Alison Morton is the author of the acclaimed Roma Nova thriller series, which imagines what might have happened if a small part of the Roman Empire still existed in the 21st century. The series features modern Praetorian heroines and blends deep historical research with six years of military service in a special communications regiment. A Roman enthusiast since age 11, Alison holds a master’s in history, speaks at conferences across the UK, France, Ireland, and the US, and lives in France with her husband.
Host: Richard Lowe | Guest: Alison Morton
Interview Transcript
Richard: You’re a Roman nut. Tell me about that.
Alison: This goes back to when I was 11. We were on holiday in northeast Spain, at what was then called Ampurias. My father was a numismatist and historian who also ran a small business with antiquities. I had never seen such extensive Roman mosaics — they were beautiful, overwhelming. Rooms and rooms of them.
I started doing drawings of all these incredibly complex patterns and asked my father, “Who were these people?” He told me about senators, sailors, traders, slaves, the military, the conquest of the known world. I said, “But what did the mommies and children do?” He said the mommies ran the house and the children were good. I said, “Really? What do you think it would have been like if the women had been in charge?” Very wise man — he didn’t fall into that one. He said, “Well, what do you think it would have been like?”
That went on in my head for decades. I did my own military service, ran a small business, got married, had a family. Then one day we went to a really bad film — the photography was great, Ewan McGregor was in it, and Tom Hanks. But the dialogue was terrible, the plot didn’t follow. I turned to my husband and said, “I could do better than that.” He said, “Well, why don’t you?” I went home and in 90 days had 90,000 words on my computer.
From One Book to Two Trilogies
Alison: I wrote that first book and then thought I must find out what happened to our heroine years later. I dipped into her life and found unresolved things. So I wrote a third book, and that became a trilogy.
When I was writing number three, I saw this secondary character — the grandmother of the heroine — and thought she’s really interesting. What secrets has she got hidden in her past? So I wrote a fourth book. I got to 86,000 words and hadn’t even covered a third of the story. It had to be another trilogy. So I ended up with two trilogies within a series, which is quite peculiar.
Last year I was challenged to do a novella. I thought I can’t write anything that short, but I challenged myself. I took my heroine to Quebec and the eastern United States as it exists in the Roma Nova world. And now I’m writing short stories tying up loose ends and introducing solutions. I don’t think I can leave this Roman thing alone.
Learning the Craft
Alison: The first book took three years to get into publishable state. That’s where I learned my trade as a novel writer. A lot of people think you just type it out and there it is, but you have to learn structure, devices, characterization, craft techniques.
I went to conferences and classes, got a mentor, joined groups, went to events, learned about the publishing industry as well as doing all the craft work. Time spent doing that is my biggest recommendation. Go to classes. Learn your craft. Although I’d been working with words all my life — I trained in languages, worked as a translator, edited a magazine, written government papers and military reports — I didn’t know how to write novels.
You have to be humble about it. However high status your previous job, you’re almost going back to being an apprentice. As an ex-translator, I’m very picky about getting the right word. And the most important thing as a translator is getting the message across. I visualize a scene and then describe it. I see people in my head and follow their actions.
Research: Two Lines Can Take Hours
Alison: Research is extremely important. Never think you can gloss over it. Even in alternate history, where the timeline divides and your invented timeline goes its own way, you’ve got to make it progress logically.
I had a long conversation with Ruth Downey, who writes the Russo medical series about a Roman army medic. I was working out how an officer reassigned from Britannia to Noricum would stay dry traveling through winter rain in northern Gaul. We went back and forth about oiled fabrics, the birrus Britannicus cloak, leather satchels, wooden pack frames. That research produced two lines in the story. But somebody will write in saying you’re wrong, and if I’ve done the research, I feel confident.
If anybody looked at my search history on Google, they’d see Glocks, bullpup rifles, how to make a bomb — terrible. But if you get details wrong, readers who enjoy adventure stories will rightly complain. You’re asking readers to part with money they’ve already earned and been taxed on. If you don’t give them a credible, professional product, why should they give you their money?
Showing vs. Telling
Richard: How do you balance showing and telling?
Alison: The general fashion is that you must show and not tell, yet we read books full of telling. We love Jane Austen, which is full of telling — but she’s also very good at showing.
In science fiction, you could write: “Now look, Bob, this super-duper laser gun is the one with which we will burn all the aliens.” Or you could write: “Duck, Bob! Here’s the alien — don’t get burned by that! Duck, there’s another one.” Writing an action scene or dialogue scene shows the reader, and the reader isn’t stupid. They’ll catch the excitement.
Sometimes a couple of sentences of telling can get you through a time jump without going through every painful detail. I’d suggest 90% showing and 10% telling. The method should be appropriate to the situation.
Writer’s Block
Richard: Do you get writer’s block?
Alison: Yes. It’s horrible sometimes. You just have to put something down — tap on the keyboard or write on paper, even if it’s complete rubbish you’re going to delete. You can’t go off and say the Muse is not with me. You’ve got to sit down at the chair and type. You will write through it. That sounds cruel, but if you don’t put your 1,000 or 500 words a day out, you’re not treating it as a job. It’s like falling off a bicycle — don’t go cry to mommy and never get on the bike again. You get back on the bike.
Marketing and Branding
Alison: Marketing has changed enormously. When I published my first book, you walked into your local Waterstones and arranged a launch. Now it’s much harder.
There is no silver bullet. You have to try everything — Facebook, Twitter, your own blog, guest blogging, pitching articles to print and online magazines, doing collaborative things with other authors, book sales, events. Do some marketing every day, even if it’s just a little post on your author page.
Branding is important. My brand is the eagle — I’ve put it on every single book in a different color with the same symbol. I keep the font the same. When you see my fierce eagle with the modernistic design, you know you’re in Roma Nova. Debbie Young writes cozy crime and always has lovely pastel colors with something vintagey. You know where you are. Deciding on the image you’re going to project is very important.
I’d also say don’t just post “buy my book.” Write around the writing life — how you researched the end of the Roman Empire, why you set a book in Canada, the photos you took. That’s soft promotion and much more acceptable.
Handling Reviews
Richard: What do you do when you get bad reviews?
Alison: The first one? I went and cried in the corner. When you’re a new author, it’s devastating. Now, with 80-plus reviews on Amazon UK, 70-odd on Amazon US, and a 4.6 or 4.7 average, I know by sheer numbers that most people quite like the book.
The key is that it’s a subjective opinion. It’s not the New York Times or the Times Literary Supplement. It’s one person who didn’t get your book. Not everybody’s going to get your book. It’s perfectly legitimate to feel a little hurt, but remember it’s subjective and it’s only one person. And don’t let good reviews give you a swollen head either.
Advice for New Writers
Alison: Just bash your story out. Get the bones out. The first draft will be rubbish — everybody knows that. The making of a book is at the editing stage. Once you’ve got your plot points, turning points, crises, black moment, and climax in place, then is the time to start the real work.
Always have an open mind. Always be learning. I’ve been writing since 2009. I speak at conferences now rather than just attending, but I still go to other sessions and learn new things. Never think you know most things. It’s a joyous ride because you keep learning. That’s a huge privilege in this profession.
Learn more about Alison Morton at alison-morton.com.
Video edited by Bonnie Dillabough.
Find Richard Lowe at TheWritingKing.com.