A warm welcome to Chris Morton, author
of two novels, one novella and one non-fiction book about teaching. Chris’
latest work is Phase-Daze-Phase-Daze-Phase.
Buy Phase-Daze-Phase-Daze-Phase
HERE
What was the first thing you had
published?
English Slacker is my first published
work. It probably shouldn’t have been. You hear many a successful author
describe how their first few manuscripts never saw the light of day. There’s a
famous saying that you need to get a million words out of your system before
you’re ready to be published - Raymond Chandler, Iain Banks and Bill Bryson are
all quoted as having said this. But with the revolution in independent
publishing, it’s much more likely that you’ll find a way of getting that first
novel into print. English Slacker was published, nominated for a Guardian award
and then came under scrutiny from the literary community, all in a matter of
months. I look back now and see a scratchy first attempt, but that doesn’t mean
to say it doesn’t have a certain charm and originality.
Tell us a little about
Phase-Daze-Phase-Daze-Phase.
I wanted to get away from the Kerouac
influenced “voice” style of my previous works. Instead I went for a
hard-boiled, punchy approach with short bitter sentences and plenty of dark
atmosphere. I’m a fan of early twentieth century pulp novels and my plan was to
move this style into a more contemporary environment. Although I changed my
style, the subject matter is still the same. Slacker-lit, slice of life,
realistic scenes that shy away from the fantastical elements - inertia is once
again a major theme. A wish to stray from the path but the inability to do so.
Plenty of nihilism.
Why did you decide to self publish?
The revolution is here! Complete
control! Publishing at the click of a button! But anyone who tells you that
they had always intended to self publish is lying. The fact is, you send out
your manuscript to agents, to the big publishers, confident that your novel
will be snapped up in no time. A few months later you’re scrambling around
searching for any small independent who’s willing to give your work a chance.
And finally, when you’ve exhausted all other options, you turn to self publishing.
Self publishing has a lot going for it
though - and it’s free. Goodbye to the vanity publishers!
But I think authors should be careful
too. You need to get your manuscript edited, take your time and resist the urge
to upload your first draft and publish it as soon as you’ve finished. To keep a
high standard you need to aim high. Believe in your work. Write something of a
quality that the big publishers require. Falling back on self publishing is a
fantastic option to have but it should (and almost always does) remain a last
resort.
It is by no means failing, however.
Publishing companies have a lot to think about. I know this because I spent
some time in the publishing industry. It’s not “publish good book, reject bad
one.” It’s “publish what will sell, what’s hot at the moment, something similar
to what we already have,” etc.
What are your writing strengths and
weaknesses?
My stories are very believable. So
much so that most of my readers think they are true. My weakness ... well,
maybe they’re too realistic. Not heavy enough on the plot element. I love
stories where not much happens. Where you dip into another world and that’s
enough. Often with the books I read, this world gets shattered as the plot
kicks in. I like the build up but I’m hesitant to kill it all with a big
explosive ending. I also play games with the reader, suggest possible outcomes
rather than describing it all explicitly. Some readers get it, some don’t, but
it’s my thing, my signature.
Do you have a writing routine or any odd writing
quirks?
For Phase-Daze-Phase-Daze-Phase I wrote 250 words a day for a year. Sometimes
more, but always at least 250. It was a great way to write. No pressure,
enjoyable, and I can highly recommend it. I don’t agree with the whole NaNoWriMo
thing (writing 50,000 words in a month), putting yourself through hell but
having a manuscript at the end of it. For me that’s nuts.
How important is it to you to plot
your novels?
Well, I’ve written two novels and one
novella and for all of them I made it up as I went along. Great fun to write in
this way. It’s even a bit like reading a novel, sometimes deciding what will
happen next, sometimes allowing the novel itself to take over and lead you in
unexpected directions.
I’d like to try the other method, making
notes and plotting it all out first ... but at the moment that doesn’t hold as
much appeal, and if I don’t enjoy the writing process, it’s difficult to give
the novel as much tender loving care as it deserves. Maybe one day.
Are your characters ever based on
people you know?
Some are based on real people, some
based on characters in other books. Usually a character of mine is a blend of
two or more people.
What qualities do you think writers
should have?
Dedication, patience, an obsessive
nature, bit nuts ...
What are you working on at the
moment?
Nothing at the moment. I don’t want
to write just for the sake of it. Waiting for another idea to come ...
Which three words best describe you?
I’m not good with these questions. I
remember one time I had this interview for a teaching job in Japan and there
was a section where I had to answer a set of questions with three word answers.
I think it was supposed to test how careful I could be with my language when
speaking to students. The interviewer was a well dressed, slightly prim and
proper young lady, eyeing me nervously over her spectacles every time I began
my answer with, “Mmmm, well, you know, I think that usually I ... hang on,
that’s more than three words, isn’t it?”
To be honest she never gave me much of a
chance. In retrospect she should have shown a bit more humanity, calmed me down
and started again. Instead she kept pushing on to the next question.
“So, Chris, how would you motivate a
quiet class who seem unwilling to speak?”
“Yes, I ... mmm, I have had a few
classes like that in my time and I ... wait a minute, I’ve done it again,
haven’t I?”
“I can’t emphasise enough how important
it is that you use only three words, Mr Morton.”
But I couldn’t stop myself. Didn’t help
that I’d drank an endless amount of coffee that morning. Finally she had to go
out of the room to consult her colleague. Coming back in, she stressed again
the importance of using only three words; then offered a final couple of
questions to which I carefully stuck to the rules.
I remember the final question being,
“What do you usually do to relax?”
“I ... watch ... TV,” I said nervously.
“Hold up, TV is one word, isn’t it? Television, I watch television.”
There I was, counting each word on my fingers, thinking that this time I’d
really nailed it.
Suffice to say, I didn’t get the job.
Chris lives in Taiwan and works as an
English teacher. On most days you'll find him either throwing a ball at little
kids, wandering around the night market with his iPod and bottle of medicine
wine, or fussing over his rather spoilt Persian cats. Occasionally you'll find
him writing too.
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