I met Mark Noce on my blog many years back, he left a
comment saying that he would love to read my stories and that was it. We became
critique partners and to be honest it has been sheer pleasure reading and
critiquing Mark’s manuscripts and getting feedback from him on my own stories. When
Mark signed with super agent Rena Rossner, I was thrilled for him.
On December 5, Mark’s novel Dark Wind’s Rising, published by St. Martin's Press (sequel
to Between Two Fires) hits the bookshelves. I’m excited and happy for him. I know
he is pressed for time, but there was no way I would let his book launch go,
without him paying my blog a visit.
Q. Your novel is set in post Arthurian times, what
kind of research did you do for Dark Winds Rising and its prequel Between Two Fires?
Thanks for having
me here, Rachna! My research consisted of culling through both historical
documents as well as legends from the era. I found the legends particularly
enlightening because the few historical documents that did survive were usually
fragmented. Archeological data was also really helpful.
Q. Your protagonist is Queen Branwen. How hard was it
to write from a woman’s point of view?
Honestly, I’m
intrigued by writing from other perspectives because I believe that the common
threads that make us all human shine through in any protagonist. Also, my wife
is my secret weapon and she reviews all of my early drafts and provides
invaluable feedback as I write.
Q. One of my favourite characters in both your books
is the hedge knight Artagan, tell us something about how you sketched this
character?
Yeah, for better
or worse there’s actually a fair amount of me in his character. Maybe that’s
why I like to write him. He’s definitely flawed, but hopefully has his heart in
the right place.
Q. How do you balance your writing with your day job?
It’s not easy,
especially with kids too. I commute via public transport and that time is
really useful for me. I can get a lot written or read on my morning and evening
commutes. The key is to keep it fun too. If the writing is fun, I always manage
to make time for it.
Q. What is your writing style? Plotter? Pantser?
Detailed outline?
I’m a total
panster, at least on the first draft. That doesn’t mean I’m not plotting some
elements in my mind and doing research while I adjust the narrative, but I
really enjoy flying “blind” the first time I write a draft.
Q. How long does it take you to finish a first draft?
I typically
prefer to write as fast as I can. While the inspiration strikes me. My first
draft for a full length novel usually takes 3-4 months tops. I’ll do revisions
after that of course and get feedback from great CPs, such as yourself!
Q. How many drafts do you typically work on before you
are ready to submit?
I try not to
count. But I’d say a surprisingly large part of the first draft shows through
in the final product. The more eyes I can get on the text though, the better.
Quality feedback is essential.
Q. What is your revision process like?
It’s a different
mode, editing versus writing. When editing, I try not to do anything else, so
that I really focus. In the first draft anything goes, but in subsequent ones I
try to really question everything as I review it.
Q. Did you ever think that Historical fiction novels
would be a hard sell in terms of getting an agent?
Not particularly.
I read plenty of historical fiction, so there are definitely agents
representing it. The funny thing is that what I call historical another person
may call romance or literary or even fantasy. It’s all in the eye of the
beholder. So long as the story is good, that’s what matters to me.
Q. Could you tell us something about your journey to
getting an agent?
Sure. I attended
writer’s conferences and met agents face-to-face. I also queried others via
email and by post. I actually found my agent, Rena Rossner, online one day and
emailed her. She read the first few chapters of Between Two Fires, and
that was it. Of course every step of the journey takes time, i.e. convincing
the agent’s agency to take you on, sending out manuscripts to publishing
houses, etc. But once I got Rena’s first reply to my manuscript, I knew I was
on to something.
Q. The book/s you are currently reading?
Everything! I try
to read 3-4 books a week, as it’s more grist for my mill. I’ve been reading a
lot of murder mysteries and historical fiction set in WWII. I’m also a big
Lawrence Durrell fan and recommend him to anyone who wants to peruse a
spectacularly well-written novel.
Q. Any writing craft book that you swear by?
Honestly, I don’t
feel attached to any particular “writing craft” book. I do, however, firmly
believe that fiction itself is the best teacher. No need to listen to me when
you can go pick up Shakespeare or Homer or any other great author at any time
and read their best work! It’s like they are alive and talking directly to you,
showing you just what to do.
Q. What are you currently working on?
I’ve got two more
manuscripts with my agent right now that she’s excited about. One is a Viking
story about a young warrior woman and the other is a murder mystery set in
London during the Blitz. I definitely can’t wait for a chance to get these
stories out there.
Here is wishing Mark super success with his book.
Mark on Twitter
Thanks Mark for taking out the time to answer a few questions.
