The Bookmarked Interview... with Mark Stay

Author, podcaster, writing mentor and former bookseller, Mark Stay has been involved in the book industry for over 25 years. He's written books including the Witches of Woodville series [the latest of which is The Corn Bride] and The End of Magic series, scripts for movies such as Robot Overlords and Unwelcome, and was, until 2023, co-host of the award-winning Bestseller Experiment podcast.

He now hosts his own podcast, Mark Stay's Creative Differences, as well as running an online writing forum and workshop, The Green Room and, of course, writing fantastic books in a variety of genres.

Here, Mark discusses his writing habits and literary influences, tells us why he thinks authors shouldn't fetishise the writing process, and reveals what he thinks is the biggest change in the book industry since he began working in it.

The Witches of Woodville series meshes a real historical period with fantastical characters and situations; where did the inspiration for Woodville and its inhabitants come from?

I had wanted to do a kind of British Buffy, set in the here and now in a strange town where weird and supernatural stuff happened, and I could never quite get it to work. Then we moved to rural Kent, which still has pillboxes and airfields from the war (and they blew up a UXB in a field next to us just a few weeks ago!), and my agent suggested setting in the wartime period and it all just clicked into place.

I had to invent a village as I had written a certain kind of pub and church, and it needed to be near a wood (not much woodland in the Garden of England!), so I made Woodville a kind of greatest hits of Kent villages like Pluckley, Chilham and Wickhambreaux. And the witches are basically based on all the women I’ve known in my life who don’t take any nonsense and have a strong sense of right and wrong.

Above: Mark is the author of the brilliant Witches of Woodville series

You've written novels, plays and film scripts; do you have a different way of approaching each, or are the methods similar?

Films are much more collaborative, which is great and I always learn a lot from my collaborators. There’s a lot more planning and outlining as everyone has to be singing from the same hymn sheet. And when you get picked up by producers or a st udio they then own the project, which means you have to engage with their notes or you can be fired or sidelined from something that might have been your original idea.

"There’s nothing to beat the feeling of being on set and seeing actors say your lines."

So there are times when it can be pretty infuriating and nerve-wracking and slow, but… there’s nothing to beat the feeling of being on set and seeing actors say your lines, or seeing it on the big screen with a festival crowd. That’s phenomenal. Oh, and the money can be great (when they eventually get around to paying you… there’s a lot of free writing in the UK film industry).

Novels are my happy place. I don’t outline (unless I’m co-writing with another author) and I know that even if a publisher doesn’t want it, I can self publish. Once I have the theme, ending and a character or two, I’m off!

You've worked in publishing for many years, be it in bookshops, for publishers or as an author; what's been the biggest change you've seen in the industry in that time?

Oh, blimey… I’m old enough to remember the end of the NET book agreement (ask your grandparents, kids), but it has to be Amazon. It shook up a complacent industry, it made eBooks easy and accessible, it also introduced the concept of paid co-op marketing to publishers who then inflicted it on high street retailers (book of the month in WH Smiths came with quite a hefty ratecard!).

"[Amazon] is both the best and worst thing to happen to books."

It made authors, agents and publishers obsessed with pre-orders, charts and reviews. It turned Goodreads into a monster, it transformed self-publishing from vanity projects into a multi-million dollar business and created opportunities for authors who might never have otherwise been published.

And then it became too big and has corrupted publishing and bookselling, enabling plagiarists and AI thieves, and has made publishers live in fear of the terms negotiations that come around every three years. It’s both the best and worst thing to happen to books. That and the sudden and unfathomable rise in spredges [sprayed edges on books] are the biggest changes in publishing.

You've written sci-fi, fantasy, horror; are the challenges for each genre the same, and what do you enjoy about writing in different genres?

With science fiction you have to prevent the big idea from overwhelming the characters. With fantasy you need to know when to stop the worldbuilding and get on with the story. With horror you have to dig deep to explore the stuff that really scares you and that can feel very exposing and make you feel vulnerable as a writer. But, in the end, whatever genre you’re writing in, it all comes down to a character on a journey of change. Never, ever lose sight of that.

Above: Mark was the co-writer of the script for the 2022 film Unwelcome.

As a long-time mentor to authors, what would be your top tip for people starting their writing journey?

Firstly, develop your voice. But if you’re starting out, you need to develop a good writing habit. I know a lot of people are down on the ‘write every day’ thing, but if you were learning a musical instrument you would practise your scales everyday and it’s the same with writing.

Find twenty minutes in your day where you can shut out the world and just write. Set a timer. Once those twenty minutes are up, then go about your day. But do it every day. We had a thing on the Bestseller Experiment called the 200 Word Challenge and it definitely worked for plenty of writers (including me when I was in a funk).

"There are no guarantees, but the easiest way to fail is to give up."

You've interviewed many authors over the years; is there one piece of advice or nugget of information that you still think about?

Joe Abercrombie told us, ‘The longer you dance naked in the rain, the more likely you are to be struck by lightning'. Resilience means so much in any creative industry. There are no guarantees, but the easiest way to fail is to give up. All the rejections and near-misses can wear you down, and if it’s making you unwell then take a break, but if you can learn to focus on the writing — the one thing that you can control! — then you’re far more likely to stay the course.

What's the first book you remember loving?

