An Interview with William Landay

William Landay is an award winning crime writer. Before he began his writing career he worked as a district attorney. William Landay has published two novels and is working on a third.

How did you get into writing? At what age did you know you wanted to be a writer?

I've always wanted to be a writer but never thought I could make a living at it. I never considered becoming a full-time professional writer for that reason. I was a lawyer, an assistant D.A. near Boston. I set out to write a novel, not to become a writer. Then I spent years trying to write that first one, and when I finally did, Bantam shocked me by giving me a two-book contract, which meant I had to write a second one. I was 40 then. So, like most things in my life, it happened without my ever quite planning it.

What was your first book or story that you completed? Did you ever get it published?

I wrote a lot of dreck before my first novel --- stories, freelance journalism, bad novels. Some of the articles were published. But the first fiction I ever published was my novel "Mission Flats" (2003). That wasn't the first novel I ever completed, technically, but it was the first decent one that was worth showing to anyone who was not a blood relative or my dog.

How did you finally get published? When were you able to write on a full time basis? Please explain your success story?

Not sure I'm a success story, exactly. But my novel "Mission Flats" sold in 2000 when my wife and I were expecting our first child. In fact we were at the obstetrician's office listening to the baby's heartbeat, several months before he was born, when my agent called on my cell phone to tell me the book had sold. So I got a new career and a new baby in the same few months. And our obstetrician was the first to hear the news that I'd become a professional writer.

How do you stay motivated to finish a novel? How do you stay focused?

It's my job. I have to finish or I don't get paid. So I go somewhere where there is no internet access and I get to work. There is no big secret here, though I have a weakness for productivity porn like every other writer (43 Folders, Getting Things Done, Lifehacker, etc.).

What is your writing schedule like? Do you write in the mornings, evenings, and for how long?

I write all day, 9-5, sometimes more, sometimes less depending on what stage the project is at. I usually don't have more than 3-4 hours of truly intense writing time in that long day, but I'm never sure when in the day it is going to come.

How do you get your ideas? What is your method for remembering them?

I write down every idea that seems worthwhile. Then I let them stew over the course of years. I pitch book concepts to my editor and even to friends. Usually it's a matter of letting your subconscious slowly develop the idea of time while you are working on something else, which is why you really have to have a project "in development" even as you are writing something else. Otherwise the time between projects is just too long.

If you get writer’s block, how do you get over it?

There is no such thing as writer's block. There are plenty of days you just don't feel like writing, but that is a different thing. And there are plenty of days you are stuck trying to think through a problem or trying things that don't work, but that is also different.

What are your thoughts on self publishing?

Don't really have any thoughts on this. Depends on what your goals are, I suppose. If you rely on your writing for an income, obviously this is not the way to go. Otherwise, why not?

What piece of advice would you give to someone thinking of becoming a writer? What is a good starting point for them?

Just write. Don't listen to advice, don't let "experts" or those lists of "ten rules for writing a bestseller" (or whatever) confuse you. Write, write, and write some more. When it's good, you'll know it. It will be bad for a very long time, but if you have talent and tenacity, it will get better. Good luck!

To find more about William Landay and his work, check out William Landay's website.