Interview with Blake Crouch Jan 2004 http://www.blakecrouch.com/index.html

Jon-As a newly published author, what was the process like going from finished manuscript to signing papers with St. Martin’s?

Blake-Hmm…define “finished manuscript.” In November of 1999, I was a junior at UNC-Chapel Hill, and had just completed my first crack at Desert Places. I was fortunate enough to convince a professor in the creative writing department, a great guy named Bland Simpson, to spend a semester working one-on-one with me doing a thorough edit of my novel. So, spring 2000 semester, we’d meet in his office on Thursdays and spend an hour or so going over 50-page chunks of my manuscript. His major goal for me was streamlining Desert Places. He knew that in order for me to sell it, it would have to be pure relentless adrenaline. Bland probably helped me most with my dialogue. I remember him telling me, “Once your characters start talking, they never shut up.” And he was absolutely right. He really made my writing grow up. So by the end of my junior year, I’d cut 20,000 words from my book, and felt I was ready to start looking for an agent. Now I’d written a book before this, (a long, awful family saga) and had tortured several literary agents with it. One, however, said she thought I was talented, and to think of her next time around. So I sent her Desert Places, and she called me back a week later and took me on. So now this is September. Round about January ’01, Warner Books is interested. My first introduction to the publishing world was a conference call with three editors, among them, the late, great Sara Ann Freed. A Warner editor was interested in the book and had asked a few of his colleagues to read it. They hadn’t made an offer, but we figured, if they want to spend time talking to me about the book, we must be close. So I’m nervous as hell for this call. I take it during my lunch break at work. Lasts about twenty minutes, and the gist of it is…we love your writing, love the concept, but the ending blows. Rewrite the last hundred pages. There’s no contract offer at this point, which is disconcerting, but I think, why not? So over the next few weeks, I brainstorm a bit about how to change the ending, and finally come up with an idea I think will work. But when I run this idea by Warner, their interest has cooled. They pass. I’m devastated, because it felt like we were so close. Now I have a decision to make. Do we keep submitting the manuscript to editors, or do I take the advice of the Warnerfolk and rewrite the ending? When it came right down to it, even though they bailed on me, I realized that they were right. My current ending was weak. So I rewrote like mad during January and February of 2001. My agent is an angel and was such an incredible support during this period, which was a very difficult time for me. To get that close and for it not to happen is just excruciating. Come the end of March, I’ve got a new manuscript, which is, by all accounts, a huge improvement. My agent resumes the submission process, and on a Saturday morning in mid-May, the phone wakes me at 8:30. My agent tells me she had lunch with an editor at St. Martin’s who loves the book and is going to buy it. Shortly thereafter, this editor makes an offer, we accept, and I sign the contracts a few weeks later.

Jon- Are you nervous about your first reviews?

Blake-Well, it’s funny. I hadn’t even contemplated review-hell when I learned in November that Kirkus had drawn first blood. They gave it to me with both barrels, a first-rate savaging. And it was hard. My editor wouldn’t show me the advance review, but barnesandnoble.com was kind enough to post it on their website. I wish I was one of those steel-skinned writers, but Desert Places is my baby. So it was definitely baptism by fire. But other reviews came in, and it was obvious that reviewers were getting it, so it made the nice reviews that much sweeter. After Kirkus, I will never, ever, ever take a good review for granted.

Jon- Are you writing full time?

Blake-Alas, I have a day job. I’m a paralegal with a firm that specializes in worker’s compensation and social security law. But, again, I know that should I ever be fortunate enough to write full-time, I won’t take that for granted either.

Jon- What are your writing habits like?

