Name: Daryl Nilbett
Age: 34
Occupation: Accountant
Number of times attended Creative Thursday: 2
Number of times attended Festival: 3
Favourite author: That’s a tough one, as I have many authors that I religiously read and I am finding new “favourites” on a regular basis. If I had to pick favourites, I would say David Simon and George Pelecanos for their written and TV work, Peter Temple, Mark Billingham, Michael Connelly, John Connolly, and recently I have discovered David Peace, Chris Simms, Ray Banks and Steve Mosby.
Favourite book: The last book that I loved was The Damned United by David Peace. I’m not a huge football fan but I really enjoyed Mr Peace’s economic prose.
Best festival event: Definitely George Pelecanos in 2006, very inspiring and an enjoyable event (although the David Simon / George Pelecanos “Wire” event this year may go one better).

I understand you’re attending Creative Thursday, what are you hoping to learn?

I find it very interesting to learn about the different facets of the writing process from those who do it for a living – I suppose I am looking for an enjoyable experience and a few pointers about writing that I may not have heard about before. However, my interests and thirst for knowledge is moving away from the “how to write” aspect of CT (although someone who reads my manuscript may suggest that’s not such a good thing) – what really interests me these days is the business side of the industry – not “how to write a book” but what happens after a book is written – securing an agent, a publisher, publicity commitments, etc. I really enjoyed last year’s CT panel on the life of a book, from acquiring the rights to publication and sale. I am also looking forward to the discussion on audiobooks this year, another part of the industry I know nothing about.

Have you attended a CT day before? If so, a) how did you find the day? And b) how did it impact on your writing?

I have attended CT twice before and found it very entertaining and informative. I do find that I get much more out of the topics covering the industry as opposed to those dealing with writing a novel.  Not to say I know everything that there is to know about writing, far from it – but I feel I learn more about writing by sitting down and doing it, learning from my own mistakes. I also believe that one-on-one conversations with authors over a pint at the Crown Hotel bar are a better way to gain some insight.

I must be truthful, too, and say that I was uncertain about CT this year for the reasons above, but then ‘The Dragons’ Pen’ was mentioned and that won me over!

Are there any particular authors you’re eager to meet or chat to in 2009, what do you hope to get from them?

All the authors that attend Harrogate are great to talk to, very approachable and great fun! More than anything, I’d like to catch up with those I have met in the past festivals, like Kevin Wignall, R.J.Ellory, Steve Mosby, Steven Hague and Mark Billingham, who are all entertaining and generous with their thoughts and support. I will also be making a concerted effort to meet other authors and people within the industry. Any insight that they have into the life of a crime writer will be beneficial, but I would also like to enjoy a chat with them about anything and everything.

A lot of people might say writing isn’t something you can learn – you either have talent or you don’t, how do you think creative classes can help?

Creative classes are very helpful. I enrolled in a writing course by correspondence and even though I didn’t complete it or overly enjoy it, I will admit that it helped establish my writing process, style and habits. Courses also give good tips on structure, plot, submission and publication. They help develop your style and allow you to avoid the common pitfalls of writing. I often fall back on the advice from that course and from CT (as well as the one-on-one sessions I had with Greg Mosse over the last two years at the Festival).

A writer with talent can be wasted without the tips and guidelines that these classes offer, but I would say that only in rare circumstances does it aid those without the necessary storytelling talent, even with 100 books on writing or 1,000 hours of creative classes under the belt. The classes can definitely bring out the talent in someone.

I also think there is a point where too many classes can stifle the creative spirit and process and that there is a point where you’ve just got to sit down and start writing, making mistakes along the way.     The advice given in classes is invaluable, though, as it not only sets important guidelines for novel writing, but allows you to know the benefits of breaking them! Not that I do; well not often anyway.

Can you tell us a little about your writing style and influences?

I must admit, I’m still developing my style, noticing the slight changes here and there. When I’m writing at my best, I produce something that is economical, short on exposition, and uses dialogue effectively to move things along. I like trying to conjure up specific images with as little words as possible. My influences here are definitely Peter Temple and most recently, David Peace. I just love that style of writing and I see it in my own when I’m writing well.

That said, my first draft tends to waffle on as I search for that economy of words, but that’s what second and third drafts are for – to reduce waffle.

Are you going to sign up for The Dragons’ Pen, if so, are you scared?

