Interview: Queens of Crime Charity Norman and Vanda Symon

Local crime fiction is incredibly popular and, last month, two of Aotearoa's most beloved crime writers released new books. Charity Norman's Home Truths, an exploration of truth and disinformation, is her eighth novel, and Vanda Symon's Prey the sixth chapter in detective Sam Shephard's journey.

Both authors are at the top of their game and Kete is excited to feature this conversation between them on their writing processes, their 2024 books, and the importance of cats as companions when writing solo.

Charity: Vanda, congratulations on the stellar success of Prey – Sam Shephard is back!

You and I have both been involved in this writing lark for a while. Prey is the sixth in your Sam Shephard series, and Home Truths my eighth novel. I reckon the process has changed but it’s not easier. I’m less naive than when launching into my debut – that grew organically, without a real plan, whereas now I’ve got a pretty detailed synopsis before I begin – but the journey of researching, getting to know the characters, plotting, writing and editing still seems like climbing a hellishly steep mountain that goes up, and up, and up. 

Can you relate? I’m interested in the difference involved in writing a series. I imagine it might be a pleasure to revisit Sam and her world. Or does it throw up problems of its own? 

Vanda: I can certainly relate that it doesn’t get any easier. Some things are better - I feel like I know my craft of writing better and have learnt more with each successive novel. Because I write a series I feel like my main cast of characters are an everyday part of my life and Sam is one of the family. But there is still the angst over have I created a satisfying story with enough turns and twists to satisfy the reader, have my characters grown and developed as people, are they real enough? Which is funny considering we write fiction. 

My planning is still pretty organic. I don’t write a detailed synopsis - I tend to know the beginning and the end and a number of pivotal scenes, and then find my way between them.

I’m curious - do you find having a detailed synopsis before you start liberating or limiting?

Charity: Liberating, I think; or at least reassuring. You know when you’re doing a jigsaw puzzle, and the last piece won’t fit no matter how hard you try to shove it in, because you made a catastrophic mistake ages ago and have to take half of it out again? That’s often happened to me when I haven’t a clear enough idea of the plot. It takes a me a long time to come up with my synopsis, or skeleton, or plan. It’s only a couple of sides of A4, so it’s not scene by scene. There’s still plenty of scope for detail and even changes to the plot. 

I’m working on a new synopsis at the moment, though it feels like a bit of a battle at this stage.  With your inexorably busy life and full-time job, how do you make time and space for your work as a novelist? All advice gratefully received! 

Vanda: Ha  - I don’t know if I’m the right person to ask that question. Often I feel like I just don’t have the time and when I do it is hard to focus on what is in front of you when you are mildly (or majorly) panicking about what you need to get done in a rapidly diminishing time frame. Like many writers I work full time and have to juggle fitting writing in with life and family and sport and making sure I take the time to look after my own well-being. I struggle with time management, but I think over the years I have learned to make the most of short snatches of writing time. Half an hour here, half an hour there. I don’t wait for the perfect writing conditions, because I have come to realise if I did that, I'd be waiting forever! I’ve learned to enjoy the moments when the writing is flowing freely, and to be kind to myself when it is not. Mostly I’ve learned to trust in the process, and that I will get there! 

How do you get yourself into the right head space? Do you have any writing rituals to help you on your way?

Charity: I can relate to that sense of panic. A two-minute interruption can easily set me back by half an hour, and people struggle to understand that working from home is still working. My rituals mainly involve massive pots of coffee or tea. At times of desperation I work through the night, when the world is silent and I can feel utterly alone, apart from the ruru calling outside. At three in the morning, nobody’s going to turn up expecting convivial company, or demand immediate email responses, or phone with some family crisis (unless it’s UK family of course). 

But I think that intense loneliness and concentration needs managing, especially when writing about the grimmer side of human nature. Does the world sometimes feel quite dark to you, when you’re immersed in a plot? How dodgy would your Google search history look, to a stranger? Mine’s probably enough to get me arrested.

Vanda: Ha ha. If we were judged by people for our Google search history we’d be labelled as psychopaths! Or at least as weirdos. It does make for some interesting advertising coming through my social media feeds!

I guess I’m fortunate with my writing, when it comes to dealing with the darker side of humanity as I live through my character, Sam Shephard. She is a very empathic person, and she has faith in people, sometimes to her detriment. Sam’s drive to find justice for the victims and to stand up for the underdog means I seldom feel mired in human misery. 

I hear what you say about the loneliness and concentration. Writing can be so solitary. My novel Prey is dedicated to my lovely cat Louie who used to keep me company in those long writing hours, his gentle snoring a soundtrack to my work. I miss him dearly. Do you have a writing companion? Or a soundtrack to your work? Charity: A cat. Always a cat. Currently it’s Gretel, a beautiful little tabby who some utter fiend  must have dumped out here in the middle of nowhere, who made her way to our porch and is now abjectly adored. I’m so sorry that you no longer have your lovely friend Louie snoring at your side.

Thank you for chatting with me, Vanda, it’s been an honour. And congratulations on Prey. As a vicar’s daughter, brought up in the literal shadow of Anglican churches, I found it extremely compelling! 

Vanda: Thanks Charity - it’s been fun chatting with you! All the best with Home Truths.