Blake-I’m very disciplined when I’m onto something. When I’m in the throes of writing, or even editing, it really consumes me. I’ll come home from work, put on a pot of coffee, and work till nine or ten, sometimes later. For this last book, the sequel to Desert Places, I used a Dictaphone a lot. When I’d written as much as I could for the day, I’d read aloud to myself and play it back. It’s amazing the stuff you pick up when listening that just slips by when you’re reading to yourself. It really helps me to get the rhythm of the dialogue and the narrative flow right. Also, my wife is an enormous help. When I finish a chapter, I’ll print it off, and she’ll read it back to me in her sweet voice. She gives me fantastic Joe-Reader-feedback. I’m really bad between books, such as right now. I hate this part of it. I’m so critical of my ideas that it’ll be a miracle when I settle on something. I just want to be knee-deep in the writing again. It’s the jumping in that scares me to death. I’ll get really hot for an idea, write thirty or forty pages, and realize, this sucks. I have one-night-stands with book ideas on a regular basis. Go to bed infatuated, wake up thinking, what the hell did I see in that?

Jon- What kind of research do you do?

Blake-I don’t do research for the pure love of it. I just don’t enjoy it that much. You read about Gregg Hurwitz tailing ER doctors for Do No Harm, and that just blows me away. Especially non-fiction stuff, biographies…those guys are insane. To be able to consume that much information, and then condense it down into four hundred pages of new, engaging perspective. That’s talent. I only do research when I absolutely have to. For instance, there’s a fair amount of drugging that takes place in Desert Places, so I studied monographs and dosages for various sedatives and consulted with doctors about how to steal narcotics from hospitals, how to inject people without killing them. I thought they’d be hesitant to tell me but they were surprisingly more than happy to help. I had to do a lot more research for the sequel, but this research was a blast. Much of the sequel takes place on the Outer Banks of North Carolina, and though I’m a North Carolina native, I’d never been there. So Rebecca and I went to Ocracoke Island last Thanksgiving and had the best time. We explored the whole island, and it was amazing how being there just made the plot fall right into place for me. There’s also a detective in the sequel, (something I’ve always shied away from for fear of getting the details right), so a friend of mine who’s a homicide detective in Durham, NC, met with me and helped me to nail down the procedural stuff.

Jon- What brought on your interest in writing, and what made you attempt a novel?

Blake-I can’t really pinpoint one specific thing that made me want to write. I was blessed growing up with great teachers. My mother home-schooled me from 2nd-6th grade. She’d have me copy passages of classics just to get the sensation of what it felt like to write like a master, to help me understand the rhythm of great writing. In middle school, I had an English teacher, Ms. Bumgarner who was very supportive. In 8th grade, I wrote a short story for an assignment, and it was a very disturbing little piece about a suicide. Ms. Bumgarner called my mother to make sure things were all right at home, but she was very encouraging, told me I would write one day. I was very fragile in my writing at that point. Had she freaked out and told me, “This is an awful story, how could you write this?” it may have crushed my desire. Then in college, I had Bland Simpson in my corner. I’ve been very lucky with teachers. What made me attempt a novel? I had the idea of a man getting this letter in the mail, telling him there was a body on his property, covered in his blood. I guess I just wanted to find out what happened next.

Jon- Who are some of your favorite authors?

Blake-Cormac McCarthy, William Kennedy, C.S. Lewis, J.R.R. Tolkien, Thomas Harris, Dennis Lehane, Caleb Carr, James Lee Burke, Jonathan Lethem, Don DeLillo, J.D. Salinger, Nasdijj, Bill Bryson, Rick Bragg, Pat Conroy, Walker Percy, John Kennedy Toole, Tony Earley, Madeleine L’Engle, and he’s not an author, but I love David Lynch, especially Twin Peaks, Blue Velvet, and Mulholland Drive.

Jon- What’s the best advice you’ve ever been given?

