Fêted crime writer James Ellroy has released his new novel This Storm, continuing his development of a Los Angeles that not many readers will be familiar with
You’re known for your distinctive writing style – clipped sentences and blunt, brutal language. It’s incredibly filmic – like instructions for an actor to follow and to help a reader accurately formulate an image of the places your characters operate in. At this point in your career, does it still require much editing to bring that out or is it just a natural flow?
James Ellroy: I think I’ve expanded that to a less clipped style, though it’s still concise. It’s the result of the copiously detailed outlines I do for all my books. I spend a lot of time creating a superstructure that allows me to know that everything I add to it will make sense in terms of theme and the way the characters interact. And at this stage, I am my only frame of reference – I don’t look at the work of others.
The world you depict is incredibly dense – all the characters and their individual threads – and profoundly cynical. That can be uncomfortable to read. Perhaps that’s because it’s a more accurate reflection of readers; our public and private personae mashed up, complex and layered?
This story is from the August 2019 edition of Skyways.
Start your 7-day Magzter GOLD free trial to access thousands of curated premium stories, and 9,000+ magazines and newspapers.
Already a subscriber ? Sign In
This story is from the August 2019 edition of Skyways.
Start your 7-day Magzter GOLD free trial to access thousands of curated premium stories, and 9,000+ magazines and newspapers.
Already a subscriber? Sign In
Fit For Purpose
Changing legislation offers a range of opportunities in the health sector
Good For Grinches
Finally! A holiday season Scrooge himself can invest in
A Paradise In The Wilderness
Visitors find freedom at Treedom on the Garden Route
Do It For The Kids
Parenting styles play an important role in helping children develop through the pandemic and beyond
Trekking With Teens
Travelling with adolescents comes with a unique set of challenges
Know Your Mind
Our brain uses shortcuts to think quickly but, sometimes, these mental timesavers let us down. Dr Pragya Agarwal discusses the science of cognitive biases, and why it’s more important than ever to understand how they hold sway over our views
Infected With The Travel Bug Again
As tourism-related establishments up their game to ensure visitor health and safety, it’s possible to feel positive about travelling again
Star attraction
Greater Kruger lodge makes a spectacular first impression
Palala position
The effect of the past on the present is positively felt in a luxury Waterberg lodge
Can the spam!
Irrelevant advertising will almost certainly turn consumers against your product