BENGALURU: What makes an author a good one? “It’s the hard work and discipline they put in,” says Jeffrey Archer. Participating from the United Kingdom in Sapna Rise series, a virtual talk organised by Sapna Book House at RMZ Galleria Mall on Saturday, Archer said the lockdown has, in a way, turned out to be a boon for him since he got to concentrate better on the second book in his William Warwick series, which will be released in October.
“I have been stuck in Cambridge for 135 days, and I am not complaining because I have been able to concentrate on writing even more,” said Archer. He then went on to spill the beans on the second book in the William Warwick series, which is named after the protagonist. In the first book, titled Nothing Ventured, which came out last year, he is a young constable probing an art theft. “In the second book, Hidden in Plain Sight, he will become a detective sergeant in the detective drug squad.
It was thrilling to write it because I am lucky to have two distinguished police officers to advise me on any mistakes I might make, which adds to the authenticity of the book,” he said. Revealing that apart from writing, he thoroughly enjoys public speaking, he fondly remembered his visit to Bengaluru in 2016, when 7,500 people had gathered to hear him speak.
The 80-year-old author, who shuffles between writing novels and short stories, says all stories are not meant to be turned into 300 pages. “We can all learn from RK Narayan, one of the great short storytellers of all time. You will hear many fascinating stories but they can’t be turned into a novel. That does not take away from the story because sometimes it’s a piece of magic in itself, but there are different sorts of troubles. You can’t waste a word in a short story,” says Archer, adding that the author has to make sure that the plot is not revealed.
Speaking about his classics like Kane and Abel, Archer said he had never anticipated the book will turn into a massive hit with a million copies sold in the first week. “Now 37 million copies have been sold. Many of them were sold in India because they are great devotees of Kane and Abel, and I am immensely grateful for it,” he added.
But he has never hesitated to admit that he always had a soft corner for A Prisoner of Birth, a retelling of The Count of Monte Cristo set in contemporary times, which is known for its surprising ending. “It was a challenge to put the book in a contemporary context and the best part about it was writing the ending,” said the writer who starts his day early and still prefers to write by hand. “I get up at 5:30 am, I am at my desk at 6 am, I write for two hours, and take a 2-hour break. In the final session, I read what I have written that day,” said Archer, emphasising that there is no shortcut to hard work.