Blake-“Nobody cares.” I was at a Dennis Lehane reading last April, and he told the audience a story about when he was trying to get published and getting nowhere. In his despondence, he wrote, “Nobody cares” and taped it to the wall above his desk. It sounds pessimistic, but it’s not…it’s reality. I know exactly what he’s saying. When you’re trying to sell a creative work and getting nowhere, it can be extremely depressing. Nobody cares that you spent two years of your life slaving away at a manuscript. Nobody cares that you want it so bad you can taste it. Nobody cares that you think it’s good. All that matters is the work product. “Nobody cares” is a great credo. It means that, as difficult as it may be, take your emotions out of the selling of your work. They don’t help. They just get in the way. Save your emotions for the writing, because it definitely requires a certain hardness to throw yourself out there in front of everyone, whether it’s literary agents and editors, or the reading public. I took what Lehane was saying to mean, “expect nothing and be pleasantly surprised.”

Jon- Hollywood is doing a movie called “The Blake Crouch Story.” Who plays what parts?

Blake-We’ll start with my wife—she’s a tall, beautiful redhead, so I’ll say a young Julia Roberts. And even though he’s too old, I’d like to see Christopher Walken pull me off, a real bizarre performance with offbeat dialogue pauses. Honestly, it’d be one of the most boring movies ever made, me sitting in front of a laptop, going to school, more writing. I wouldn’t even want to watch it.

Jon- In a related question, what would you include on the soundtrack?

Blake-Miles Davis, Nick Drake, Sigur Ros, Ben Folds, Holden (fantastic band from the Triangle of North Carolina), and U2. I’m not ashamed to say I’m in love with Bono.

Jon- Do you come up with really good ideas that just won’t work in your current project? What do you do with them?

Blake-Definitely. And it’s difficult to look at this beautiful idea or concept and say, “You know, that’s not the best thing for this book.” Because when something strikes me, I get very excited about it, and there’s the temptation to rush into it and work on the new thing instead of page 250 of the sequel. So I just make sure to jot down these ill-timed ideas. It’s a good test to let them sit awhile. Usually, I’ll come back a month or so later and it isn’t nearly as attractive. The bad ideas mold. The good ideas get better with age.

Jon- Do ideas strike you at all times? While at work, eating dinner, driving, that kind of thing. And if so, how do you remember them?

Blake-The good ideas come in cycles. When I’m anxious to start something new and I’m thinking too hard about it, nothing comes. But when I relax and get involved with other things, my brain goes on autopilot and they come in a torrent. Sometimes, it’s just images—somebody I see walking down the street that’s interesting somehow. Often, it’s a setting. Place is very important in my writing, and when I travel to a new place, or see an old place with a fresh eye, that inspires me. I’ve watched movies before and thought, “I want to capture that mood.” What I do is catalogue the ideas and characters that seem to have even a smidgen of potential. Then I go back through them on a regular basis to see if they still move me, if they warrant investment. Usually, they don’t. There’s no shortage of ideas. The great ideas are few and far between.

Jon- What kind of movies do you enjoy besides David Lynch?

Blake-Love the Coen Bros'. Fargo, The Man Who Wasn’t There. The film, A Simple Plan, blew me away. I love mafia movies. Anything by Scorsese. I’m a big Sopranos fan, and I really dig this little-known director named Hitchcock. His ability to find the darkness in the everydayness of life is a huge inspiration. The mini-series Lonesome Dove is one of my favorites. I wish they made more great sci-fi movies. The pacing of Alien amazes me. In terms of current television, I’m a huge Ed fan. That show just makes me smile.

Jon- And… Did you really like Mulholland Drive? It seemed to me that about half way through the movie, his medication wore off. Am I missing something? Should I rent it again?

Blake-Yes, rent it again! In my opinion, Mulholland Drive is Lynch’s best work, aside from season one of Twin Peaks. Even better than Blue Velvet. I saw it in the theatre and loved it. But I couldn’t explain why I loved it so much until I read Roger Ebert’s review. He nailed it on the head. The last forty-five minutes of the film work purely on emotion. There’s no logical plot to be followed. It requires the viewer to suspend his or her expectation for storylines to resolve, for anything to make “traditional” sense. But, (for me at least) it worked. It’s also pretty cool that Mulholland plays on every convention of the murder mystery imaginable. The dead body, amnesia, being followed, the clandestine rendezvous, cop lingo… For a lot of people, Lynch just isn’t their bag. Most people (understandably) want to walk out of a theatre with some sort of closure to what they just watched. Lynch is working on another level. He’s about gut-feeling, intuition, images for the sake of images—he’s a brave filmmaker.

