The past leaves fingerprints

There's a problem inherent with writing a series of books with the same central character - what happens to the past? Does it get forgotten about as soon as the books over, and we start again with a clean slate for the next book? Or do the things that happen leave their grubby fingerprints all over our characters?

"But, Stuart," I here you groan, in that bored way you do, "why would we care? Can't you just post another picture of a dead mouse and make a couple of knob jokes, instead of writing about ... well, writing?"

Yes, I could, but Judith's comment on the last post strikes me as a good excuse to be boring for a bit and put on my serious hat. The one without the comedy breasts and amusing farty noises...

At 4:24 PM, Judith said...

Just finished reading Blind Eye. Loved it. But please donn't send our favourite Scottish DS down that PTSD, alcoholic, could have something to do with an overbearing mother road to misery and ruin.After all some cops are normal and sane.

Now I have to confess that I really don't like chocolate cake. And that I'm not a big fan of the whole 'and the next day he forgot all about the horrific events of the last month and went about life as normal' thing. That big red button that resets everything back to the way it was. I know a lot of writers do it, but it makes my nipples itch with rage. Well, 'rage' is probably putting it a bit strong, it's more of a vague disquiet, but you know what I mean. For me, if a character's had a really shitty time of it in book 3 then I expect to see echoes of that in book 4.

Ray Banks does an excellent job of this with his Callum Innes books. Innes gets more and more fucked up with every book. He's like a real person! Shock, and indeed, horror. It's a brave thing to do, because it does give a series character a finite shelf life. If you're going to be writing a series character who spends each successive book being more and more traumatised by horrible things happening to him (or her) then sooner or later, they're going to be so screwed up there's no return.

Which makes that big red reset button seem all the more attractive. Press it and you can keep on writing the same characters over and over and over.

But I have to admit that I don't want to press it. I think Logan's getting more interesting as he goes. Certainly to write about. He's not the same person at the end of Blind Eye as he was at the start of Cold Granite. Or at least I hope he isn't.

Here's the thing though - I don't really want him to end up as a bitter lump of alcohol-soaked gristle. At least, not in the long term. OK, so he's never going to be the same naïve, bushy-tailed wee scamp he was to start with, but I don't see him turning into the classic police procedural cliché. If he does, then it'll definitely be time to kill him off.

And now, to lighten the mood, here's a picture of a dead mouse:



You'll have to wait for the knob joke.

Halfway home

I didn't realise till this weekend what a shite hole Heathrow Terminal 5 was. A shiny, shiny new shite hole. Though I suppose I shouldn't complain, I did actually make it home with all my luggage, and these days that's a blessing to be counted. Like bunions on an old man's foot.

Anyway, yes: touring. That's me officially at the turning point of things. I have Noodled in Nottingham, lurked in Lincoln, ponced about in Piccadilli, and sung silly songs in Streatham. Got some good crowds as well, certainly the forecasts for doom-and-gloom in Piccadilli turned out to be a load of old badger scrotums, which was a relief. In the end we had a packed room with enthusiastic Polish swearing. Can't ask for more than that, can you?

So right now it's four down and four to go, so I've still got time to screw everything up. In the meantime, I'm spending my days hunched over my tiny wee travelling laptop in trains and hotel rooms, trying to catch up with Book Number The Sixth (which almost had a title, but now doesn't again *sigh*).

And there's a sodding heap to catch up on. Normally I start each book on the 1st of January, hungover or not. But instead of doing that, this year I've been rewriting HALFHEAD, the non-Logan non-series book coming out in September. Which means that instead of handing in the first draft of Book Number The Sixth on the 1st of May like I'm supposed to, I'm only just starting the damn thing now.

Eeeek!

Which is comforting in a 'there's a conga eel hiding in your toilet bowl' kinda way.

So, if I seem a bit distracted and flinchy - now you know why.

In other news of an eventy nature, I'm going to be putting my personal fuzzy parts on the chopping block in June and offering the axe to a selection of forensic specialists as part of the Macaulay Institute's: Murder, Mystery & Microscopes. The idea is that they take a look at some of my books, then tell me exactly where I've got things wrong. All in front of a live studio audience. It seemed like a good idea at the time...

Actually it should be a lot of fun. Certainly the experts involved are pretty damn groovy in the cleverness department:

• Professor Dave Barclay, world renowned forensics expert and Senior Lecturer in Forensic Science at Robert Gordon University, Aberdeen.
• Dr Lorna Dawson, head of Soil Forensic Science at the Macaulay Land Use Research Institute.
• Dr James Grieve, Police Forensic Pathologist and Senior Lecturer in Forensic Medicine at the University of Aberdeen.
• And it's all going to be overseen by Northsound 2's Damien McLeod.

So I'm probably going to be in for a stiff kicking (he said, mixing his metaphors from the earlier image of testicle chopping as it was giving him the creeps).

