Q&A: Geoff Parkes, Author of When the Deep, Dark Bush Swallows You Whole

What inspired the idea behind this book?

The setting came first. I’d always fancied the idea of writing a novel which provided a strong sense of the rural New Zealand I’d grown up in. Next came the idea of centering it around a shearing gang; this was something I’d had personal experience with, plus it automatically provided a bunch of diverse, interesting characters to play with. 

From there it wasn’t too much of a stretch to devise a crime plot that was authentic for the setting, and weave everything together. In terms of the reader experience, not only was I hoping for people to enjoy the crime element, but also to come away thinking, ‘that seems like an interesting part of the world to live in’, and have an understanding of what life in a shearing gang was like.

Do you write about people you know? Or yourself?

Absolutely, yes to both. But only where it serves the characters or the story, and not in any structured way. For example, this book contains scenes, events, dialogue, character behaviours, ideas and so on that come from my lived experience. But these are used randomly and are combined with fiction in varying degrees.

Perhaps a better way to describe it is to ask if someone from my past, or even myself, would recognise themselves in the book? Maybe they would identify some characteristics, events and words, but they would be confused at how these might be spread across multiple characters, and embellished and combined with stuff that is totally fictional. 

Coming from having written two non-fiction books, once I came to terms with there being no requirement to be historically accurate, it was liberating to enjoy the freedom of being able to draw little bits and pieces from people I knew, and myself, without having to be answerable for any of that. 

How did you think of the title of the book?

This took a long time to settle on. My original, working title was ‘The Wool Presser’ but once the story transitioned from being less about the main character Ryan’s personal journey and more into a bona-fide crime fiction novel, it was clear that we needed a title which more overtly spoke to the genre.

I have an aversion to the popular convention of using catchy, one or two word, titles just because that’s the done thing, and I kept coming back to a line of dialogue in the book, which seemed to be a great fit.

My publishing editor was initially ambivalent, but after she shopped it around the PRH office and it was popularly received, we never looked back. Yes, it’s long, and it can be a handful to say out loud, but it accurately depicts the book, and I really like how it offers a point of difference.

If you could give one piece of advice for aspiring writers, what would it be?

Be clear and honest about the purpose of your writing. If it is for personal satisfaction, or to tell a family history, or any reason, then frame your writing experience accordingly, enjoy what it brings, and don’t beat yourself up about navigating the traditional publishing pathway. Self-publishing is a viable – and for many – successful route. Not publishing at all is equally fine; thousands of people enjoyably pursue hobbies without making it commercial or public. Just be clear about why you’re writing.

If your clear objective is to be published by a major publishing house, then be prepared to willingly submit to the process. Understand and comply with the rules of the genre you’re writing in, learn the craft of story-telling, invest in up-skilling yourself and – only when you honestly believe your work is as good as it can possibly be – be strategic about finding an agent who is the right fit for you and your book.

It’s very hard and fraught, trying to find the balance between offering a unique, interesting voice, and a demonstrable understanding and willingness to work within a system that is long established. The key is to set realistic goals and strategically embrace the challenge.

Are you able to switch off at the end of a day of writing? And if so, how?

I’m a business owner and I never find time to write during a normal work day. Even though I’m an early riser, morning starts don’t work for me because I’m invariably sucked in to checking in on overnight sports scores, social media feeds and news updates from around the world. Quiet time for me then, is any time from 9pm until midnight.

I usually try to be off the keyboard by 11.30pm, although I’d like to bring this forward a little bit, because I know that six hours’ sleep is less than ideal. But in terms of switching off, once I’m done and I lay down in bed, I’m usually tired enough to push the writing out of my thinking, and drift off to sleep without any concerns. 

Buy a copy of When the Deep, Dark Bush Swallows You Whole here.