Brian Kavanagh

Bethlehem Writers Group: You are a filmmaker, recipient of a Lifetime Achievement Award from the Australian Film Editors Guild, and the author of four Belinda Lawrence mysteries: CAPABLE OF MURDER, THE EMBROIDERED CORPSE, BLOODY HAM, and A CANTERBURY CRIME. I understand a fifth book, A WICKED DESIGN, will soon be released. How did you go from producing, directing, editing and writing films to writing mysteries?Brian Kavanagh: The industry was changing with the advent of digital cameras and editing and sound equipment. Plus, there was a generational change in the industry, which is what happens. I’d stepped back from production and had been developing some scripts for myself and for other filmmakers. As it can often take years to get a film funded and off the ground – and even then it is really on shaky ground – to keep myself active while waiting, I wrote a few short stories, had a go at a romance novel (which I quickly realised was not my style) and, as I’d always enjoyed mysteries, it seemed natural to explore that genre. From childhood days I had always been pottering about scribbling ideas, and as a film editor in particular, story development was an integral part of the creative process which is film editing.

BWG: Your books could be described as traditional mysteries along the lines of Agatha Christie. The main character may not be a professional crime solver, but once presented with a murder, she solves the puzzle along with the reader. As with many others in your genre, you chose to write from the point of view of a female protagonist. Do you find that difficult at times? Do your female readers think your characters have an authentic female voice?

BK: I don’t find it difficult. Having written film scripts for female leads and working on films with female leads, plus having close female associates I believe I can understand (appreciate?) female character, behaviour, and attitudes. That is to say, as well as any man can. Frankly, I don’t hold with the division of the sexes to much degree. Elements are mixed and one either leans towards one or the other in varying degrees. You seldom hear female authors quizzed on their male creations. I guess it comes down to an understanding of human existence, which in itself is a bit of a mystery.

As for readers feelings about my female characters? So far there has been very little negative comment. Most readers (mainly female) appear to have accepted Belinda and Hazel, the two central characters in my series. The few that have been critical seem to me to be basing their objections on their own personal behaviour. One reader felt Hazel was letting the female side down with her fondness for a gin & tonic; another felt it was unlady like for Belinda to tell someone to ‘shut up!’. I don’t write a perfect character; no such creature. And if readers cannot accept fictional characters as they are, with all the human foibles and faults we have, then there would be precious little for them to read; and what would be available, pretty boring, I should think. Also, it comes down to personal attitudes, moods, interests. This applies to most things, films, music, books, theatre. How often have you started a book and couldn’t get into it, only to come back some time later and then read it in one sitting? Or a favourite work, which you hold dear, doesn’t stand up when revisited. Some readers comment on what they see as my miss-spelling of words, but I remind them I use English/Australian spelling.

BWG: Like you, Belinda Lawrence is Australian. Why do you set her adventures in England? It seems like a really good excuse for some travel!BK: True! But most of the travel has already been done over the years. I’ve spent quite a lot of time in England and got to know it fairly well, so I’ve been able to draw on those experiences. Also, since the 1950’s and up until today, most young Australians head to the UK or to Europe once they have finished studies. It has become a kind of ‘rite of passage’ partially because Australia has an English/European heritage, but also since the migrant intake in the 50’s & 60’s, many of those with European backgrounds, Italian, Greek etc., make the pilgrimage back ‘home’.

BWG: Will we see Belinda return to Australia in a future book?

BK: Yes indeed. Belinda returns to her home town of Melbourne in her new mystery, A WICKED DESIGN. That should be published in a few months, just in time for Christmas reading or as a gift. Paperback and eBook.

BWG: Belinda is young, smart, spunky, and a little ambivalent about her love interests in England and Australia. She also has a knack for getting herself into sticky situations. She has somehow partnered with a funny, unconventional, middle-aged antique dealer, Hazel Whitby, in her adventures. Was this planned from book one, or did the Hazel character evolve as you continued the series?

BK: No, it wasn’t planned. Hazel initially was intended to only be in one scene (I call them scenes as that is how I see them) in the first book, but as so often happens with characters, her personality was strong and she more or less elbowed her way into the first book and into the series. Hazel is the counter point to Belinda, the clown, the worldly wise companion to the younger woman.

