Today, we’re speaking with Inkubator Books’ author Paul Heatley. Paul is the author of the Tom Rollins action thriller series.
Inkubator Books: When did you start writing?
Paul Heatley: I wrote when I was young. I thought I’d want to work in comics, but I couldn’t draw – still can’t. I got more serious about it in high school, when we got our first computer and I was either thirteen or fourteen. Before that, it would all be by hand, illegible scrawls in whatever notebook I could get hold of (I have terrible handwriting, and if you ever see my writing now it’s always in block capitals, just to make sure people can read it). I’d write every night after school for probably two to three hours. Just stick on some music – usually Slipknot, Metallica, something like that back then – and write truly terrible horror stories that never got published, and really never stood a chance of being published. But it was all part of the learning curve. I thoroughly believe that’s when I put in my 10,000 hours. Beyond high school, when I was in work and free time was spent more with either friends or girlfriends, the writing slipping a bit. I knuckled down on it in mid-2012, when I was 24, shortly after the birth of my son. That was the point at which I started writing every single day, in some way, shape or form. I’ve written every day since, bar sickness and occasionally letting myself take some time off.
IB: What does a typical day of writing look like for you?
PH: If I can drag myself out of bed early enough, I’ll be up at 5.30 to get some words done. I’m not a naturally early riser though and it’s not always manageable, so I tend to write when and where I can. I don’t necessarily have a ‘typical’ day of writing. During the pandemic, when everything was locked down, I’d do some words at about nine through til eleven, work out, eat lunch, then write in the afternoon until about either five or six in the evening. I was getting about 6000 words done a day, if not more. That was an ideal set-up. Since getting back to work I write when I can.
IB: Do you base your characters off people you know or are they all the product of your imagination?
PH: I’d say mostly they’re products of my imagination. I’ve based characters on people I know before, but mostly I might use aspects of a person’s look or personality, or stories they’ve told me, as opposed to just transcribing them to the page.
IB: What’s the most difficult part of your writing process?
PH: Editing. Always editing. I’m a fast writer but a slow reader. Add in being a bit of a perfectionist and the editing is always the longest and most arduous part of the whole process.
IB: What comes first for you – plot or characters?
PH: Usually plot. Sometimes I’ll come up with a character and work out the story around them, but usually I have the story idea before I work out the people that are going to be living in it. With Tom Rollins, I obviously have the main character already, so plot is always key to his next adventure.
IB: Which of your books is your favorite? Why?
PH: That’s a tough question. I’ve written quite a bit. I think my favourite Tom Rollins book – and possibly my favourite book to have written overall – is Hard to Kill. The first three Tom Rollins books make up a bit of a loose trilogy, and it was satisfying to wrap the threads I’d established in the first two. I think because I knew exactly how I wanted this book to go, having built up to it for two books already, it felt like it just flowed from my fingertips. It was a very easy book to write, and very satisfying.
IB: How would you describe your ideal reader?
PH: Anyone who enjoys the stories.
IB: What are you doing when you aren’t writing?
PH: I’ll be at my job in a bookshop. Or I’ll be reading, or listening to music, or watching a movie or a TV show.
IB: What does your writing space look like?
PH: I have a desk in my room, which is where most of my writing gets done. But, as I’ve stated earlier, I write where I can, when I can – at work on my lunch break, or at my girlfriend’s while we’re watching stuff on the TV.
IB: Have you ever traveled to research for a book?
PH: Travel has been difficult for a while due to Covid and the world shutting down, and prior to that money was the other issue. I’d like to, but I mostly have to rely on Google Maps.
IB: What genres do you like to read? Who are some of your favorite authors?
PH: I read very broadly in most genres. I read a lot of crime, horror, sci-fi, and fantasy. Favourite authors is a long list, so I’ll try not to go too crazy: James Ellroy, Chester Himes, Jim Thompson, Joyce Carol Oates, Zadie Smith, Philip K Dick, Harry Crews, Bret Easton Ellis, Chuck Palahniuk, Irvine Welsh, Yukio Mishima, Robert Jordan, Octavia E. Butler, Stephen Graham Jones, Don Winslow, Katherine Dunn.
IB: How do you come up with names for your characters?
PH: Character names are difficult! Coming up with names is hard, and I’m always worried about reusing the same name without realizing it. I usually draw inspiration from something I’m watching, like the cast of a TV show’s real names. My girlfriend is a big help, too – she’s named a lot of my characters. I sometimes come up with a name and it’ll be perfect and I’m very pleased with myself, but that’s only one name out of the dozens needed in a book!
IB: What was your favorite childhood book?
PH: I read mostly comic books. I wasn’t read to, and I didn’t really start reading books until I was in middle school, so about ten or eleven. I’d read a lot of Tintin and I loved Asterix. There was also Judge Dredd and the X-Men.
IB: Have you ever abandoned a book you were writing? How did you know it was the right thing to do?
PH: I have, but it was a long time ago now. I think I just realized I was expending more time and energy than the product was worth. If something isn’t working, you eventually come to realise it’s just not working. Sometimes a bit of distance helps and I’ll go back to it and complete it, but sometimes it just has to be left alone.
IB: Do you have any tips for first-time authors?
PH: Write every day. I didn’t start to see any kind of success until I put the work in. Also, be sure to read a lot, and read widely. You can’t ever expect to be a writer if you’re not reading.
IB: Who inspires you?
PH: On a personal level, my son and my girlfriend. On a professional level, I try to be as prolific as I can, and I always look up to prolific authors – Jim Thompson, Stephen King, Joyce Carol Oates, Brandon Sanderson, Carlton Mellick III.
IB: Do you have any pets?
PH: No, but I don’t have any problem with animals. My girlfriend’s family have a husky.
IB: How do you manage the “whodunit” aspects of your story as far as clues and revelations? Do you outline?
PH: I absolutely outline! Can’t work without one. I like to know where things are going before I start, rather than trying to work it out as I go along.
IB: How do you relax?
PH: Reading, watching stuff. I’d like to say working out, but I’ve been lax on that front for a while now.
IB: Which do you enjoy writing more: dialogue or internal thoughts?
PH: Dialogue. A story can flow so much better through the dialogue. I’m not a big fan of too many internal thoughts. Too much can stilt the action, unnecessarily hold it up.
Thanks to Paul for sitting down with us today.
Want to read Paul Heatley’s books? Check out his titles on Amazon.
You can find him at the following places:
Website: paulheatley.com
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/paul.heatley.1
Twitter: https://twitter.com/paulheatley3
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/paulheatleyauthor/
