Reading by Deb: INTERVIEW with ERIC GATES

I want to thank Eric Gates for taking the time for this interview!

BIO:

Multiple award-winning author Eric J. Gates has had a curious life filled with the stuff of thriller novels.

Writing Operating Systems for Supercomputers, cracking cryptographic codes under extreme pressure using only paper and pen, and teaching cyberwarfare to spies are just a few of the moments he’s willing to recall.

He is an ex-International Consultant who has travelled extensively worldwide, speaks several languages, and has had articles and papers published in six different countries, as well as radio and TV spots.

His specialty, Information Technology Security, has brought him into contact with the Military and Intelligence communities on numerous occasions. He is also an expert martial artist, holding 14 black belt degrees in distinct disciplines. He has taught his skills to elite Police and Military personnel, as well as to the public.

He now writes thriller novels, drawing on his experiences with the confidential and secret worlds that surround us.

When and how did you know you wanted to be a writer?

I think I was born with this as a life’s goal. By age 18, I had written over 200 short stories and a novel. The latter sleeps, an undisturbed eternal rest, in a box near my desk.

Then Life intervened and writing was put on a backburner while I did some other stuff (see my bio). Finally, I was able to dedicate myself to creating fiction. I now call the period in my life when I wasn’t writing ‘research’.

Did you have any influencing writers growing up?

There were many, yet three stand out.

Ian Fleming, for the way he tells a story so economically.

John Gardner (the British author) not just for his skill in crafting thrillers laced with humor, but also all the tips he gave me – we met at book-signing after I spotted a big mistake in one of his earlier novels, and stayed in touch.

Finally, Charles John Huffam Dickens for his ability to include social commentary in his writing, without detracting from the art of telling a good story. And, no, I never attended any of his book-signings…

Are any of your characters based on people in real life?

Most definitely. I won’t say which, but I do receive emails occasionally asking if character x was really him/her from my past.

I also run a competition on my website where readers can appear as a character in one of my novels, and over twenty people have become characters so far.

Where do you draw your book inspirations from?

First and foremost, personal experience. I’ve had a very varied and interesting life that reads like the plot of a Tom Clancy thriller, so picking an event, then extrapolating it, twisting it, massaging it into a viable idea gives me an advantage in that I don’t have to start from scratch.

Do you use have a basic outline when starting a new story or do you let the characters lead the way?

In Alice in Wonderland, the King of Hearts gives very precise instructions on how to tell a story: “Begin at the beginning, and go on till you come to the end: then stop.”

Well, I do it backwards (almost). I start with the end, and when I'm satisfied I can write that last chapter, I go back to the beginning and create a starting point (often as far removed from the ending as I can because this gives the characters freedom to act and allows for many twists to be built in to the tale.

Finally, I just fill in the middle bit – easy really!

When you are picturing the characters in your book, do you have a cheater photo for inspiration?

Sometimes I do, but I usually have a clear idea of my characters in my mind so I don’t need an image.

However, when I wrote ‘2012’ there were so many characters there, I really needed to have a couple of pages of images with a short description of their origins and characteristics.

Many people read as a form of escape and relaxation. What is your favorite way to sit back and relax?

Going for a walk with my co-author, Mac!

No sitting involved, but we do come up with many ideas for stories.

Who are your favorite current authors to read?

I was recently blown away by J.A. Schneider’s ‘Kate Warne’s sister is missing’.

I generally read thrillers and the favorites list is far too long to be listed here in its entirety, but I would include Keith Dixon, John Dolan, Jake Needham, Gordon Bickerstaff, Brandt Legg, Jana Petken, Casi McLean, etc etc etc…

Yes, it’s a long list.

Do the locations in the stories have any meaning to you?

Yes. Most are places I have visited during my ‘dark’ years.

Some scenes that take place in these locations are recollections of having done the same thing there as my protagonists.

In one instance, in my novel ‘Chasing Shadows’ I had to change the location, continent, and a stack of other details because it was based upon a true story told to me by a friend who participated in the real, covert operation.

Do you write in single or multiple POV?

Multiple most of the time, yet I often alternate chapters with a first-person point of view, as I did in ‘Death Mask’, if it helps the overall tale and develops the characters.

What do you find to be your best research tool?

My memory and experiences, aided by knowing how to investigate matters culled from scientific journals, in depth press articles, and the occasional documentary on TV.

