Barclay,
formerly a humour columnist for the Toronto Star, read from his ninth novel,
“The Accident”. He is a winner of the Arthur Ellis Award for Crime Fiction. Of
Barclay’s novel “Never Look Away” Stephen King called it “the best thriller
I’ve read in five years. I literally couldn’t put it down”.
“The Accident”
is a mesmerizing thriller packed with unexpected twists and superb characters.
When Glen Garber’s wife Sheila does not return home from a night school
business course, Glen learns she and two others have been killed in a car
accident. The police claim Sheila was responsible. Believing this to be
impossible, Glen begins his own investigation into the accident where he
uncovers layers of lawlessness beneath the placid surface of their suburb,
secret after dangerous secret behind the closed doors.
Barclay read
the prologue from “The Accident” at the Orangeville author event which was
touched with mystery and humour. Then he responded to questions.
Author Trevor
Cole commented that Barclay’s story is a wonderful mixture of horror and comedy
and that he could write for television. Barclay said humour comes naturally out
of life’s situations. In writing the stories he does picture the scenes in his
head unfolding as if in a movie but prefers to write books because the author
loses control over a script during production.
When asked why
he turned from writing humour to writing horror, Barclay’s response was, “It
was a career strategy. Humour wasn’t selling.”
Barclay is
under contract until 2014 to write a book a year. He was asked how he is able
to put out a book a year. He admitted that he had 2 weeks to come up with the
outline for his next book and had no ideas yet. He does not know his story’s
middle or end. His writing style consists of starting with a hook and continues
from there. He can write a book in two months.
During a
discussion about writing bad books the authors agreed that you need to be
excited about the story you are writing, and to give yourself permission to
give up on a book or story that isn’t working. You need to be driven to finish.
Writing bad books is a learning experience.
One woman
commented that he had women so well pegged that he almost pissed her off. To
that Barclay said he is familiar with women from his wife and adult daughter.
They have their vices. In “The Accident” the women in the story are on an
adventure to find knock off purses. Guys are the same but about different
things like cars or sports. “Knock off bags,” he said, “are like porn for
women.”
When asked
about how much he relies on the input of his agent and editor, Barclay said he
appreciates the value of the editor and agent. You get too close to your work;
you can’t see what’s wrong; you can’t see what’s good. “I value my agent. She
told me that 70% of readers are women so don’t piss them off or they won’t read
your books again.”
After the
question and answer session the authors sat in the lobby signing books and
speaking with the guests. I enjoyed meeting and speaking with Linwood Barclay
whose column I had read for 15 years before he retired to write books full-time.
He is very funny, charming, and tells great stories.
Barclay’s
previous novels are “Bad Move”, “Bad Guys”, “Lone Wolf”, “Stone Rain”, “No Time
for Goodbye”, “Too Close to Home”, “Fear the Worst” and “Never Look Away”. He
also wrote a memoir entitled “Last Resort”. I have read “No Time for Goodbye”
and look forward to reading “The Accident” and “Never Look Away”, the two books
I purchased at the 7th Annual Armchairs, Authors and Art event.
Though Linwood
Barclay is a Canadian author, he is renowned worldwide.
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