Yes, I am doing Dragons’ Pen. Delivering a sales pitch is always nerve wracking but when it’s all about the little project that you’ve laboured over and shielded from the world thus far, it’s even more frightening. There is the potential that I will be shot down in flames, which will not be great for the ego. My biggest fear is not doing the novel justice. That said, I am really looking forward to it and the feedback will be very important. Preparing for the Dragons’ Pen is also great practice for not only summarising and synopsis writing skills but for speaking out loud about your novel and creating interest and excitement about it – a major part of selling the novel.

Do you know what your pitch is? Can you give us a few clues?

I’ve thought about it a lot but haven’t bottomed it out yet. I definitely want to mention in my pitch that it is a completed manuscript, which is quick to say in a pitch and, I believe, important to mention – so that’s my first goal, to complete the manuscript. I believe the book is quite complex and that makes it difficult to summarise – but like I said, the Dragons’ Pen will be good practice to hone those skills.

The pitch will be that my novel revolves around the criminal underbelly in Melbourne, Australia; an ever-increasing problem in this city, one that experienced a major gangland war only three years ago. Despite that war being pretty much over, there are still criminal elements in the city going about their business, from low-level drug dealing to the international shipment of illicit goods. If you are not careful, it is easy to get caught up in it all. Once you are in, though, how do you get out?  Are you prepared to risk everything and anybody to make a change? What if there is more at stake than just your life?

The book will not only be set in Melbourne, but London, UK, too and although the balance is equal here, I plan to emphasis the Australian aspect of the book in my pitch, as I feel that readers will find it interesting.

As you can see, the pitch still needs work!!

How long have you wanted to be a crime author, where did the desire to be a professional writer start?

I’ve always wanted to be a writer since as long as I can remember. Before starting high school, I had dreams of writing books and becoming an author, inspired by Stephen King. I read him a lot in my teens. Unfortunately, my dreams were curtailed by the need to get an education that would actually lead to a career that pays the bills. My career took up a great deal of time in the early years with study and long hours, so I could never find the time to write. But the desire to become an author and make some sort of living out it is still there – now I work at making the time.

Becoming a full time author is the ultimate goal, without doubt. Finding a job that you look forward to each day, one that really interests you and one that allows a balance of work, family and the social aspects of life, is everyone’s dream I believe – mine just happens to be writing!

I cannot discount the Theakstons Old Peculier Crime Writing Festival as an influence on my dreams to become a professional writer – the Festival gets you close to the authors, agents and publishers and gives the best outsider’s view of the industry. After attending it for the first time in 2006, I said to myself: “This is what I want to do!”

Why did you choose crime as a genre?

It’s just a genre I enjoy. I like the drama of it. I started reading crime not too long ago – 2003, I believe – when I read Ian Rankin’s A Hanging Garden. But I can go back further than that. I enjoyed a TV show called “Homicide: Life on The Street” and sought out the book it was based on. David Simon’s book had a big impact on me – drama in the real world (as opposed to the fantasy worlds of horror and sci fi which had been my previous genres of choice). The drama was more visceral, more realistic, and had a bigger impact – and it was real! From then on, the movies and TV that I enjoyed the most were part of the crime genre, and then, as I found more time to read, I moved on to crime novels.

That love of the crime novel increased tenfold upon attending the 2006 Harrogate Crime Writing Festival as it was known then – that opened up the genre to me, highlighting its diversity. Some say the genre isn’t diverse enough, and to an extent I agree, but before 2006, I only read Ian Rankin, George Pelecanos and Michael Connelly – after Harrogate, I was reading as many different authors as I could, and I still do.

Why is it such a dream to be published? What are your ambitions?

Despite the usual anxieties of having someone read my completed manuscript (and tell me that its crap), the main reason I write a novel is to tell a story and I want it to be the best story I can tell. Ultimately, if I am happy with it, I want to show it off, I want people to read it and tell me what they think and I want them to enjoy it. Getting published is the best way to reach the masses. Above all of that, I’d love to hold a completed book, my book, heavy in my hand; a book that I didn’t have to pay to get printed, but actually got paid to produce.

My ambition is to become a full time writer – that “dream job” I mentioned earlier.  It’s a tough goal to achieve but something worth striving for.

As a writer, if there was one question you’d love to ask successful authors at the Festival, what would you ask?

“Do you still get that buzz of excitement when your new novel is published?”

