It's with great pleasure that I welcome Paul Waters onto the website today. Paul has a fascinating background and has written the much acclaimed Blackwatertown, a debut thriller described by none other than Frederick Forsyth as "extremely intriguing with intricate twists and turns."
Alex: Paul, tell readers a bit about yourself. Your background; where you were brought up; when you first began writing; your interests and so on.
Paul: I was born and grew up in Belfast. I spent years helping other people tell their stories as a peace activist, freelance writer, pirate radio broadcaster before becoming a full-time journalist for newspapers and then a TV and radio reporter and producer for BBC Northern Ireland, Radio Ulster, BBC Radio 5 Live, BBC World Service and Radio 4 – and then going freelance again.
It was great fun gadding about the world as a journalist – conducting singing football crowds in southern Africa, going undercover in Zimbabwe, smuggling in a satellite dish to make the first BBC programmes from Cuba. I did other jobs too – made Pelé his dinner, worked as a night club cook in New York, taught in Poland, presented podcasts to Germans.
With all that going on, it was a while before I began to write my own stories. There was also an element of that Northern Ireland motto – “whatever you say, say nothing!” Don’t draw attention to yourself. I appreciate how that may seem a wee bit hypocritical, given the years I’d spent encouraging other people to go public with their thoughts. But it’s one thing championing others, and another blowing your own trumpet.
Blackwatertown is partly based on behind-the-scenes stories from people involved in conflict on the Irish border before the more well-known Troubles. Their true stories of conspiracy and cock-up, mayhem and murder never made the history books, but were too good to let fade away. So I nicked them. And added my own twists.
Alex: Paul, would you say that you are a writer that plans a detailed synopsis or do you set out with a vague idea and let the story unfold as you write?
Paul: The two tribes of writer! Are you a plotter or a pantser? I sometimes discuss this with fellow author Stevyn Colgan, with whom I present the books and authors podcast We’d Like A Word. He’s an unashamed pantser – he writes by the seat of his pants and sees where he ends up. I’m a plotter. I have a good idea where my story is going. But it’s not completely set in stone. Characters sometimes surprise me, and plans evolve. A character I initially love to hate may turn out to have sympathetic depths I didn’t anticipate.
Alex: Tell us about your latest novel.
Paul: Blackwatertown is a historical crime thriller set in and around an Irish border village in the 1950s. When maverick police sergeant Jolly Macken is banished to sleepy Blackwatertown, he vows to find the killer of his brother – even if the murderer is also in the police.
As a Catholic member of the mainly Protestant Royal Ulster Constabulary, he has to cope with the suspicion of his fellow officers, but also resentment and isolation from his own community.
A lot happens in Blackwatertown in a week. Over the course of seven days Macken falls in love, uncovers dark family secrets, accidentally starts a war, is hailed a hero and branded a traitor. When Blackwatertown explodes into violence, who can he trust? And is betrayal the only way to survive?
Alex: What was the first book you read?
Paul: Tootles the Taxi. One of the classic Ladybird books. Perhaps it inspired my brief stint as a taxi driver – one of my many non-journalistic jobs.
Alex: How much research do you do and what does it usually entail?
Paul: Too much. Readers want and deserve authenticity. But research is a great way for authors to put off actually writing, while denying any accusation of procrastination. I did a lot. My book Blackwatertown is set in the 1950s – before I was born – so I relied a lot on stories and detail from people who were there, old newspapers and historical documents. I’ve never been a police officer, though I’ve spent a lot of time with them – especially in Northern Ireland in the occasional riot. The lesson I hope I’ve learned is that you have to start writing at some point. The research must pause so you can get on with the story. I want to know a lot about the period in which my story is set, but I don’t need to know absolutely everything.
Alex: Do you ever base your characters on people you have encountered in real life?
Paul: Yes. But it’s tricky to identify them. One of the benefits of being an author is that you name characters after people you don’t like and then give them a terrible time. But readers might accuse me of doing that to all my characters! And characters tend to be a mixture of good and bad, heroic and flawed – so I sometimes change my mind about them.
If anyone does recognise themselves, I have two things to say. Please don’t sue me! It’s all fiction.
Alex: Which was the last book you read that blew you away?
Paul: I’ve read so many good books recently. I loved The Heart’s Invisible Furies by John Boyne. I laughed out loud and shed a tear. Helen Cullen’s latest book The Truth Must Dazzle Gradually also had me blubbing a bit. The publication date of Belinda Bauer’s thriller Exit was pushed by because of Covid, but I’ve read it and was once again bowled over by her humanity, warmth, humour and cleverness. The plot of Tony Kent’s latest thriller Power Play suggests he has a mole within the real-life White House. All highly recommended.
Alex: How do you market your books?
Paul: It’s not easy. Blackwatertown was published during lockdown when all bookshops were closed. But I didn’t give up. The first retail premises to sell Blackwatertown over the counter was my local deli. It turns out they’re pretty good at it too. They’ve sold out twice. The second place was a nearby beer shop – which also invited me to speak at one of their weekly remote beer drinking sessions over Zoom. It got quite raucous as the night went on and the ale got stronger.
