Crime novelist and screenwriter Lynda LaPlante’s writing often features graphic details about the effects of violence. In an interview with Ali Moore at ABC News (Australia) she points out that sometimes the most telling and horrific thing is not actually the violent incident:
“And sometimes when you read about certain - like the Fred West and Rosemary West - dreadful, dreadful serial murderers. And the simplicity of the horror when a mother looking for her daughter knocks on a door and says, "Have you seen my daughter?" And Rose West says, "No, I think she left a few days ago." She's wearing her slippers. And those little tiny - they're the things that get to me.”
She gets inspiration for characters from the people around her:
“Cloaked, disguised, but yes. Very much so. And it can be a hairdresser, it can be a make-up artist that I will delve into and will become a character."
She gives an example:
"In Bloodline there's a character, Tina, who works in a hair salon. And the receptionist at the salon is the receptionist at a hair salon local to me in England, who every time I go in there, and she goes, "Who? What's your name?" Every time. And I can say La Plante, it's Lynda La Plante. "Oh yes. Have you got an appointment?" And it's like where is this alien creature from? But - so she's Felicity."
As for the appeal of her books, she believes it’s not the blood and guts, it’s the puzzle:
“ It's the unwinding, it's the puzzle. Because if you pick up a book and in Chapter Two you say,"Well I know who did it," then you're not interested. But in my books, it's the game commences in Chapter One. And if I've still got you hooked by chapter four, five, six, you're going to keep reading. And that is really I suppose the artistry of crime writing: to keep your reader hooked. Not necessarily to make your reader repulsed, frightened, but I'm aware that it's a real crime that they're looking at. And I think that distance is why crime writing and crime novels are so successful”
You can see the video of the interview here: http://www.abc.net.au/news/2011-09-05/i-want-it-to-be-real-la-plante/2872362?section=entertainment
