This is my first ever interview and I feel privileged to have been able to gain an insight into the mind of a truly remarkable man – D.A.Meyrick, on the subject of his first novel – WHISKY FROM SMALL GLASSES, which is already getting great reviews from Amazon and is well on the way to becoming a best seller.
The novel is a crime thriller set in a small Scottish town on the West Coast of Scotland and centres around the fictional DCI Jim Daley, who is sent to the small rural town of Kinloch to investigate a murder…
I hope you all enjoy this interview as much as I have done creating it!
What are your earliest memories relating to books?
My granny read to me from a very young age. She had been ill, and I used to sit on her bed and listen to her stories, both from books and out of her head.
If you had to choose one person from your childhood who had the biggest influence on your love of books who would it be?
Again, it would probably be my granny; her influence has stayed with me, even though she died when I was 8 years old. My mum too, for encouraging me by making sure there was always a plentiful supply of books to be had. That’s two people; just shows you how confused I am most of the time!
At what point in your life did you realise that you had developed a passion for writing?
I think it was about Primary 4, so I would have been about 8. Our teacher, Mrs Henderson, was a lovely woman, who read to us a lot. She drew my parents’ attention to the fact I had a talent for writing.
Have you ever written any short stories?
Mainly just at school, though I have done some freelance work and a bit of drama; I’m a very dramatic man you know – ask my dear wife!
What kind of books did you enjoy reading as a child?
I suppose the usual fare for a child of my vintage – Enid Blyton’s Famous Five, and Secret Seven, the old classics by Dickens and Wilkie Collins. It was at this point that I started to read books by the great
Angus MacVicar, who became a kind of inspiration for me. He wrote so many wonderful books, both for children and adults. His stories were very popular on the radio in the 1950’s – The Lost Plant being the most famous. I’m pleased to say I’m too young to remember that.
Would you say that the environment in which you grew up influenced you in any way with regard to your passion for writing?
As I’ve said, I think it’s important for children to have access to books from a young age, and our house always had plenty. Also, in a wider sense, living in
Kintyre, so rich in history and tradition, was a great help. WHISKY FROM SMALL GLASSES is set in a fictional town, but a real Kintyre – so the influence is still strong.
Is your writing in any way based on fact or is it always purely fictional?
Like any other writer, experiences, or people you have known creep into various aspects of story, or characterisation. Similar crimes to the ones committed in WHISKY FROM SMALL GLASSES have taken place, though I have made them much more visceral. Despite rumour, none of the characters are real people.
When you started on “Whisky From Small Glasses” did you have an overall plan with an ending in sight or did the storyline develop as you progressed?
I did start with an overall plan, though this changed tangentially during writing. Initially, I had an entirely different culprit – I won’t spoil the book by saying any more. As you write, things pop into your head – in a way, I feel as though much of the book wrote itself!
Did you write this novel with the intention of it being the first in a series or was this something that became apparent as you went on?
I always wanted Jim Daley to have a life after WHISKY; in fact I have plotted the next three books in the series, and am half way through writing the second. Of course, if nobody had bought the first book, then that would have been an inauspicious ending – I’m pleased to say that this is not the case.
Do you think that today’s world full of technology, computer gaming etc has a detrimental effect on the youngsters of today with regard to their interest in books and writing?
There are many distractions, however, there have always been distractions. I think everything has its place; it is up to all of us who read, and know the great pleasure of curling up with a good book, to pass this on to the next generations. My step – granddaughter, Sian loves her books; she’s just getting to the stage where she likes more complex stories, rather than just picture books. I’m looking forward to reading her some of the fantastic writing now available for all ages of children, these days.
As a child I was brought up to love books and this is something that I passed on to my own children from a very early age – do you think this has as much relevance in today’s society as it did in years past?
As I have just mentioned, the experience of reading takes you to another place in a way nothing else can; just you, the words, and the pictures in your head, so much more vivid than in any other form. My first experience of this was being read to, so I believe it is essential that parents spend time imparting this gift to their offspring. I think reading will always be relevant, as it gives so much: fun, entertainment, education, solace… the list goes on.
Is there any particular time of day or night in which you feel most comfortable writing?
I write mainly during the day – as early as possible, in fact. I think the creative mind needs time out to replenish itself; well, this one does, mainly with a nice glass of red, or whisky – from a small glass, of course!
Do you tend to write for long periods at a time or does it vary from day to day?
It varies, though my intention is to write between 1500- 2000 words a day. At the moment, I am spending a lot of time promoting WHISKY FROM SMALL GLASSES, so I’m not getting as much writing done as I would like. Some days 2000 words will tumble out in an hour or two; others, well, lets just say it’s not always that easy.
Would you ever consider writing books other than crime thrillers or do you feel more comfortable sticking to the same genre?
Initially, I intended to write an historical novel. To do so successfully though, requires meticulous research; having never written a full novel before, I didn’t want to get to the situation where I had spent a year in research, only to find the skills required to write a complete book eluded me. Ideally, I would like to write a Daly novel every second year, punctuated by other outpourings. We’ll see.
To what degree does your interaction with other people influence your writing – for example do you draw on them for inspiration with regard to the characters in your novels?
I think characters are very complex; often they just spring into your mind, fully formed- others take longer to craft, As I touched on earlier, you can never escape the influences others have had on you throughout your life; little nuances of real people are bound to creep in.
“Whisky From Small Glasses” is in my opinion an outstanding first novel – do you think that your subsequent books will be easier to write because you have this to draw from or will each one bring its own trials and challenges?
I am experiencing this at the moment, as I’m writing the sequel to WHISKY. In some ways it is easier, as many of the characters are already there and the setting is established; however, the pressure is on now that WHISKY has been so well received, to make it as good, if not better. I think each new book brings its own challenges.
How soon can we expect your next novel?
Hopefully, I will be finished the first draft by the end of January; it is then that the meticulous process of honing the book begins. I would hope that the novel will be out in late spring, early summer.
Have you written any fact – based books?
No, but I’m very keen on histories. There was a massacre at Dunaverty castle in South Kintyre in 1646 that I have an abiding interest in – kindled by the great Angus MacVicar, whose home overlooked the promontory where the castle used to stand. Maybe one day…
Do you tend to read other books while you are writing or do you concentrate wholly on the task at hand?
Oh, I read all the time, regardless of what else I’m doing. I know some authors find it difficult to read another’s work while they are writing themselves – thankfully I have no such problem.
Who is your favourite author and who, if anyone has had the biggest influence on your creativity to date?
I have a very eclectic taste in books, everything from Balzac to Biggles. If I had to pick the writing of one author, it would probably be Patrick O’Brian, the maritime writer. He has that indefinable quality of enabling the reader to slip out of reality and into the world created in his wonderful books – I cannot recommend him highly enough.And of course, the late, great Angus MacVicar, who did so much to encourage me, in the true sense of the word. I met him many times over the years, as he lived to a ripe old age – he never forgot me, and always chided me for ‘not writing’. He was a fine man, and a brilliant writer- take a look at his books if you get a chance, you won’t be disappointed.
I would like to say a big thank you to the author for giving me this opportunity!
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