It gives me great pleasure to introduce readers to today's guest, Peter Wise, copywriter and author of Disturbing the Water, a splendid anthology of short ghost stories that have fishing and fishy associations.
Alex: Tell me a bit about yourself. Your background; where you were brought up; when you first began writing; your interests and so on.
Peter: I was brought up in the Sussex countryside and was hooked as a lifelong angler at an early age, happily fishing for anything with fins. I also loved subjects such as English and History, studying the latter at university in Norwich (UEA). After living in the USA for 18 months I returned to the UK and became an advertising copywriter.
Over 30 years on, that’s still my day job, although copywriting has changed beyond all recognition since then and I have reinvented myself professionally several times.
As a copywriter, at least in the early years, I was often asked if I was writing a book. After all, back in the day several copywriters did end up becoming well-known novelists. However, it always struck me as a lot of effort for probably scant rewards.
But at the back of my mind, part of me really wanted to try my hand at fiction. A good starting point is to write what you know about. Well, I could write about advertising – but others have already done that very well (including, of course, one Alex Pearl!).
What else did I know about? Fishing. But that doesn’t really lend itself to thrillers. So any thoughts of a book stayed on the back burner for a very long time. Until, that is, a podcast on the history of ghosts gave me the idea of what to write about.
Alex: How would you describe your writing, and are there particular themes that you like to explore?
Alex: Tell me a bit about yourself. Your background; where you were brought up; when you first began writing; your interests and so on.
Peter: I was brought up in the Sussex countryside and was hooked as a lifelong angler at an early age, happily fishing for anything with fins. I also loved subjects such as English and History, studying the latter at university in Norwich (UEA). After living in the USA for 18 months I returned to the UK and became an advertising copywriter.
Over 30 years on, that’s still my day job, although copywriting has changed beyond all recognition since then and I have reinvented myself professionally several times.
As a copywriter, at least in the early years, I was often asked if I was writing a book. After all, back in the day several copywriters did end up becoming well-known novelists. However, it always struck me as a lot of effort for probably scant rewards.
But at the back of my mind, part of me really wanted to try my hand at fiction. A good starting point is to write what you know about. Well, I could write about advertising – but others have already done that very well (including, of course, one Alex Pearl!).
What else did I know about? Fishing. But that doesn’t really lend itself to thrillers. So any thoughts of a book stayed on the back burner for a very long time. Until, that is, a podcast on the history of ghosts gave me the idea of what to write about.
Alex: How would you describe your writing, and are there particular themes that you like to explore?
Peter: My book is a collection of original ghost stories called Disturbing the Water. All the stories are themed around fish, fishing or fishy places.
Anglers often claim to have seen ghosts. Which if you think about it isn’t surprising, given they often spend long hours in remote places, obsessively seeking their quarry into the twilight and beyond.
There has been the odd fishing-related fictional ghost story over the years but never a whole collection of them. So that’s what I decided to write. But the fishing element is minimal and they’re designed to be enjoyed by all, anglers or not. Think traditional ghost stories in an untraditional setting.
As well as the classic MR James approach of mounting dread, I’ve included ghostly tales of love and redemption, as well as a just-so story. There are chills and things that go splash in the night, but not much visceral horror.
Alex: Are you a writer that plans a detailed synopsis or do you set out with a vague idea and let the story unfold as you write?
Peter: I’m a planner rather than a pantser.
I start with the basic premise, the first scene and the end point. I always want my stories to have a good ending, preferably with a twist. So many modern short stories just peter out, which I find disappointing, however beautiful the prose.
Next, I work out the key points of the story, often thinking of key lines or phrases as I go and adding them to a bulleted narrative. Lines change and sections can move around a bit, but that’s my basic approach.
Only once have I changed the basic thrust of one of my stories. It was going to follow the classic narrative of mounting dread, but I realised as I was writing it that it made much more sense as a comedic tale of misadventure, so that’s what it became.
Alex: Tell us about your latest novel/book.
Peter: Disturbing the Water has only been out for a month or so but is so far doing very well. So I’ll likely write a follow-up in a similar vein. I’m also looking at doing a full length historical novel.
Alex: What was the first book you read?
Peter: I can’t remember. But I always read obsessively as a boy. Thrillers and whodunnits in particular – the likes of Agatha Christie, Dick Francis and Arthur Conan Doyle have a lot to teach about story telling. And I was amazed to find that nearly all well-known authors have tried their hand at ghost stories over the last 100 years. Above all else, I loved history – even the likes of Tintin and Asterix taught me a fair bit about the past while telling a good story.
