Tell us about yourself and how many books you have written.
I’m a screenwriter and author, and I’ve written three (soon to be four) books of interviews with British filmmakers – and one novel.
What is the name of your latest book and what inspired it?
My latest book – my first novel – is called THE VETTING OFFICER. It’s a short novel – part spy thriller, part love story – and was inspired by the books of John le Carre and the landscape of Devon in England where I was born.
Do you have any unusual writing habits?
I don’t know if it’s unusual, but with fiction I write in longhand first – in pencil, in a Moleskine notebook – and wait until I’ve finished several chapters before typing them up. It frees up my thinking and means I don’t start editing straight away, which is too easy on a laptop.
What authors, or books have influenced you?
Apart from John le Carre, THE VETTING OFFICER was particularly influenced by Julian Barnes’s novel THE SENSE OF AN ENDING, and the recent film adaptation.
What are you working on now?
Two books: researching a fifth book of interviews – with bestselling author and screenwriter William Boyd – and writing another novel.
What is your best method or website when it comes to promoting your books?
I haven’t done it enough to know – my nonfiction books have all been promoted by their publishers, so THE VETTING OFFICER is the first time I’ve had to do it myself – but I’m hoping this website will work!
Do you have any advice for new authors?
Don’t give up. Don’t take no for an answer. Don’t think agents and publishers are the only show in town. And do show drafts of your work to the smartest, most sympathetic people you know – ideally people who read the kind of books you’re trying to write – and listen to their feedback.
What is the best advice you have ever heard?
Billy Crystal to his writing class in THROW MOMMA FROM THE TRAIN: “A writer writes – always.”
What are you reading now?
SCOOP by Evelyn Waugh – research for my interview book with William Boyd, who adapted the novel for television in the 1980s.
What’s next for you as a writer?
My fourth interview book is due to be published in August – THE ART OF SCREEN ADAPTATION: TOP WRITERS REVEAL THEIR CRAFT – and fingers crossed it will be as well reviewed as the previous three!
If you were going to be stranded on a desert island and allowed to take 3 or 4 books with you what books would you bring?
ANY HUMAN HEART by William Boyd
THE SENSE OF AN ENDING by Julian Barnes
THE REMAINS OF THE DAY by Kazuo Ishiguro
Author Websites and Profiles
Alistair Owen Website
Alistair Owen Amazon Profile
Alistair Owen’s Social Media Links
Goodreads Profile
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