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The Winners of Wire in the Blood DVDs...

Well Done to: Monica Meijer, Dayelle P. Cole, Stacey Wadsworth, Jon Jordan, Toni Stanton, Stanley Graham Mellor, Frances Burrill, Coreen Robertshawe, Gretchen Hinman and Anita Hauri

Each will receive a copy of the new Wire in the Blood DVD
See below for the winning questions put to Val McDermid and Robson Green

April / May 2003
We've teamed up with RobsonGreen.com and Revelation Films www.revfilms.co.uk to celebrate the launch of the first series of Wire in the Blood on DVD and Video.

We're offering you the chance to grab one of ten copies of the new Wire in the Blood DVD whilst getting your very own questions answered by Val McDermid and Robson Green. They will then be published on both sites. The DVDs are "Region Code 0" which means they can be played in any DVD player - regardless of the country you reside in.

How to Enter
Think of four original and interesting questions - two for Val and two for Robson. Why not have a browse through the wealth of information that can be found on ValMcDermid.com and RobsonGreen.com? Once you've taken the time to think of something interesting to ask, simply enter the questions into the Entry Form.

Closing Date
The competition is now closed.

Question to Val McDermid from Monica Meijer (The Netherlands)
Which of your characters can you relate to the most?

That's a hard question to answer; when I'm writing, then I'm most closely involved with whoever the protagonist is in that novel, and it's hard to see beyond them. I need that closeness, otherwise they wouldn't come over as strongly on the page as they should. But if I had to pick one to be cast away on a desert island with, it would probably be Carol Jordan.

Question to Robson Green from Monica Meijer (The Netherlands)
If you could star in one movie based on a novel, which novel would that be?

'WILT' By Tom Sharpe. I Know it's already been done, but I'd tell it differently from the Oxford and Cambridge set.

Question to Val McDermid from Dayelle P. Cole (New Zealand)
Does Robson portray the character from the book, just how you imagined him to be, when you created him?

What's fascinating to me is that if you go back and read the first description of Tony Hill in The Mermaids Singing, it's scarily similar to Robson... I think Robson's done a great job of bringing Tony alive. One of the hardest things was to translate all the internal thought processes of the book to the screen. Robson's managed that, making Tony quirky and eccentric without going over the top and turning him into a mad professor. It's a very clever, thoughtful performance, and I'm thrilled by it.

Question to Robson Green from Dayelle P. Cole (New Zealand)
Before you start filming, what do you do to get yourself into the role of the character you are playing?

First of all I picture myself in That role in order to have some form of self belief, then I plot the characters journey from a-z. I then digest the story, learn the lines, work out my intention and then try desperately to be interesting in front of the lens.

Question to Val McDermid from Stacey Wadsworth (United States)
Has your childhood spent in Kirkcaldy and East Wemyss influenced the creation of your stories and characters and how has it?

It's hard to draw direct parallels between life experiences and what ends up on the page, because it's always transformed in the crucible of the imagination. But everything that shapes a writer's life becomes the raw material of fiction. And as Wordsworth said, the child is father to the man; my roots are naturally an important part of what makes me the writer I am today.

Question to Robson Green from Stacey Wadsworth (United States)
Your characters, Dave Creegan in Touching Evil and Tony Hill in Wire in the Blood, both have the same talent for getting into the minds of criminals. Regarding that, how did you create a character (Tony Hill) so different from Dave Creegan?

Tony Hill is different in many respects to Dave Creegan but I guess the main departure is that Tony is clumsy. Clumsy in expression, in relating to people (especially Carol) and clumsy in his make-up (clothes, house, car etc.). Another difference is that the only person Tony can really communicate with is himself.

Question to Val McDermid from Jon Jordan (United States)
After making an appearance in one of the episodes as a reporter,and a fine job it was, would you consider doing more acting?

Hahahaha. I think I've realised I'm better sticking to what I'm good at. Besides, I don't think Robson can stand the competition...

Question to Robson Green from Jon Jordan (United States)
Does it scare you to be around Val McDermid knowing the kind of things that are going on in her head while she writes these books?!

Like you and I, Val is a human being, and a very nice one at that! When I first met Val I was immediately taken by her genuine warmth, wit and enthusiasm. I firmly believe we all have a light and dark side and what Val is able to do is motivate her good side by expressing on paper the dark side of human nature.

Question to Val McDermid from Toni Stanton (UK)
You have lived in many different towns - which one has the best memories?

Hard question. It would probably be a toss-up between Glasgow, Oxford and Manchester, each for very different reasons. And these days, I'm having a lot of fun in Newcastle...
Speaking of which, have you heard the latest joke? Tony Blair has announced that he is sending the team that chose Liverpool for European City of Culture out to Iraq. The theory is that if they can find Culture in Liverpool then Weapons of Mass Destruction in Iraq will be a piece of cake.

Question to Robson Green from Toni Stanton (UK)
What do you think of Newcastle Gateshead's bid to be 'European Capital of Culture'?

