Jonathan Whitelaw - Interview

Exclusive interview with Jonathan Whitelaw, author of Hell Corp and The Man in the Dark, published by Urbane Publications

Jonathan Whitelaw is one of the most distinctive authors to appear in Britain in recent years, his utilisation of the Devil as his main protagonist in two books now has served up a richly black sort of humour that had this reader in hysterics and guffawing out loud by the climax.

By having such an iconic person at the thrust of the story can be both rewarding and daunting, after reading the book I took the opportunity to ask Mr. Whitelaw via social media about the possibility of answering a few questions. It is nice to say he did respond and here is my interview with Jonathan Whitelaw.

- What was the genesis of writing Hell Corp and writing about a character as universally known but misunderstood as The Devil?

I guess I had always wanted to write a crime novel - but I'd never thought I was clever enough! As a reader and reviewer yourself, you'll know that there are lots of great writers out there doing some fantastic work in the crime and thriller genres. But we've seen every type of antihero under the sun. If a cop isn't an alcoholic, they're a workaholic. If they don't see their family enough they see them too much. On and on it goes. 

So I got to thinking about writing an antihero like no other. And I started at the anti-part. Every culture on earth has an antagonist in their folklore and mythology. An embodiment of evil so awful that their mentions are usually the stuff of horror. So that, naturally, is where I started. 

I conjured up this image of The Devil as being somebody growing tired of being that bad guy, always being the villain. I figured if he wanted to go on holiday he'd still need all of his wicked ways to be carried out - hence the eponymous HellCorp. And from there, really, the story grew. 

I knew I needed a foil for The Devil and I suppose there really wasn't much choice - it had to be the Man Upstairs. Although sometimes its the Woman Upstairs of course! Having Him challenge The Devil to solve a murder mystery seemed like such a perfect medium and outlet for this Old Nick character I had created. And from there it all just grew arms and legs!



- Do you have a black humour yourself?

I think I do. I'm often told by my wife that the things I find funny I probably shouldn't. It's not my fault of course. I blame all the top-notch comedy on the BBC in the 90s when I was a kid growing up. Seriously, if I wasn't watching The Fast Show I was glued to the League of Gentlemen and Bottom. So blame all of those people!

When I'm not being a full-time writer I'm a full-time journalist. And I'm pretty sure its a pre-requisite to be a hack that you have a black sense of humour. My career has predominantly been in the digital world so you always get a lot of change and different types of stories across your desk. Being able to laugh in adversity and get on with your colleagues can actually be quite therapeutic. Especially if it's being a particularly brutal day. 

But yes, I'd say I have a black sense of humour. It clearly helps when you're writing about The Devil solving crimes!



- How long/How many drafts did this novel take and was it easier following the reception of the first book?

This is the first time I've ever written a sequel. So that was a big adjustment to my normal writing process. I sat down with a vague idea for The Man in the Dark and thought 'oh, here is a cast of characters that I already know - what fun, dangerous and thrilling situations can I put them through?'

It was a little strange at first. But one thing I enjoy about writing is getting to know the characters I'm creating. Dialogue is a big part of my work. Getting into the nitty-gritty, the psychology of a character is key to creating that dialogue. If you don't understand your characters then you won't be able to write what they would think, say and ultimately do. Having that already established in a way was quite liberating, even if it took me a while to get used to it. 

In terms of drafts, I'd say about 75% of my first draft of the book was cut. It suffered from what I call the 'Fast & Furious' effect. As a quick explainer - the first Fast and Furious movie is about street racers and stolen cars. The last one had international crime syndicates, nuclear submarines and a supercar jumping between skyscrapers in Dubai. In short, things got out of hand very quickly - spiraling way out of control. 

The very first draft of The Man in the Dark had helicopter chases and all kinds of other huge, mind-boggling madness. And as I wrote it I knew it was never going to fly - pun intended. So I finished the draft, all 80,000 words, before scrapping it. Writing can be like that. Sometimes you need a warm-up to get yourself going. You wouldn't run a marathon without prepping or getting in the right frame of mind. 

So yeah, I think the start and finish of the book on the shelves now survived The Great Purge. And ultimately it was for the best. The story I wanted to write wasn't the one I had written before. I needed to go through that process. It made for a better story in the end. And I'm extremely proud of The Man in the Dark. 



- You paint the Devil as a know all but powerful, this contrast of emotions and characteristics is it difficult to balance?

