About Adrian Magson:
I'm (mostly) a series writer – that is, I have always written series novels. No idea why, but from the very first title ('No Peace for the Wicked', the first of five books in the Riley Gavin & Frank Palmer crime novels) I found myself being asked for 'the next one'. I write crime novels and spy thrillers, based in the UK, France, US… and basically all over, wherever my characters take me. And those main characters other than Riley and Frank (5 books), include Harry Tate (5) – a former MI5 (Security Services) officer; Marc 'Watchman' Portman (4), who provides cover and protection for spies in hostile areas; and Insp Lucas Rocco (5), a French detective based in Picardie in the 1960s.
I said mostly a series writer, but not long ago I had the urge to break with the habit and wrote a standalone, called 'Smart Moves', which is more an adventure/crime/breakout story.
Apart from that I write a regular 'how-to' column called 'Beginners' for Writing Magazine (UK) and occasionally write reviews for SHOTS Magazine.
If you're looking, I hope you get to try one of my books – and enjoy them.
AM
What inspires you to write?
I always want to tell a good story, like all the good books I've ever read. I want to entertain rather than educate, but if someone learns something they didn't know in one of my books, then I'm happy with that.
Tell us about your writing process.
I'm strictly a seat-of-pants writer. I've tried outlining, but I always end up going off-piste. I figure if the story takes me by surprise, it should do the same for the reader.
In fact I tend to write out-of-sequence, putting down ideas as they come to me, no matter where in the story they'll fit. It's essential to me to get this stuff down before it drops off the end of the desk. The fitting together in sequence is something I do later.
For Fiction Writers: Do you listen (or talk to) to your characters?
I try not to talk to them too loudly; that's how you get taken away in a white jacket. But I certainly find them taking over after a while, which is fun.
What advice would you give other writers?
Just sit down and write. You have to get an idea out of the bone and onto the page. Worry about editing and grammar and all that later. The story is everything. Without that, you're going nowhere.
How did you decide how to publish your books?
I've trad-published nearly all my books, save for a ghost novella ('The Lost Patrol') and two collections of short crime fiction. Back when I began, trad publishing was all there was, save for a few iffy vanity publishers. I wanted the acceptance of a professional publisher. But that's all changed and if I couldn't get a book I really believed in accepted for publication, I'd do it myself on Kindle. If you believe in your work you just have to get it out there – but only after a rigorous writing and editing job.
What do you think about the future of book publishing?
Not sure. Split between paper and digital, I suppose, as it is now, but with varying percentages.
What do you use?: Professional Editor, Professional Cover Designer, Beta Readers
What genres do you write?: crime, spy, adventure, ghost
What formats are your books in?: eBook, Both eBook and Print, Audiobook
Website(s)
Adrian Magson Home Page Link
Link To Adrian Magson Page On Amazon
Your Social Media Links
Goodreads
Facebook
Twitter
All information in this post is presented “as is” supplied by the author. We don’t edit to allow you the reader to hear the author in their own voice.
