The Nile's Deep Dive Author Interview: James O'Loghlin

Let’s start at the beginning with a little bit about you, James. Where did you grow up? What were some of your favourite books as a child and teen? How would you describe yourself as a young person?

I grew up in Canberra as an only child, and read all the time. I was shy, over sensitive and not good enough at sport. I loved Lord of the Rings, all the James Bond books, Agatha Christie and adventure books about caving and mountaineering. I was sometimes lonely and books were my salvation. Even back then, I thought the highest thing I could ever aspire to was to write a novel. I also thought I'd never be able to because it was too hard.

When did the writer in you make themselves known? Was there any inciting incident? A book or a film that excited the desire to be a writer? Or was it some impactful experience, like being dropped on your head, that sent you running to the page?

Because of everything books had given me as a child, I dreamt of being able to write one, but was scared that I wouldn't be good enough, and that stopped me from properly trying for a long time. It seemed such a huge undertaking. I started doing stand-up comedy aged 24 and that was much easier. Jokes are hard to write, but they're short. Sometimes, I could write a few in an hour. When people laughed at them, I realised I was capable of more than I thought. I tried to write a crime novel in my late twenties in the mid 1990's but gave up. I re-read it recently and wished I'd kept going. Eventually I got fed up with feeling like a failure for not finishing a novel and decided that I would start writing one and not stop until it was finished. That became my first kids novel, THE ADVENTURES OF SIR RODERICK THE NOT-VERY-BRAVE, published when I was 48. Better late than...

I am asking you these questions because you have a new book, The Writers' Room. What’s it all about? Can you give me your best elevator pitch (don’t worry, it’s not a very fast elevator)?

THE WRITERS' ROOM is set at an isolated mansion backing onto bush in the Southern Highlands where a group of writers and producers gather to adapt a much loved Australian novel, MORE OR LESS FRIENDS by Clara Newsome, into a screen series. Clara was their friend and creative collaborator, but twenty years ago, just after her book was published, she tragically drowned. Now, the junior writer in the writers room is her 21 year old son Xavier, but soon he is also found dead at the bottom of a cliff. The police write it off as suicide or accident, but housekeeper Barb Young (the protagonist of my previous crime novel, LIARS) isn't so sure and launches her own undercover investigation. Soon she finds that all these writers are telling stories.

Where did this book come from? I mean, your mind, obviously, but can you give me some idea of the genesis of the work? Did anything external trigger your imagination, for example?

Several years ago, I developed one of my books for the screen, and led several writers rooms. They are fascinating. Everyone is trying to selflessly create the best story they can, but also pushing as hard as they dare for their own ideas, both because everyone has a bias toward their own ideas, and because they want to be seen to be making a valuable contribution. Behind all the friendly 'all for one' good cheer are ambition, insecurity, jealousy and fear. It seemed a great setting for a murder mystery. Then I remembered Hamlet. 'The plays the things, wherein I'll catch the conscience of the king.' What if one writer suspected another of wrong doing, and in the writers room, pitched a fictionalised version of their crime as a plot point to gauge their reaction and look for signs of a guilt? And what if the other writer realised what was happening?

Describe an average day when you’re in the middle of writing a book? Where do you write? What do you write with? Do you need silence, or do you like to have heavy metal music playing, like Stephen King? Do you ever get out of your pyjamas?

I write at home in the lounge room, or on the train, or anywhere else I happen to be. Park benches often. Relaxing background music is good, but all I need is my laptop. For me, all that ritualistic lighting of candles and creating a sacred space is just an excuse for procrastination.

At this stage of a new book’s life - it’s published, or about to be - the author (you) are already out and about promoting it - filling out annoying questionnaires like this one - but what you really want to be doing is getting back to writing your next book, or at least planning it, or thinking about it, so my question is, why? What is wrong with you? Is writing a compulsion? Discuss.

Writing is the greatest challenge I have ever faced. I've had other jobs where after a period of time I've felt pretty confident that I can do them decently... sometimes after that occurs, the job becomes less interesting. I always feel challenged writing, and that's good for me. 'It is better to travel hopefully than to arrive.' I also love the intricate nature of trying to design a complex murder mystery that layers in clues, never gives away the answers too early and at the end is surprising and satisfying for the reader.

I love learning what writers have been reading. What’s the best contemporary book you’ve read lately? Name three books you always recommend. And do you read books as part of your research? Did any stand out or surprise you? And lastly, books on writing, writers, the writing life - do you have a go to?

Edward Whittemore - Sinai Tapestry, Jerusalem Poker and Jericho Mosaic. No one has heard of him but these 3 books, set in the Middle East over 100 years are an extraordinary re-imagining of recent history. There's something amazing on every page. And anything by Irvine Welsh. He writes with such reckless life, vibrancy and humour. When I'm not writing a murder mystery I read them to try and learn how others do it, but when I am writing one I stop because I don't want to be influenced.

I once asked Peter Carey for writing advice and he said, ‘Don’t take advice from anyone.’ Ignoring this advice I ask you, is there something you’ve learned about the writing life that would benefit someone just starting out? What is it?

If you start and keep not stopping, eventually you will finish writing your book. Every good sentence starts out as a bad sentence. It's a lot easier to fix a bad sentence than it is to stare at a blank page, so get stuff down. Ensure your goals are within your control. 'I will finish writing this book,' is within your control. 'It will get published, win the Booker Prize and I will be the darling of the literary world' is not.

Imagine you’re a bookseller and you’re hand-selling your new book to a customer. What three books would you compare it to to make that sale?

The Thursday Murder Club by Richard Osman. Survivors by Jane Harper. Kitchen Confidential by Anthony Bourdain (only joking re the last one, but there is a chef in it)

Thank you so much for answering our questions, James.