I heard a story on the BBC while driving that sparked my imagination. Later, in California I saw a road sign that inspired me and gave me another idea and it all sort of gelled into one.
Nick Hirst – 27 August 2015
The Back Flap
In 1967, after the Apollo 1 disaster, eight powerful men meet in a small Californian coastal town to ensure America’s planned moon landing will be a perceived success.
Fast-forward thirty-five years to September 2002 and a celebrated investigative reporter is murdered at BBC headquarters in London just before he was going to broadcast an explosive story about Iraq.
A coded message hidden in the lyrics of a thirty-year old song hides a shocking secret connecting the two events.
An innocent chat at a baggage carousel at Prague airport pulls music journalist Jack Conrad into a race against time to decipher the secret of this song. He is immediately plunged into a murky world of counter-intelligence, international security, misinformation and extreme violence, surviving various attempts on his life through his own unpredictable behaviour.
With key witnesses meeting with sudden, apparently accidental deaths, his frantic quest takes him from Europe to the Saudi Arabian desert where he has to make a terrifyingly unconventional airborne escape. Conrad’s resilience and determination in the face of overwhelming adversity succeeds in exposing a sinister global network dedicated to maintaining an unholy alliance between government and media and, unexpectedly, solves two cold case murders.
About the book
What is the book about?
The Shape of Rain is set over two weeks in September 2002 against a backdrop of the USA and UK gearing up for war with Iraq and United Nations weapons inspectors being allowed to re-enter the country to search for weapons of mass destruction. It begins with the murder of a celebrity journalist in London just before he was due to broadcast an explosive story regarding those same alleged weapons of mass destruction. A chance meeting with one of the weapons inspectors at Prague airport draws the central character, Jack Conrad, into a deadly web of intrigue that involves both the US and UK governments. Conrad, a music journalist by trade, is pointed in the direction of an obscure 30-year old song which contains a hidden message in the lyrics connecting the western warmongering of 2002 with the moon landing in 1969. Conrad’s resilience and determination in the face of overwhelming adversity succeeds in exposing a sinister global network and, unexpectedly, solves two cold case murders
I was particularly keen to write a thriller where the main character is an ordinary guy, not a cop, soldier, spy or some kind of super-hero, who prevails through use of his specialist knowledge (the music industry) and how his guileless innocence and plain ignorance help him overcome calculated and deadly threats through the sheer unpredictability of his actions.
When did you start writing the book?
I actually began a first draft of a book called Redundant’back in 2003. Over time this morphed into The Shape of Rain’with a much changed plot by summer of 2005.
How long did it take you to write it?
Off and on, about ten years! But if I were to distil the time spent writing into eight hour days, probably about two months. The main problem came with editing and rewriting, much of which was done while working in an extremely demanding day job and having a new baby to look after.
Where did you get the idea from?
Current affairs and my own experiences, supplemented with extensive research. In the wake of the Iraq War and the questions being asked about its legality, I heard a story on the BBC while driving that sparked my imagination. Later, in California I saw a road sign that inspired me and gave me another idea and it all sort of gelled into one. As a former BBC journalist myself who had also worked in Saudi Arabia, I added in some of my first-hand experience while tapping into the realms of conspiracy theories and rock music as these would be factors that defined the target audience for the book.
Were there any parts of the book where you struggled?
The writing process is always a pleasure, once I get going, but I find I need to spend extra time on dialogue to try to get it to sound natural and ensure each character has his or her own voice. To that end, I would often act out the scenes with myself as though they were pieces of dialogue from a stage play.
What came easily?
I love writing scene-setting descriptive pieces, playing with the beauty of the English language. I always looked and look forward to writing such passages and they just seem to flow from the pen – or on to the keyboard to be more accurate.
Are your characters entirely fictitious or have you borrowed from real world people you know?
All the characters are fictitious, but I do borrow from people I know or have observed. In the way that artists will continually sketch while out and about, I mentally describe people and scenes I observe. So, many of my characters are composites of these observations both physically and in terms of personality.
We all know how important it is for writers to read. Are there any particular authors that have influenced how you write and, if so, how have they influenced you?
Yes, I grew up in the house where Charles Dickens was staying when he wrote Oliver Twist’and my mother was the biggest Dickens fan (I am named after Nicholas Nickleby) and I believe him to be the greatest novelist of all time. I cannot come remotely close to his greatness, but the way he so beautifully reflected the society he lived in and how intricately he crafted his plots is certainly an influence. More modern examples would be Robert Ludlum, although occasionally his plots veer into the unbelievable, and Dick Francis (English writer) whose characterisation and pacing are superb.
Do you have a target reader?
Anyone and everyone who wants to pay to read my book! But seriously, with The Shape of Rain I think the target reader is most probably male, aged between 35 and 65, likes music, particularly rock music, has some interest in current affairs, enjoys travel and is curious about the world around him. Oh, and all conspiracy theorists of course!
About Writing
Do you have a writing process? If so can you please describe it?
I set time aside for writing and keep it sacrosanct – I don’t allow it to be hijacked for other work, leisure or family tasks. I might spend that time staring into space or researching some micro detail on the internet, but it remains writing time. I often go for a walk prior to this as I find it very helpful in clearing the brain and stimulating the creative process. Once I start writing, it happens fast – normally around 1000 words an hour.
Do you outline? If so, do you do so extensively or just chapter headings and a couple of sentences?
