Tell Me Lies: An Interview with J. P. Pomare
Tell Me Lies
J. P. Pomare has emerged as a master of the Australian psychological thriller. Taut and pacy, his bestsellers will always leave you on the edge of your seat.
In this interview, Mary Martin Bookshop bookseller Jaye finds out about what draws Pomare to the genre, his advice for aspiring writers and the books he has been loving lately.
Tell Me Lies unfolds with such creativity, the chronology starting from the end, which is in fact the future AND the present. Whew! I got dizzy just writing that! How do you develop your storylines?
I always try to access the story from the most gripping moment and from a viewpoint that maximises the drama. When I have the opening and an idea for the ending, I focus on keeping the timeline and story simple enough for readers to follow, whilst maintaining a good pace throughout. When I'm editing I'm always asking myself: Would I find this boring? What would the reader be thinking? How can I heighten the tension?
Much of the setting of Tell Me Lies takes place in a consulting room where two highly intelligent beings—a professional psychoanalyst and a psychology student—play mind games, each trying to second guess the other. You must have had a lot of fun with that! Could tell us a little about the research you had to do to pull off such a convincing premise?
I tend not to do much 'research' but rather fact checking. So in this instance I consulted with two psychologists, seeking advice on plausibility. I'd also spoken at length with psychologists in the past about awkward situations they've been in and how they've resolved them, along with questions concerning pathological liars and what they do to cut through the smoke screen.
“I'm always asking myself: Would I find this boring?
What would the reader be thinking? How can I heighten the tension?”
Your books Call Me Evie, In The Clearing and Tell Me Lies are all psychological thrillers. What draws you to the genre?
It's simple: I seek answers to my own questions about why good, often normal people do awful things.
I understand Tell Me Lies originated as an audio version before coming into print, which feels like a roundabout way of the usual process. How did that come about?
Audible spoke with my agent and offered me a contract to write a short, punchy psychological thriller. I had an idea that I thought would work.
We often direct readers and aspiring writers to your podcast On Writing, as your conversations with other writers are so insightful. Do you find these chats influence your own approach to writing?
Yeah absolutely. I would say it has had a diminishing return, at first I grew exponentially as a writer having the opportunity to meet and interview writers I admired but as the years have worn on, I find I glean less than I once did which I think is a mark of my progress. Like anything, the learning curve is steep but eventually begins to plateau. I still enjoy it though, but for different reasons now.
Which episodes would you recommend new listeners try first?
The Ceridwen Dovey episode was probably my favourite one to date. People also tend to enjoy the Trent Dalton interview, as well as Dervla McTiernan, Robbie Arnott and Bram Presser.
What advice would you give an aspiring thriller writer?
Look outside of the novel for inspiration. The field of thrillers is crowded, and we all tend to read the same books (and consequently feel inspired by the same stories.) I find inspiration in reading non-fiction, news articles, watching old obscure thrillers or even eavesdropping on strangers telling stories. Let your curiosity take you to new places to find a story you find genuinely interesting.
What were your favourite reads of 2020?
The Mother Fault by Kate Mildenhall, Late Sonata by Brian Walpert, The Animals in That Country by Laura Jean-Mckay, Rain Heron by Robbie Arnott. I'm sure there are many others but these are the ones that come to me instantly.
What are you up to next?
My next novel, The Last Guests, is out in August. I've been working on it for the better part of three years and I think it's my best one yet. It's about newlyweds who decide to rent their home out on Airbnb but when they return they find everything is just a little bit different...
Find Jaye’s review of Tell Me Lies on our Books We Love page.