Alex: How much research do you do and what does it usually entail?
Peter: I do a lot of research – it’s often easier and more enjoyable than the actual writing. Google can take you round some twisting corners to fascinating destinations. I think it’s vital to get the details right, alongside the overall premise, otherwise it jars. I remember reading a book set in Britain in 1944. D-Day had failed and the Nazis had successfully invaded Britain afterwards. The writing was often beautiful but the whole premise jarred, which spoiled the book for me.
With ghost stories, you’re dealing with something fantastical. If it’s to be accepted, then the details should fit and the narrative be logical. Take Groundhog Day, for example. You have one great, outrageous premise that the same day repeats itself endlessly for one person. All else follows logically from that – to brilliant effect.
Alex: Do you ever base your characters on people you have encountered in real life?
Peter: A little bit. The settings, however, are often based on locations I know, or types of places. The setting in one of my stories, The Lake That Never Freezes, really does exist – a lake in Ukraine which allegedly has magical properties.
Alex: How do you market your books?
Peter: Your interviews with other authors proved to be very useful – I went through them all and got some great tips.
I do have a publisher but they’re only a small team so there’s a limit to what they can do. However, they did organise a Bookstagram tour, which is something I’d been recommended. This takes place on Instagram, and works best if you already have a reasonable presence there yourself. So that was my first task – getting an Instagram page, then working out what and how to post.
It was of added importance to me because my book has multiple audiences. I was pretty confident that middle-aged anglers (nearly all male) would buy it, but what about other people? The background may be fishing, but these are traditional ghost stories.
I needed some credibility – and reviews – from others. Bookstagrammers are mostly women in their 20s or 30s so it would be an excellent test.
Fortunately, they liked it. And as well as reviews on Instagram I got some on NetGalley and Goodreads – also important. But even more than those, try and get as many reviews on Amazon as you can.
Instagram is great, but doing it properly is time-consuming. I do have Facebook and Twitter (X) but I don’t have much time to do either. However, on Facebook, it is worth seeking out relevant groups.
Others have recommended Facebook marketing, and I’m currently doing that in the run-up to Christmas. You absolutely need to work out what you’re doing though, otherwise you can end up wasting a lot of money. I stick with the Facebook feed, ignoring all other channels, and it seems to be working very well.
There’s no getting away from it, you have to do a lot of your own marketing, whether you’re self-published or you have a publisher. Even a new author with one of the big publishers is unlikely to get much support.
The other thing to do is think about what you’re writing. I’m mixing different genres, which is a risk, but it does make my book stand out from the crowd. Be honest with yourself – how will your book be different? Wait until you can come up with a good answer before you start writing.
Alex: What are your interests aside from writing? And what do you do to unwind?
Peter: I fish, obviously, although not as much as I would like. I walk the dog. I watch a lot of old films. I play a lot of tennis. And I read.
Alex: Which authors do you particularly admire and why?
Peter: Too many to list. But I do try and read as widely as possible, which I think helps with your writing. In my case that means a mix of history, biography and what you might call middlebrow fiction. Plus a lot of short stories from various eras.
Alex: Thank you for sharing this with us, Peter. I thoroughly enjoyed your ghost stories (even though I'm not an angler), which are redolent of those classic tales by the likes of W. W. Jacobs. And I'm sure the fishing associations will appeal to a huge number of anglers out there who like reading about things that go bump (or even splash) in the night. Readers can view my review on the Recommended Reads page here.
Anglers often claim to have seen ghosts. Which if you think about it isn’t surprising, given they often spend long hours in remote places, obsessively seeking their quarry into the twilight and beyond.
There has been the odd fishing-related fictional ghost story over the years but never a whole collection of them. So that’s what I decided to write. But the fishing element is minimal and they’re designed to be enjoyed by all, anglers or not. Think traditional ghost stories in an untraditional setting.
As well as the classic MR James approach of mounting dread, I’ve included ghostly tales of love and redemption, as well as a just-so story. There are chills and things that go splash in the night, but not much visceral horror.
Alex: Are you a writer that plans a detailed synopsis or do you set out with a vague idea and let the story unfold as you write?
Peter: I’m a planner rather than a pantser.
I start with the basic premise, the first scene and the end point. I always want my stories to have a good ending, preferably with a twist. So many modern short stories just peter out, which I find disappointing, however beautiful the prose.
