Author Interview With Matthew Willis

Today, we have an interview with historical fiction writer, Matthew Willis.

So, what exactly do you write?

Historical fiction and nonfiction, with occasional incursions into fantasy and SF

How would you describe yourself in a short third person bio?

A writer who is stuck in the past and wants to drag as many readers as possible back there for company. He divides his time equally between reporting things that actually happened and making up stuff that would have been cool if it had. Occasionally surfaces in the present via social media, @navalairhistory on Twitter, and facebook.com/daedalusandthedeep

What made you initially want to write? Has your motivation changed since then?

I’ve been writing for as long as I can remember. I think it was a need for adventure and excitement that was the trigger, with a sense that those things could only exist in strange worlds that weren’t in the here-and-now. I don’t think that has particularly changed, although these days I love the English language so much I would probably write for its own sake.

What do you think is the most important part of writing?

Starting. It’s so easy to plan, research, think, reconsider, second-guess and vacillate that the majority of novels are probably never started. To quote Samwise Gamgee, ‘it’s the job that’s never started as takes longest to finish’.

What is your favourite part of writing?

The point where the characters start to think for themselves and tell you what they’re going to do next. There’s something wonderful about writing that flows, seemingly under its own motive force, and while it’s rare, when it happens it feels like flying.

Tell us an interesting fact about you.

I am trained in criminal investigation and surveillance techniques.

Do you have a day-job, (other than writing)?

Not any more. I used to work for the NHS in media relations and communications, and occasionally help out my former colleagues if they need it. I also edit nonfiction books. But it’s all working with words.

Do you prefer a physical book or an ebook? Why?

Each have their charms, and sometimes I prefer one and sometimes the other. I do tend to find I read more when I am in an ‘ebook phase’, so that probably gives you your answer.

Tell us about your latest novel.

Daedalus and the Deep is the story of a real, historical Royal Navy ship that reported seeing a sea serpent in the mid-Atlantic in 1848. It’s a novel about what might have happened had the captain decided to hunt the serpent rather than just record it. It’s set during the last hurrah of the age of sail, and at the tipping point between superstition and science. The main character is a young midshipman with a secret, who is dragged into a deadly struggle between man and a mysterious creature. It was released at the beginning of July, and is now available in all ebook formats and paperback.

So, how long does it take you, on average, to complete a first draft?

I don’t have an average – I really don’t! Daedalus and the Deep took about 7-8 months do complete the first draft but that surprised me no end. For example, my current nonfiction was supposed to take 4-6 months and I’m still working on it nearly three years later. My current novel work-in-progress is progressing much more slowly than Daedalus and the Deep did – I expect the first draft will take 18 months or so.

Which projects are you working on at the moment?

Too many. My current novel project is about the giant French airship Dixmude, which disappeared without trace in 1924. It’s a much less well known airship disaster than that of the Hindenburg, and it’s much more mysterious. I’m also working on a book about the P-51 Mustang and a biography of the 1940s test pilot Duncan Menzies.

How do you come up with the titles for your books? And do you have the final title before completing your book, or after?

It varies. The title of Daedalus and the Deep was the first thing that came to me. I came across the story of HMS Daedalus and the sea serpent sighting, and the title appeared to me, fully formed. The title for my novel about the Dixmude took a lot more thought. I looked at expressions and phrases connected with flight and the themes of the book. Eventually I came up with ‘Thin Air’ which seems to fit the idea of high-altitude flight and disappearance quite well.

How has writing changed your life?

It has made me much happier than when I had a ‘real’ job. It has also made me much, much poorer.

Where do you get inspiration for writing from?

My inspiration generally comes from ideas. I might be reading a non-fiction book, or looking at sources on the web and something will strike me as something that needs to be written about. I think that’s the key for me – if there’s something that is sitting there and seems to be shouting ‘there should be a novel about this’ at me, I have no choice but to oblige. It’s what happened with Daedalus and the Deep, and with Thin Air.

Do you listen to music whilst writing or have a ‘writing cave’?I do listen to music when writing, but generally not while editing. I’ll pick something that suits my mood or the mood of the writing. For example, when writing Daedalus and the Deep I listened to a lot of folk music, particularly sea shanties. I have a study which is unforgivably untidy. I always wanted to have a book-lined study, but I never imagined that the books would line the floor as well.

Is there a particular form, style or genre that you’d like to have a go at writing? Why?

I’ve found more and more recently that poetry can have the power to physically move me. I wrote a lot of poetry when I was at University, but it was all unutterably awful and I never mastered the necessary skill with language to make it work. I’d like one day to be able to write poetry that has the kind of power of Shelley’s Ozymandius or Tennyson’s Ulysses, and I feel much more affinity with poetry than I used to, but I don’t have a burning desire to set out down that path just yet.

Favourite book and/or author(s)?

William Golding is my favourite author at the moment, and The Spire or Darkness Visible my favourite novels.

Do you think it’s necessary to have a degree (of any sort) in order to be a successful author?

No. I studied literature at University, and that introduced me to a lot of wonderful writing that I wouldn’t otherwise have come across. I was also lucky enough to do my Masters at a great little department that crossed disciplinary boundaries between art, science, literature and history, and that taught me a lot about looking at things from different angles. But I don’t think it’s essential by any means. I don’t have any training in creative writing so I can’t comment on the value of it.

What would you say to those who want to become a writer? Any advice?

Write for you, not the market, and love what you do. Remember that rules are for the obedience of fools and the guidance of wise men – take each criticism seriously but don’t let anyone tell you ‘never’ or ‘always’. If you want to get published, find people who love writing as much as you do, who ‘get’ your writing, whose judgement you trust and who will give it to you straight to read and comment on your work.