A/N: This is a follow-up to my story 'The Real Deal' (a Kate Beckett interview), and it's set just over a year after that story. Richard Castle is interviewed by 'Heels' magazine in London, and then heads back to New York. It would be helpful (but not absolutely necessary) to read 'The Real Deal' first. My sincere thanks to missy52061 for the idea behind this story.
*A/N edited to add* To ensure that this story is firmly within FF dot net guidelines, I reformatted the interview portions, which previously appeared in conventional Q&A interview format. I'm not completely happy with this format (I think the former one was more realistic and easier to read), but hopefully this is not too difficult to follow. If you would like to read the story in its original format, please PM me and I'll send it to you.
Disclaimer: I don't own 'Castle', but I love it.
A WRITER'S LIFE
Self-professed 'bad boy gone good' Richard Castle welcomes us into the world of the mystery writer.
by Christina Broome
I've wanted to talk with New York Times bestselling mystery novelist Richard Castle for a long time; ever since I interviewed his wife, Inspector Kate Beckett of the New York Police Department, for our special law enforcement issue last year. The reader response to that interview was overwhelming. You were clearly affected by her story, and truth be told, so was I.
After speaking to Beckett, I found myself wanting to meet the man she fondly calls 'Castle', and finding out more about their unique relationship. In view of his writing success, I thought he would also have some good tips for readers who might be considering a career in creative writing. This special issue on creative careers was the perfect opportunity for me to finally get a crack at interviewing him.
Although I have read (and enjoyed) some of his books, prior to this interview I knew very little about the man himself. While preparing for our chat, I discovered a few things about Castle that piqued my interest, and not always in a good way. For example, he has always had a huge female fan following, upon whom he was once reputed to have bestowed his charms (if you catch my drift) rather liberally, and among authors he also had the rather dubious distinction of being willing to sign female fans' chests when they asked for his autograph (whatever happened to paper napkins?)
When all my research was done, I wasn't quite sure what to believe about Richard Castle. Was he:
- a shallow playboy with a predilection for female pulchritude, or the loving partner and father that Kate Beckett described so feelingly?
- arrogant, self-absorbed and hedonistic; or a kind and compassionate man with a heart of gold?
- an average writer who stumbled upon success when he hit upon a winning formula by accident; or a talented novelist with a keen understanding of human nature?
There seem to be as many narratives of Richard Castle out there as there are characters in his books – and they very often contradict one another.
I'll be honest; my interview with Richard Castle did not completely settle all my confusion. I did conclude that at the age of 56 and with a wife and four children whom he clearly adores beyond words, he has probably abandoned most of his more risqué behaviour (in other words, his chest-signing days are well and truly over). He seems completely committed to his family.
He is a bit of an enigma though. He appears to be an open book, but somehow you still get the feeling that he's holding something back. He is flippant and irreverent in one moment, perceptive and profound in the next. He clearly has a fierce intellect, but sometimes it almost feels as though he's trying to hide it. He seems to be simultaneously wearing his heart on his sleeve, and holding that same sleeve up to shield you from the truth in his clear blue eyes.
Some things about Richard Castle are beyond question, though – he is ruggedly handsome, he could charm the socks off my stern old grandmum, and he is an excellent conversationalist – I could happily have talked to him for hours.
Find out more about the 'master of the macabre' in our exclusive conversation. We started with a reference to the Beckett interview:
"Thank you for taking the time to speak with us today; I know this is a very busy time for you," I began.
"No problem; happy to be here," Castle said brightly.
"As you know, we did a profile on your wife, Inspector Kate Beckett, last year. It might surprise you to know that it received the largest reader response we've ever had since the inception of Heels magazine."
Castle smiled, unfazed. "That's wonderful, but it really doesn't surprise me at all."
"I imagine not, because she's been an inspiration for you in a very real way, hasn't she? The Nikki Heat series, which was inspired by her, has been your most popular book series to date, with several successful movie adaptations into the bargain. Why do you think Nikki has such broad appeal for the audience?"
"I don't know about the audience, but I'll tell you why Nikki appeals to me. She's heroic, but she's still human. There are many layers to her – she's intelligent, tenacious, creative, driven, adventurous, daring, compassionate, funny –"
"And sexy," I inserted.
"Definitely sexy."
"What's your response to people who allege that you've played up Nikki Heat's – feminine qualities at the expense of her more professional side?"
Castle smiled; he's obviously heard this one before. "They're entitled to their own opinion, and I won't deny that I've never tried to play down the fact that Nikki Heat is – well, hot. I've never tried to downplay her detective skills either. But so many real women are like her – both physically attractive and professionally impressive. In fact that's one of my favourite things about women. It doesn't have to be one or the other. You're such great multi-taskers. Men – well, we don't do so great in that department."
"Do you feel that there's an element of sexual objectification in your treatment of Nikki Heat, though?"