Next, I work out the key points of the story, often thinking of key lines or phrases as I go and adding them to a bulleted narrative. Lines change and sections can move around a bit, but that’s my basic approach.
Only once have I changed the basic thrust of one of my stories. It was going to follow the classic narrative of mounting dread, but I realised as I was writing it that it made much more sense as a comedic tale of misadventure, so that’s what it became.
Alex: Tell us about your latest novel/book.
Peter: Disturbing the Water has only been out for a month or so but is so far doing very well. So I’ll likely write a follow-up in a similar vein. I’m also looking at doing a full length historical novel.
Alex: What was the first book you read?
Peter: I can’t remember. But I always read obsessively as a boy. Thrillers and whodunnits in particular – the likes of Agatha Christie, Dick Francis and Arthur Conan Doyle have a lot to teach about story telling. And I was amazed to find that nearly all well-known authors have tried their hand at ghost stories over the last 100 years. Above all else, I loved history – even the likes of Tintin and Asterix taught me a fair bit about the past while telling a good story.
Alex: How much research do you do and what does it usually entail?
Peter: I do a lot of research – it’s often easier and more enjoyable than the actual writing. Google can take you round some twisting corners to fascinating destinations. I think it’s vital to get the details right, alongside the overall premise, otherwise it jars. I remember reading a book set in Britain in 1944. D-Day had failed and the Nazis had successfully invaded Britain afterwards. The writing was often beautiful but the whole premise jarred, which spoiled the book for me.
With ghost stories, you’re dealing with something fantastical. If it’s to be accepted, then the details should fit and the narrative be logical. Take Groundhog Day, for example. You have one great, outrageous premise that the same day repeats itself endlessly for one person. All else follows logically from that – to brilliant effect.
Alex: Do you ever base your characters on people you have encountered in real life?
Peter: A little bit. The settings, however, are often based on locations I know, or types of places. The setting in one of my stories, The Lake That Never Freezes, really does exist – a lake in Ukraine which allegedly has magical properties.
Alex: How do you market your books?
Peter: Your interviews with other authors proved to be very useful – I went through them all and got some great tips.
I do have a publisher but they’re only a small team so there’s a limit to what they can do. However, they did organise a Bookstagram tour, which is something I’d been recommended. This takes place on Instagram, and works best if you already have a reasonable presence there yourself. So that was my first task – getting an Instagram page, then working out what and how to post.
It was of added importance to me because my book has multiple audiences. I was pretty confident that middle-aged anglers (nearly all male) would buy it, but what about other people? The background may be fishing, but these are traditional ghost stories.
I needed some credibility – and reviews – from others. Bookstagrammers are mostly women in their 20s or 30s so it would be an excellent test.
Fortunately, they liked it. And as well as reviews on Instagram I got some on NetGalley and Goodreads – also important. But even more than those, try and get as many reviews on Amazon as you can.
Instagram is great, but doing it properly is time-consuming. I do have Facebook and Twitter (X) but I don’t have much time to do either. However, on Facebook, it is worth seeking out relevant groups.
Others have recommended Facebook marketing, and I’m currently doing that in the run-up to Christmas. You absolutely need to work out what you’re doing though, otherwise you can end up wasting a lot of money. I stick with the Facebook feed, ignoring all other channels, and it seems to be working very well.
There’s no getting away from it, you have to do a lot of your own marketing, whether you’re self-published or you have a publisher. Even a new author with one of the big publishers is unlikely to get much support.
The other thing to do is think about what you’re writing. I’m mixing different genres, which is a risk, but it does make my book stand out from the crowd. Be honest with yourself – how will your book be different? Wait until you can come up with a good answer before you start writing.
Alex: What are your interests aside from writing? And what do you do to unwind?
Peter: I fish, obviously, although not as much as I would like. I walk the dog. I watch a lot of old films. I play a lot of tennis. And I read.
Alex: Which authors do you particularly admire and why?
Peter: Too many to list. But I do try and read as widely as possible, which I think helps with your writing. In my case that means a mix of history, biography and what you might call middlebrow fiction. Plus a lot of short stories from various eras.
Alex: Thank you for sharing this with us, Peter. I thoroughly enjoyed your ghost stories (even though I'm not an angler), which are redolent of those classic tales by the likes of W. W. Jacobs. And I'm sure the fishing associations will appeal to a huge number of anglers out there who like reading about things that go bump (or even splash) in the night. Readers can view my review on the Recommended Reads page here.