I had always enjoyed reading, and I recall a mild obsession with the Thomas the Tank Engine books when I was little, and getting a second-hand hardcover copy of the Star Wars novelisation at a school fete was a big moment, but the book that I could read over and over was The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy and its sequels. I have a memory of reading the opening of The Restaurant at the End of the Universe at the breakfast table, falling off my chair because I was laughing so hard, and ending up covered in Ready Brek.

Which literary character would you most like to be?

I loved Slippery Jim diGriz in Harry Harrison’s Stainless Steel Rat stories: Whizzing around the galaxy, stealing from the rich and righting wrongs with the deadly Angelina by his side… such joyful SF, and Jim is such a wonderful contradiction: the thief with a strict moral compass.

Above: Slippery Jim diGriz from Harry Harrison’s Stainless Steel Rat stories, with cover illustration by Peter Elson, is the character Mark would most like to be.

What's your favourite movie/TV show adapted from a book?

Jaws. I read the book when I was far too young, and couldn’t understand why there was all this stuff about the mayor and corruption and Ellen and Hooper having an affair and all this nonsense when there was a shark out there! The book is a great page-turner, but the film is Spielberg’s masterpiece. I’ve watched it more times than I can count.

Above: You'll never go in the water again... Spielberg's masterpiece.

Which book do you think should be adapted for the screen that, so far, hasn't been?

See above for the Stainless Steel Rat books. They would make for a brilliant technicolour science fiction TV series. Last I heard, Jan de Bont had the rights, but that was about ten years ago. I’d love to have a go… excuse me while I call my agent!

Where's your favourite place to write?

I’m lucky enough to have an office where I can close the door and get on with it. I used to write on my commute and lunch break, but now my commute is down one flight of steps! It’s bliss.

"I don’t think it’s healthy for writers to fetishise the writing process."

Describe your perfect writing set-up?

Door shut. Silence. Pen and paper. That’s it. I don’t think it’s healthy for writers to fetishise the writing process as you end up in a situation where if you don’t have the right pen or notepad then you can’t write.

What was the last book you read, and would you recommend it?

I loved Stuart Maconie’s With a Little Help From Their Friends which looks at the people who played a part in the Beatles’ lives and career. There are so many pivotal ‘what if?’ moments and strange coincidences, and it’s very funny.

Above: Stuart Maconie's book examines the roles of the people who played a part in the success of the Beatles.

Which book is next on your reading list?

I've got a little TBR pile… Sarah Pinborough’s We Live Here Now, GD Wright’s Into the Fire, The Names by Florence Knapp, and Poppy T Perry’s Dead Real. Not sure which one I’ll read first, but I’m looking forward to all of them.

"Listening to Craig Mazin’s lecture How to Write a Movie on the Scriptnotes podcast completely changed the way I write."

Plotter or pantser?

For scripts and co-writing projects, we usually have an outline so that we’re all heading in the same direction. For novels, I’ll noodle and make notes until I have two key elements: the central dramatic argument (the theme posed as a question) and an idea of the ending. Once I have those, I jump in and start having fun.

Listening to Craig Mazin’s lecture How to Write a Movie on the Scriptnotes podcast completely changed the way I write. He clearly lays out how theme and character work together to fuel the story. I’ve never got stuck since. It’s the best 45 minutes you can spend as a writer today.

Above: Craig Mazin, creator and writer of Chernobyl and The Last of Us, explains his method for writing a movie.

You can choose three other authors to dine with; who would they be?

I’ve been very lucky. Working in publishing means that I’ve met many of my writing heroes, and usually at a dinner of some kind, so all my choices are no longer with us… Douglas Adams, Ray Bradbury and Harry Harrison.

What book do you think you should have read, but still haven't?

The Lord of the Rings… I know, I know, but I just found it so slow! Loved The Hobbit. That doesn’t muck about.

Which of your own books are you most proud of?

It might be Babes in the Wood. It’s the second book in the Witches of Woodville series, it was written in contract, on a deadline, during lockdown, and it was really hard to start with. That’s when I was in that writing funk I mentioned earlier.

"It was the moment when I thought that I was actually pretty good at this writing malarkey and that the previous books weren’t a fluke."

I started with just 200 words a day, and after a week or so I was back in the groove again and, ultimately, I loved working on it. It was the moment when I thought that I was actually pretty good at this writing malarkey and that the previous books weren’t a fluke.

How do you organise your bookshelves?

Mostly by genre (once a bookseller, always a bookseller), then alphabetical by author for fiction, subject for non-fiction. How else would you do it?

If you could only read one book for the rest of your life, which would it be?

I’d ask for a mammoth omnibus edition of Terry Pratchett’s Discworld books. Is that cheating? Don’t care. They get better with every read.

Above: Mark is currently working on the final book in his End of Magic trilogy.

What are you working on next?

I’m currently in edits on The End of Gods, the conclusion of the End of Magic trilogy, which I’ve loved working on. I’m also working on a couple of screenplays that I can’t really talk about, but one is a horror that might go into pre-production later this year. I’m co-writing a series of revenge thrillers with Rowan Coleman, and I’m working on samples of three new novel ideas for my agent to see which one he thinks is a goer. Keeps me off the streets, I s’pose…

You can find out more about Mark's work, his podcast and the writing services he offers by clicking here.

If you're a published author and would like to be considered for a Bookmarked interview, drop me a line at maxelwoodwrites@gmail.com