Interview With Crime Writer Peter Church

The Author of Dark Video Talks About His Writing Process

Aug 25, 2009

The second part of an interview with South African crime writer, Peter Church about his first novel Dark Video.

In the first of these two articles, Peter Church, author of Dark Video spoke about publishing his first novel. In this interview in May 2009 he spoke to Suite101 about his writing process.

Writing a Crime Novel

A. I’ve read about Jeffrey Archer's writing regime - so many words per day, fixed hours of working, a felt tipped pen, going to sleep early, etc. I am the exact opposite. I can write anywhere, anytime, under any conditions - kids fighting, music blaring. When the words come, I can shut out everything and just write. You can try speaking to me and I won't even hear. It drives my wife crazy. But there are days when I have no ideas, or I can't think how the plot evolves, and I do nothing.

Q. You’ve set your story in a real place. Why did you decide to do that? Has it caused you problems at all?

A. Putting the characters on home soil was easy for me, because all the settings were places I knew and had visited. I love including places I have physically experienced. Some people have said they were deeply disturbed by the story, the thought that such events could take place amongst our children, at our universities, in our favourite places. I wanted to write an international story but with a South African setting. I feel that the students could easily have been from UCLA or the University of Sydney.

Developing Ideas for Plots

A. Brian Wooten of Random Struik read the first draft and said he enjoyed the story but hated the end. I liked the original end - it had a moralistic message. But I knew what he meant. So I sat down and developed a more 'Hollywood' ending.

Q. You have said that writer Mike Nichol helped polish the book. What sort of input did he give?

A. Mike is one of South Africa's most experienced crime fiction writers. It was an interesting process. My publisher said they wanted me to work with him to tighten up the plot. I expected him to read it and return a manuscript with red writing and ideas. Instead we sat on a couch at his home and he basically told me to write most of the story again. It was a big shock, but I sat down that evening and resketched the story, one paragraph per chapter, and then went back to him. I think he was surprised how quickly I could redraft. I was so determined not to let the opportunity slip.

Promoting your Book

A. I think in South Africa, if you're not a celebrity, then you struggle to get noticed. I really want to be a successful fiction writer. I have tried to be involved and assist the publisher. I organised the dual launches in Cape Town, attended book signings, handed out leaflets, did Radio and TV interviews, whatever it required to get some attention.

I had some more hair-brained schemes - like driving an Audi (the lead character's car of choice) from city to city with a large Dark Video poster on the roof, but found it difficult to get the appropriate support. You need to be proactive. The idea that some publisher is going to 'make' you into the next best seller is a pipe dream. You have to be prepared to help yourself.

A. I have a few on the cutting table. I am three quarters of the way through a sequel to Dark Video. So many people have said they want to know what happens next. But I am battling with second book blues. When I wrote Dark Video I never imagined that people would actually read it, so I just wrote whatever came into my head. Now I am more careful because I am conscious of people's judgement.

The copyright of the article Interview With Crime Writer Peter Church in Writing Fiction is owned by Helen Brain. Permission to republish Interview With Crime Writer Peter Church in print or online must be granted by the author in writing.