Peter James: Novelist and Film Producer: Dead Man's Footsteps

Peter's blog

Tuesday, August 28, 2007
Dead Man's Footsteps - Progress Report

My apologies to you all that my anticipated 12 days absence from blogging to finish my new Roy Grace novel (Dead Man's Footsteps) has now extended to a month - and I'm still not quite there yet...

Years ago my close friend, the writer James Herbert, gave me a valuable piece of advice: that the ending of a novel is even more important than the beginning, because that will determine whether readers are ultimately satisfied or not. He told me never to hurry an ending, and it is advice I have followed for every novel from Possession onwards.

I have escaped from England to France for a while - I've finished my last three novels down here, and being somewhere different seems to work for me. So I am sitting from dawn to well beyond dusk in the darkness of my bat-cave, just occasionally going out to work on my balcony when I feel the need to see daylight. This is true suffering for my art.... !!!

And here are a couple of pictures of the author slaving away over his hot laptop....

Meantime I hope all of you have managed to have a good summer, despite the horrific weather in England and in some other places...

posted by Peter James at 4:49 PM 11 comments

Comments:

What a beautiful spot. For me it would be a distraction, rather than help me work! Hope those fingers are flying over the keys:-)

Linda

By Anonymous, at 8:17 AM

AS Byatt does the same thing. With her, she says it's a question of light; the more of it in a day, the more she gets to write.

Interesting advice from James Herbert. I guess he's right, ultimately. But you've got to be good enough to get people to the ending in the first place!

Anyway, enjoy the sun and satisfaction of finishing, Peter!

By Mark, at 6:28 PM

Hi Linda, yes, thanks I'm making great progress.

Hi Mark, interesting that you mention AS Byatt. She has been something of a bete noire of mine: Back in the last 1980s when I wrote POSSESSION I was incredbily careful to check that no novel of this title had been published. When within months of mine coming out, hers came out. I am quite sure she would have known this a long time in advance, and it ended up causing a lot of problems and confusion.

By Peter James, at 7:17 AM

Dear Mr. James,

I've only recently met your novels and you have instantly become my favorite. Here in the US it's rather hard to get them but I will 'press on'. I was awed by how much you have written. I'm sure they are all wonderful (so far I have bitten all my nails to the quick on reading only two of them!)

To me there is nothing more wonderful than reading by the waves, hopefully writing by the waves is equally inspiring.

Thank you for your lovely novels!

By Gretchen, at 2:57 PM

Hi Gretchen

Thanks very much for your lovely comments about my work.

I am in the process of changing US publishers - I will post information as and when, and hope after that my work will become more widely available in the USA.

All very best

By Peter James, at 5:44 PM

Yay, Peter. I'm really pleased to see that I'm not the only person that writes in a dressing gown, although my postman thinks it's rather strange. One of the beauties of working from home...!

By Anonymous, at 6:28 PM

Next time peter, can you arrange your dressing gown a little more carefully? That first shot is a little more risque than i was expecting......

By Paul, at 9:41 PM

Hi Peter, so great to see this site. My dad and I love your Roy Grace novels and we can't wait to read your new book. Just wanted to say I think you are great crime writer. I feel I know Grace's office inside out now - even the fish on the wall!!! Can't wait for the next one....... Thanks, Sarah.

By Sarah, at 7:49 PM

Hi Sarah

Thank you for these really kind words!

I'm at this moment working on the editorial notes on the next one, Dead Man's Footsteps. I'm staying at a friend's apartment in Cocoa Beach, Orlandao, with a view of the Cape Canaveral space rocket silos! So, back on another balcony... but it is not all like this - most of the time I'm locked away in darkness in England!!!!

All best

Peter

By Peter James, at 2:13 PM

Hi Peter, just wanted to say that I have just finished reading dead man's footsteps....fantastic book, its written so cleverly and the characters are brilliant! Really looking forward to the release of your next book. Best wishes, Chris

By Anonymous, at 12:01 PM

Chris, thanks very much for these kind words, and for taking the trouble to write - I much appreciate it.

All best

Peter

By Peter James, at 6:34 PM