Leave it to Jeffrey Archer to use his laser-sharp focus to meet his one-book-a-year quota, but complete two full novels, during the ongoing pandemic. But we are certainly not complaining — the more from the legendary British novelist, the better for us. We are just smitten, especially when he says, "I ended up writing for 144 days from 6-8, 10-12, and 3-5, doing 900 hours of writing." The result of which is Turn A Blind Eye, the third installment in the William Warwick books, the series which has us enraptured since the first book Nothing Ventured came out in 2019. But while the pandemic couldn't put a pause on the bestselling author's writing, he is well aware of how lucky he is. "I’ve realised just how lucky and privileged I am to be a writer: a lone profession that doesn’t demand other people to sustain you," says the 81-year-old. Well, thanks to your books, so are we, Mr Archer.
William Warwick, yes, the very same hero created by Harry Clifton in his fictitious books in the Clifton Chronicles, has but one goal — becoming the Commissioner of the Metropolitan Police Force. With every book in the series, William gets closer to his goal, but the stakes get higher too. And this time, William will have to fight corruption, drug barons and criminal masterminds to inch closer to his goal.
It was Kolkata-based non-profit trust Prabha Khaitan Foundation (PKH) and Pan Macmillan India that hosted the virtual launch of this much-awaited book in June. It is actually during this launch that Archer got talking about his next book, Over My Dead Body, where, "William investigates four murder cases that are considered finished and closed," he revealed. And with that, the storyteller had all our attention.
Of course, we had to reach out to the bestselling author — who has written over 30 books and has been published in over 97 counties and more than 33 languages — and pick his brains about continuing to invest in this series which is "not a detective story but a story about a detective" — if we will be able to see shades of grey in the otherwise solid character of William Warwick and what it takes to put your head down and write during a pandemic. Excerpts from a wonderfully candid conversation:
You're clearly invested in Warwick for the long haul, pandemic or otherwise. But is there anything else cooking besides this mammoth series that's unfurling one book at a time?
When I’m writing a novel, I will sometimes have other projects on the go, whether it’s writing a short story or a short piece for a magazine, but with the William Warwick novels, I’m focusing all of my attention on those. There will be eight books, covering eight different subjects (so far, art theft, drugs, murder, police corruption), while William holds eight different ranks in the Metropolitan Police. The next book, Over My Dead Body, will be published in October; the theme will be murder, and William has been promoted to Chief Inspector!
Corruption is one of the holding themes of Turn a Blind Eye and it is something that has permanently pervaded politics, enforcement and bureaucracy. When you were researching, from what source, non-fictional or otherwise, did you draw your ideas from?
I’ve always had a love of art, politics and literature, and remain fascinated by what’s happening all around the world. Corruption occurs in all areas of life, and I learned more about it from talking to former police officers and others in different professions.
You've always maintained that this series is not a detective story but a story about a detective. We're seeing a lot of character similarities in the way Warwick and Clifton deal with what life throws at them. Is this a deliberate thing?
Well, William Warwick was the eponymous hero of Harry Clifton’s detective series within the Clifton Chronicles — so there’s definitely a connection! And you’re correct, Turn A Blind Eye is not a book about cops and robbers. It is the story of a young policeman and his career, rising from constable on the beat to eventually become commissioner of the Metropolitan Police. The truth is, that I look upon myself as a storyteller rather than a writer. I try and include in each book my knowledge of art, politics, auctioneering and sport.
Apart from a small foot out of place here and there, William Warwick seems mighty impenetrable. But as we've seen through the Clifton Chronicles, you like to give your protagonists shades of grey, push them a little, make them more human. Is that on the cards for the good Detective Sergeant as well?
I do want my characters to be believable – that’s what keeps a reader turning the page — and although my stories are to some extent aspirational, in other words, the characters have to battle through huge difficulties, they emerge stronger and more successful in the end. This can be true in real life as well. I’ve also come across many combinations of Miles Faulkner in my lifetime. If you move in the world of politics, art, theatre, you inevitably come across flawed characters — it’s inevitable. The surprising thing is how many readers enjoy the colourful rogues often more than the straight down the line, decent, honest characters.
We know you write your first draft, but when it comes to the process you follow before you sit down to write, what does your drawing board look like? Do describe this part of your process a little more for us.
When I start a book, I don’t have a drawing board and nor do I use a flow chart. I’ll have spent a few weeks thinking out the book, and reading for research, then I will sketch out the basic plotline in my mind. But I can never be sure where the story is going, or whether the characters will end up as heroes or villains, or in some rare cases, both, and I never know how it’s going to end.
Having written books for so long now, when you do sit down to write, do you aim for timelessness and try and lend your work a certain classic quality or do you write for relevance and try to incorporate the world as it is now?
I think of myself as a storyteller, rather than a writer. Many of my novels are set in different eras, so although I do like to include a flavour of that time, whether it’s the 1940s or 1980s, I hope they all have a certain timelessness about them. I always think it’s a mistake for a writer to write what they think is ‘popular’ at the time — you should write what you want to write, what you feel passionately about, or what you know. Draw on your own experiences, and hope the public will enjoy it.
7Since you have written two books in quick succession and have the final draft for the next one ready (at least the last time we checked), would you say the pandemic has been a busy one? What does it take to focus on the task at hand when the world outside is going through a pandemic? Does writing serve as an escape or was this part of your life business as usual?
During the lockdown, I was very fortunate, and thankful, to be able to continue to do my job — write, and in fact completed two books, rather than just my usual one. I used to do four sessions a day, but during lockdown I switched to three, to get in my hour’s walk after lunch. So I ended up writing for 144 days from 6-8, 10-12, and 3-5, doing 900 hours of writing. I felt sorry for my friends, two in particular — one who runs an art gallery, and the other owns a restaurant, who have had the worst year of their lives.
Since digital launches allow for one to connect with a larger audience, and this is the only way to connect right now, how do you see the digital world expanding to be more accommodating to writers? What can writers do to make the most of it?
E-books and audio books have opened up the world of reading for so many people who might not otherwise have access to physical books, but as the past year has shown, book sales have increased, and there’s still a huge appetite for physical books of all genres. There’s room for everyone, and it’s pleasing to find how many young people are reading my books.
Any advice for our young writers who are having a tough time putting pen to paper?
Make sure you’ve got the story in your mind before you pick up a pen, and don’t — I repeat don’t — show it to anyone after you’ve finished the first draft. My last book was 14 drafts. But one thing I would say, is READ, and then read some more — anything and everything, and include the classics.
