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Interview with David Cray
by Jon Jordan
11/27/01
Jon: Little Girl Blue is your third book. So far
they are stand alones. Any thoughts on doing a series?
David: Funny you should ask that question. My next book,
tentatively entitled What You Wish For, is a sequel to Little Girl Blue.
Jon: Was it a challenge writing a woman protagonist?
David: When you say, "a woman protagonist", it seems as
if you're suggesting that there is a generic female protagonist that, once accessed, will suit all
situations. Little Girl Blue's protagonist, Julia Brennan, was created to fit very specific needs.
First, I wanted her to be self-confident and pro-active, as befits protagonists of
novels generally considered to be hard-boiled. To accomplish this (without creating a barely
believable, karate wielding tough-gal), I put Julia in a position of authority so that her
interactions with her subordinates would establish both qualities without my having to point them
out directly. Additionally, Julia's childhood experiences, in combination with the experiences
common to all cops, make her attitude (hopefully) credible.
Second, and equally important, I wanted Julia to be a basically good person with
definite moral flaws. Her goodness is revealed through her interaction with her daughter, Corry, and
her uncle, Robert Reid. Her moral flaw is that she is unabashedly ambitious. The conflict between
these two qualities fuels the novel.
So, to answer your question, the main challenge, for me, was not to write a female
protagonist, but to justify my protagonist's behavior by carefully establishing life experiences
that made those actions believable.
Jon: When you decided to write, why did you choose the
mystery/thriller genre?
David: I decided to write mysteries because that's what I read.
This is true for every other mystery writer I know.
Jon: What’s the cool part of being an author?
David: Getting to write and not having to punch a clock.
Jon: And, inversely, what’s the down side to being an author?
David: Everything else.
Jon: Do you think computers are playing a bigger part for
writers?
David: Because my writing efforts reach back into the era of the
typewriter, I can say that without doubt I am a better writer for using a computer and printer.
Whereas in the past it took me an hour to re-type a chapter, I can now print the same chapter in
just a few minutes. This allows me to re-write until I'm (more or less) satisfied with the result.
The process is long, trust me on this. I use thousands of pages of paper to produce a four hundred
page manuscript, in addition to on-screen editing. This would be impossible if I was still using a
typewriter and my work would suffer for it. I have also used my computer for research, though with
mixed results. I recall a time when I wanted to know how many busses passed through the Port
Authority Bus Terminal every day. Within five minutes, even with my dial-up, I got the answer from
the Port Authority's web site. The process seemed to me, at the time, nearly miraculous.
Nevertheless, in my experience, books are better for in-depth research. Books also provide handy,
on-the-shelf references.
Jon: Are there topics that you think may be over
done in the mystery field?
David: No.
Jon: From the tiny amount of experience I have with writing I
know it can be frustrating at times. How do you deal with things like writers block, and deadlines?
David: If by writer's block you mean the inability to write a
single word, then I can happily say that I've never experienced writer's block. But if you're
referring to days when you have to fight for every word, my approach is to force it out, then fix it
later. Another advantage to working with a computer. Deadlines have never been a problem for me.
Authors are expected to publish one book a year and I write a book every eight or nine months, so it
all works out.
Jon: Do you try to write to a certain audience?
David: Early reviews for Little Girl Blue praise the novel both
for its fast pace and for its restrained descriptions of violent encounters. This is exactly what I
set out to do and my purpose was to reach as broad an audience as possible.
Jon: What kind of music do you like to listen to?
David: Right now, even as I type, I'm listening to a Louis
Armstrong CD: Pops: The 1940's Small Band Sides.
Jon: I’ve had authors tell me that writing is a very solitary
thing, but isn’t it also important to have the support of family and friends when you are going
from the blank paper to the book on the shelf?
David: Before you publish, the support of friends and family is
hard to come by. After you publish, you're William Shakespeare. As for the solitary nature of the
act, writing is something you do by yourself. Things you do by yourself are called solitary
pursuits. I mean, it's not like you're lonely when you're working, or that you feel somehow left out
of things.
Jon: The publishing business is kind of weird to say the least.
What would you suggest to make it work better?
David: Well, I think publishers should start with a seven-figure
advance for my next novel, then back it up with a world tour and an endorsement by Oprah. Seriously,
publishing companies seek to maximize profits just like all businesses. Are they doing a good job?
I'm not expert enough to know. I will say, however, that the general tendency for publishers
associated with conglomerates to trim their lists, has led to opportunities with small publishers,
like Caroll & Graf, that didn't exist ten years ago.
Jon: Do you pay attention to reviews?
David: As a matter of fact, a pair of on-line reviews, posted on
Amazon, had a big influence on my work. These reviews agreed that although the novel in question,
Keeplock, was worth reading, it was a bit slow. I've been working with the relationship between
character development, atmosphere and pace ever since.
Jon: What’s the best advice you were ever given?
David: Stop complaining and go to work.
Jon: What’s the one thing you always have in your refrigerator?
David: A six-day-old slice of pepperoni pizza.
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