An Interview with Author James Clemens

**An interview I conducted in 1999 when I was at The Rose and Thorn Literary E-zine. James Clemens, aka James Rollins, has since gone on to publish six thrillers and seven individual adventure novels among others. Visit his website at: James Rollins.

An Interview With Author,
James Clemens

The Secrets to Writing Success 
 

Interview by
Jasmin Randick

James Clemens knows about animals. Not only does he share his home with two Dalmations, a stray Shepherd and a parrot named, Igor, but he’s a practicing veterinarian in Sacramento, California. In fact, this successful author of two high fantasy books, Wit’ch Fire and Wit’ch Storm, and a New York Times bestseller, Subterranean, found the time to turn his novel ideas from mere thoughts to published material while he was still working sixty hours a week in his veterinary practice. “I had to write in cracks of free time. But I made myself write at least three double-spaced manuscript pages a day.”

Clemens’ determination paid off. He has just finished book three of The Banned and the Banished series. Wit’ch War is due out in Summer 2000 and so is his latest thriller, Excavation. “Anyone can get published,” says Clemens. “It does not take talent. But like any profession, writing takes some practice.”

Rose and Thorn: Both Wit’ch Fire and Wit’ch Storm, Book One and Two of The Banned and the Banished, have two of the most original beginnings I’ve come across. Do you already envision the path this trilogy will take?

James Clemens: The future is always tricky to predict -- whether soothsayer or writer. So I hate to think any events in my stories are set in stone. As a writer, I work from a pretty liquid outline. I know the beginning and the end very well, and I know where most of the major stepping stones are in between. But otherwise, I try not to overly structure my story line. I often discover characters and events that I could not have imagined while in outlining mode.

But with that said, I must make a confession. The series is actually not a "trilogy," but in fact, a "tetralogy." And with five books and a cast of hundreds of characters, some outlining and structure must be established. With plots and subplots spreading over the course of five books, some guideposts and scribbled notes are needed to find my way back out.

As to the beginnings of each novel, the infamous forewords arose from my love of banned texts. Whenever I come across a table in a bookstore with a sign that reads: "These Books Have Been Banned," I am there! There is nothing like something forbidden to whet one’s desire.

RT: Your plots are electrifying; the pace is fast and full of suspense. How do you come up with such original story lines?

Clemens: Whoa . . . those are trade secrets!

Actually, not really. I’ve always enjoyed novels that keep me guessing. So, of course, you need to write what you like to read!

As to suspense, I think the key is twofold. First, you must get the reader to sympathize and relate to your character(s), then you simply put them into jeopardy. If a reader is attached to a certain character, they are going to be biting their nails to see what happens. Second, I think it’s important to "keep turning up the heat!" Each jeopardy must be worse and more complicated than the last. Don’t let the reader hardly catch a breath.

In regards to plotting, it is not that different from building suspense. But in this case, you must firmly establish the protagonist’s GOAL. What is his, or her, driving need? Once that’s established, plotting is simply putting up "roadblocks" between your character and his ultimate goal. And like suspense, each roadblock should be worse than the last. Make sure your characters travel a very bumpy road to keep readers reading!

RT: Some authors start out with a plot in mind, others with characters whom they’ll follow to reveal the theme. What works best for you and why?

Clemens: When I’ve sat on panels at writing conventions in the past, I’ve heard other authors posed this same question. So first, let me tell you that the answer is almost always different for each author.

Personally, I have come at stories from both ways: starting with characters and building a plot around them or discovering a great plot idea and peopling it with characters. For instance, in my novel, Subterranean, I started with the kernel of a plot. "Take a bunch of characters, dump them down a hole two miles under Antarctica, throw in a few monsters, then shake vigorously." From there I built my story. In The Banned and the Banished fantasy series, I started with a single character, Elena. She was in my head and notebook for almost two years, talking to me, telling me her story, her fears, her dreams. And eventually, I grew a land and a story around her.

But in truth, there are many routes to the same end. A certain very popular fantasy author starts with a map, then uses the geography to build cultures and people, then dreams up conflicts and histories, and slowly the story builds. Another author imagined a cool house, then added people and a story line. So I think it boils down to one answer. Every story starts with a seed. And how we grow that into a story is different for each author.