I started by creating a basic outline as well as a ‘cast’ list of the principle characters. The outline soon boiled down to simple directions – ‘Conrad in Saudi 1; Conrad in Prague 2’ etc. Some of the planned characters fell by the wayside, others were added. What is important is making notes as and when I come up with ideas. In writing each chapter, I am often checking through dozens of post-it notes to check I have included everything I meant to.
Do you edit as you go or wait until you’ve finished?
I do a certain amount of editing as I go, but the major part is on completion of a first draft. The Shape of Rain went through several drafts and some significant surgery and rewriting. One main character was removed entirely and the central character changed jobs a few times! I received some constructive feedback from two separate literary agents at different times of the process which helped and informed my editing hugely.
Did you hire a professional editor?
I have an editor – a friend who works for the Financial Times in London – who religiously went through each completed draft making structural suggestions and correcting errors etc.
Do you listen to music while you write? If yes, what gets the fingers tapping?
Non-stop! Generally, it’s the kind of rock music that makes up most of my collection – Pink Floyd, Springsteen, Genesis, Foo Fighters, Coldplay and many, many more. In the early stages I used to listen online to the now defunct Yahoo Launchcast radio, which had the added benefit of introducing me to new music. Also there are times when some classical music does the trick. Throughout the book there are references to various songs and pieces of music that chime with the scene. Originally I quoted from the lyrics of songs I referenced, but when I contacted the rights owners, none would let me use extracts of the lyrics without a royalty payment.
About Publishing
Did you submit your work to Agents?
Yes, most of the relevant UK based agents. As I said, I did have some helpful feedback. From one who stated that – and I quote: ‘you can certainly write… – and went on to make some suggestions which I acted upon. When I resubmitted I didn’t even get a reply! I found the whole experience of dealing with these gatekeepers so random. They have so many submissions you have to be really lucky to catch them at exactly the right time when your book will fit their requirements. I used to be Commissioning Editor for all independent productions on BBC World Service, so I can understand their problems and could also recognise their limitations.
What made you decide to go Indie, whether self-publishing or with an indie publisher? Was it a particular event or a gradual process?
Due to knowing the limitations and problems of agents, I decided to take the Indie route. I came to realize that agents would have expected me to have done this anyway, so it doesn’t close any doors. Also, I spent years of my youth playing in bands and these days, if I was doing it all over again, I would certainly have taken the opportunity to release songs digitally using current technology and the internet as a distribution tool. So, over time, I came to realise I should apply the same principle to publishing my book.
Did you get your book cover professionally done or did you do it yourself?
I had the design done by ebooklaunch.com, a US based company. All our dealings were done remotely yet they grasped my concept and likes and dislikes perfectly and, after a few tweaks here and there, we arrived at the current design which I am very happy with. Unless you are a graphic designer I would always recommend getting the cover done professionally. People do judge a book by its cover!
Do you have a marketing plan for the book or are you just winging it?
I have worked in marketing, so mapped out a rudimentary plan of sorts, but the key is to be disciplined about your use of time. I keep doing small things to keep some sort of momentum every day, but don’t let it completely take over as that would not be a cost effective use of my time. Part of the problem with marketing is that you are reliant on reviews for online marketing and these don’t happen overnight – especially with a long book like mine (think Robert Ludlumesque length!)
Any advice that you would like to give to other newbies considering becoming Indie authors?
Do it – as I said, it won’t close any doors and may open some. It’s also best if you can do as much of the process yourself – the formatting and so on – with the caveat already mentioned about cover design.
About You
Where did you grow up?
In the house where the artist William Frith, close friend of Charles Dickens, lived and worked, in a village in the suburbs south west of London, England.
Where do you live now?
I’ve moved around a bit in my life, living in Wales for a while then near the south coast of England. I spent some time living and working in Saudi Arabia then back in the London suburbs before a year on the beautiful island of Jersey just off the north coast of France. I now live in Prague, the historic capital of the Czech Republic, but I have bought a smallholding and derelict farmhouse some 30 miles north of Prague and will move in with my young family once all the renovation is complete.
What would you like readers to know about you?
I am former BBC producer and editor with a background in television and radio presentation. I studied drama at university before leaving to play in various rock bands as rhythm guitarist and songwriter. Keen to break in to acting I first worked as a puppeteer with two of the UK’s leading puppetry companies before moving into the mainstream, eventually appearing on the West End stage in London. I was the first professional TV and radio presenter on Saudi Arabia’s English language TV and radio services. As a writer, in addition to composing over two hundred songs for various bands and theatre companies, I’ve written countless magazine and internet articles on subjects as wide ranging as music, football and finance and was script consultant on the documentary film Sugar Blues’by acclaimed Czech director – Andrea Culkova. I’ve had the pleasure (mostly) of interviewing some of the biggest names in music around the world including such diverse personalities as Ozzy Osbourne, The Bee Gees, Paul McCartney, Lemmy, Marvin Hamlisch, Cher, Fiona Apple, Melissa Etheridge, Susannah Hoffs, Nils Lofgren, Lynryd Skynyrd and Megadeth! I also compered gigs for Van Morrison and Bob Dylan.
What are you working on now?
Apart from trying to market The Shape of Rain? I have started a second book in what I hope will be the ‘Rain’ trilogy – The Edge of Rain. Unlike the first book, I want to write this one chronologically and have penned the first two chapters and have mapped out much of the plot but, like ‘TSoR’, I am prepared for the plot to take me to unexpected places as I write. I also have another book mapped out that kind of looks at life after death, working title – Deep Water God.
End of Interview:
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