And best of all, according to the fliers, "As excerpts from the book, descriptions and images of crime scenes may be of a graphic nature, this event is not suitable for children under 16 years of age."

Woo hoo! I has a PG rating.

Apparently the event's already sold out, but the Macaulay are still taking people's details, and if there's enough interest they'll run another one later in the year. If you're interested, you can register at murdermystery@macaulay.ac.uk

In the meantime, I suppose I could either go back to work, or play with the cat. There's half a mouse on the porch that looks as if it might be worth a prod...

You can never go wrong with half a dead mouse. Unless you try to make tempura with it. Then you end up with a little hairy nugget of batter. Which isn't quite as much fun as you'd think.

Just like the Rolling Stones*

Now that Blind Eye has hit the bookshelves like a drunken ex-boyfriend, I'm going to be hitting the road, pimping the books to anyone who'll listen. And apparently (according to HarperCollins) it might be a good idea to actually tell people where I'm going to be.

Never one to rock the boat, or fart in the bath, I have acquiesced to their demands and publish for you here the list of stuff what I'll be doing over the next couple of weeks (and yes, I have stolen the descriptions from the venues). Mostly it's going to be me rambling on about stuff, things, and anything else that takes my fancy. Including, but not restricted to, rude songs and Polish swearing.

I've been told that the gig in Piccadilly is likely to be ... challenging. Apparently it's really hard to get people to go along to hear a bearded Scottish idiot being incoherent for an hour and a half. So, if you're in the neighbourhood, please do come along and drag everyone you know with you. Otherwise I'm going to feel like a right bloody idiot.

No change there then.

Tuesday, 5 May 2009WATERSTONE'S NOTTINGHAM BRIDLE
18:30 - 20:00
Tickets £3 from the store, redeemable against the featured book at the event.

Bestselling crime supremo Stuart Macbride will be with us to talk about and sign copies of his latest offering, 'Blind Eye'. Once again, Waterstone's Nottingham offers up a treat for crime fans everywhere!

Further details: 01159 484499
1-5 Bridlesmith Gate
Nottingham
NG1 2GR

Wednesday, 6 May 2009WATERSTONE'S LINCOLN HIGH ST
7:00PM
Tickets £3 now available

Crime writer Suart MacBride will be talking about and signing copies of his latest thriller.

Further details: 01522 540011
297 High Street
Lincoln
LN2 1AF

Thursday, 7 May 2009WATERSTONE’S PICCADILLY, LONDON
7:00PM
Tickets £3, redeemable against purchase of the promoted title on the night

The bestselling author will be discussing his new thriller 'Blind Eye'.

Further details: 0207 851 2400

Friday, 8 May 2009STREATHAM LIBRARY
7:00PM

As part of the 2009 Readers and Writers festival

63 Streatham High Rd
SW16 1PL

Tuesday, 12 May 2009NORTH SHIELDS LIBRARY
7:00PM

Crime writer Stuart MacBride will be talking about his books at a North Tyneside Council library next month.

Stuart is the top-ten best-selling author of several novels set in Aberdeen that feature DS Logan McRae.

He has been shortlisted for the Theakston's Old Peculiar Crime Novel of the Year Award twice, won the 2007 CWA Dagger in the Library for his body of work, and was named best breakthrough author at the 2008 ITV Crime Thriller Awards.

Tickets cost £2 and include a free glass of wine.

For further information TEL: 0191 200 5424
Central Library
Northumberland Square
North Shields
Tyne & Wear
NE30 1QU

Wednesday, 13 May 2009EAST BOLDON LIBRARY
7:30PM

£1.00 a ticket covers refreshment and stuff.

Further details: 0191 424 7853
Boker Lane
East Boldon
NE36 0RY

Thursday, 14 May 2009BLACKWELL BOOKSHOP – EDINBURGH
18:15 - 19:45pm

Blackwell's welcomes Stuart MacBride the bestselling Scottish author of Cold Granite and Flesh House.

Stuart will be introducing us to his latest in the Logan McRae thriller series set in gritty Aberdeen - Blind Eye.

Come along and enjoy a glass of wine whilst you listen to Stuart MacBride and gather some clues towards Detective Sergeant Logan McRae's fate.

This event is ticketed, but tickets are FREE. Tickets are available from the front desk.

Further details: 0131 622 8206
Blackwell Bookshop
52 - 63 South Bridge
Edinburgh
EH1 1YS
events.edinburgh@blackwell.co.uk

Friday, 15 May 2009BORDERS GLASGOW
6:30PM

Come and meet bestselling Scottish crime writer Stuart Macbride on Friday 15th May at 6.30pm, as he talks about and signs copies of his fantastic new DS Logan McRae novel Blind Eye.

Further details: 0141 222 7700
98 Buchanan Street
Glasgow
G1 3BA

* Only without the drugs. Booze. Groupies. Rock & Roll. And wrinkles.