Literary in the City

I’m back from a self-imposed yet extremely necessary break, but fear not: I have something to show for it! After reading rave commentary online, I bought The 7 ½ Deaths of Evelyn Hardcastle in a bookstore. I. Was. Hooked. I am a mystery novel fiend, and this book delivered in every way.

So, I took a wish upon a star and reached out to Stuart Turton for a virtual interview. When I got a response back, I think I screamed a little from sheer excitement.

Describing himself as “your friendly neighborhood author,” Stuart has written a plethora of novels that mold and meld a variety of genres, such as mystery, fantasy, and horror. With nail biting plots, Turton’s books truly transport you to another world. Perhaps his most famous work, The 7 ½ Deaths of Evelyn Hardcastle became a global million-copy bestseller and propelled the start of his “not-a-trilogy trilogy.”

Putting this together has been absolutely incredible. I won’t keep you waiting any longer; here is the interview! 

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1. Your books involve complex, mind-blowing plots. Many readers (myself included) often imagine authors creating such plots with a bulletin board and red string connecting the clues. Is this image the reality? What’s your plot-planning process like?

Each novel is planned completely differently, depending on how I want it to feel. For Seven Deaths, I planned out every two minutes of every character’s day on a huge spreadsheet, so I knew what everybody was doing. For this one, I drew a picture of the action in each chapter, so I could focus on what was happening. It made the book very visual, I think. Planning usually takes me about three months, but it gets changed quite a lot as I write. It’s very rare that my plan makes it wholly into the novel. 

2. How do you deal with writer’s block?

I don’t get writer’s block. I was a journalist before I became an author and journalists have strict deadlines. If we miss them we don’t get paid, so I’ve never struggled to write. Occasionally it’s difficult to find enthusiasm for another day at the computer, but that’s just something you have to work at. The real job of being an author isn’t the inspiration, or the creativity, it’s the willingness to sit down everyday and write without excuses. 

3. In The 7 ½ Deaths of Evelyn Hardcastle, Aiden Bishop, the protagonist, inhabits the body of several different people, or “hosts”. Who was your favorite host to write about and why?

My favourite host was Lord Ravencourt. I’m tall and thin, so his bodyshape – and his complicated emotions around that – were such fun to explore, but he’s also the cleverest person in the book, which really allowed me to drive the plot forward in a way other characters couldn’t. He’s the only ‘genius detective’ type character in that book. 

4. If you didn’t write, what would you do for a living?

Writing is the only thing I’m good at, so I’d have to be writing. If I wasn’t published I’d hopefully still be a journalist. I loved that job! I like meeting new people and learning about new things, which was mostly what that job was.

5. If you had to use one word to describe your writing style, what word would you choose?

Evocative, I hope. When I write novels I’m trying to transport people to a new world. I want it to feel real to them, from the smells in the air to the rain on their skin. I want people to finish reading, then blink a few times because they’ve forgotten their real life. 

6. You released your second novel, The Devil and the Dark Water, in 2020. What was the writing process for this book like?

It was tough. We had our first daughter a couple of months after I started that novel, so I was trying to raise a baby at the same time as writing a novel, which is basically impossible. The first year of that book was gibberish, so I had to throw it away and start it again. Once my daughter started sleeping through the night things got much easier, but writing books is always tough. Each one has its own problems to reckon with. 

7. What’s your favorite thing about being an author?

I like readers a lot. They get so invested in these stories. I’ve met people who’ve gotten tattoos of characters in my books. I’ve met people who draw pictures and writes poems based on things I’ve written. Novels inspire a wonderful creativity in people. It’s astonishing. 

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I hope that you enjoyed reading this interview! 

I want to extend a massive thank you to Stuart Turton for partaking in this interview, especially amongst the release of his new book The Last Murder at the End of the World (which you should go read!!!); it always means a lot when an accomplished author can speak about their work with me.

Please consider checking out his other works on this website: Stuart Turton!

Let me know what you think in the comments below, and get ready for content and articles to be more regular ❤

Absolutely melting in the summer heat,

H.