C.R. Berry is a British author who writes conspiracy thrillers with a sci-fi or fantasy bent. Berry has been published in Phantaxis, Suspense Magazine, Storgy, Tigershark, Scribble, Metamorphose, and the first To Hull and Back anthology.
How long have you been writing and what got you started?
Since I was four! In those days my mum did the writing (I just told her what to write) and I drew the pictures. I think it was just the excitement of creating a book that got me started. Later on I was making up stories based on things I was watching or reading. I remember that the early ones had appearances from Daleks, Beetlejuice, Shere Khan and Babs and Buster Bunny! I didn’t really stop after that. My ambition is to one day be earning enough from writing fiction that I can do it full-time, or at least part-time. I’m not after fame or riches. It would just be nice to earn enough to stay afloat.
What is the best piece of advice you have for new writers?
Join a writers’ group. If you’re just starting out, you need to get feedback on your work and the easiest (and cheapest) way of doing this is by attending a writers’ group where members read and comment on each other’s work. You’ll be astounded by how much you’ll develop as a writer. The feedback I’ve got from my writers’ group has improved my writing to such an extent that I can barely read my writing from before I joined.
But what you also need to remember is that writing is one of the most subjective businesses there is. One person’s opinion on your work could be completely different to another’s, so getting feedback from a cross-section of fellow writers is much more useful than getting it from just one person. It’s important to remember this with rejections, too. It’s one opinion. Always try and get more before you change something fundamental about your work. You don’t want to end up deleting or changing something that might not be to that person’s tastes but is literary gold to everyone else
If you could go back and find yourself five years ago, what advice would you give yourself?
Don’t self-publish without a fully planned promotional campaign. I self-published some children’s books, made some fliers and no-budget book trailers and poetry films that I hoped would ignite the internet, and reached out to local newspapers and schools. However, I didn’t know what I was doing, really. While my books got good feedback, I had no way of reaching the masses. And promotion is everything. Next time I publish—whether it is self-publishing or traditional publishing—I will make sure the book is supported by a publicist and some marketing, even if I have to pay for it.
Are you an outliner or discovery writer? Or somewhere in between?
Definitely an outliner. I need to know where my plots are going. And since my books are pretty complicated, I don’t think I’d be able to write something cohesive without an outline. I also think that there’s more chance of you losing control of your narrative and your characters if you don’t lay the path beforehand.
Have you attended any conferences or writing retreats? What was the experience like and do you have any to recommend?
Yes! I’ve been to a couple. Last year I went to South House Retreat in Dorset, England and thought it was great. Try and find one in the countryside (peace and quiet and pretty views are very conducive to lots of writing) with a crackling log fire (also very productivity-fuelling) and go full-board. That way the only things you need to worry about are your writing. Also, South House Retreat includes wine with dinner, and I often find that a glass or two gets the creative juices flowing!
In your opinion, how important is a writing degree or MFA when it comes to achieving success in writing fiction?
Not important. There is a lot to learn about writing fiction, I’ve no doubt about that. But based on my own experiences with people with creative writing degrees, I think there’s a risk of getting wrapped up in rules and technical aspects. At a certain point you have to forge your own path. Listen to advice, read different authors, learn about different methods and narrative structures, but just remember that rules are made to be broken and there are no absolutes. I cannot disagree more with writers who say, “Never use an adverb!” or “Never use an exclamation mark!” These things have purpose; it’s about moderation.
I remember someone with a writing degree deconstructing my work in such a way that they reduced it to a series of literary devices. They didn’t see it as a story. Therein lies the problem. There’s sometimes a compulsion to look at everything through a technical lens. A good story is more important than how well it’s written.
What are your writing goals for the next twelve months?
I’ve just received some really positive and constructive feedback from a potential publisher on my forthcoming novel, Million Eyes, which is part sci-fi, part conspiracy thriller, part historical fiction. So I’m currently working on a new edit of that and can already see how much stronger it’s becoming. I plan to get that done in the next few months and resume the arduous process of submitting to agents and publishers.
Meanwhile I’m working on a new, untitled novel which is also a conspiracy thriller. However, this one’s set in a fantasy world and has lots of commentary on religion. The story focuses on two characters: a grandmother who is having memories of people and events that don’t tally with her queendom’s established chronology, and a lawyer who is summoned to defend a client accused of murder and starts to suspect that dark forces are working against her.
Finally I have a horror novel planned that I will start writing in the next few months.
What are your writing goals for the next five years?
I plan to have published the first Million Eyes novel, at least, whether that’s through a big publisher, a small publisher, or self-publishing (but self-publishing is an absolute last resort). I also plan to have finished the fantasy novel and the horror novel and be well on the way to finding a publisher for these, too.
What book are you reading right now?
Book of Souls by Glenn Cooper. It’s the sequel to his Dan Brown-esque conspiracy thriller (with some supernatural elements thrown in), Library of the Dead.
Is there anything you’d like to plug? Feel free to share a link.
I’ve written and had published a series of short stories set in the same universe as my novel Million Eyes. Most are time travel stories and some incorporate real-life conspiracy theories and urban legends. They’re loosely linked and act as an introduction to the world and the conspiracy at the heart of the novel. Each one is standalone, so you don’t need to read one to understand another. There’s one about Paul McCartney not being who he says he is, another about a time traveller who pops up in a Charlie Chaplin DVD extra, and the Loch Ness Monster puts in an appearance too. I have stories featuring JFK’s assassination and the Aberfan disaster coming soon.
I recently published an article that details all the places where you can read these stories, so if you’re interested, have a gander!
