Interview with Tim Stead
Where do you get your ideas? Is there anything about New Zealand that has inspired you to write?
The ideas come from life, from what people say or do, from the news. If anything about New Zealand influences my writing it's the scenery, and the occasional place name creeps in. White Rock, an important location in Shanakan, is just up the road from where I live.
Why do you think readers are fascinated by books written about New Zealand?
Are they?
Kiwi's like books about New Zealand, but I'm not aware that anyone else does.
Then you should write in Romance, they love kiwi romance books.
Who is your favourite New Zealand author and why?
Helen Lowe, who writes good, solid fantasy.
What advice would you give for other writers in New Zealand?
Publish abroad if you can. Unless you're writing Kiwiana.
Do you get to network or meet up with other New Zealand authors?
I run two overlapping writing groups, so I meet other writers a lot.
What was the first thing you did after your first book was published?
It was self published, so I probably had a cold beer or a glass of wine, but honestly I don't remember.
Do you read your book reviews? How do you handle the good and the bad ones?
Yes. The good ones lift my spirits - a form of validation, of course. Bad ones? What bad ones?
It seems like everything has Easter Eggs (surprise reference to your other work) do you have any Easter Eggs in your books?
Not consciously. The odd line from Bill the Bard finds its way in.
How long does it take you to write a book? Do you have any secrets to productivity?
It changes depending on the book. The first six I wrote were at a relentless 5,000 words a week and they varied in length from 100,000 words to 195,000 words. I tend to rewrite as I go, so the finished article takes another week or so to polish, then I look for readers. More recently I've been slower. A secret? Just sit down and type. There is no other way.
Where did you get the idea for your first or latest book?
The last book I finished - yet to see the light of day - drew its inspiration from racism and drug abuse, both of which are issues with special relevance to the world today. It's not about either, but... well you'd have to read it.
Do you have any writing rituals?
I sit in different chairs in summer and winter, but that has more to do with heating than ritual.
What is your best experience meeting a fan?
Frankly, meeting anyone who enjoys my writing (and there are a few) is a delight. I have had one person ask me for a selfie, and a number for signed copies. It's all good.
If any of your books was to be made into a film, which one would you pick and who would you have play the main characters?
The Seventh Friend and sequels. Tom Hardy would probably make a good Narak, but my knowledge of actors simply isn't up to casting so many characters.
How important do you think marketing is for authors today?
Vital. I hate it.
Do you have any book you have written that won’t ever see the light of day and why?
Only the ones I burned :-) Actually there is one that I probably won't publish - and that's because I have two live series and, let me see, about six more to write in those, and a third series that's yet to see the light that I think is more promising.
Not enough hours in the day I think.
What quirk or trope of your genre do you like or dislike?
Fantasy is seen as non-commercial - despite Game of Thrones, Lord of the Rings, Harry Potter et al. It's also seen as intellectually lightweight, which is often a fair judgement, but it can be used in the same way as Sci-Fi to explore hypotheticals that don't involve the future. I also dislike dark lords, characters who are painted as unremittingly evil, plucky princesses, and prophecy.
And lazy writing as far as I can see. The closest I've got to that was a drug lord but I don't think that counts.
Often writers get to approach some serious subjects. Which serious subject are you most proud to have written about or was the hardest to write about?
The Seventh Friend is in many ways a book about tolerance and the damage that religious dogma can cause.
Thank you so much for sharing some of your process and thoughts. Good luck on your next book.