RT: Were you concerned about giving away too much of the trilogy's end in the foreword to Wit'ch Fire?

Clemens: Not really. As I tell everyone who reads my novels, "don’t believe what I tell you until you see the period on the last page of the last book." Nothing is what it seems.

But the forewords are more than just foretelling. They also serve a significant purpose. They set up a frame around the series that creates two mysteries that overlap the story. What I like to call the icing on the cake. The "cake" is the story of Elena and her band of allies, but the "icing" concerns two overlying mysteries: Just why have the scrolls been banned by the Commonwealth? And just who is the narrator who wrote the forbidden scrolls? The answer won’t come until the end of the series (though little hints for those reading carefully will be seeded throughout the novels).

RT: Each of your characters are distinct, their motivations and individual characteristics very clear. There was not one character who wasn’t wonderfully three-dimensional, from the frightful and evil Skal’tum, to the fascinating and mysterious 


Dismarum/Greshym, to your main heroine, Elena. What advice would you give aspiring writers on developing equally dynamic and memorable characters?

Clemens: Look to your own life. Look around you. I spend a lot of time people-watching. When building a character, use those traits you see. No character is all evil or all good. We are each a spectrum of traits. What motivates someone to do evil? What made them evil? Character-building is two fold: who they were in the past and who they are now. I devote a few pages to each character I create. What do they look like? What do they wear? What is their past? What is their current needs or desires? What quirks do they have? And in each character’s biography page, I ask two questions: What is honorable about them? What is horrible about them? I have answers to both for every character, both hero and villain. If you do all this, you’ll have great characters who will come alive on the page.

RT: You wrote Subterranean, your New York Times bestseller, under the pseudonym "James Rollins." Why the pseudonym? Have you used others?

Clemens: No, there are no other pen-names. Even the decision to use another name for my "archaeological thrillers" was made at the behest of my publishers at Avon.They wanted to release Subterranean as general fiction and were afraid the novel would be pigeon-holed as scifi/fantasy if it was tied to the "James Clemens" name. So now I have two names, which makes signings really confusing.

RT: How did you research for this novel?

Clemens: For Subterranean, my background in evolutionary biology helped build the cavern ecosystem. But still plenty of research had to be done. I started with the internet as a resource to begin searching, then expanded to the libraries. I also found the National Geographic to be an invaluable resource. I also consulted members of a local caving group.

For the fantasy books, I used a wonderful series of books: Life in a Medieval Village and Life in a Medieval Castle by Geis. I recommend these books for anyone interested in writing high fantasy.

RT: Subterranean, a thriller, was your first novel. Have you written any books in between that and The Banned And The Banished fantasy, or published anything else besides these novels?

Clemens: Subterranean was the first novel I wrote. It sold to Avon back in 1996 and took three years to reach print. During the long lag time between sale and publication, I wrote Wit’ch Fire and Wit’ch Storm and saw them published. Since then, I’ve written Wit’ch War (book 3) and Excavation. Both novels will be on bookshelves in Summer 2000.

RT: Many writers have had success writing in different genres. Did you find it difficult to switch over to the fantasy genre after writing such a well received thriller?

Clemens: Not really. I have always read both genres avidly, and ideas for both were always popping into my head. It is actually nice to write in both genres. Each has its charms and difficulties. The thrillers, since set in present time on Earth, require little elaboration of the "world." Plus the characters in my thrillers have the luxury of life’s modern conveniences: guns, cars, airplanes, phones. Still, while fantasy requires much more set-up and everyone runs around with swords and horses, it is still delightful to create your own world, creatures, and magick systems. I find switching between genres allows me a nice break, a change of scenery, so to speak.

RT: When did you start writing?

Clemens: My first short story was written in Junior High School. . . and I’ve never really stopped putting pen to paper. Over the years, there were definitely ebbs and flows to my writing. While in veterinary school and while trying to get my career off the ground afterward, I put most of my writing aside. It was only about six years ago that I truly began concentrating again and spent a couple years trying to hone my craft. Once I felt confident, I spent another eleven months writing Subterranean during lunch hours, breaks, and weekends.

RT: Where did you receive your most valuable lessons in becoming a writer?