I’ve always wondered whether the business that surrounds the industry - the pressure of producing the goods, the intense publicity schedule, the demands from agents, publishers, retailers, etc – dulls the excitement of holding your published book in your hands. I’d guess most would say that they still get the buzz and that all that other stuff is part of the job. Some might say that it’s never the same as when the first time your book hit the shelves. It would be interesting to hear what people’s thoughts were.

As an aspiring author, what tips can you offer others who harbour the dream to write?

Don’t wait for the muse, don’t procrastinate, don’t make excuses – sit down and write!  Write as much as you can and keep at it. National Novel Writing Month is a good place to start if you find it difficult to start writing or stick to a consistent output of writing. The aim is to write 50,000 words in one month and you can get the ball rolling quite quickly under the confines of the challenge, breaking the seal, if you will, on your writing career.

What are the hardest things about writing for the crime genre?

For me, it’s research – getting hold of experts on your chosen topic can be quite difficult and daunting for a first time writer. These days, most readers are very knowledgeable about police procedures from books and TV, so an element of research is essential. It’s important for the story as well, if handled correctly.

The other difficult task for the crime writer is to come up with something new and different, something fresh and exciting that will get agents and publishers and readers interested. That said, trying something new is not always a recipe for success - it does depend on the reader. A lot of readers know what they want and enjoy what they want and just want more of it. So, with a slightly different slant, a tried and tested formula can bring success. As I tend to seek out variety as a reader, my mindset as a writer is the same, to vary the writing.

How do you juggle the day job or the daily pressures of life and find the time to write?

Juggling my day job and my writing has been a constant battle. It’s taken almost three years (since Harrogate 2006) to write the first draft of my novel and a lot of it has been due to struggling to fit the writing in around work commitments (not to mention other life pressures). At times, I have felt that I can’t do both, that the writing has to go, but I have kept at it. Now I feel that I have some degree of balance and I have accepted that, at times, my day job has to come first.

I was encouraged by an author I met at Harrogate in 2007 – James Twining. I believe he has a full time career outside writing and has also published three bestsellers; he has not only been able to manage his time to accommodate both pursuits, he has made great achievements in both. I think of him when I start to complain about not having enough time to write because of work.

What are the qualities you think you need to succeed as a struggling novelist?

Persistence and belief in yourself. There are countless stories of bestselling novelists who have a trunk full of rejection slips or who took fifteen years plus to finally get published. You need to keep at it, write everyday if you can and never give up. If you enjoy the writing, it’s never a waste of time.

Also, make sure you keep up your reading. Read as much as you can without taking time away from your writing. Reading books is as good as a teacher for writing as you can get, and a good book will inspire you to write.

A lot of aspiring authors may give up before they begin because they’re scared of rejection or putting themselves out there – do you relate to that? What would you say to them?

Funnily enough, I haven’t reached that stage of being scared of rejection. I’ve been anxious and paranoid about being able to create the novel that I want to write and I’ll be nervous when my chosen “first reader” goes through the manuscript, but quite possibly I haven’t let my mind get too far ahead of itself to worry about the dreaded rejection slips; haven’t really thought about it a lot. I suppose Dragons’ Pen will give me a chance to get scared of rejection!

To answer the second part of the question, I will tell you what I would say to myself about dealing with rejection: move on from it, take on any advice you feel is warranted or constructive, be open to new ideas, work to improve the manuscript. If the desire and passion to tell your story is there, whether it takes one day or a year, you will bounce back from rejection and give it another go.

Is writing crime a bit dark? Do you have to be a little nuts to understand ‘the depraved mind’?

I think with most writing the author will find him/herself heading down a dark path at some stage of the process. Doesn’t matter if they continued down the path or decided not to go there, they entertained the notion and that can sometimes take you to some disturbing places. Crime novels can be dark and disturbing, but those with the greatest impact are generally the novels that leave most of the grisly stuff to the reader’s imagination. Most of the reading I’ve done that has taken me to places that I consider uncomfortable are usually reports in the news.

Anything you want to add?

This will sound like a blatant plug, but I’d like to add that if you are a budding crime writer like myself, get yourself to Harrogate and the Theakston’s Old Peculier Crime Writing Festival, including the Creative Writing day if it interests you – you’ll never get more inspiration, insight or a charge of excitement than listening to and speaking to the authors themselves. I know every time I leave Harrogate, I feel I could not only write a novel, I could write 100 of them.