If I need to verify a specific detail, there’s always the Web too.

Do you write under a pen name? Also, do you write under more than one name?

No.

What genre do you write and why is this your preference?

Thrillers, usually with a fast pace, lots of tension, unforeseeable twists, maybe a touch of ‘strange’ (such as the object that can change people’s destinies in ‘Outsourced’), and as much realism as I can.

I love this genre because as a writer you have far more freedom to broach subjects and mix with other genres.

Again ‘Death Mask’ is a thriller which explores the life of an ex-government agent, yet many have called it a romantic suspense novel.

Labels are most definitely not for me!

Tell me something about yourself outside of writing. Jobs, accomplishments, family, quirky trait...what led to you being you?

45 years of martial arts training in 26 different systems which resulted in 14 black belt rankings certainly left its mark, and I’m not just referring to the bruises.

I also enjoy cooking, reading (of course), a good movie or TV series (when are my books going to be picked up for one?), and spending time with my family.

If you are a duo writing team, how do you share the writing process?

It’s an easy breakdown. Mac comes up with the ideas, develops the plot and characters, makes sure all the facts are correct, and I get to bang away at the keyboard (Mac doesn't do this because the keys are too small for his paws), and I have sole responsibility for the typos!

What advice would you give to an aspiring writer?

Be patient, persistent, learn the basics of the craft, and never give up!

How do you deal and process negative book reviews?

All reviews, as distinct from ratings, will tell you something useful about the book in question.

Ratings without any accompanying text are frankly useless.

What is the most difficult part of your writing process?

Defining process as from the moment an idea creates a possible plot to the instant I finish reading a review from a reader, seeing my work pop up on pirate sites, as well as people who return e-books within 7 days that Amazon allows, when they have already read them, are two aspects of the ‘process’ I find difficulty in accepting.

What do you need in your writer’s space to keep you focused?

Few interruptions.

What is your naughty indulgence as you are writing?

Not so much an indulgence, much more a necessity, a mug of strong tea sitting alongside my mouse is essential. Feeding me from time to time is also welcomed.

If you could spend a day with another popular author, whom would you choose? And why?

Ian Fleming, because there are so many aspects of writing I’d like to hear his opinion on, as well as learn how to make my thrillers ‘tighter’ from the Master himself.

What is your schedule like when you are writing? Do you have a favorite writing snack or drink?

In a word: hectic. As I bang away at the keyboard, I’ll have Word occupying 2/3rds of the screen, with a couple of smaller windows alongside which house a dictionary/thesaurus and another Word document with any notes I’ve made.

When I get into the first few drafts, Stylewriter (a superb editing tool) takes over the top window, and Chrome the lower one. I keep one eye on each… wait, that’s three eyes!!!

How do I do that? As mentioned before, Tea rules my life, and, as I often forget to eat when I’m in the zone, my wife who brings me sustenance from time to time.

What food: I’m like a goat, I’ll eat anything.

Do you listen to music when you write – what kind of music is your favorite?

Sometimes. I wrote one book in ‘the CULL’ series listening to Eric Clapton, Enya, Macca (that’s Paul McCartney), and Tina Turner.

On other occasions, classical music, or classic Jazz might be my choice.

However, as I get older, I’m finding I prefer to write without a soundtrack. If anyone asks, age has nothing to do with this… I’m training for when I start to dictate my novels to Dragon software.

Have pets ever gotten in the way of your writing?

Mac will stage a covert attack on my feet when he feels I’ve been writing too long.

Sometimes he will throw a ball at me too (I never knew dogs could throw balls until Mac picked up the trick from watching something on TV).

I have been known to type one-handed (one-fingered, really) while my other hand is scratching Mac’s ears.

What is your kryptonite as a writer? What totally puts you off your game?

No tea!

Have you ever killed off a character that your readers loved?

Yes, I have killed off four so far.

It’s a hard thing to do because readers are usually very vocal when this happens. None of these were gratuitous, however; all needed to meet their ends because of the storyline.

How do you celebrate after typing THE END?

I have a ritual…
1)   I never type The End
2)   I save my draft to several on-site and off-site media.
3)   I stand up and stretch, then walk quickly away from the computer.
4)   Then I make a cuppa. (That’s tea if any non-brits are reading this).