Jon- There’s a real good chance your book will cause some sleepless nights for people. What kinds of things scare you?

Blake-The ideas presented in my book are what spook me, which is why writing the book was often an unnerving process, especially the late nights. I guess what scares me most, is the idea of a person not really knowing themselves and what they’re capable of. You look in the mirror and the reflection isn’t you, or what you thought you were. The idea that, given the right (or wrong) circumstance, a “decent” human being is capable of great evil. I laugh when I hear someone say that humans are inherently good. Seen the news lately? This world’s doing all it can not to implode.

Jon- You recently moved from North Carolina. What made you go to Colorado?

Blake-The San Juan Mountains. I live in proximity to some of the most beautiful wilderness in America. The vast majority of it is BLM (Bureau of Land Management) land, which cannot be developed. Having been born and raised in the South and the endless sprawl of the East Coast, I love the remoteness of Durango, Colorado. I love snow, and living in a climate that gets plenty of it. I love living at 6500’. I love living less than a half hour away from premiere, Rocky Mountain backcountry. Ever since I came out west on a family vacation when I was fourteen, I’ve dreamed about living in the Rockies. Now I pinch myself every morning that I’m surrounded by such natural beauty.

Jon- Do you find that not only writing crime fiction but also reading as much of it as you do gives you a different view on things than other people? I know that I can’t look at a van that has no windows without thinking of serial killers.

Blake-It does give you a different view. Makes you see the world through noir-tinted glasses. You imagine everything’s a lot more interesting than it really is. I find myself looking for the black underbelly of seemingly pleasant towns (like where I live). I don’t see my neighbors for a few days and I wonder “what if they’re decomposing in there?” But I can’t help it. It’s my job to dream up whacked-out stories. When reading and writing crime fiction comprises the majority of your time, you tend to impose the excitement and terror of the pages into mundane, everyday life. I don’t think it’s a bad thing. Probably just a longing for real life to be as exciting and colorful as good fiction.

Jon- What are some of your guilty pleasures?

Blake-A big mug of black coffee topped with whipped cream, a pint of Cherry Garcia devoured in one sitting, Rolling Rock, and Average Joe 2: Hawaii. Actually, the last one is the only thing I feel any guilt about, and rightly so. I should be very ashamed. It really is an awful show.

Jon- With your first book just coming out I imagine you will be doing some signing events. Are you nervous?

Blake-I’m doing a fair number of signing and reading events, and this being my first time out, I am a little nervous about it. I did my first panel at Bouchercon this past October, so I’m glad I’ve got that under my belt. Mostly, I just hope a couple people show up, and I hope the questions I get asked aren’t too scary. In light of the subject matter my book deals with, you always worry the wrong kind of people are going to be attracted to it.

Jon- So, I noticed that the picture on the back of the book you have a ponytail, yet in person, you don’t. What’s the story?

Blake-Once upon a time, I did have long hair. I was a drummer in a rock band, and it was sort of required. But my wife is a redhead, too, with long, gorgeous hair halfway down her back. After the sixth or seventh time someone noted all-too-cheerily that we looked like brother and sister, I realized it was time for the ponytail to go.

Jon- Scenario - Your book is huge, you make tons of money. What one thing would you buy simply because you can and not because you need it?

Blake-A secluded cabin at 9,000 feet high in the San Juans.

Jon- Do you cook?

Blake-No, but I’m excellent at driving for takeout, and I make a mean margarita.

Jon- And in a related question, what’s the one thing always in your refrigerator?

Blake-Rolling Rock