Hi
Justin, I
loved the book The Deviant Strain, as you know.
So full of detail about the submarines, the sea and that Russian feel
about it, that you could almost imagine yourself being there in the cold,
dealing with the locals in their tavern, and the night watch around the subs,
and that general feeling of cold clinging to you. Though what surprised me the most was the
back of the book, page 253, ‘About the Author’, ‘Justin lives in Warwick, with a lovely view of the famous castle and
almost as far from the sea – and any submarines – as you can get in Britain.’
So
where did the idea come from to write a book that featured submarines so
heavily? Had you ever been inside a sub?
JUSTIN: I have actually – I went round a US
nuclear submarine a few years ago. Quite a few years ago actually. The thing that struck me most was how small
and claustrophobic it was. Mind you, I
went straight from looking round an aircraft carrier, so the contrast was quite
marked! But I definitely drew on that memory and experience for the book.
The
story features the 9th Doctor, Rose Tyler and Captain Jack
Harkness. In this book Jack was quite
dark, moody, had a lot of emotion that we see an awful lot in later episodes of
Jack’s life was this deliberate on your part, to bring out more of Jack’s
character in the book?
JUSTIN: In those first TV episodes, Jack is
actually quite a shallow character. I don’t mean that in a derogatory sense, or
that the writing isn’t good – but emotionally, he isn’t very intense. I guess that’s sort of the point, that just
as the Doctor is humanised by his relationship with Rose, so Jack becomes more
caring and less selfish through his relationship with them both. It’s an
interesting contrast – the Ninth Doctor is in many ways too self-less, while
Jack is only concerned about his own interests until the end of The Doctor Dances
where he redeems himself and that sort of ‘earns’ him his rescue by the Doctor
and Rose.
But in a novel, you need
to go that bit deeper anyway. I was keen
to make The Deviant Strain very much Jack’s book and I wanted to provide him
with someone who makes him care, almost despite himself – that’s partly why
Valeria is aged. She’s not physically attractive, not anymore, so that isn’t
what draws Jack to her and makes him care… Before he met the Doctor and Rose,
maybe it would have been that sort of superficial attraction that was important
to him, but he’s grown beyond that now, and can see deeper into people.
There
is so much detail in the story, that it must have taken you some time to put it
together. Do you note up as you go, or
do you often write and write and then see where the story takes you?
JUSTIN: It was written very quickly, in
fact. The first batch of novels that
came out in April 2005 were so successful that someone higher up than me at BBC
Books decided we’d publish another three in the September. It didn’t occur to them that these novels
hadn’t been written yet – it wasn’t someone who’d ever worked on fiction
before! So I had to scrabble round for
writers who could do a good job very fast.
For a horrible week it looked like I might actually have to write all
three. But luckily – for him as well as
me – Gareth Roberts had some time and was very keen. And then I persuaded Steve Lyons to drop what
he was doing for a few weeks. But it
really was a few weeks – about three I think!
To answer your question,
I always write from a fairly detailed outline.
In this case that was especially useful as it means I can keep track of
how badly I’m doing in terms of the schedule!
But it also means all the hard work plotting things out is sorted before
I start – and that gives you a confidence that the story has a shape and is
actually going somewhere and can build to a decent ending.
I
had a look up on Wikipedia and your list of credits is quite extensive I have
to say. You definitely have a passion
for writing, and especially with the Whoniverse. I notice from the list I have another of your
books in my bookshelf. The Resurrection
Casket, audio book and hardback, I’ve still to get Clockwise Man.
Is
the Deviant Strain the only book you’ve written that features Jack Harkness?
JUSTIN:
I wrote the short story at the back of the ‘Captain Jack Files’ book,
which is reprinted in ‘The Doctor Who Stories’.
It’s called ‘Best Friends’ and I am actually quite proud of it – it
prefigures some of the things they did with Jack’s character in later
Torchwood, and I think it’s got a good emotional core to it…
Aside
from Jack, the Doctor and Rose were any of the characters in your story in The
Deviant Strain based upon anybody real?
JUSTIN:
Easy answer – no. I do sometimes
take elements of people I know, or physical attributes, and add them into a
character. But I can’t think of any
examples in The Deviant Strain.
Have
you always had a passion for writing, was it something you always wanted to be?
JUSTIN: Oh yes. I was always a writer, from
as soon as I could actually write – scribbling away in spare school exercise
books. Usually about Daleks, of course.
I don’t think I ever really thought I’d be a Writer in the career sense
– I don’t think I really appreciated that was possible. A journalist maybe, but not an actual writer writer. Not until much
later.
If
people wanted to find out more about you and your books, other than going to
Wikipedia do you have a website where people can follow you?
Are
you writing anything at the moment that we can look out for?
JUSTIN: I have a new novel for older
children out on 1st July – ‘The Wolfstone Curse’ (published by
Templar). That’s quite interesting and
exciting as there’s a free app you can get that unlocks extra content as you
read the book. Point your phone at particular
pages, and you get video or text or graphics extras.
Then I have the first of
an SF series called ‘The Never War’ out from Del Rey in November – which I’m
just finishing now. Older, darker, but
still very exciting (I hope). I’m having
great fun with that, so look out for it!
Thank
you again Justin for the interview
Fab loved it
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