PAC Interview: Chris Blackwater
Portsmouth and its environs have inspired an impressive number of well-known writers over the years, and the area continues to be a hub of creative activity for writers of every persuasion. The Portsmouth Authors Collective was created to promote the work of the city’s current crop of authors, and this series of interviews offers a glimpse into what they're doing.
Author Bio: Chris Blackwater is an engineer-turned-writer from Leeds, who now lives in Fareham. His first novel, Emergency Drill, set on a North Sea oil rig, was shortlisted for the 2020 CWA Debut Dagger Award and was published by Dark Edge Press in 2022.
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Chris:
Working offshore can be quite tough: it’s
a 12-hour shift for 14 days with no time off. However, I was only going out
there to do specific jobs which would often conflict with the smooth running of
the rig. I might end up spending my whole shift sat in the control room with
nothing to do but drink tea and wait for a permit to work. So it can be hard
work and occasional scary, but sometimes very boring indeed.
Loree: The environment of a North Sea oil rig is pretty foreign
to most of us, but it’s also intriguing for just that reason. What was it about
that setting that inspired you? Was there something or someone in particular
that set things in motion?
Chris:
I think it was the isolation that
struck me, first. You are on a tiny island, maybe a hundred miles from the
nearest land and if anything goes wrong, you can’t just phone for help. The
weather can be spectacular. On my first trip, I was getting hit by spray on the
top deck, several hundred feet above sea level. But most of all, I was inspired
to write about the people I met. There are some very eccentric characters out
there who might be considered unemployable in any other environment.
Loree: Crime/thriller/suspense novels are hugely popular,
and as a literary fiction writer (I know, what’s that, right?) I’m jealous of
the size of your potential audience. Were you always attracted by this
particular genre, or was it a calculated move in the direction of the biggest
bucks?
Chris: I’ve written short stories in many
genres, from comedy to gritty realism and fantasy. One of my first publishing
successes was a comic story for a crime magazine. That inspired me to sign up
for a crime-writing course in Portsmouth, run by Will Sutton and DianeBretherick. When I got there, all the other writers seemed to have
well-developed plots and I had a blank notepad. I decided I had better write
about something I knew well and the oil rig crime novel was born!
Loree:
I recently took part in the NYCMidnight Short Story Challenge, which challenges participants to write a short
story of an assigned genre. This year, the genre I was given was ‘suspense’ and
I failed miserably. What tips would you give to a budding
crime/thriller/suspense novelist?
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Chris:
I seem to read a lot of quirky books
that don’t always fit neatly in one genre. One of my favourite crime novelists
is Kate Atkinson, who manages to be comic and literary whilst writing a
page-turning detective story. I like a good thriller and was addicted to the
likes of Hammond Innes and Desmond Bagley in my youth. I also love
writers like Neil Gaiman who bring a bit of magic into our humdrum everyday
world.
Loree:
What lessons have you learned from
these writers?
Chris: To write what
you enjoy writing and not to worry too much about genre or current trends. Very
few of the books I love fit the requirements you’d find listed on a publisher’s
or an agent’s website. Good writing will usually find a way of being read.
Though you could easily starve in your garret whilst you are waiting for you
genius to be discovered!
Loree: What would you say is the most challenging part of
the writing process?
Chris: For
me it’s the plotting. I love the creative process of writing and I even quite
like a lot of the editing. However, the business of giving the story a coherent
structure uses the logical part of my brain. Usually that’s too busy worrying
about other things and has to be cajoled into working with endless promises of
coffee and cake.
Loree: Some people have had negative experiences when
seeking feedback from other writers, feedback that has knocked their confidence
or been unhelpful in other ways. I believe you have been a member of the Havant
and District Writers Group for some time now, and I wonder if you could say
something about the benefits of these workshops and the support you've
received.
Chris: The feedback I’ve had from Havant Writers and other groups has almost always been encouraging and helpful. It’s safe to say my writing would be a lot poorer without them. Even just the act of reading your work to other people will help you improve. However, there is a skill to giving feedback in a way that is positive, but still manages to point out ways the writing could be improved. Some writers (including me) are not so good at it and likewise some writers are not great at accepting criticism. Personally, I like suggestions on how to improve as much as I like having my writing praised, but not everyone is quite so thick skinned. I think the key is not to take criticism personally. I know that’s difficult to do, but people are trying to be helpful, even if it doesn’t always work out that way.
Loree:
As a writer, how disciplined are you?
Do you have a writing routine? Do you write daily?
Chris:
Very undisciplined, unless I have a
deadline coming up. A lot of writers try to stick to a routine, but that sounds
too much like work to me. I enjoy writing and I don’t want to crush all the fun
out of it. Having said that, when I’m inspired or under pressure, I can knuckle
down and get a lot of writing done in a short time. That has got me out of some
sticky situations at college, at work and now in my writing life!
Loree:
Emergency Drill was shortlisted for the
Crime Writers’ Association Debut Dagger Award. That must have been pretty
exciting.
Chris:
At first it was a blind panic. I sent
off my first three chapters to the CWA and the longlist date came and went
because the email telling me I had been selected was sitting in my spam folder.
When I finally found it, the CWA were asking for another three chapters and I
only had four days left to send them. Perhaps that focus helped me get through
to the next round. In any case, when I found out I’d made the shortlist, the
neighbours must have thought I’d electrocuted myself again. Sadly, the promised
glamourous awards event turned into a Zoom meeting due to the pandemic. I sat
in front of my laptop in a dinner jacket, poured myself a glass of Prosecco and
waited for my name to be drawn from the envelope. That never happened, but it
still gave me the impetus to finish the book and find a publisher.
Loree: You’re a softly-spoken guy in the flesh, but I’ve
seen a few photos on Facebook where you’re looking pretty rugged. Beneath that
mild-mannered exterior, are you actually an Action Man of sorts?
Chris:
I’m no adrenaline junkie, but I love
exploring and being outdoors, which is a bit unfortunate for a writer! I’ve
done a bit of mountaineering and skiing and even took up hang gliding until I
had a close encounter with an electricity pylon. Since moving to the south
coast, I’ve taken up sailing and I’ve been on some interesting sea kayaking
expeditions, including circumnavigating the Isle of Wight and paddling with
killer whales in Canada.
Loree:
You’ve got another book on the way, I
believe. Are you able to tell us anything about it, yet?
Chris:
It’s called Dead Crude
and is set in an oil terminal in the Orkney Islands (dead crude is the type of
oil you get in storage tanks). It features Danny Verity, the hero of Emergency
Drill and a couple of other characters who managed to survive the first
book. There is also a third one on the way called Head Hunting,
which draws on my time working in Malaysia.
Loree:
It’s been great talking to you, Chris.
Thanks for joining me. And thanks for being part of the Portsmouth Authors
Collective!
Find Out More About Chris
Website: ChrisBlackwater
Twitter: @BlackwaterChris
Facebook: Chris Blackwater
Instagram: BlackwaterAuthor
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Loree Westron is the author of Missing Words. She has an MA and a PhD in Creative Writing, and is the founder of the Portsmouth Authors Collective.
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