Since then more than a hundred bookshops in England, Scotland, Wales, both parts of Ireland, France and Spain have been stocking Blackwatertown. If you’re wondering how that happened, the answer is that I asked them. The toughest nut to crack was Wales. Perhaps they were finding it hard to forgive me for the busking I did when I lived in Cardiff. The received wisdom is that there’s no point in targeting bookshops – too much effort for too little return. But I love them. Seeing my book on their shelves feels wonderful. Our communities are enriched by bookshops, so I value their support and naturally want to point people towards them. Some people prefer ebooks and that’s fine too, but my heart is in shelves and teetering piles of physical books.
The oddest part of Blackwatertown coming out was hearing the audiobook version, from a different publisher (WF Howes). They managed to snag the actor, Patrick Moy, who has narrated some of Hilary Mantell’s novels. That was a coup. But hearing his voice, different from the one in my head, tell my story was curious. He’s very good.
Some authors think that their story should live or die on its own merits, without them having to stoop to the grubby business of marketing. I disagree. I think that if you’re proud of your book and want other people to know about it, then you should make the effort to tell them. Then they have the opportunity to judge for themselves. (Unless your publisher has a well-oiled marketing machine poised to do all that instead.)
I also like chatting to people – face-to-face over a drink if possible, but over Zoom if needs be. Craft markets give me the chance to talk books with passersby. I sometimes do a stall with Geoffrey Gudgion – author of supernatural thrillers Draca and Saxon’s Bane. Talks, book groups, festivals – all fun. It’s a privilege to be invited – especially by Alex Pearl.
Alex: What are your interests aside from writing? And what do you do to unwind?
Paul: You already know the answer to that. Read! Presenting the We’d Like A Word podcast is fun. Stevyn Colgan and I get to talk to lots of clever and funny writers or other people involved in publishing. I also make radio shows for the BBC and find live broadcasting invigorating. When we’re not in lockdown, travelling and organising music festivals and the holy grail – chatting to regulars and strangers over a pint of Rebellion in my local.
Alex: Which authors do you particularly admire and why?
Paul: So many – including those I mentioned before. Here are a few. Andrea Camilleri for humour and sense of place. Maurice Leitch for evoking different aspects of Ireland. Eoin McNamee for the claustrophobia – The Blue Tango is one of my favourites. Will Dean for his ability to unsettle. Matt Wesolowski for his innovative approach. Peter May for introducing me to new worlds in France and China. Brian McGilloway for his calm humanity. Frederick Forsyth for The Day of the Jackal – which I reread every now and again. I also go back to Sipho Sepamla and Chinua Achebe’s books. And I’m grateful for the prodigious output of Steve Cavanagh, Denise Mina, Adrian McKinty, Abir Mukherjee, Jane Casey, Liz Nugent, Michael Connelly and Gerard Brennan – because I’m always greedy.
Alex: Well, thank you so much Paul for your time and for your thoughtful and fascinating answers to my questions. I think you have given readers extraordinary insights into your approach to writing, and I look forward to reading Blackwatertown.
Paul: It's my pleasure.
Blackwatertown is partly based on behind-the-scenes stories from people involved in conflict on the Irish border before the more well-known Troubles. Their true stories of conspiracy and cock-up, mayhem and murder never made the history books, but were too good to let fade away. So I nicked them. And added my own twists.
Alex: Paul, would you say that you are a writer that plans a detailed synopsis or do you set out with a vague idea and let the story unfold as you write?
Paul: The two tribes of writer! Are you a plotter or a pantser? I sometimes discuss this with fellow author Stevyn Colgan, with whom I present the books and authors podcast We’d Like A Word. He’s an unashamed pantser – he writes by the seat of his pants and sees where he ends up. I’m a plotter. I have a good idea where my story is going. But it’s not completely set in stone. Characters sometimes surprise me, and plans evolve. A character I initially love to hate may turn out to have sympathetic depths I didn’t anticipate.
Alex: Tell us about your latest novel.
Paul: Blackwatertown is a historical crime thriller set in and around an Irish border village in the 1950s. When maverick police sergeant Jolly Macken is banished to sleepy Blackwatertown, he vows to find the killer of his brother – even if the murderer is also in the police.
As a Catholic member of the mainly Protestant Royal Ulster Constabulary, he has to cope with the suspicion of his fellow officers, but also resentment and isolation from his own community.
A lot happens in Blackwatertown in a week. Over the course of seven days Macken falls in love, uncovers dark family secrets, accidentally starts a war, is hailed a hero and branded a traitor. When Blackwatertown explodes into violence, who can he trust? And is betrayal the only way to survive?
Alex: What was the first book you read?
Paul: Tootles the Taxi. One of the classic Ladybird books. Perhaps it inspired my brief stint as a taxi driver – one of my many non-journalistic jobs.
Alex: How much research do you do and what does it usually entail?
