The author of 100 Years of Vicissitude, Small Change and the soon to be released Bullet Gal talks to us about inspiration, character and finding the time to write.

 

Tell us a little about yourself.

My name is Andrez, though Facebook doesn’t recognize ‘Andrez’ as a real name (I kid you not) and you’ll find me as Andrew Bergen on there. I have fingers stuck in far too many pies: I DJ and produce electronic music (as Little Nobody and Funk Gadget), I do photography and art on the side while working as a journalist and teacher, and write novels and comics. I’ve published six novels to date, along with three graphic novels and several comic book series. I’m based in Tokyo – 15 years now – and live with my wife Yoko and ten-year-old daughter Cocoa.

Tell us about your latest book.

That will be novel #7, Bullet Gal, which is coming out through Roundfire Books in November. This is a mix-genre outing, touching as it does upon hardboiled noir, pulp, sci-fi, crime, dystopia, and the golden age of comic books. It’s basically the story of Mitzi, a teenage rebel trying to make things right in a skewed world that may or may not be near-future Melbourne.

Who would play the main characters in a film of your latest book?

If I took on the additional workload of casting agent, and could pluck from the history of cinema? For Mitzi I can imagine someone like Louise Brooks or Jean Seberg. Brigitte Bardot in her twenties is a shoo-in for Brigit, as is Groucho Marx for Dr. Hackenbush, while a young Max von Sydow would be perfect as Lee Denslow. Michael Caine’s Charlie Croker from The Italian Job (1969) sits pretty with the Big Game Hunter. My friend Brian Huber is Milkcrate Man.

Do you have any plans for another book?

I’m currently in the early stages of nutting out a noir/mystery novel titled The Mercury Drinkers – which is set in 1950s Japan and spotlights the “missing years” of Kohana from my book 100 Years of Vicissitude.

What do you think makes a great character?

Clarity. Someone real, with depth of character. I also think you need to at least be able to empathise with their travails. I tend to prefer ones with inner strength in spite of great hardship, people who can fire off repartee at the best (and worst) of times.

What do you think makes a great plot?

I’m a sucker for storylines that focus on character and mix genres. Anything goes, pretty much, although I do seriously love my noir.

What are your top five books of all time?

This is a tough one, but I guess Dashiell Hammett’s The Maltese Falcon, Philip K. Dick’s A Scanner Darkly, Raymond Chandler’s The Big Sleep, Angela Carter’s Nights at the Circus, and Veronica by Nicholas Christopher. I’ve re-read them a million times.

Has anyone been instrumental in helping you to write fiction?

I know I should quote a real, live person, but two of my best friends from childhood were reading and cinema. In terms of writing myself, I’d posit Dashiell Hammett and Raymond Chandler, both from their books and the film adaptations.

Where do you get inspiration from?

As I previously mentioned, other literature and movies. Also TV, comics, art, food, music, and the world around me – especially here in Tokyo and from my hometown Melbourne, in Australia. My friends, family, students and work-colleagues are other elements I draw from.

Do you have any advice for budding authors?

Put your head down and hunker up? It’s a tough world out there to succeed as a writer, and simply getting published is the first step in this process. Believe in what you’re doing, nurture a thick skin, be energetic and persistent – without annoying others, if possible. You will always be your own best friend and supporter, but don’t approach the craft with a blinkered vision. Be aware of advice from others, sift through it, and adapt.

Where do you write?

Anywhere, so long as I have a writing tool and a scrap piece of paper, even the back of a grocery receipt. On the train, in the street, straddling a gutter, in the loo, at home. The revisions and rewrites I tend to do at the latter.

How do you find the time to write?

Stubbornness. Any window of opportunity will do, squeezed between work, life and play. I set myself deadlines and try to abide by these. Mostly, I wake up around 3:30 or 4:00 a.m. and get a lot done before heading off to work. The fact I’m falling asleep in class is a bonus.

 

Andrez Bergen’s novel Bullet Gal will be published via Roundfire Books on November 25th.

Pre-order your copy now from AMAZON US or AMAZON UK

 

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