Q and A with Tom Newton
“What really matters to me are rich characters, as without protagonists that you truly care for, you don’t really have a story.”
When did you first realise that you wanted to be a writer?
I first realized that writing was something that I wanted to try myself when I was 15 years old. One of the first books I read was “The Shining” by Stephen King, and I was so captivated by the mastery of his writing that I just felt the natural urge to want to try it. What really solidified it for me was reading “Interview with the Vampire” by Anne Rice, which I finished in two nights. I was absolutely thrilled by it, and knew right then that I wanted to be a writer, even if it was just for my own creative pleasure. My dream has always been to be a published author, and for people to enjoy my work.
Where does your inspiration come from?
I live in northern England, and from a young age loved to travel around the county of Yorkshire. It’s a place so richly steeped in folklore and dark history that the inspiration is plain to see. I’ve always loved vampires more than any other monster, and would often visit Whitby because of its ties to the legendary story of Dracula. The atmosphere there is magical, and continues to inspire me to this day. I always dreamed of writing my own vampire tale based there, and here it is!
“The atmosphere there is magical.”
Tom Newton discussing Whitby. The inspiration for his debut book
What is your process?
It really isn’t very complex. It’ll start with a basic idea, find a point late in the story that I want to reach, and work backwards from there, logically finding plot points along the way to build the story to that conclusion. What really matters to me are rich characters, as without protagonists that you truly care for, you don’t really have a story. You have to build people, from the ground up, so that when they face challenges, or tragedies befall them, you as a reader are fully invested in the tale. After that its just a case of review, review, review. I chip away at the excess material that doesn’t serve the story until I feel satisfied that it’s a sleek machine, that drives the narrative forward at every turn. Finally, I’d advise everyone who wants to write to get an editor. You may think you’ve found and corrected every single grammatical error or spelling oversight, but trust me – you haven’t!
What authors do you enjoy reading?
Well, Stephen King is the obvious one, which may be a cliché to say, but its for a very good reason! King is to me a perfect writer, who always draws you deep into the hearts and minds of his characters with such skill, it blows my mind. Anne Rice is the other obvious one, especially for a vampire fanatic. I also love the work of Neil Gaiman, Clive Barker, John Ajvide Lindqvist, and classic authors such as Stoker, Shelley and Lovecraft.