BWG: While set in the present day, you weave some of Britain’s rich history into each of your novels from The Bayeux Tapestry to the death of Thomas Beckett to Capability Brown. This clearly requires a lot of research. Are you a British history buff yourself? Did you ever consider writing a historical mystery?

BK: Yes, I like British history enormously. Always have. And it was that interest, which sparked the idea of mysteries that are based around items which have an historical base or origin. In Capable of Murder, the setting was constructed around a cottage a friend of mine had inherited. I spent some time there and got to know the history of the area. The fact that a landscape designed by Capability Brown was nearby, sparked an idea, and my research indicated that while he was known for his landscapes he had designed a few small gardens. So I welded the two elements together; the old cottage and garden and the idea of Brown creating a small garden, which to garden lovers, would be of enormous interest if discovered or recreated to his plans and design.

The Bayeux Tapestry has also been an historical favourite and the fact that it concludes jaggedly, as though the end had been torn off, immediately makes you speculate on what was illustrated on the missing piece and why was it removed from the main work. I did a lot of research on the tapestry and the known background to it, as well as the events that led to its creation and the various theories that have been put forward regarding its construction. The mystery of the missing panel of course was the spur to writing the book, while the argument about King Harold’s claim to the throne and William’s counter claim continues today, which allowed for the creation of the Godwin’s, the couple who felt Harold was the legitimate King and they were his descendants. All fictional, but there are many who can claim to have royal antecedents.

BWG: Your stories take Belinda and Hazel to a variety of locations including Bath, Canterbury, and London. Does this give you more freedom than having Belinda stay in a cozy English village where there is an inordinate number of murders?BK: Yes, I like to think the cottage in the village is always there in the background, but having various locations helps expand the themes. Also, having various historical elements as the corner stone of each story, it would be impossible to keep it all within the confines of a village. Agatha Christie sent Miss Marple out into the world, but you were always aware of St Mary Mead. Not that I consciously copied that approach; it just occurred to me as I answered your question.

BWG: In addition to your books, you have a lengthy list of films to which you’ve contributed. How does your experience creating films translate to creating books? How is writing for film different from writing novels? Which do you like better?

BK: Well, it’s all storytelling, isn’t it. One with images, one with words, but actually they both are visual. The difference is with a film, the director gives you the image; in a book, the author gives you a road map, and you create the image for yourself. Editing film requires knowledge or an appreciation of all the arts as they are all combined within a film. Words, emotions, painting, music, performance, they all combine in the editing room and the editor’s task is to pull all these elements together to achieve what the writer and the director were aiming for. A sense of rhythm, and by that I mean controlling the flow of the story as well as the emotions. So, that experience allows me a visual approach when writing my books.

Writing for film is different, in as much as it is minimal. If you take a film drama based on personal emotions, there is very little required over and above the dialogue. The scene is set with just enough information to guide the creative crew members and the actors. A quick description of the setting is enough for the art department to add their creative input; for the director and Cinemaphotographer to create a mood by lighting; for the actor to get a feel of the environment. Add to that a short description of whatever action is required, and then the dialogue which is paramount. From then on, the writer has done his job and hands it over to the director, and his/her creative team, who will create their concept, always – hopefully – sympathetic to the writer’s aims.

Action films rely a little more on description of whatever is required; a car crash, a monster etc., but again only the relevant information is supplied. For instance if the hero is in a car crash, all that is needed is ‘The hero crashes the car during the pursuit. It rolls down a hill and explodes. Is the hero safe? The hero staggers from behind some rocks, bleeding from a head wound.’ That is all that is required as, again, the creative crew will design the crash and the make-up department knows they have to prepare the actor for a bloody head wound. Technical instructions are never included in a film script. That is not the writer’s job; anything technical such as camera angle, close up, wide shot etc., is the director’s domain.

In a book of course, the event would detail the crash, the hero’s emotions, in more descriptive and exciting language.

BWG: You’ve been praised for your use of rhythm in your film editing. Do you find that this is a skill that transfers well to writing prose?

BK: I believe so, and I think the previous answer says it pretty well. Film editing skills come from deleting anything that gets in the way of the story, or replacing a scene in a different part of the film to enhance the flow. Refining and refining (what works on the written page doesn’t always work on the screen). That’s pretty basic of course, but the same approach works with a book as well. Partly instinct and partly experience, I guess.

