BookView Review

Welcome to BookView Interview, a conversation series where BookView talks to authors.

Recently, we talked to  L. J. Goodman about her writing and her recently published SF novel, The Last Advocate, a dystopian tale that serves as a warning to those who refuse to acknowledge the realities of climate change and insist on turning a blind eye to the fate of our planet. (Read the review here).

What was an early experience where you learned that language had power?

When I was very young, about 7 years old, I recall my mum always writing letters to politicians and newspapers about animal welfare issues among other things. She was passionate about human injustice and animal cruelty. Her letters were nearly always published because she had a gift for writing and she taught me as a child that words could be very powerful when constructed with the perfect balance of emotional and rational.

What kind of research do you do, and how long do you spend researching before beginning a book?

For The Last Advocate I did a considerable amount of research into what is scientifically possible right now and then let my imagination loose on how things could progress in the future. Although there was a lot of upfront research, I found that as the story progressed and more ideas came into my head, I had to continue to do research throughout the writing process.

Do you try more to be original or to deliver to readers what they want?

Having spent decades writing what people wanted to hear as an advertising copywriter, I now only write what I want to say and what my imagination dictates. I think originality is the key to delivering a good story that, if done well, will end up being what readers want.

Do you think someone could be a writer if they don’t feel emotions strongly?

No, definitely not. If you don’t feel emotions strongly, any characters you create will be two dimensional with a dry, uninteresting plot and you won’t have the drive or discipline to put in the hours to finish a book in the first place.

Do you read your book reviews? Do they please you or annoy you? Do you think you can learn a lot from reading criticism about your work?

I do read reviews. I think it’s an important part of the process and it helps to inform any future writing. I’ve been fortunate so far with reviews written about The Last Advocate. I can tell a lot about the age of the reviewer from what their ‘take’ is about this particular book. So far I’ve found that younger reviewers totally get the point of the story.

What is your favorite childhood book?

By far my favourite childhood book, and the one that had the most profound effect on me, was The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe by C.S. Lewis. I found myself swept away on a magical adventure, sometimes in awe, sometimes moved to tears but always fully engaged with the characters and caring deeply about what happened to them.

How did you decide which form or genre was right for you?

They say write what you know or in my case love. I’ve had a life-long obsession with science fiction. So it’s fair to say that in this genre it can be impossible to write what you know because so much of it stems from having a vivid imagination. I’ve written children’s books before and attempted to write books about real-life situations but I keep coming back to sci-fi as my genre of choice. In The Last Advocate I think cli-fi (climate fiction) is possibly a more accurate description of the genre.

Is writer’s block real?

For me it is. Sometimes I just stare at a blank screen waiting for inspiration to come. When that happens I find it best to step away from the computer and do something else. Usually soaking in a bath and letting my mind wander gets me back on track.

After the writing’s finished, how do you judge the quality of your work?

I have a small team of beta readers who provide valuable feedback which I take on board and make amendments where necessary.

What inspired the premise of your book?

The world has changed a great deal since I was a child and worryingly so. I feel desperately sad for future generations and what they will inherit as a result of the inaction and ignorance of previous generations. I’m not only concerned with the state of our planet, but also the way we receive and process information today be it from recognised media outlets or social media. News used to be reported, now it’s interpreted. It’s hard to discern the truth from fiction or spin, especially when it comes to the world’s political leaders. It often feels as though we are on a rollercoaster heading for disaster. The Last Advocate is a cautionary tale of what could happen if we don’t change our ways now.

Tell us a little about how this story first came to be. Did it start with an image, a voice, a concept, a dilemma, or something else?

It started as a voice in my head. In fact, as I recall, it was almost like an out of body experience. I just sat at my computer and the words flowed. I actually started writing The Last Advocate about 25 years ago and then life got in the way and the manuscript ended up at the bottom of a box. Then a year and half ago my friend was helping me clear out a storage room and found it. She read it, loved it, and convinced me to work on it again. A lot of what I’d previously written had already come to pass, so apart from the first chapter I had to start from scratch.

Which scene was most difficult to write? Why?

The last chapter was both the easiest and the most difficult to write. Easy because it was the most natural conclusion to the story and difficult because of its finality. I’ve always been frustrated with the ‘happy ever after’ endings of so many books where the story is wrapped up in a neat little package. Or stories that don’t provide an ending at all and just leave the reader hanging. I was determined to leave the reader in no doubt of the ending.

What makes this book important right now?

The Last Advocate is a book for now. All you have to do is turn on the TV and watch the news. The warnings are all around us, and have been for many years, decades in fact. But as a species we continue to move at a glacial pace to change things. The solutions aren’t difficult to implement but the will just isn’t there from world leaders to instigate change and I know I’m not alone in finding this infuriating. The real power lies with those institutions that have deep pockets and lobby intensively to protect their financial interests.

What’s next for you?

I’m currently doing research for my next book which will be more traditional sci-fi with a thriller twist. I was asked recently if I could go back to being a younger me, what would I have wanted to do. The answer was easy. Be an astronaut! The closest I can get to that now is by writing a story about space travel. That’s the beauty of being a writer. You can go anywhere and be anyone you like.

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