Thomas Perry, a crime novelist, has gone a long way since his first thriller novel, ‘Butcher’s Boy,’ which won him the Edgar Award. However, the author believes that creating the captivating novel, as well as the other 26 books in the series, was difficult.
Perry had to go through fascinating brainstorming sessions to create suspenseful and violent characters, which occasionally led to sadness.
He is depressed by the violence in his novels
You have to play the scenes of murder, treachery, and violence in your head when you write thriller and mystery novels for a living.
The author was questioned if the need for violence in his writings influenced him during an interview with Identity Theory magazine on February 1, 2003. Perry responded by admitting that he felt depressed anytime he wrote something violent because he wanted his writing to be as realistic as possible.
I want the five quarts of blood to spill out on the ground so that everyone knows this is a serious matter. I am depressed after writing anything violent. It makes me sad. What I’m aiming for is for other people to be affected in the same manner that I am. That is, to be both terrified and sorry about it.
The Ph.D. in English literature went on to explain why he took his writing so seriously. He stated that he wanted readers to identify with the character and feel the truth.
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Perry on Where He Gets His Novel Ideas
Perry took a break from his book tour for his mystery thriller “The Burglar” to talk about his books and career. The suspense novelist explained his formula for creating unique stories and innovative niches.
He said that his original ideas were puzzling to him and that he had any special talent for carrying them out.
He went on to say that his imagination led him to compose a story rather than a pre-conceived concept.
Novel ideas are still a mystery to me. They are derived by observation, listening, and recall. A blank page appears, and then an image appears in your head, prompting you to begin writing about it and telling its tale. The author also revealed that his work experience as a factory laborer and park maintenance worker inspired some of the plots and characters in his writings.