Belinda Bauer on Blacklands

Bleinda Bauer's debut novel 'Blacklands' seems to have caught the public imagination and so we here at BFKbooks wanted to know more about what went into writing the book. Gareth who did the review is the interviewer.

G: This is an assured debut - how long have you been nursing this wonderful premise before you actually wrote it?

BB: Not long at all. I had the idea and the story fell into place in my head in days, so I just started writing pretty much straight away because I knew exactly where I was going.

G: What were your main aims when writing this - did you have a particular reason for writing it?

BB: Not really. I just thought it would be an exciting story to write.

G: How did you feel when writing Arnold Avery's parts? It must have been quite ghoulish - what did you do to disassociate yourself from his mindset?

BB: I tried very hard NOT to disassociate myself from his mindset! When I write any character, I try to get right inside their head. I don't think I could have written Avery in a believable way unless I was totally on his side while writing him.

G: How do you come up with the characters names?

BB: I don't try too hard with characters' names. I don't like it when I read a book and feel as if the author has pondered for months over the perfect 'clever' character name because I feel as if it detracts from the believability of the work. Steven's surname, Lamb, obviously has sacrificial overtones and adds to his vulnerability, but as long as my characters' names roll off the tongue, I don't think too hard about them.

G: Are there any of your own experiences involved in creating Steven's life?

BB: Minor things. I draw on my own experiences for every character. However, I do remember very vividly what it was like to be 12, and it was more about feelings than experiences for me with Steven. I remember vividly feeling like an outsider, and I was a real loner too, so his character was not far off my own.

G: Was it a conscious decision to tone down the violence of the novel?

BB: Absolutely. When I wrote Blacklands I felt it was the kind of book a young teenager might read, so I had no desire to make it graphic or prurient. I was aware that the subject matter was already dangerous, and never wanted to be accused of profiting from the suffering of children or from glamourising a killer like Arnold Avery.

G: Did you actually meet any convicted killers or visit places like Broadmoor when you researched the book? Do you think that Avery is typical or a-typical of that type of person?

BB: As a former journalist I have watched many killers tried and convicted in court, and have also interviewed child abusers in prison. I was always stunned by how very normal they were, and I wanted to juxtapose that quality in Avery with the very real menace which he poses, but has learned to keep hidden. A hidden menace is far more frightening than that posed by an obvious madman. Sadly, many psychopaths are clever enough to mask their true natures - otherwise such crimes would be easy to solve.

G: I'm intrigued by your admitting that you once gave a chameleon the kiss of life. Please could you elaborate on that a bit more?

BB: My chameleon got very sick one very bad winter because I didn't know how to look after him properly. He literally died in my hands and went black. I knew it was my fault and felt terrible, so I got a straw and put it in his mouth and started to breath into him. I remembered the First Aid course I'd done at school about how smaller lungs require smaller breaths, so I was very careful, and within a few minutes he started to go green again from the belly up! I rushed him to the vet's through two feet of snow by commandeering a bus and a snow plough, and he improved steadily and lived for another four years after that. They're very hard to keep unless you know what you're doing, and my ignorance was inexcusable. I still feel guilty about it.

G: How often do you get mis-identified with the actress Belinda Bauer - does it annoy you? And are there any funny anecdotes surrounding this?

BB: I love it! I think it's hilarious. Her Wikipedia entry is now polluted by little facts about me, which makes the two of us together look far more interesting than either of us could possibly be alone, and I would hate it if it was ever changed.

I have been asked for autographs - usually from German film fans for some reason - but I always just send them a note saying they've got the wrong person.

G: Would you ever swap places with her?

BB: Only if she has a Nintendo Wii Fit.

G: What are the novels that have most influenced your life?

BB: Jaws, Salem's Lot and To Kill A Mockingbird.

G: Do you have a favourite piece of music? What is it?

BB: Different Drum written by Mike Nesmith of The Monkees and sung by Linda Ronstadt.

G: Who has had the most influence on your life and why?

BB: My mother. I've never known anyone so hardworking or so fair. I never want to let her down, so I always try to be hardworking and fair too - even when I'd much rather be lazy and selfish.

G: What is your next novel, Tipping Point, about?

BB: It's also set on Exmoor, but is not a sequel to Blacklands. It's about the village policeman, Jonas Holly, whose life is already in crisis when a killer starts to stalk the weak and elderly residents of Shipcott.

G: What piece of advice can you give fledgling writers?

BB: Always show your work to someone who doesn't love you.

G: What is your favourite midnight snack?

BB: A bowl of Sugar Puffs. Cereal rocks.

G: How do you combat writers block?

BB: I sleep on it, or dance to pop music. That seems to empty my head so that new thoughts can find a place there.

G: Why did you choose to set the novel in Exmoor?

BB: Exmoor is deceptively dangerous. In summer it is chocolate-box pretty, but it hides bogs and ditches, and the mists are thick and sudden. It seems to me like a place that looks cosy and welcoming, but the reality can be very different. In a way it's a metaphor for Steven's quest, which starts out small and personal and quickly spirals out of his control.