Fiction Scribe

Hello and welcome to Fiction Scribe, Mr. McFadyen.

Thanks!

Let’s start with getting to know you a little better. List five things you feel define you as a person.

Hmmm…

The idea that it’s okay to do with your life what you want to do with your life.

The idea that you’re responsible for everything you do.

Music being timeless. By that I mean, I listen to my music, but I also listen to my parent’s music and a fair bit of my daughter’s. I think this has something to do with me, creatively, though I can’t say exactly what.

I love movies of all kinds. I have been, at times, a movie-holic.

I believe that man has a soul.

What inspired the initial idea for The Face of Death?

It was one of those things that kind of dropped from the sky. I often begin the creative process of the Smoky Barrett novels coming up with twisted ideas. She chases serial killers, and so they’re as much a part of the backbone of the story as she is. The idea of having a killer chase a young girl throughout her life, killing not her, but anyone she ever loves, kind of took my breath away. Most important, I saw a way of using it to really examine relationships. Characters are what writing is about for me, more so than situations, and I could see this would give a lot of opportunity in that regard.

I can tell from your author bio – “He lives in Southern California with his two black labs, often referred to as ‘The Black Forces of Destruction.’ He drinks coffee (copiously), plays guitar (badly), and reads (voraciously). He abhors adverbs in writing, except when used in short bios like this one.” – that you have a sense of humour. Do you ever get the chance to work humour into your books or are they strictly serious?

Thanks. I do try a little humor - but not too much. Humor is one of those things that either works completely or not at all. There are no near misses. I work some lightness in, but I curb the impulse perhaps more than I should.

Special Agent Smoky Barrett is female. Why did you choose to write with a female head character? Do you ever find it challenging to write for the opposite sex?

I never even considered the question until I was asked it the first time. Funny, isn’t that? But true. Smoky was a female character because there was nothing else she could possibly be, and she was such a compelling image in my mind that I had to write her. In many ways she wrote herself.

When it comes to writing about loss, or honor, or dignity, or any of those things, there’s not that much difference. Honor, in other words, is honor, whether the character is male or female. So is love. Subtle permutations can be more difficult, and I’ve basically gone with my gut. Generally, so far, I’ve gotten away with it. The areas I’ve been criticised on, by and large, have not been the big picture, but the smaller details. For example, sometimes my editor noted that Smoky made too many observations about a female form. A reader once said there wasn’t enough mention of accessories (shoes and the like).

I do try and keep in mind that people will have differing opinions. Just this morning, in fact, I got two emails. Here are brief quotes from each:

“I like the concept of the book which is the only reason I am continuing to read it but Smokey is NOT a real woman!”

and then:

“You are the first male author I have encountered who can climb inside a woman character and get it perfectly right… thank you. You know Smoky better than most women know themselves.”

These emails came in within 10 minutes of each other.

Who is right? Probably both, which is the thing you have to keep in mind when you create anything: some people are going to like it, some people aren’t.

What kind of research do you do for your books?

I research anything I write about that needs research. I buy texts, use the internet and find and consult professionals where I can.

What are your dreams for your writing? Where do you see yourself in five years both as a writer and as a person?

My hope is simply to continue to be published and to be able to continue to make a living doing so. Wealth and fame are nice by anyone’s yardstick, but I’ll be happy with writing as my 9-5. As a person, I hope to have continued to learn about myself. My big hope as a person is to make a difference for the better in the lives of those important to me, be they family or friends. I hope in five years to look back and feel good about my actions in that regard.

What is the most valuable piece of advice you have been given/learned in your life as a writer?

To write honestly. You know the moment you enter artifice. The reader will know it, too.

Is there anything else you would like to share with the readers here?

Thanks for reading!