists while still making them the guys you love to hate.
I've also got a soft spot for secondary characters, because we've all felt like we're playing second fiddle to someone else in life, so I always make that extra effort to more deeply explore their personalities and give them a bit more of a story than other authors. Also, supporting characters are the guys who are in genuine danger in books like this.
Deep down everyone knows a protagonist is never really going to die unless it's in some kind of final epic clash, but their friends and allies are a different story. If you can get people to like and connect with them, you can have a whale of a time when you start killing them off!
Can't wait to See more of bad Drake lol!
What would be the primary espionage fiction works that have influenced your and the Ryan Drake series?
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The Orion Team.
Books mentioned in this topic
Ghost Target (other topics)Deception Game (other topics)
Black List (other topics)
Betrayal (other topics)
Sacrifice (other topics)
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