Interview with Author Tim Hall by Alondra Deltoro
Having published multiple pieces of work, ranging from personal essays, to stories and autobiographies, Tim has worked his way on up to creating and publishing a few books in the cozy mystery genre. Published here at Cozy Cat Press, you can find Tim’s “Bert Shambles Mystery Books” available to purchase through Amazon.
Interview with Bert Shambles Mystery Books author Tim Hall:
Your bio on the Cozy Cat Press website says that you’ve been a journalist, a bike messenger, a musician and a moving man. I’ve gotta say, you’ve got quite the resume there! What can we find you doing nowadays? Are you still actively publishing material?
I’ve been doing digital marketing for many years, so that’s been my main gig. But I’m recently semi-retired and trying to live by my wits--a few lucky investments don’t hurt, either.
Delving more into your writing careers, was there anything that you’ve read that inspired you to take writing seriously? If so, what was it and why do you feel that it inspired you so much?
I knew I wanted to write after reading The Hobbit, around age 10. I began reading fantasy, science fiction, and Edgar Allen Poe--he was too difficult for me, but I loved his language anyway. Michael Moorcock--the Elric series was a huge influence on me. And Marvel comics.
Onto the actual deed itself...writing! So, what does that look like to you? Is it a difficult task to do- getting your thoughts into words? Or is it something that comes naturally to you and is easy? In other words, is it an energizing act or an exhausting one?
You know, genre writers are supposed to make it look easy, and crank out multiple books a year. I couldn’t do that, and it made me miserable trying. I work for very specific timing and rhythm in my books, and that’s the part that tortures me. It’s very difficult to hone those beats and craft those melodies. I haven’t written in about 4 or 5 years at this point, because it was impossible to earn a living, have a family, and tune my stories to the level I need to be happy. It’s not about perfection, but a very specific effect I’m going for, and if I can’t achieve that--in my own mind, anyway--then I don’t see the point of driving myself to desperation and making a miserable mess of everything around me. If creativity is supposed to be messy then I’m Oscar Madison.
Now let’s talk about INSPIRATION! What inspires you to create these stories? Is it people you meet? The media you consume? Books? Or is it all just the workings of your imagination?
This is interesting, as I was just thinking about this today. I had just finished watching KILLING EVE, and as I neared the last episode, I realized I was becoming worried about Jodie Comer: how would she return to being herself when the show was over? Her performance is so mind-blowing, so brilliant--I have a huge art-crush on her and think she’s absolutely amazing--that I couldn’t imagine anybody coming back from that madness, that edge she developed with Villanelle. I bring that up because for me, writing the Bert Shambles books was very, very much about getting myself into a kind of fugue state. I play not only him but all the characters--in my room, standing in front of the computer, usually in my boxer briefs, emoting and acting out the various scenes. It’s kind of insane but that’s what I do, over and over, it’s very much like a rehearsal, where I’m both actor and director, and both halves of me kind of resent the other. That’s what really inspires me, I guess--the act of exaggerating, of emoting. Writing is extremely performative for me, equal parts physical and cerebral. I’m probably inspired by the fact that at heart I’m a show-off.
Now that you're inspired, do you do any research on the ideas you come up with? For example, in Dead Stock, you made the protagonist work at a thrift store. Did you look into the thrifting business and try to inject some factual information about it into the book?
A lot of that comes from personal experience--for example, one summer in high school I got a job taking an elderly man golfing. That was the genesis, many years later, for setting DEAD STOCK in a golfing scenario. And thrift shops were my department store, growing up in the 80s. That was where I shopped. So that was easy. But when I needed to learn about how probation and parole work--that stuff I had to research. I have no personal experience with the criminal justice system, thankfully.
How did the idea for the character of Bert Shambles come about?
Bert Shambles is me, except he’s the me I wish I could talk to in the past, to tell him everything was going to be alright. I actually lived in a flophouse like the one he lives in, and my neighbor was a wizard who took psychic hotline calls in his room. The most absurd parts of the books are most likely from personal experience. I’ve overcome a fair amount in my life, and Bert is my chance to make my younger self something of a winner, even in the midst of losing.
Why write a “cozy murder mystery” book? What drew you into writing a book of that genre?
I love stories where the good guys win, but I don’t like violence. That’s tough when you’re writing murder mysteries. I discovered cozies in my 20s and fell in love with them. I wrote an early draft of Bert back in 1990 or so, inspired by Lawrence Block, but my life was too unstable and chaotic to finish anything back then.
How long on average does it take you to write a book?
Probably 6 months to get a draft, then 12 months to revise it. But I haven’t written in several years, because I’m at heart still a sensitive soul who faints at the sight of blood--especially when it’s my own, from trying so hard to write.
How many books have you written and which one did you have the most fun writing and why?
I wrote a few books before Bert, more personal essays, stories, autobio fiction--graduating up to genre writing was a big step up for me, it took me years to be able to write truly creatively, off the top of my head.
What was one of the most surprising things you learned while writing your books?
For decades I thought writing was the most noble, most important work I could possibly do, and I tortured myself, deprived myself, went lonely and mad and broke trying to make it work. But as I got older, I learned that I like normalcy more. I like having a nice stereo and listening to music. I like TV now--I never watched TV shows before about 5 years ago. I still think they’re overrated for the most part, but I enjoy it.
How has the response from your readers been like? Have you had any reach out to you? If so, how was that experience?
People are wonderful. I had such a great welcome from Patricia and the other Cozy Cat authors. I had a blast at a few Malice Domestics, and spoke at a bunch of other conferences. The MWA was a wonderful resource and group of folks. Readers were really positive, but I wasn’t able to stick around long enough to build a fan base. I just don’t have the resources, financial or emotional, to pursue a hobby with that much intensity.
Before we wrap things up, do you have any advice for those thinking about publishing their own book?
Don’t do it because you think you should, or have to--I did it because it was something I desperately had to get out of me, it was killing me keeping it in. Listen to writing critiques, but don’t let it stop you. You’re going to be very bad for a long time before you write anything good. Only you can decide if it’s worth the effort. Don’t have any regrets. Give it your all. Walk away if you have to. Put love first.