Interview With Author HArry Navinski
Tell us about yourself and how many books you have written.
Harry Navinski has always loved stories, as a child, reading by torchlight under his bed sheets when he should have been sleeping. He was first published in the 1970s, in the Wyton Eye, the base magazine at Royal Air Force Wyton. Harry continued to write for magazines – in between maintaining, repairing and launching military aircraft – for many years.
It was the 1990s when he created and edited RAF Active, the RAF’s magazine for adventurous training and sports. Harry’s articles, written from his involvement in numerous sports and challenging activities, included skiing, sailing, judo, and scuba diving, to name a few.
After his time in the RAF, Harry spent several years as a volunteer on anti-human trafficking work in West Bengal. Whilst in India, he blogged about his experience of life on Kolkata’s streets, and he was encouraged to try his hand at writing fiction. On his return to the UK, Harry attended a creative writing course and gained the motivation to write his first novel, The Glass. His novella, The Test, soon followed, along with his next novel, The Duty. This second novel was inspired by his anti-human trafficking work, and he has vowed to donate all profits from its sale to the organisations he worked with in India. He’s written a total of four books so far. Harry’s adventures around the world have provided him with a huge source of knowledge and experiences for new books, and he looks forward to sharing these.
What is the name of your latest book and what inspired it?
Harry’s latest novel, The Key to Murder, was published in August 2022. It was inspired by a creative writing course exercise and influenced by Harry’s wish to highlight the evils of human trafficking.
Do you have any unusual writing habits?
Being a natural plotter, rather than pantser, I like to have my stories’ skeleton plotted before I start the first draft. But this doesn’t make the story rigid, because every story has a life of its own and evolves as it moves forward.
What authors, or books have influenced you?
There are too many authors that have influenced my writing to mention by name. Perhaps unusually, my writing has been influenced by TV crime series. I love stories that start with a bang, rather than drift around for ages before the crime occurs. So, my stories start with the crime or its discovery.
What are you working on now?
I’ve just started my fifth book, The Field of Death. At least that’s what it’s called at the moment but by the time it’s finished, it might have been renamed. For the first time, the story is set in rural Scotland – the Borders area of the country, where the land is dominated by sheep farming.
What is your best method or website when it comes to promoting your books?
I promote my books through Facebook posts and my email list. I’ve also dabbled in Facebook adverts and Amazon adverts. But I’ve yet to find the sweet spot that results in consistently good returns on the investment.
Do you have any advice for new authors?
I still consider myself to be a new author, even though I’m now on my fifth book. Well, certainly a novice! What I would say, however, is to learn your trade and write the best, well-tested and edited story before publishing. Don’t rely on one editor or yourself, use alpha and beta readers to test the storyline and quality.
What is the best advice you have ever heard?
Believe in yourself and never give up. It’s a long, hard road to even limited success, but it is worth it, if writing is in your blood.
What are you reading now?
I’ve just finished Harlan Coben’s. Darkest Fear.
What’s next for you as a writer?
Working on my next book, then my next, then my next…
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