Today's Roving Eye interview is with Sunday Times best selling and acclaimed crime writer, Chris Carter. Chris is the author of four novels, The Crucifix Killer, The Executioner, The Night Stalker and The Death Sculptor, all of which feature Criminal Behaviour Psychologist turned Detective Robert Hunter. His fifth novel, Watch Me Die, is out this coming August.
When did you first realise that you wanted to write for
a living?
The truth
is that I never planned to write a book.
I wasn’t planning on a career in writing and I wasn’t thinking of
stories I wanted to write down. One day,
out of the blue, many years after I had left the profession of Criminal Behaviour Psychologist, I thought of a plot for a crazy story – not a crime
thriller. I mentioned it to my
girlfriend one morning and she said - ‘You know what? You should write that book. It’s a good idea.’ So I said - ‘You know what? I will.’ And so I wrote the first chapter of this
crazy story I had in my head. Once I got
to the end of that chapter, I thought to myself - ‘This is crazy. If I’m gonna put effort and time into writing
a book, I should at least write the type of story I like reading – crime
thrillers.’ I also thought that due to
my background in Criminal Behavior Psychology, I could probably come up with
some interesting plot for a psychological thriller. So I decided to write the first chapter to a
crime novel as well (I had no plot whatsoever, I just wrote a chapter that I thought
it would make a good opening for a thriller).
A week later I gave both chapters to my girlfriend, asked her to read
them and give me her truthful opinion.
Even though crime thrillers aren’t really her thing, she said - ‘I must
admit that the crime thriller chapter is more exciting than the other
one.’ And that was it, a decision was
made. Crime thriller it was to be. I then took some time to come up with a
story. That story became The Crucifix
Killer.
What made you chose crime fiction?
I’d say
that the main reason is because crime fiction appeals to a very larger
readership. So many people are
fascinated by them, including me. But I
also wanted to add the criminal psychology aspect to my stories. A criminal profiler can only profile an
offender if he or she is a repeat offender, because repetition creates a
pattern, and that pattern is what is analyzed by psychologists.
Of all the
different types of serial criminals, killers are no doubt the most
intriguing. Hopefully I have made them
interesting my stories as well :-)
What crime novel would you most like to have written?
None, really. The
reason other crime novels are good books, or become successful, is because
those are that author’s ideas and words.
If anyone else had written it, it would not have been the same
book. For that reason, I don’t wish I
have written any other book other than the one I have :-)
Who is your favourite author outside of crime fiction
and why?
I couldn’t say I have a favourite author. I read a lot, and there are so many authors
that I like and admire that it would be very hard to narrow it down to one.
What’s the earliest memory you have of writing a
story?
The Crucifix Killer, really.
Before writing my first novel, I had never even written a short
story. As I have said - I never planned to write a book, and
I wasn’t planning on a career in writing.
If you weren’t a writer, what else could you see
yourself doing?
Probably selling the Big Issue on a street corner somewhere.
What is your least favorite part of the writing
process?
Reading the proof.
When the proof comes, it means that the whole novel is pretty much set
to go to press. All the edits have been
done, and you cannot really change anything.
The problem is, it doesn’t matter how many times I edit any of my
novels, as soon as I read it over, I’ll find things that I could probably had
done better, and would like to change.
That happens every time I read the proof, but I can’t change it anymore.
To me, the proof is quite a frustrating read.
One record and one book to a desert island, what would
you take?
Yes, very tough question.
Record, probably the one that I consider one of the best rock albums
ever made – Appetite For destruction from Guns and Roses. I love every song on that album. Book?
That’s even harder. Maybe The
Analyst by John Katzenbach. It’s a great
story.
What are your thoughts concerning the current state
of the literary world?
I don’t really have any.
I’m not a literary writer, I’m a commercial writer, and I believe that
the situation at the moment is tough for every profession.
Sum up your latest novel in less than 20 words.
Hunter is after the toughest serial killer he’s ever
encountered. Full of twists and turns :-)
And, lastly, just for fun.
Have you read or would you ever consider reading 50 Shades
of Grey?
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