"My life has been built around strong, capable women – they have been my driving force, so I would hope that I wouldn't treat them as objects – sexual or otherwise. Nikki makes her own decisions – she goes after what she wants, on her own terms, whether it's sex or anything else in her life, and she's done that right from the first book. I see her as a three-dimensional person with depth and complexity – and I think my readers can sense that."
"For all of Nikki's sassiness and clever one-liners, she has a rather dark side," I observed.
"She does, and I think there are several reasons for that. She deals with death and violence on a daily basis. And she's had some pretty traumatic things happen to her in the past."
"And on that note, let's talk about your latest book, the one you've come to London to promote – 'Desperate Heat'. You take Nikki and her team to some really twisted, dark places in this one. Tell us a bit about that."
"Well, the mystery in this book is darker and deeper than what these characters have dealt with in the past. Without giving too much away, the murders they investigate are far more personal, more disturbing, than anything they've ever dealt with before. And I know everyone always says that when they have a new project out – 'this is the most shocking instalment yet!' and all that, but in this book, it's actually true.
This case really pushes Nikki, Rook and their colleagues to the limits – on several levels. They have to solve the case before it destroys them. And that's one of the ways in which the theme of desperation, of anxiety, comes into play in this novel. There are many other dimensions to it – desperation on the part of the killer (or killers), the victims… but suffice it to say that this is not exactly a cosy, comfortable read. I'm hoping to keep readers on the edge of their seats right up to the end with this one."
"Well, you certainly did that for me – it was very disturbing at some points, but I couldn't put it down. One of the things that struck me was the sex scenes – you've always had them in your books, but in this one they were just so intense."
Castle's response was forthright. "That element plays on the same theme – desperation. Nikki and Rook have always wanted each other, and sometimes they've needed each other, but never quite like this."
"And I was very impressed that in the midst of all that intensity and turmoil, you were able to maintain the trademark banter, wit and wordplay that have always been such strong components of the Nikki Heat books."
"Humour is a big part of Nikki and Rook's relationship. For them, when things get really intense, it's one of the ways they stay sane."
"And things do get really intense in this book. Nikki and Rook have been through a great deal together, and in this book, it seems like just when they're finally starting to achieve a level of stability, you strip it all away. Some readers might question why you chose to snatch away the happiness they've fought so hard to find."
Castle nodded. "But I think that's something we can all relate to – that feeling of having the rug snatched out from under us. Then the question becomes; how much can we endure and still emerge intact – or at least intact enough that we can find a way to go on?"
"And while truth is sometimes stranger than fiction, I suppose it's easier to put fictional characters through the wringer, through all kinds of situations that the rest of us couldn't possibly imagine. That's the proverbial power of the writer, right?" I asked.
"I guess so – but you know what they say about great power and great responsibility. Once my characters leave my head and start to live and breathe on the pages of books, they're not just mine anymore – I've shared them with the world. I have every right to do absolutely what I like with them, but I also need to treat the characters themselves with a certain level of integrity and respect. I owe that to them, to myself, and also to my readers. I try not to take that lightly. I've done that in the past, and those haven't been my finest moments."
"Was killing off Derrick Storm (in 'Storm Fall' (2009)) an example of that?"
"Yes, but it was also something I really needed to do at the time, so I don't regret it at all. As a writer, when you've lost inspiration, you're no good to the characters or the audience. That lack of commitment and conviction will always come across in your writing, and despite its commercial success at the time – which, I might add, probably had a lot to do its dramatic ending – I'll freely admit that 'Storm Fall' was not one of my best efforts.
So taking a break from Derrick Storm needed to be done, and in many ways, it's actually one of the best things I ever did. It left me free and open to find the inspiration that led me to the next phase of my career – and ultimately, the next phase of my life. And fortunately, I was able to revive Derrick Storm eventually (in 'Storm Front' (2013)) – and the fact that I could even do that is definitely one of the fun things about my job."
"That sort of harks back to my original question about the power of the writer –," I noted.
"Yes, and it's absolutely true that one of the great things about my job is coming up with all these extreme situations, and then actually making them happen. I have an insane amount of fun with my characters, and yes, sometimes I hurt them too - which, contrary to popular opinion, is not always fun for me. I can push them as far as I want to, as long as it's justified within the story.
Fiction takes us through all these circumstances that exist only in our imaginations - that's a big part of the appeal of books. But the cool thing about the mystery genre in particular is that it can feel very 'niche' and stylized, and sort of divorced from reality – and then you read the paper and realize… huh, this stuff really does happen."
"But is that 'cool' or just creepy? For example, copycat murders – and you're known to have had several of those – have to be the most gruesome kind of homage there is. As a writer, do you feel guilt when some crazed killer out there finds inspiration for their crimes in your books?"
