Chat with Peter Abrahams

Chat with Peter Abrahams – 5/14/2009

Welcome to SNUTCH TALK LIVE

Erik Williams: Peter Abrahams is the best-selling author of 19 novels including the Edgar Award nominee, Lights Out, and The Fan (later made into a Robert DeNiro film). Recent novels include Dog On It (written as Spencer Quinn) and Reality Check, an edgy YA novel about a teen’s quest to find his missing girlfriend. Peter is a member of the MWA and his novels are typically released to critical acclaim. Stephen King once called Abrahams his “favorite American suspense novelist.” Welcome, Peter

Peter Abrahams: Thanks

John Mantooth: Peter, you’ve successfully written novels for teens, and adults. Can you talk a little about how the writing process or approach is different for each of these? And how did you decide to write the first Echo Falls mystery after so many years of just writing adult novels?

Peter Abrahams: I really don’t change my approach all that much. It’s all about getting into the head of the pov characters – after that, what happens happens. In terms of Echo Falls, I have 4 kids and therefore all this raw material. At the same time I was realizing that, an editor at Harper read The Tutor and asked if I’d like to write for kids.

JohnMantooth: What about how far to go with language and such. In the last Echo Falls, you handled the divorce/ affair stuff really well. Then in Reality Check, you really let loose. I’m assuming you had a slightly different audience in mind for Reality Check?

Peter Abrahams: Also, isn’t it good to diversify?

John Mantooth: Absolutely. I was just wondering if the recent trend in the market toward YA had anything to do with your decision. Uh, I have to confess too that I still haven’t read one of your adult novels (except Dog On It). I have read all of your YA ones and loved them to death, as have my students.

Peter Abrahams: Yes – Reality Check is for an older audience. In fact, now that I’m doing the Chet books for adults, I’m trying to do something for slightly older kids that’s very like my previous adult work – End of Story, etc. The truth is I pay no attention to trends.

John Mantooth: Gotcha

Peter Abrahams: Don’t mean that in an arrogant way. It’s all about eye on the ball.

John Mantooth: No, I understand. Anyway, with novels, by the time you write one, the trends have changed.

Peter Abrahams: True.

Sam W Anderson: I understand you’re writing three more Chet and Bernie books. Were you planning on writing sequels when you were working on this? As far as the writing process goes, are there any drawbacks to writing sequels? Is it possible to be a novelist today without writing serials?

Peter Abrahams: Yes, you can be a novelist without writing serials, which i did for most of my career so far. The publishers wanted more of Chet and Bernie. I love writing the characters, wasn’t going to say no.

Sam W Anderson: How much does that influence you when you’re working on the current one, knowing another is to follow?

Peter Abrahams: The key thing is to keep it fresh. Knowing it’. A series means you can wind in threads – Chet’s lump is an example.

John Mantooth: Will there be a follow up to Reality Check?

Peter Abrahams: No. It’s a standalone. I’m just about finished another YA standalone called Bullet Points, maybe even a little darker than RC.

Erik Williams: For a series, to keep it fresh, do you rely on an outline to keep track of the overall arc? Or do you just write it as it comes to you, as you learn the characters more?

Peter Abrahams: When I began writing I spent a lot of mostly wasted time on outlines. Now I make sure I know the engine that drives the story, and then jump in. But every writer is different.

John Mantooth: The engine? Can you elaborate? Plotting is my weakness. Bear with me.

Peter Abrahams: The engine is the force. For example, in RC it’s all about Cody’s commitment to Clea. And plotting is the hardest part of the job, at least for me. To elaborate more: roadblocks must be put in front of Cody. You have to torment your main character. That’s where the engine and the plot intersect.

Kim Despins: I really liked Dog On It and thought you captured Chet’s personality perfectly. What inspired you to write from the dog’s perspective? What did you find most difficult about writing from that point of view? What was easiest? And can you tell me what my dog is thinking?

Peter Abrahams: Good q’s. My wife said – why don’t you do something with dogs? I sat down and wrote the first page. Chet is one of those characters who really does write himself. The key is he’s not a talking dog. He’s totally doggie. But he can narrate. Dogs have a life story of some sort in their minds.

JohnMantooth.u says to (01:25)
Kurt Dinan: With Oblivion, were you afraid of the reader losing interest once you had Nick revisiting people he’d already interviewed but had forgotten about? How did you approach writing those scenes to make them fresh and interesting for the reader?

Peter Abrahams: Excellent questions. This was the basic challenge of the book. Nick had changed so much that I think the book ended up saying a lot about the impossibility of objective truth – all disguised as a detective novel, where objective truth is all.

Erik Williams: What are your thoughts on marketing your work? Any tips? Anything you love or dread about book tours, etc? And has anyone shown up dressed as a dog at any recent signings?

Peter Abrahams: No dog people yet. I love meeting actual readers. I’m now convinced, though, that internet marketing is the way to go. S&S set up a blog for Chet, for example, and this week SQ is at B&N center stage. Also twitter. The thing is – sending a writer on tour is so expensive, and so are print ads. And who’s reading newspapers?

John Mantooth: I teach my students (7th graders) that characters are the most essential parts to writing a good narrative. Make your characters memorable and your reader will read and enjoy your story. I think you embody this just about as well as any writer I have read. I’ve told you before how your characters, especially in the Echo Falls series seemed like real people to me. Can you give us some insight into how you make your characters so distinct and real and memorable?

Peter Abrahams: My mother was a writer and she taught me most of this when I was a kid. Two things: the telling detail and bending every note. I try to have no boilerplate ever and also to advance the story at all times.

John Mantooth: Bending every note?

Peter Abrahams: Yes – always be original – a surprise, but believable, around every corner. Also – push every situation as far as you can, and dig to the bottom of every mine. For example – Nigel is a stray, but he must have been owned by someone. And therefore???

John Mantooth: At some point they might want him back (if I recall correctly)

Peter Abrahams: Yes – in Into the Dark. Exactly.

John Mantooth: How much of your characters are based on people you know? I would imagine most of them, but I’m just curious about somebody like Grampy. He’s so damn rough around the edges yet lovable.

Peter Abrahams: The truth is I make them all up. There’s no conscious basing upon at all. Sorry if that’s a frustrating answer.

Sam W Anderson: The voice you write in is so smooth, the prose never getting in the way of the story. Do you think writing the YA novels have affected that voice? Also do you have to “dumb down” the writing any when you are writing the YA novels?

Peter Abrahams: I don’t dumb down at all. The YA books are written in 3rd person close. That’s the key, technically.

Kim Despins: What author, book or short story would you recommend every writer read?

Peter Abrahams: Crime and Punishment. Just the title is chilling.

Erik Williams: Thanks for your time

John Mantooth: Much appreciated.

Peter Abrahams: My pleasure