Clemens: My most valuable lesson came from simply reading. I would try and write a scene, but when it wasn’t working, I’d pull down a book with a similar scene and see how the professional had done it. Why re-learn how to invent the wheel, when it’s already been done? Answers to all writing quandaries can be found in almost any book.

But probably the novel that most influenced my writing was The Shipping News by E. Annie Proulx. Her wonderful prose taught me how fluid and free writing can be. It was as if a big ax suddenly chopped away chains that had bound me. I could go wild with my writing! Even members of my own writing group commented on how "advanced" my writing became after reading this novel. But in truth, it wasn’t more "advanced." It was simply more free. I no longer felt the need for such niggling precision that had once stilted my writing. It was like I was suddenly writing with both sides of my brain. I recommend everyone study her delightful prose.

RT: You mentioned a critique group, "The Warped Spacers," in your book acknowledgments. It’s obvious you value this group’s insights. Could you tell us a little about them and what that name means? Who are they and how long have you been a member?

Clemens: The "Warped Spacers" is a critique group, an off-shoot of a larger writing club, Sacramento Suburban Writers. The group specializes in writing and critiquing "speculative" fiction. The group is intimate, about 10 or so, with ages ranging from teenagers to grandfathers. I have been a member of the group for about six years, about when I first started to seriously begin writing again. I consider this group to be invaluable in teaching me how to write. I don’t think I would be published today without their commentary and assistance.

For more details, the youngest of our group even built a webpage for our group: http://www.mindspring.com/~tedcsmith/ws

RT: Would you recommend critique groups to other writers? If so, what elements, in your opinion, make a successful writer’s group?

Clemens: I most heartily recommend a critique group, but with a few reservations. First, I think a critique group is great as a forum for getting your story read by an audience. Writing is a solitary business, but it is ultimately meant for an audience. And I think a critique group is a perfect place to bounce a story off of first.

But I've also heard of critique groups that are too harsh, that are nothing more then a team of frustrated writers whose sole joy is tearing apart the work of novice writers. This is, of course, horrible. 


We have a rule among our group. It is called the "Oreo" rule. When you critique someone, you must first tell them what you like about the piece, then what you think needs work, then end again with something positive. No matter where someone is at in their writing, they must be doing something right, and I think this must be acknowledged as much as what is wrong. The "good" must be encouraged to grow just as much as the "bad" must be taught to be expunged. If a group can succeed in this, it is a wonderful experience for both critic and writer.

RT: Can you tell me a little bit about your writing habits such as where you work, how many hours a day you spend writing and researching, how you tap into your creativity to produce a satisfying day’s work, writing rituals, etc?

Clemens: I like this question. I think every writer needs to develop their "habit." I’ll tell you mine, but each writer needs to find their own rituals and habits.

My first adage is that I write EVERY day. When I was working as a veterinarian, I had to write in cracks of free time. But I made myself write at least three double-spaced manuscript pages a day. This was a manageable chunk to accomplish. Now with more time, I have expanded my writing to six pages a day.

My usual day is that I get up, yawn, stretch, and go right to my computer. I will write for about two hours, then take a break to get a bite to eat and take a shower, then I return to write for another two hours, then break for lunch, then write another two hours. So basically I work six hours in two-hour shifts. But my "habit" is not set in stone. How I spread out these "shifts" varies. I often write late at night or sometimes in larger blocks. But one rule I do follow: at least six pages must be done!

As to where I write, I mostly use my office at home, but I write exclusively on a laptop Macintosh so I can grab the computer and move. I’ll often shift to another place in the house if I’m feeling stuck. Or take my laptop and run off somewhere. I’ve often solved problems in my story by simply changing the scenery around me.

But these are just my habits. Everyone is different. Find out what works for you and stick with it! But one rule should be followed by all novice writers: Write everyday! Even if it’s only a single page! Listen to those Nike ads . . . Just do it!

RT: Have you ever experienced writer’s block and how did you handle it?

Clemens: I’ve not exactly experienced writer’s block, but I’ve experienced lots of writer’s frustration. Times where my characters or plot take me somewhere I didn’t anticipate them going, and I literally write myself into a corner. I create such a nightmare of a situation that I have no idea how to get my characters out of it. When this happens, my writing can come to a grinding dead-stop. Answer? What I usually do is drive up to Lake Tahoe. Yep, that’s right. I give up and run! Okay, not really. But I find when I’m driving that a part of my mind is free to digest and work on this plot puzzle. More times than not, I get my answer before I reach the lake. But, boy, does it drive up the mileage on my car!

