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Page Updated: 14/02/00

Carol Smith - Interview with Tangled Web

		In her career as a leading London literary agent, Carol Smith celebrated her million dollar deals by buying herself a diamond ring. Now a highly successful writer in her own right, the celebrations are for her own books, most recently Unfinished Business published in August by Little Brown. Tangled Web talks to Carol about her career as both agent and writer.
	Unfinished Business 10 Aug 00
	Family Reunion
	Double Exposure
	Kensington Court
	Darkening Echoes

First Edition Simon Schuster (2000)

When you began your career in publishing, was your aim to become a writer?
Yes. Writing was the only thing I was ever really good at at school, so my wise headmistress pointed me towards a publishing career that might eventually lead me into being a writer.
Already an enormously successful agent, what made you decide to concentrate on writing?
For years I contributed ideas to my clients (see below) and involved myself in a lot of editorial work. I started writing my own stuff when I felt ready. First the synopses for twenty-two `Nightshades' plus three complete paperback novels under different pseudonym. Then, fifteen years later, I wrote Darkening Echoes, my first full-length, hardback novel under my own name. It was the one thing I'd ever really wanted to do, more fulfilling (and lucrative) than being an agent.
What was the `Nightshades' project about?
It arose out of what I was doing as an agent, seeking out new talent and helping it to develop. I was always supplying these new writers with ideas for full-length fiction because often their actual writing was better than whatever they had in hand. At that time, the early 80s, I was working professionally with horror writers like Peter Straub, Ramsey Campbell and Stephen King and was also being plagued by film companies for concepts for what was called the "four hanky" movie. `Nightshades: The Darker Side of Love' (originally called `the Creepy Weepies') arose out of that. Love stories with a twist in the tale. The best idea, they told me in Hollywood, since `The Twilight Zone'. Bantam in New York and Collins over here both commissioned the first ten novels based solely on the series concept plus the plot synopses I provided, all written by myself. At that stage, no authors. I was able, therefore, to give writers a proper contract with a healthy advance and an approved storyline, with the promise of certain publication by two major paperback houses. It was all tremendous fun. Twenty-two titles were published in all and it was only market changes that halted it.
What made you wait so long before returning to writing?
The pressures of running my own agency alone, plus the demands of all those rising hungry writers. Not hungry for long, though. It was a pleasant and profitable period and I am one of the few people you'll ever meet who has flown to New York on Concorde at my own expense. Also, I was searching for my own authentic voice, not always easy to find.
Why did you decide on the crime/suspense genre?
The result of my publishing experience plus all that soul-searching. I knew the market on both sides of the Atlantic and also what the movie world was looking for. And I knew enough about how hard it is, to wait till the proper idea struck. No point going into this game half-cock; that's where most wannabes come unstuck. Also, I had no particular message to deliver, was single, childless and had only ever worked in publishing. When it came down to "write about what you know" I found I was stumped for a natural voice. Strong storytelling is what I care for most. Then I had a short spell in hospital and the idea for Darkening Echoes came to me in a flash. Five women, all strangers, thrown together in a six-bed NHS ward. What would happen should one turn out to be a psychopath? It was really a grownup extension of the `Nightshades' concept. Hitchcock-on-the-page, we called it. I wrote the novel (120,000 words) in just nine months, working only on Sundays.
Which writers do you admire? What do you read for pleasure?
A mixed bag, I read right across the spectrum. Stephen King, Barbara Vine, Anne Tyler, Carol Shields. Jane Austen, Raymond Carver, Graham Greene, Patricia Highsmith, Daphne du Maurier. Ideally, I would like to be a combination of the last two….mystery rather than cold-blooded crime; psychological more than plain violence. I never set out to be a crime writer per se…it is the way the current marketplace has pushed me.
It must be interesting to see the process from both sides of the fence - agent and writer. Does having an insider's knowledge of the industry make the writing process easier? If so, in what ways?
In many ways it makes the writing harder since I know what standards I have to beat. I read so much of what's new and in demand that it sets impossible goal-posts. Another reason I waited so long before venturing into it myself. But it's true I know most people in the industry and the kind of book that doesn't sell. I also know how to be a professional: perfect printout, well-constructed synopsis. Meeting deadlines on the dot, not complaining about having to make corrections. Above all gratitude to all the publisher's input. Writing a book is very much team-work, I know that from all my years on the other side. I never complain, rarely ring my agent. Avoid the petty irritations I put up with for all that time. Writing is a highly competitive business. If you want to be treated as a professional, act like one. And I always remember to say thank you.
How do the differences between the roles influence your writing - are there ever conflicts - is the agent/editor in the back of your mind while you are writing?
Very much so. There is no point wasting time writing on a whim. And my sort of novel, crime/suspense, demands a tightly-constructed blueprint. My first novel was built on a geometrical design from which I worked very closely. My second I did in a more relaxed way, and ended up having to cut 100 pages. So the third had a detailed 86-page plan before I properly got going. Writing that was far harder than the actual book. I also never talk about the work-in-progress, not even to my editor or agent. Talking somehow diffuses the essence of it. It has to remain hermetically sealed within your brain. Length is also important; stick as closely as possible to the commissioned length since the publisher has to sell it at a reasonable price. Which is why it's important to meet your deadline; you are simply part of an assembly line.
What makes a good novel?
Without getting too English Lit about this - good writing, good story-telling, pace and strong characterisation. A central character who is sympathetic. A beginning, a middle and an end. Most of all an original voice. Too many manuscripts, the ones that never break through, are simply too derivative, which is lazy.
Do you find writing easy?
No. It's the hardest thing, apart from the gym, that I've ever done in my life. I start every morning at 7 and work right through with just a forty-five minute break. In the final stages of a book, I work on weekends and holidays, too. Whenever I travel, I take my laptop and try to keep to my regular hours. And each book gets harder to write. It is lonely and isolating and often frustrating…but also the most exhilarating experience. I could never now not do it.
Do your own experiences make their way into your books?
To a certain extent, yes (write about what you know) though I have never, and never will, write about myself. I write about Kensington, where I've lived all my adult life. I write about New York, which I also know well. My first book featured cooking which is my only passionate hobby; my second was centred on the building in which I live. The third came from a series of island holidays with a group of strangers who soon became my friends. The fourth was based loosely on my own extended family (though each of the actual characters was made up). Unfinished Businesss, my latest, is the closest so far to life. I wanted to write about an office setting so used the actual location of my former agency. I also approximated the group of staff and the camaraderie that exists in similar setups. But in no way are my books autobiographical; I cringe from the idea of letting strangers in. One of the reasons for starting late is you need to be able to draw on life to keep your readers interested. My next book, my sixth, bears no relation to anything whatsoever in my life which means I now have to embark on extensive research. I told you it gets harder. And no, I haven't (so far) committed a murder.
What has been the most satisfying point in your career so far? What are you most proud of achieving?
The sale, then publication, of my first real novel under my own name. You can't beat that. It's like the birth of your first child. I am also proud of always having gone it alone and survived. My last salaried employment was in my twenties.
What are your plans for the future? Do you think you've got where you want to be or are there other aspects of the publishing industry you'd like to take by storm?
I would never go back into publishing again. I am entirely satisfied (and fully occupied) with my writing and reviewing. I would like to have a go at television some time. Two or three-part suspense scripts along the `Prime Suspect' lines. I think my storylines lend themselves to the screen and I also write very visually. My ultimate dream would be to have each of the novels turned into Hitchcock-type movies. Since that sort of thing never goes out of fashion, here's hoping. Move over Patricia Highsmith!

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