BWG: In Bloody Ham, Belinda and Hazel find themselves in the middle of making a film. Did you enjoy fictionalizing the world in which you worked for so many years?BK: Yes, it was a bit of fun.

BWG: You have parted ways with your previous publisher and now have your books available through Endeavor Books. Has the transition caused difficulty for you getting your books into the hands of readers?

BK: That was all very unfortunate and, yes, it meant for over six months the books were not available plus a lot of extra work that I had not anticipated. However, three of the books are published as eBooks by Endeavour and are available on Kindle. They will be available soon in other formats.

One eBook, BLOODY HAM I have published through VIVID and they will also be publishing all my books as paperbacks, which I am very happy about. I know that many readers still prefer to hold a real book and I agree with them, so all in all, I will be reaching more readers. I feel the move has been a blessing in disguise. Sales have been improving; reviews have been good and it seems both readers and I are in a win-win situation.

BWG: Endeavor Books seems to have published your prior works solely in e-book format. How do you feel about not having books made of paper and ink?

BK: As I said, that was big disappointment to me when the previous publisher decided to drop paperbacks and concentrate on eBooks (despite the sales figures that indicated my books sold more paperbacks over eBooks). Ultimately the company folded and all rights returned to me. I don’t enter into the pros and cons of eBook readers over paperbacks. I feel there is a place for both; they each serve a purpose, but I do think that eBook readers are best suited to a certain type of book, mainly light fiction. I find it difficult to get the same involvement when reading a biography or a non-fiction work on a reader. In those cases, I much prefer a real book. And ‘the customer is always right’ so if some readers want paperbacks, then I’m happy to make them available, after all, readers are unlikely to buy an eBook if their preferences are elsewhere.

BWG: Many authors who are happily self-publishing e-books tell us they actually make more money selling low-cost e-books than they did with higher-cost physical books through a traditional publisher. Have you been happy with your e-book sales? How do you keep track of how many have sold?

BK: It’s a little early to tell with sales, as it is only a few weeks since the new eBooks became available, and only on Kindle, however from the limited information I have so far, sales have been steady. As the books become available in other formats for Nook, Kobo , Smashwords etc., I anticipate sales will increase. Certainly I am promoting the books as widely as I can and will continue to do so. As the paperback editions are about to be published, I can only anticipate that they will attract readers.

BWG: Will your new book, A Wicked Design, be available in paper as well as e-book?

BK: Yes, A WICKED DESIGN will be published by VIVID as paperback and eBook in various formats.

BWG: What would you advise to emerging writers who hope to get their books published in today’s changing marketplace?

BK: A difficult call. Firstly it depends on the book. Does the author know the market it is aimed at? If so, and he/she wants to attempt to go with traditional publishing, it is wise to secure an agent (although there are a few publishers who will consider unsolicited works). Now that is easier said than done. The agent should be prepared to handle the type book; some specialise in mysteries, others romance, others non-fiction. Having selected a short list of agents, send of a letter of enquiry. Now comes the tricky part. Many agents will state, for example, that they deal with romances. Often when they reply, if at all they do, you may find they will claim that they don’t handle this genre – contradicting their original claims. That is enormously frustrating. The point is, having an agent attached is really only helpful in attempting to get your book into the ‘big boys’ club of publishers, and that is a minefield. If the author wants to go that route, prepare to wait several years for any potential contract. Big publishers these days are simply not ready to take risks on a new author. There is an attitude in the publishing industry – and in the film industry – whereby personal tastes override business acumen. If you look at the pioneers of film, you will see that they went for commercial product they knew would hit a nerve with the public and therefore be successful and make money, even though the film producers themselves may have disliked the product. It’s a business, never forget that. So if you have no luck with an agent or publisher, what to do?

Well, as many authors are now self-publishing, that is an excellent alternative. It takes a lot of work and time, but at least you will know that it is all under your control. Be careful about the company you pay to produce your paperbacks; check their credentials and also the quality of their work. eBooks are a little easier and there are many small publishers who will do the technical work for you, but again check their qualifications. Also Amazon has their eBook publishing deals. It all comes down to what the author wants and how much time and effort he/she is prepared to spend on a book; and if you have a series, remember that each book takes more of your time in promoting. But, if you want to be a writer, no one ever said it would be easy – but it’s a lot of fun!

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Interview by BWG member Carol L. Wright