Dissecting Jan-Andrew Henderson
ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Bibliography
Bunker 10, Black Hart, 2019
Carnage, Black Hart, 2020
City of the Dead, Black White, 2010
Father Figure, Black Hart, 2020
Hide, Black Hart, 2019
The Ghost That Haunted Itself, Mainstream Publishers, 2001
Instagram: @janandrewhendersonauthor
YouTube: @jan-andrewhenderson
Threads: @janandrewhendersonauthor
X: @JAHauthor
Tik Tok: @janandrewhendersonauthor
Tell us about yourself. When did your passion for reading and writing start?
When I was 10, I discovered a bargain bin in my local Woolworths (Scottish version) with books I could actually afford. The assistant didn’t much care for age classification, so I bought and read Nexus by Henry Miller, Through the Dark and Hairy Wood by Shaun Herron (about the Northern Irish Troubles) and the ultra-violent western Edge: The Loner by George G. Gilman. It hooked me on reading as well as the joy of jumping genres. I probably started writing as a way of telling people what I was really like without losing too many friends – or perhaps it was a sneaky way of expressing myself on paper while the real me remained aloof and mysterious. Clear motivations have never been my strong suite.
What elements from your real life creep into your stories?
They don’t so much creep in as get press ganged. I’ve travelled all over Europe and lived in various parts of the USA, Scotland and Australia – so those places are a no-brainer for locations. If a psychopath or used car salesman crops up in any of my novels, they’re bound to be based on me. But I also like non-sequitur acquisitions. I wanted to set one novel in a village, so my then-girlfriend suggested Puddledub (yeah, it’s a real place) which had a cat and dog home, a stone church and a nearby Ethelyne manufacturing plant. All I needed was the village name but I decided to make each element crucial to the plot. Spring a surprise on yourself and it’ll surprise readers even more.
What do the words “writer’s block” mean to you?
It means you can’t think of a new story/direction/plot twist or how to get out of the corner you’ve written yourself into. For me, the solution may not be easy but it is pretty simple. You never give an inch. You think about the problem until you come up with something inspired. It can take a day. It can take a week. In my case, it once took 20 years. Mind you, I wrote some other books in between.
How do you come up with character names for your stories?
My favourite part of writing! I started out using friends and family for minor characters (or major ones if they had great names - shout out to Courage Louviere). Anyone I didn’t like became the bad guys. After a few books, I ran out of real people, so I used the surnames of little-known military generals. Now I have a more Dickensian approach. I’m not suggesting calling a character Reginald Cornobbler (though I have) but I like a name that’s odd enough to be memorable without being unbelievable. R.D. Slaither. Gordon Berlin. Dan Salty. Sargon Danaan. Apathy Walton (I had to work an explanation for that one into the story). Best. Fun. Ever.
Do you have a furry friend writing assistant ie dog, cat, bird, Hellhound, and how do they help you achieve your writing goals?
I have two young children who, I suppose, are a bit like pets or, more accurately, familiars. They have been invaluable in critiquing my latest book, which is a collection of YA horror stories that become more disturbing the closer you get to the end. The positioning of the tale entirely depends on how scary my kids find it. Finishing one of the later stories, my ten-year-old suggested she might need therapy and the 12-year-old declared, “Hell No!” - which became the title of the collection. Mostly, however, they prefer watching TikTok.
What’s brewing? What are your next big writing goals?
Oddly enough, I’m just finishing off a book of poetry to prove I’m deep and meaningful under my gruffly nonchalant exterior. However, after over 40 books, I’m looking to shift my focus to trying new pursuits, like painting or learning the bassoon. I’ve even started researching and conducting walking tours around Brisbane, so that I actually get the chance to speak with people. Writing is a rather solitary affair, and I have a theatrical side.
ABOUT A DANGEROUS INMATE
Fifteen-year-old Harper Howling walks into a police station and calmly admits to killing his friends.
The trouble is, none of the deaths can be pinned on him.
Referred to Northland Psychiatric Hospital for evaluation, Harper is placed under the care of clinical psychologist Asher Gerard—a man who believes every mystery has a rational explanation. Harper, however, offers a far darker story: a sealed orphanage basement, a forgotten magician, and a relic that predicts how people will die.
As bodies continue to fall in disturbingly precise ways, Asher is forced to question whether his patient is delusional… or terrifyingly accurate.
What begins as a battle of wits becomes a race against time, with truth, guilt, and survival hanging in the balance.
And Asher soon finds out that some confessions are cries for help—and others are something else entirely.
What sparked the idea for this story?
I just sat down and made it up. Though I do like to write about people trapped in various ways.
Did you plot or pants this story, and would you change your process if you had to start again?
I pants all stories. I usually have a vague plot or idea to begin with - but when I see where a story should naturally be heading, I immediately change direction. Do that often enough and you’ll end up in a much wilder place.
What came first? The plot or the characters?
I usually start with a concept, a rough ending and whatever characters it takes to write the first chapter. None of them are safe from being altered beyond recognition once I get going.
How much research did you need to do for this story?
None. This was an easy one. I seriously research my non-fiction books, but when I’m writing fiction, the story comes first. If I need accompanying facts, I’ll ask an expert as I go along and then adjust accordingly.
How long did it take you to write this story?
It took about a month.
How much did the story change from first draft to publication?
I only ever write one draft. Then I fiddle with it until I shout “Eureka!” and go to the bar.
How did you come up with the title?
Sometimes you write a throwaway line and suddenly think, “That should be the title.” As soon as the psychiatrist in the story says, “You’re classed as a dangerous inmate”, it was a done deal.
Which part of the story was the most fun or the hardest to write?
I love dialogue. It’s where I have the most fun. However, writing dialogue that comes out of teenagers’ mouths is also the hardest to write. Make the dialogue too formal and it sounds fake. Make it too authentic and it’s almost immediately out of date.
What’s your favourite scene? Why?
The last encounter between the main protagonists, which the reader is told about rather than witnessing. I know that ‘show don’t tell’ is a number one writing rule but sometimes a bit of distance gives a scene more emotional heft.
Is there a particular message that you hope readers will take from the story?
Apart from, ‘you should buy more of my stuff’? Yes, right/wrong, good/bad, sane/insane are subjective concepts open to interpretation and manipulation. Never take anything at face value.
THE STITCH UP
How do you celebrate when you finish a story?
If you could invite any three authors for dinner, whom would you invite?
What’s the weirdest thing you’ve used as a bookmark?
What’s the oldest book on your bookshelf?
Hook me! Why should I read your book?
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