GEORGE NEWS - Crime novelist, columnist and writing tutor James Fouche has published two crime novels, which have been considered for production possibilities. 

His third novel formed part of a work thesis for his master’s degree in Creative Writing, and his long anticipated fourth novel ‘Gray’ is ready to hit the shelves.

About the author

At what point did you decide to be an author, and what was your path to publication?
When I struggled with my grades at school, a teacher advised me to improve my essays and to get points by telling more engaging stories. From there, the storytelling bug always kept coming back. Eventually, my first novel, Jack Hanger, was picked up by a publishing house in New York. This publisher trapped me in a 3-year contract and never paid royalties for book sales. After an Australian investigative journalist outed them for their unethical conduct, there were rumours of an FBI investigation, and then just a long silence as the company disappeared.

What do you do when a new idea jumps out at you while you’re still working on a book? Do you chase the squirrel (aka “UP syndrome”) or do you finish your current project first?
I think every author has multiple projects running at the same time. In the last 20 years, there has never been a moment when I had less than seven characters developing somewhere in boxes inside my mind. I compartmentalize each character, each story, but I always keep pecking at them until their story is ripe.

Who is your favorite character to write, and why is that person your favorite? If picking a favorite character would be like picking a favorite child, which character seems to be the most demanding of your attention and detail as a writer?
My latest character, simply called Gray, was such a fantastic onion to peel. Gray is a Jobian tale of loss and the consequences of exacting revenge. Authors are often cruel and put their characters through terrifying ordeals just for the sake of documenting their journey. We are the fly on the wall, so to speak. In Gray, I found a very average person who always sat on the sideline, until I viciously pulled him into the game of life and stripped him bare.

Describe your writing process. Do you outline, plot, and plan, or is your writing more organic?
I’m a plotter. Not only do I love the research and planning part of the writing process, but I also think I owe readers accuracy and attention to detail. For my first novel, I once consulted a psychologist and a psychiatrist to ensure the validity of the character’s responses given the scenarios I would create for him.

What are some books or authors that you would recommend to our readers?
I love the voices of old, like HG Wells. Cormac McCarthy. In a more modern context, I suggest China Mieville (specifically The City and the City), Cormac McCarthy, Dennis Lehane, and William Kent Krueger.

What do you enjoy most about writing 
Developing relatable characters is by far the most enjoyable part of writing. Most crime authors find ways to incorporate their unique voices into proven, successful formulas. I want every book to be a unique experience, with one layer that appeals to a large audience and a deeper layer that appeals to a more eccentric reader.

What have you found to be most challenging about writing in?
This depends on the story. For my first novel, I tried my hand at a crime novel with a touch of weird fiction. That was very challenging. For Gray, I created a character that is not defined by race. He is just human, and he is caught in a turf war between rival gangs.

Have you been able to incorporate your previous experience in your jobs/education in your writing?
The age-old adage of “write what you know” has proven valuable to me during the research phase of every new novel. However, as a content manager and columnist, I have done all sorts of writing in the corporate world. This has enabled me to appreciate the effect that words have on readers and how they engage with content in its completed form. On the other hand, it was my master’s in Creative Writing that taught me humility as a writer.

Do you identify with your main character, or did you create a character that is your opposite?
I can identify with Gray in many ways, though I opted to write a character that is relatable to a wider audience, not just on the surface, but equally relatable when he is flayed open and his deepest emotions and desires are laid bare. We have all experienced joy, sadness, frustration, anger, helplessness, and despair. So, why not write the character around the emotions that everyone can relate to?

Describe the [book/series] in 10 words or less for people just learning about it.
GRAY: Revenge is never black or white.

Is there anything you would like people to take away from your book?
Besides just enjoying the plot twists and the grand finale, I would love for readers to experience the brevity of life. The character is grey on so many levels. With themes and topics that span across family, crime, cancer, revenge, there is so much to unpack.

Do you have any odd (writing) habits?
Every writer has odd writing habits, though we seldom acknowledge them as being odd. I become incredibly close to my characters. If I write someone who is 70 years old, then I have given birth to her and known her for those 70 years (regardless that I’m younger than that). As creator and destroyer, I have been more intimate with this character than I’ve been with loved ones. My wife has said that I become distant when I’m about to kill off an important character.

What has been the toughest criticism you have received as an author? What has been the best compliment?
Of Jack Hanger, readers have said that it was too weird and way too complex to get into. Of Jack Hanger, other readers have said that Dave’s story has given them purpose and changed their lives. I love how people can experience the same thing in so many different ways.

Share some advice for aspiring authors. What advice would you give to your younger self?
Don’t ever stop writing. Connect with other writers. I never had writers nudging me on or sharing encouraging words, so I had to go it alone. Now I try to be there for other aspiring writers.

What is your favorite line from your book?
“She was the pink gin to my craft beer.”

To date, what is your favorite (or most difficult) chapter you have ever written?
In my second novel, King of Sorrow, there is a scene where a woman must play piano and sing a blues number in front of a crowd. I observed and engaged numerous singers about this scene. Because music is a diverse art form, every musician gave me a different approach. I drafted, redrafted, and chiselled the chapter until I was confident that it ticked the box.

What is your take on book boyfriends? Do they actually exist? Or do they set the bar for “real-life men” impossibly high?
I think it can be dangerous, but not impossible, for someone to fall in love with a character. Real life is messy and true love is complicated. That’s why I prefer to write flawed protagonists.

Have you ever experienced writer’s block? How did you deal with it?
No such thing as writer’s block. If you encounter a block, write a travel blog or wine column for a month, then get back to your book.

What do you like to do when you’re not writing?
I love to travel and spend time with my family.

‘GRAY’ - A short synopsis

An unassuming protagonist, known only as Gray, works as a financial advisor and leads a simple life. His dulled consciousness of the surrounding crime in his area is suddenly brought to life by the death of his brother when they are caught in the crossfire of a gang war. 

This awakening is then brought into razor-sharp focus by the subsequent deaths of his mother, who dies from a heart attack, his sister-in-law, who decides to kill herself when her sorrow becomes unbearable, and his wife, who dies in an accident. 

Gray holds two warring criminal gang leaders jointly responsible for their deaths and his grief. His decision to avenge his family is further fuelled by the discovery that he has incurable brain cancer.

After inheriting an astonishing accumulation of wealth from his deceased family members, Gray becomes erratic, desperate and incautious in his plans to rid society of the criminal element that had caused him grief. 

With an insurance investigator convinced that he had a hand in his family’s deaths, Gray sets in motion an elaborate plan for revenge that will pit the two drug bosses against each other.

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