Castle nodded slowly. "There is definitely guilt, and I think anyone can understand that. But then you have to realize that if it hadn't been your story that served their twisted purposes, it would have been something else. These sorts of crimes are committed by people with much deeper issues than just a love for crime fiction. As a writer, you are responsible for what you put out there (and that goes back to what I said earlier about power and responsibility), but you're not responsible for how people choose to respond to it."
"You're known to have worked with various law enforcement agencies for many years now, investigating real crimes and actually helping to solve quite a number of them. You still consult for the NYPD, and are sometimes called in to lend your expertise on certain complex cases. Do you ever feel out of your depth?"
Castle laughed mischievously. "Honestly, yes. But I don't think most of the people I've worked with would agree. Just between you and me, I talk a pretty good game. But seriously, working alongside law enforcement teams has only deepened my respect for what they do every single day to keep the rest of us safe."
"So is that one of your motivations as a writer? Giving honour to the good guys?"
"It would be neat to say that my writing was motivated by something so noble and lofty, but no. It's really quite simple. For me, a bad story is a boring story. And like most people, I get bored very easily. My writing is really about keeping the reader interested. So I start by keeping myself engaged through the story and the characters – and then I go from there. And as to my choice of genre, it goes back to the books I enjoyed the most as a kid, the kind of stories I was most intrigued by. I want to write the sort of books that I've always thought of as being cool."
"You make it sound so simple. So I'm guessing writing is what you always wanted to do?"
"No, I was actually – and this will probably come as no surprise – a pretty unmotivated kid. I didn't particularly want to do anything. Okay, that's not true. I wanted to do two things: have fun and get in trouble. Eventually, I figured out that writing allowed me to accomplish those two 'goals' and still make a living. And get girls. And, apart from the part about girls, you could say I'm still doing the same things today – writing for a living, having fun and getting into a lot of trouble."
"I'm surprised to hear you say that you still get into trouble – after all, your public image is one of the 'reformed playboy' – the rabble-rouser, womanizer, hard partier and confirmed bachelor who has more recently settled down into idyllic family life and fatherhood, all thanks to the love of a good woman."
"That's a great story, and like all great stories it contains elements of both truth and fantasy," Castle laughed.
"So which part is truth, and which is fantasy?"
"Now that would be telling. I have to admit that 'Bad Boy Gone Good' isn't a bad image to carry around… makes me sort of a reverse Rihanna (a reference to Rihanna's classic 2007 album 'Good Girl Gone Bad'). I like it. It works." Castle had a good chuckle at this point.
"So basically, there's some truth to the story, and some of it's just manufactured?"
"Wow, you're tenacious. I like that, so I'll bite. The thing is, in entertainment, having an image helps you promote your work, and it can also help you protect your private life. Some of what you'll have heard or read about me will be just that - an image, which again will have some elements of truth to it, but it won't tell you the whole story.
Take for example the part about me just recently settling into fatherhood. Not true - I've been a father for most of my life. And as any parent knows, in that amazing moment when your child is placed in your arms, your life changes forever. It's not just about you anymore – there's someone else to consider, someone else to live for. And scary as it was at the time to suddenly become responsible for another human being, I'm so thankful that I got to experience that kind of pure love at a young age.
So although I did party hard back in the day, I also spent a lot of evenings at home with my kid – changing diapers, singing silly songs, checking her temperature and telling bedtime stories. Alexis and I have always been extremely close, and that wouldn't have happened if I was out on the town all night, every night. Also, I wasn't exactly a confirmed bachelor – I was married twice before Kate; those marriages didn't work out, but the fact that they happened proves that I didn't spend all my 'pre-Beckett years' running from commitment.
As to being 'reformed' – that's true to a certain extent, in that there are many things I've done in the past that I would never want to do again, because as much fun as they were at the time, that chapter of my life is now closed. But I still do some pretty dumb things now and again, and I still get in trouble – usually with my wife. It's just a different kind of trouble now."
"I guess you're right - there are elements of truth to your public image, but there's more to the story," I considered.
"There always is."
"So, is there any part of the 'Bad Boy Gone Good' script that's completely true?"
"Absolutely – the most significant part. Because I will freely admit that my relationship with Kate Beckett has transformed my life on many levels. Without her, I would have a very different and much less fulfilling life than I do now. Being with her has enriched my life in so many ways, personally and professionally. She challenges me, excites me, supports me, pushes me and inspires me. And most of all, she loves me. Unconditionally, and without reserve. And that kind of love changes you, it makes you better – brings out your strongest qualities.
The truth is, there was a void in my life when I met her. Even the career that I had once loved was no longer fun. I had an amazing daughter, a wonderful mother, but there was still something missing. Kate filled all the spaces – she made me realise that my life could be so much more. Knowing her, being with her, has made me a better person, and she's given me three amazing children to boot (Castle and Beckett have twin sons Nathan and Noel, aged 10, and daughter Elaine, aged 7). And I can't even imagine my life without all of them."
A/N: Part 2 of the interview will be up soon... I'd really love to know what you thought about this part. Thank you for reading!