Balance has always been at the heart of the HellCorp novels. I've always loved authority figures who get cut down to size. And I love watching them still try to maintain that arrogant air and sophistication, even when there's metaphorical egg on their chin. 

That's a very artsy way of saying that I like to put my characters in situations I know they'll hate. The Devil in my books is all-powerful, all-knowing but also all too aware of his lot in the universe. He knows the proper way of doing things and, oddly, abides by the rules - he's made a lot of them up himself. He does, of course, get up to mischief and, like most authority figures, is always willing to stack the cards in his favour so that he wins. 

I like that about his character. I like that he's prone to mistakes and, while he would rarely, if at all, admit to them publically, he knows that he's just as prone to making them as everyone else. The difference being that if he drops the ball then there are huge ramifications and consequences. He's a realist and a pragmatist, a skeptic at heart in a world filled with the illogical, bizarre and downright strange. 



- Was it fun to write the good cop/bad cop scenes? The chemistry between the two is done well.

You're very, very kind. The fiver is in the post!

I love dialogue. And actually, it's always been a big part of my enjoyment of other literature, film and TV. Some of my fondest books and movies feature a strong relationship that's brought entirely to life through the dialogue. The Lethal Weapon movies always stick in my mind. It's clear on-screen that everyone involved in those movies, in front and behind the camera, had an absolute ball making them. And that only continues as the franchise went on. 

The dialogue is snappy, it flows, you're drawn into the world of these characters and the veil of fantasy completely envelopes you. It's not Mel Gibson and Danny Glover on there, it's two LA cops who've been through hell and high water together and have become family. 

I always strive for genuine interaction and dialogue with my characters - even if it's The Devil and God having an argument about the end of the world. It's something I like in work that I read and watch. So I always strive to make it come alive in my own. 



- What is next for the Man in the Dark?

Well he's been left in a bit of pickle by the end of the second book. So I supposed we should probably find out what happens shouldn't we?

Being all cryptic aside, the third novel in the series is with my publisher. Which is very exciting. 

And being the money-grabbing, starving author I am - I'm not giving away any more than that! You'll just have to read it and see!



- What is your writing process?

The million-dollar question! I get asked about my process quite a bit. And it's not normally until I'm asked about it do I actually give it a lot of thought.

I'm lucky in that I can write at any time, really anywhere. When my first novel, Morbid Relations, was written, I definitely had a process. I was working in Glasgow but living in Edinburgh so I had two hours commute every day to just sit and write. It was a pretty intense process but it worked for the story and the characters etc. 

Thankfully I don't have that commute anymore. And as such my writing isn't quite as focussed and distilled into those two hours a day. So some writing days now I can be going for hours and others I struggle to craft 50 that even make sense. 

One thing that's a must for any writer though is... actually writing. I was told by a very lovely tutor of mine at uni that you can't edit a blank page. And that still rings true today. If I'm asked about advice from anybody wanting to make a living from writing I always tell them that. You can have the greatest novel and story ever living inside your head. But if you don't get it out of there, in some way, shape or form, nobody is ever going to be able to enjoy it and share the experience and talent. 

It's a surprisingly motivating mantra actually. And it's one that's served me well in the five or so years I've been a professional author. 



- Can you speak about the partnership/relationship with Urbane Publications?

The amount of support, backing and general love I've had from my publisher has been nothing short of amazing. They have, quite literally, made my dreams come true by giving me a platform and outlet to tell my stories. I genuinely can't thank them enough. 

A good example was just before Christmas. The authors and staff of Urbane genuinely feel like a family - one that I've been welcomed in to with open arms. We all have a strong bond with each other - brothers and sisters in arms. That's why we were all so shocked last year at the sudden death of writer Dan Proops.

I wanted to do something, anything, really, to honour him. So I wrote a HellCorp short story - The Fright Before Christmas - with the intention of asking for donations for charity for anybody who wanted to give. But Matthew at Urbane went above and beyond. We got the short story published on Amazon as a special e-book - and all proceeds were being donated to The Samaritans. It was a really wonderful, special gesture that meant a great deal to me. A level of support and unwavering faith that, ultimately, meant we could make a difference and help a really worthy cause. 

The feedback we got was fantastic. And I am, truly, very grateful for the support that Urbane offered to me and my desire to help out. That and they let me write about The Devil solving crimes. I really couldn't ask for a better publisher!

The Man in the Dark is available now from Urbane Publications across all formats