Paul: Too much. Readers want and deserve authenticity. But research is a great way for authors to put off actually writing, while denying any accusation of procrastination. I did a lot. My book Blackwatertown is set in the 1950s – before I was born – so I relied a lot on stories and detail from people who were there, old newspapers and historical documents. I’ve never been a police officer, though I’ve spent a lot of time with them – especially in Northern Ireland in the occasional riot. The lesson I hope I’ve learned is that you have to start writing at some point. The research must pause so you can get on with the story. I want to know a lot about the period in which my story is set, but I don’t need to know absolutely everything.
Alex: Do you ever base your characters on people you have encountered in real life?
Paul: Yes. But it’s tricky to identify them. One of the benefits of being an author is that you name characters after people you don’t like and then give them a terrible time. But readers might accuse me of doing that to all my characters! And characters tend to be a mixture of good and bad, heroic and flawed – so I sometimes change my mind about them.
If anyone does recognise themselves, I have two things to say. Please don’t sue me! It’s all fiction.
Alex: Which was the last book you read that blew you away?
Paul: I’ve read so many good books recently. I loved The Heart’s Invisible Furies by John Boyne. I laughed out loud and shed a tear. Helen Cullen’s latest book The Truth Must Dazzle Gradually also had me blubbing a bit. The publication date of Belinda Bauer’s thriller Exit was pushed by because of Covid, but I’ve read it and was once again bowled over by her humanity, warmth, humour and cleverness. The plot of Tony Kent’s latest thriller Power Play suggests he has a mole within the real-life White House. All highly recommended.
Alex: How do you market your books?
Paul: It’s not easy. Blackwatertown was published during lockdown when all bookshops were closed. But I didn’t give up. The first retail premises to sell Blackwatertown over the counter was my local deli. It turns out they’re pretty good at it too. They’ve sold out twice. The second place was a nearby beer shop – which also invited me to speak at one of their weekly remote beer drinking sessions over Zoom. It got quite raucous as the night went on and the ale got stronger.
Since then more than a hundred bookshops in England, Scotland, Wales, both parts of Ireland, France and Spain have been stocking Blackwatertown. If you’re wondering how that happened, the answer is that I asked them. The toughest nut to crack was Wales. Perhaps they were finding it hard to forgive me for the busking I did when I lived in Cardiff. The received wisdom is that there’s no point in targeting bookshops – too much effort for too little return. But I love them. Seeing my book on their shelves feels wonderful. Our communities are enriched by bookshops, so I value their support and naturally want to point people towards them. Some people prefer ebooks and that’s fine too, but my heart is in shelves and teetering piles of physical books.
The oddest part of Blackwatertown coming out was hearing the audiobook version, from a different publisher (WF Howes). They managed to snag the actor, Patrick Moy, who has narrated some of Hilary Mantell’s novels. That was a coup. But hearing his voice, different from the one in my head, tell my story was curious. He’s very good.
Some authors think that their story should live or die on its own merits, without them having to stoop to the grubby business of marketing. I disagree. I think that if you’re proud of your book and want other people to know about it, then you should make the effort to tell them. Then they have the opportunity to judge for themselves. (Unless your publisher has a well-oiled marketing machine poised to do all that instead.)
I also like chatting to people – face-to-face over a drink if possible, but over Zoom if needs be. Craft markets give me the chance to talk books with passersby. I sometimes do a stall with Geoffrey Gudgion – author of supernatural thrillers Draca and Saxon’s Bane. Talks, book groups, festivals – all fun. It’s a privilege to be invited – especially by Alex Pearl.
Alex: What are your interests aside from writing? And what do you do to unwind?
Paul: You already know the answer to that. Read! Presenting the We’d Like A Word podcast is fun. Stevyn Colgan and I get to talk to lots of clever and funny writers or other people involved in publishing. I also make radio shows for the BBC and find live broadcasting invigorating. When we’re not in lockdown, travelling and organising music festivals and the holy grail – chatting to regulars and strangers over a pint of Rebellion in my local.
Alex: Which authors do you particularly admire and why?
Paul: So many – including those I mentioned before. Here are a few. Andrea Camilleri for humour and sense of place. Maurice Leitch for evoking different aspects of Ireland. Eoin McNamee for the claustrophobia – The Blue Tango is one of my favourites. Will Dean for his ability to unsettle. Matt Wesolowski for his innovative approach. Peter May for introducing me to new worlds in France and China. Brian McGilloway for his calm humanity. Frederick Forsyth for The Day of the Jackal – which I reread every now and again. I also go back to Sipho Sepamla and Chinua Achebe’s books. And I’m grateful for the prodigious output of Steve Cavanagh, Denise Mina, Adrian McKinty, Abir Mukherjee, Jane Casey, Liz Nugent, Michael Connelly and Gerard Brennan – because I’m always greedy.
Alex: Well, thank you so much Paul for your time and for your thoughtful and fascinating answers to my questions. I think you have given readers extraordinary insights into your approach to writing, and I look forward to reading Blackwatertown.
Paul: It's my pleasure.
