When I read something and an image in my mind forms, crystal clear, I understand setting, mood, emotions, and actions of the thing I’m reading, unaware at that point it is a book and I am there in my mind – then, I get inspired. 

Simon Royle – 15 April 2013

Note: I’d be remiss not to acknowledge Simon as the founder of The IndieView, yet during the time he was running the site he never interviewed himself. After months and months of begging, he finally agreed to do one. 🙂

The Back Flap

27 October 2011

As Bangkok barricades itself against a rising flood of toxic waste, Chance has got some wet work of his own going on. He’d rather be on honeymoon with Pim; that had been the plan.

But the plan didn’t include the untimely death of a Godfather’s son, being blamed for the theft of a billion baht, and a move by a rival gang on Big Tiger’s territory; now there’s a new plan – war and retribution.

Funny thing about guns and plans – everyone’s got one.

About the book

What is the book about?

Bangkok Wet is the second book in the Bangkok series about a Thai mafia family living in Bangkok.

When did you start writing the book?

I started writing in February 2012.

How long did it take you to write it?

I hit publish on 31 Jan 2013.

Where did you get the idea from?

The stories are wrapped around current events. In 2010, in the first novel, Bangkok Burn, events centered around the barricading and riots of Bangkok in that year; in 2011 major floods hit the country and a few corruption scandals, and that’s where the ideas that spawned Bangkok Wet come from.

Were there any parts of the book where you struggled?

Most of my dialog is between Thai speaking people and would be in Thai. It is always a challenge to decide how much translation should be done directly and how much should be inferred through context. I never outline – I write “off the cuff” so there are always times when I take a wrong path and need to backtrack. It’s tough deleting what you know is good; but doesn’t fit.

What came easily?

The title.

Are your characters entirely fictitious or have you borrowed from real world people you know?

Both. I think every writer of fiction would be the same. It is the human condition. Some part of us is in the thoughts of every character. Other characters may be loosely based upon people we know or be composites of every influence we’ve had since we were born.

We all know how important it is for writers to read. Are there any particular authors that have influenced how you write and, if so, how have they influenced you?

I’ve read everything that appealed to my eye; from historical fiction to westerns, to hard-boiled, classics, sci-fi, chick-lit, you name a genre and I’ve read it – but I try to write the words that are in my head – my words. I think inspire is a more appropriate word than influence. When I read something and an image in my mind forms, crystal clear, I understand setting, mood, emotions, and actions of the thing I’m reading, unaware at that point it is a book and I am there in my mind – then, I get inspired.

Do you have a target reader?

Yes, and she’s beautiful; I live to delight her.

About Writing

Do you have a writing process? If so can you please describe it?

Yes – chaotically adaptive. It isn’t the writing – that comes later; the first thing is the thinking and the fretting. I suspect, like most people who write books, I spend a lot of time in the “real world” surreptitiously thinking about the characters and situations in my head. Once they’re talking to each other then I can write; if they stop, I’m screwed.

Do you outline? If so, do you do so extensively or just chapter headings and a couple of sentences?

No.

Do you edit as you go or wait until you’ve finished?

I’m in the Hemingway school, leaving things hanging, so I don’t have to become an alcoholic trying to figure out what the hell I was thinking. I am rethinking this strategy due to precedence. Almost always this means going back through the current chapter, and correcting, tweaking, and in some cases deleting (must have drunk too much cognac yesterday).

Did you hire a professional editor?

Yes – I have for all of the novels – sometimes more than one – but never less than.

Do you listen to music while you write? If yes, what gets the fingers tapping?

It depends on what I’m writing. If I’ve got ten threads open, and I’m at a pivotal point for a few of them, I prefer silence – too many balls up in the air. If I’m “in the moment” then I listen to everything from classics to Beethoven, rock, heavy metal, jazz, blues, – really everything. And the music may heavily influence what I’m writing – I like that in a story. Quite a few of my chapter headings are titles of songs.

About Publishing

Did you submit your work to Agents?

Once upon a foolish moment back in 2009.

What made you decide to go Indie, whether self-publishing or with an indie publisher? Was it a particular event or a gradual process?

I decided from the beginning that I would publish indie. The amount of time the trad world would take to get a book out did not appeal (although they were pretty quick with the “shades of grey” stuff – excellent taste ;); since starting writing, I’ve “connected” with other authors (one of the cool things about writing books is other authors), many with a foot in both camps – many purely indie as well – universally the trend is to “disappear” the line between writer and reader. Do publisher’s still have a role? – yes, there are still physical book stores; in the digital world, not so much.

Did you get your book cover professionally done or did you do it yourself?

I did it myself.

Do you have a marketing plan for the book or are you just winging it?

I have a plan written on the seat of my pants and that’s what we’re operating towards.

Any advice that you would like to give to other newbies considering becoming Indie authors?

Scott Nicholson, in a former indieview, many moons ago, wrote, “Turn back, before it’s too late.” The thought brings a wry grin these days – write because you love to write, and have a story to tell – welcome to hell.

About You

Where did you grow up?

Manchester, Cape Town, New Jersey, Winchester, Hong Kong (and still working on it).

Where do you live now?

Nontaburi, just outside Bangkok, Thailand.

What would you like readers to know about you?

Whatever they would like to know (within reason J). Ask away.

What are you working on now?

The next one.

End of Interview:

For more, visit Simon’s website or Goodreads author page.

Get your copy of Bangkok Wet from Amazon US, Amazon UK, Kobo, or Barnes & Noble.