About Ian Honeysett & Peter Stevens:
Ian Honeysett and Peter Stevens are co-authors of this their first novel. They have known each other since they were students at the now defunct College for the Careers Service back in the 1970s where they staged comedy reviews together. Ian did a History degree at Oxford and taught the subject for a few years before a career in Careers and Personnel. Pete did a Business Studies degree and stayed in Careers work. They both have an abiding interest in history and crime and it was Pete’s idea to co-write a crime novel set in the French Revolution. This seems to be a period largely untouched by crime writers. They did a considerable amount of research before plotting what they hope will be the first of a series of books. Writing “The Eighth Prisoner” together has been an interesting and challenging experience! Apart from writing, Ian likes to paint and play the ukulele and Peter likes to play cricket and chess.
What inspires you to write?
The wish to tell a story with engaging – or repulsive – characters. Having read many detective stories made me want to try telling one myself. It was my co-writer who suggested writing together. Without that push, I might never have got started.
Tell us about your writing process.
It’s complicated. Once my co-writer and I agreed the type of story we wanted to tell and agreed a period (the French Revolution) we spent a lot of time plotting the book and inventing characters so that we could then allocate sections of the story to each other. We had to review things constantly to make sure our chapters joined together with a consistent style. This involved countless phone calls, emails and even face-to-face meetings.
For Fiction Writers: Do you listen (or talk to) to your characters?
I listen mainly. I know where I’m supposed to get to by the end of the chapter but the characters have a tendency to surprise me!
What advice would you give other writers?
Spend time planning your story and characters. Then ejoy the writing process. But think carefully about writing with someone else!
How did you decide how to publish your books?
I have used kindle for some time so it seemed the obvious route to take. Plus I know very little about print publishing.
What do you think about the future of book publishing?
It’s very exciting and unpredictable – it seems print publishing is making a comeback! People will always want to read books. And with the growth in literacy and people living longer, the market for books is ever on the increase.
What do you use?: Co-writer
What genres do you write?: Historical fiction
What formats are your books in?: eBook
