QUESTIONS AND ANSWERS WITH DUNCAN FALCONER

Lynn: How do you feel about the change in title from Bomb Surgeon into The Operative?

DF:I understand why they did it. The Bomb Surgeon did not suit the advertising campaign planned for the tubes, trains and busses, especially in London. Pity though, I did like the title.

DF:Good titles can help sell a book for sure. But it’s not easy to come up with one. There are a lot of great book titles that have not accurately reflected the story but I suppose you go with what’s most eye catching, although you can’t lead the reader astray of course. The Operative is a very generic title but I hope the contents will please the readers. The publishers liked The Bomb Surgeon title too but they had to take the advice of the marketing department. I’m sure they don’t get it right all of the time but one sometimes has to listen to people with more experience.

DF:Stratton is not in my book after The Operative but he will be in the one after that. Then he’s not in the following book but turns up in the one after. I don’t see an end to him but only time will tell. I think he’s an interesting character and my aim has always been to develop him slowly through each book. Some readers criticized the fact he was a little flat in The Hostage. He was developed further in The Hijack. I think he has grown yet more in The Operative. If he has nowhere else to develop he risks becoming boring I think. A friend suggested that by book 10 I might reveal he’s a transsexual which would explain his difficulty in getting laid. I’ll think about it.

NW: How do you write? Are you locked away in some dark room abusing the keyboard of a pc or do you think it up when you * insert activity of choice *?

DF:I write on a PC – need all the help I can get with spell and grammar check. I can’t remember what I was doing when I came up with past stories. I think it starts with the germ of an idea while daydreaming and then if I like it I tend to use long trips such as on an aircraft or drive to build the plots. But I do find that if I have an intricate part of the story to work out, a scene for instance, I do some of my best thinking while on a long jog.

Lynn: Can you tell us more about this script writing that you do? What programs we should not miss?

DF:I don’t write scripts at the moment although I might again in the future. You won’t be missing much if you have not seen any of the films I have done. I’m too embarrassed to name them.

DF:I don’t read other military books. I don’t have a lot of time to read unfortunately. When I have free time I’m writing. When I do read these days it’s nearly always a history book.
 

Lisle45: You quite openly said your book is great in your publicity video. Do you always have such a high opinion of yourself or are you more modest in real life?

DF:I said I thought the book was great, not me. I certainly don’t think I’m great at anything. I’ve made too many cock-ups in my life to have a inflated illusions about myself. (is that modest enough?)

NW: What is the average DF reader to do if they would like to get a signed copy?

DF:Other than going to a shop that I have just been invited into to sign books I don’t know (weeks later they might still be there of course) but how you find out which shops, again I don’t know. I usually have to visit the publishers shortly after a new book has been printed to sign a few hundred copies but I have no idea where they end up. I could suggest mailing a book to my publisher or agent who will then mail it to me wherever I am in the world and I will then sign it and mail it back to the owner, but it seems like an awful lot of mailing. If anyone finds out what other authors do please let me know.

DF:I don’t have a burning desire to go anywhere in particular but I always look forward to visiting new places.

DF:I obviously do not share Andy’s views on the severity of the threat. I do however think there is more danger from individual nutters rather than from organised terrorist organisations and therefore it is wise to remain incognito.

DF:Legions? I wish. It doesn’t change my writing if I write for a handful of people or thousands. I put enough pressure on myself to try and be better and only hope I will improve as time goes on.

DF:You will always get accidents in the military. It’s a dangerous game with dangerous toys and accidents are often lethal. I’ve always believed that a country’s military should be a tool for an eventual long and lasting peace. But unfortunately that is often abused. Security is usually directionally proportional to the amount of effort and money put into it.

Lisle45: It is a given fact that most authors base their central character at least in some respects on themselves. Why is Stratton hopeless with women? (Again I'd like to point out that it is a q made up by Lisle and I have nothing to do with it)

DF:I expect you would like the answer to assume Stratton is based on me. I have never set out to try and get Stratton laid nor prevent it. Once you set up the characters and send them on their way through the story they begin to take on a life of their own. They dictate conversations and their own particular reactions to events. I must say I have prepared myself on more than one occasion to write my first love scene but the blighters just haven’t got around to it yet. One day hopefully!

NW: You seem to have a rainbow of skills and after reading your latest newsletter on your site, will you be adding clown for hire to your resume?  And will you also be making balloon animals?

DF:I have had about six different careers to date and if the writing fails I will try something else. Making balloon animals sounds nice and safe to take me into my dotage.

Lynn: Do you think there's a mental change in SF personnel compared to the Ol' days when you served? * again, not my q!*

DF:Not quite sure what you mean by mental change. Most of them are mental anyway.

Lisle45: Are you concerned that the South African government is publicly (if not privately) opposed to "mercenaries" and do you not worry about that, as a high profile author, you may be an example?

DF:I’m curious to see how that one works myself. It’s one of the more stupid pieces of legislation I’ve heard of. I am not South African anyway nor am I a domicile of that country so it doesn’t affect me. But neither am I a mercenary.
 

NW: Yes about that high profile author bit from my friend there, now that the doors of Fame and Celebrities are wide open, are there things you will not do? Or will you go to any length to get some media attention? (like some other unnamed ex sf authors tend to do)

DF:I’m neither famous nor a celebrity, but I will stop doing the dance of the flaming arseholes in posh restaurants and that’s the last time I streak at Twickenham when England are playing. Mind you, that’s what I said last time.

Lynn: What are the advantages and disadvantages over the SBS's use of a 4 man team over a 2 man team?  

DF:It’s harder to get 4 men in a 2 man canoe but once you have the hang of it pairs can swap and take breaks or make cups of tea, etc.

Jon: What single character trait do you think is the most essential in determining whether or not a person is capable of succeeding in the SBS?

DF:If I were to choose only one I would probably say tenacity – and lots of it

Eva: Why DF left the SBS and what he thinks about the situation in Iran? Will the next war take place there?

DF:I left the SBS simply because I felt it was time to move on. I did not think I would make a satisfactory officer or senior NCO because those jobs require a level of diplomacy I was not in possession of at that time. I believe Islamic fundamentalists are going to be an increasing problem for the west wherever they are. Iran is a place to keep an eye on for that reason but they are not the only country that considers the west to be their enemy.

Camban: Has DF ever met other SF authors such as McNab, Ryan. If so, how did they get on with each other?

DF:I have never met either.

Tony w.z.l.r.m: Can the insurgents be beaten in Iraq and if so how?

DF:They are being weakened every month in some way or another – they of course adjust but generally they are being beaten. As to how they will be beaten, that is a long answer and I probably don’t have all of it.

Debby: You say SAS and SBS are joined at the hip? Is there still much rivalry between them?