Ask the Author: Alex James Eccleston
Answered Questions (2)
Alex James Eccleston
Being a storyteller.
Sounds obvious, right?
Allow me to elaborate…
One of the most common questions I get is: what genre do you write?
Well, the simple answer is that I don’t write a genre. I write a story.
If I had to pin myself to a category, I’d probably say I sit somewhere between psychological thrillers and crime fiction. That’s where my heart tends to pull me: into the darker corners of human behaviour, the lies we tell ourselves, the consequences of buried secrets. That’s how the majority of my ideas take shape, at least.
But then there are the other ideas which pop into my head on a random wet Tuesday afternoon whilst I’m making a cup of tea or watching some mind-numbingly boring quiz show on daytime TV. These ideas are often what lead me into other genres. As well as thrillers and crime, I’ve also written love stories, romantic suspense, even a bit of time-travel sci-fi, which became my first bestseller! Because for me, it’s never been about fitting into a box. I don’t give up on a love story because there’s no crime storyline – or bin an adventure story because no one has been murdered at the start.
What I’m trying to say is it all depends on the idea, the characters, what’s working, what’s sticking in my mind, refusing to stay quiet.
I always aim to write emotionally-driven fiction, whatever shape it takes. Stories that explore what happens when the past refuses to stay buried, when ordinary people are pushed to extraordinary decisions.
At the end of the day, I’m a storyteller. That’s all there is to it. And that’s the best thing about being a writer…
Sounds obvious, right?
Allow me to elaborate…
One of the most common questions I get is: what genre do you write?
Well, the simple answer is that I don’t write a genre. I write a story.
If I had to pin myself to a category, I’d probably say I sit somewhere between psychological thrillers and crime fiction. That’s where my heart tends to pull me: into the darker corners of human behaviour, the lies we tell ourselves, the consequences of buried secrets. That’s how the majority of my ideas take shape, at least.
But then there are the other ideas which pop into my head on a random wet Tuesday afternoon whilst I’m making a cup of tea or watching some mind-numbingly boring quiz show on daytime TV. These ideas are often what lead me into other genres. As well as thrillers and crime, I’ve also written love stories, romantic suspense, even a bit of time-travel sci-fi, which became my first bestseller! Because for me, it’s never been about fitting into a box. I don’t give up on a love story because there’s no crime storyline – or bin an adventure story because no one has been murdered at the start.
What I’m trying to say is it all depends on the idea, the characters, what’s working, what’s sticking in my mind, refusing to stay quiet.
I always aim to write emotionally-driven fiction, whatever shape it takes. Stories that explore what happens when the past refuses to stay buried, when ordinary people are pushed to extraordinary decisions.
At the end of the day, I’m a storyteller. That’s all there is to it. And that’s the best thing about being a writer…
Alex James Eccleston
You can't beat a good walk. If I'm ever struggling to get through a chapter, or I simply just can't get going, then I find a good walk with fresh air is a great way to get the creative juices flowing. Especially if you take an audiobook with you! Which leads me onto another way of dealing with writer's block: Reading. There's nothing like a good book to get inspired.
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