Question: Without giving too much away, what can readers expect from your debut novel?
P.J. Moroney: Hopefully an entertaining read. I think the protagonist is complex and interesting. The themes are pretty universal. And I think it has some good twists and surprises, though I’m not much of a judge of that. I’m told that’s the case.
I set out to write a book I’d like to read, but I hardly considered the audience when I wrote it. It makes the question a bit hard to answer. Readers will get their own thing out of it, hopefully something good – but, at the end of the day, it’s their business. And while I hope people enjoy it and I sell a million copies, I’m not too fussed.
I’ve heard a lot of writers say they write for themselves. I think I have, anyway. But it’s true for me, and think it must always be the case for any attempt at serious literature. It’s different if you’re setting out to write a commercial best-seller, a potboiler or whatever. Fair enough if you do your research to write what people want to read. I’d love to write a bestseller, but the reason I write is not to be acclaimed or make a million dollars or even to be read – though I hope all that happens. I write because I feel like I have something I have to say. Something I have to get out. My process is just the opposite of deliberately writing a popular novel.
I know it sounds a bit pretentious. And I note that I’ve inferred my book is serious literature. It isn’t, though it’s got things in it. It’s a detective novel. It has crime and murders, and it’s even got porn. I think it’s well-written. Some of the dialogue is snappy – it was fun to write it. And it’s got a big sex scene for those easily titillated. That was funny to write also.
Question: The sex scene is quite substantial. Do you have a process when writing sex scenes?
P.J. Moroney: Nothing special. These days, I’m going by memory. I’ve read some pretty ordinary sex scenes in the past and reckon the mistake they make is being too literal. In my experience, anyway, sex is more a series of impressions and sensations, and that’s how I write it. Sex isn’t cerebral; it’s in the body and the sense of self, merging and embracing and shifting, and the sensations, sudden sometimes, and sometimes slow. A build-up that includes anticipation and imagination. The best sex is always a bit of a trip. That’s how I write it. I don’t plan it. I let it happen, like the real thing – impressionistic, edgy, raw, a bit sloppy, but a lot of fun.
Question: Are any characters or events in your book inspired by real-life experiences or people?
P.J. Moroney: Everyone always wants to know this. Most of this story came into being 20 years ago. If there was anyone in mind, they’re long forgotten. Having said that, you borrow people from time to time in your writing. There’s never a complete person, but you might take aspects – the way someone talks or walks, little idiosyncrasies and tics here and there you re-purpose. Sometimes, when writing, I’ll be reminded of someone I know or have met, but it’s that way around. It’s possible they’ve been in my subconscious all this time and come out on the page, but you’d have to ask my Id.
There’s one character in the book who had the physical description of someone I used to work with, though the personality is very different. Sometimes, I imagine faces, and I’ll see someone and think, yep, that’s so and so. For the record, Kurten isn’t me.
As for events? I can’t think of any. Places a bit. Melbourne plays a big role in this story. There’s a pub I’ve described, as well as a bar that fits pretty well with the generic Melbourne bar vibe. There’s Brunswick Street, trams, footy, and so on. But that’s pretty standard.
Question: Was it a deliberate decision to make Melbourne such a character in this story?
P.J. Moroney: Yes. I’m a die-hard Melburnian. Love the place and know it back to front. It’s got a broody face that suited the story well, plus I wanted to show it off a bit. I had a European reader tell me very enthusiastically that they felt like they were walking the streets of Melbourne reading it. I liked that.