Otherwise, I’ve never experienced a true bout of writer’s block. If I ever feel too depressed or too tired, I still force myself to write. I think writers should write everyday. Even if you chuck the whole mess out the next day, still write! No matter what, each day you must put words on paper. If you do that, how could you stay blocked? And even more important, how could you stay unpublished?

RT: Would you share a few thoughts on what the writing life is to you?

Clemens: It is about freedom.

I’ve been working in the veterinary field for fifteen years, the last ten of which I’ve owned my own practice. As a business owner, it was a sixty to seventy hour a week job, seven days a week. Vacations were quick, long weekends that I could snatch here and there. Though I love being a vet and would never give it up fully (I still work weekends at the clinic), I cannot tell you how my life has opened up since beginning a life as a writer. I find that the number of hours spent "working" as a writer are probably the same as when I owned the practice (sixty hours a week) but the experience is nowhere near the same.

First, a writer can write anywhere. I am no longer tied down to one place. I travel with my computer. And though I write everyday, it is now on my own schedule. I’ve written at five in the morning and at midnight. And I won’t say I write only when I’m inspired. No writer should let inspiration be their guide. I keep myself disciplined to write everyday, rain or shine, inspired or not! But the freedom to choose where, when, and what is a luxury everyone should experience.

Second, the freedom to be able to tell your own stories, to take characters on adventures of your own creation, then to be able to share them with others. Wow! I’ve always written, always loved it, and even if I never was published, I’d still write. But to be able to share your stories with an audience is something indescribable. It is both an honor and a thrill.

RT: What advice would you give writers looking to get published?

Clemens: That’s simple! Write a good story! Okay now the non-flippant response…

I’ve never had any formal training to write. I read some books, I attended a mail-order and an on-line course on writing. You need to learn the tools of the craft (grammar, story construction, etc.), then keep plugging away at it. Also, start studying other authors in your genre. I can’t stress this any higher. The answer on how to write can be found in every novel you pick up.

But the biggest advice on getting published is one word. PERSISTENCE! You must persist in writing (everyday!) and you must persist in sending out query letter after query letter. I sent out fifty query letters before getting an agent to agree to represent me. That book (SUBTERRANEAN) ended up being bid by two publishing houses in only two months, and the film rights sold to NBC in another couple months. But 49 other agents turned down that same novel. I also met Nicholas Sparks (author of The Notebook, and Message in the Bottle) at a convention. He was turned down by 49 agents, too, until someone agreed to represent him. And look at the success of his novels: on the bestseller’s list for a year, movie deals, multimillion dollar contracts. What if he had given up at 48 agents?

The name of the publishing game is persistence. Editors are looking for good stories. Write one and don’t give up until it’s published.

RT: What are you working on now?

Clemens: Oh, man, I am working on so many fun things right now! My next two novels out in the year 2000 are Wit’ch War- - book three of The Banned and the Banished by James Clemens and Excavation by James Rollins (for previews of these novels, check out my web sites: http://www.jamesclemens.com and http://www.jamesrollins.com). Currently, besides working on the fourth book on the fantasy series, I am researching the next archaeological thriller (it’s gonna be a killer!). I’m also working with some guys in Memphis on writing a story arc for their fantasy comic book, AVELON. Then, with a partner, Carolyn McCray, I’ve also written a child’s fantasy script that’s going to Disney next week. And lastly, there’s another secret project I’m contractually obligated to keep silent about. So lots on the plate for the next couple years.

RT: Is there anything else you’d like to share with our readers?

Clemens: My old writing adage: "To learn to write, you must read — lots." And not just in your own genre, but across the board. Read thrillers, mysteries, comedies, tragedies, science fiction, fantasy, literary fiction, non-fiction, memoirs, horror, even children’s fiction. Read top ten titles, read obscure titles. Read current fiction and novels written long ago. But most of all — find out what you like, study it, learn how they did it, then try it yourself! It’s just that simple!

Oh yeah, also — "Write everyday!" (I know I said that already, but you really can’t hear that recommendation often enough.)