Award-winning crime writer, Michael Robotham is coming to the Pioneer Theatre to talk about his gripping new novel Storm Child.
Ahead of his show, we asked Michael a few questions about his writing process, his brand-new book, and much more.
You have been writing crime fiction novels for 20 years – can you describe what a typical day of writing looks like for you? Do you have any specific routines, methods, or rituals when it comes to writing?
Writing is like breathing for me. It is a compulsion. It is how I survive. I write every day, even when I'm touring, even if that only means jotting down notes in a bound folder.
A typical working day will have me in my writing room, the Cabana of Cruelty, by nine in the morning, unless I go for a long walk, or organise a game of golf. I break for lunch or for regular coffee and snacks during the day before finishing up at six.
You have spoken before about how an inspiring letter you received from your favourite author Ray Bradbury ultimately set you on the path to becoming one of the leading crime writers globally. What is one piece of advice you would put in a letter to a fledgling writer who admires you the same way you admired Ray Bradbury when you were a boy?
Write, write, write and when you're sick of writing, write some more. It is the only way to get better. And if you simply can't write any more, read good books and learn how to take them apart, deciding what works and doesn't work, and how they could be better. Sometimes, a book will be so perfect you won't be able to take it apart, but normally, you will see ways it could be improved. When that happens – you're on your way to being a writer.
Your new book Storm Child is set primarily in three locations from the cityscape of Nottingham to the seaside town of Cleethorpes to the staggering terrain of Aberdeenshire. Can you talk about the process of researching these places and learning about the profound environments and settings.
As a former journalist, I feel as though I have to set my stories in real places, even if I give them fictional names to protect residents.
With this book I did research trips to Cleethorpes, Nottingham and Aberdeenshire, talking to harbour masters, trawler crews, RNLI volunteers, Coastguard chopper pilots and migrant welfare workers, gathering material to make STORM CHILD as authentic as possible.
Do you ever feel overwhelmed with pressure that your newest book needs to be greater than its predecessor? How do you manage with this stress during the writing process? Does it ever lead to writer's block?
As a genre writer, I think I'm only as good as my last book, which means I do feel pressure to deliver on reader's expectations. I want my readers to care about my characters. I want their hearts to break or to bleed for someone they have grown to like.
One of the greatest compliments I can receive is when readers tell me they sobbed at the end of a book, or they read with one hand over the page ahead to stop jumping forward.
I have never suffered from serious writer's block because I simply refuse to stop writing. If I don't know what to write next, I'll write out of sequence, or write a long email or answer questions like these. It doesn't matter – I'm still writing. Eventually, the answers will come.
To read Micheal's bestsellers, including Storm Child, visit one of The Hills Shire's libraries or browse the library catalogue at www.thehills.nsw.gov.au/library.