Ours was a Great Bid.................. oh bugger, Liverpool got it!

Question to Val McDermid from Stanley Graham Mellor (Canada)
Having emmersed yourself in the plot totally for so long, how long does it take you to clear you mind of the characters personalities before you move on to the next novel?

It's not so much a matter of clearing my mind of the previous cast of characters as focussing in on the new crew. The only thing I can liken it to is the relationship we have with our friends. When you're with one of your mates, you're concentrating on them, your mind is automatically plugged in to who they are and what you know about them. It's not that you forget about the other people you know; it's just that right now, they're not in the forefront of your mind.

Question to Robson Green from Stanley Graham Mellor (Canada)
When you accept a character role, how do you identify with the character, i.e. Tony Hill? Do you talk to profilers and study their demeanour or do you just play it as the script displays the character to you?

I picture a story and then try to see myself in it whilst asking myself honestly "can I achieve the writers vision". If need be I would make contact with a person who actually does the job described in our piece of fiction for real. In the case of 'Wire in the Blood' I met with Julian Boon who works in the field of clinical psychology.

Question to Val McDermid from Frances Burrill (Canada)
First let me thank you for the "Tony and Carol" books you have written. I love these characters and look forward to reading more of them. Where do your characters come from? Are they totally ficticious or are they amalgams of people you have known?

Characters are always drawn from life, in the sense that you only have access to what you know, and what you know is the sum total of who you've met and who you've observed over a lifetime. With me, story is always what comes first. Then I have to figure out whose story it is -- whether it's an existing series character or something new. If it's an existing character, I have a pretty clear idea of what my starting material is, but I have to work out how this story will develop their character. If it's a new character, I begin from the position of trying to work out what sort of person would do the things I need them to be capable of. And that's where my own experience comes in. It's not always a conscious sifting of the memory banks; after a while, most of it is a subconscious process.

Question to Robson Green from Frances Burrill (Canada)
You began your career as a stage actor. Do you plan, at any time in the near future, to return to the stage? There are many of us who would love an opportunity to see you perform live.

It all depends on the script. I'm asked many times to perform live. Give me the script that's right for me and I'll do it.

Question to Val McDermid from Coreen Robertshawe (UK)
Have you ever considered writing for young adults? My daughter (13) really enjoys watching forensic science dramas on TV with me and would enjoy a novel aimed at her age level from authors such as yourself.

I think writing for children and young adults is a very particular skill and I'm not convinced that I possess it. It's hard to write for those audiences without being patronising or writing over their heads and I think I'd rather leave it to those who are good at it. And it's good to have something to look forward to, no?

Question to Robson Green from Coreen Robertshawe (UK)
The actor Jeremy Brett was supposed to have been severely affected by the character Sherlock Holmes in the drama series of the same name. Have you ever found yourself affected in any way by the grimness of the dramas you have starred in?

We are in the profession of 'suspending disbelief' - a term that simply means outside reality. So what I do is only pretend, it is not real. I truly believe it would be wrong and highly irresponsible for me to believe it is otherwise. I have a very happy real life outside acting so, no I'm never affected by my work.

Question to Val McDermid from Gretchen Hinman (United States)
You have put the Tony Hill character through such harrowingly tough moments, psychologically, emotionally, and physically that it is hard to imagine how that character can survive without simply giving up. Do you ever see him having any joy whatsoever? The character is so darkly sympathetic that I find myself worrying about the character and feeling annoyed with you, yet your words capture my imagination and certainly my time. Before I pick up a new book of yours I know I am going to have to steel myself because Tony is in for it again. I hesitate to buy before finally succumbing.

Well, I like to think I do give Tony the occasional moment of joy along the way. And for someone who defines himself so much in terms of the work he does, there is at least the occasional satisfaction of capturing a killer and preventing them from causing any more grief. But as I work my way through the fourth Tony and Carol novel, I do find myself wondering how much capacity for peace and happiness either of them has...

Question to Robson Green from Gretchen Hinman (United States)
Does living with the Tony Hill character cause difficulties in your world view? How do you try to infuse this character with inherent humour? Is there any there?

I think I've already answered the 'living with Tony Hill' question, but if there is one thing it has helped me with in my world view, it is that if we can spot destructive behaviour at an early stage and stop it from growing, then I do believe the horizons for this world would be a lot healthier.

Question to Val McDermid from Anita Hauri (Switzerland)
If you had to write a crime story right now, without any preparations, what kind of picture comes up first. The murderer or the victim's body?

I'd probably think first about the crime. Not the body itself, because I'm really rather sqeamish when it comes to corpses. But I'd probably work backwards and forwards from the crime, rather than concentrate on the killer right at the start of the thinking process.

Question to Robson Green from Anita Hauri (Switzerland)
Of all the characters you have played in the past, in which one could you find the most part from yourself?

'Atwood Ruddy' in a play called 'Come Snow, Come Blow' written by Leonard Barras. Atwood was training for the Morpeth to Newcastle road race, but was disqualified for catching the bus! A great comic character by a great comic writer.

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