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Kate Atkinson on writing: A good day is when you鈥檝e written a good sentence

Unlike most serial detectives, Jackson Brodie doesn鈥檛 always save the day. He doesn鈥檛 always get the girl. And in 鈥淏ig Sky,鈥� Kate Atkinson鈥檚 fifth book to feature Jackson, he isn鈥檛 even the main character.聽

鈥淗e鈥檚 just, in many ways, the thread that pulls the story through,鈥� admits the author, who lives in Edinburgh, Scotland. 鈥淗e might have been sidelined a bit much in this book. I may need to bring him back a bit, give him a more central role.鈥�

In Ms. Atkinson鈥檚 often-humorous mysteries 鈥� as well as her novels set during World War II (鈥淟ife After Life,鈥� 鈥淎 God in Ruins,鈥� 鈥淭ranscription鈥�) 鈥� the focus is on intimate inner lives. That includes the bad guys. In 鈥淏ig Sky,鈥� she explores the growing conscience of a human trafficking accomplice while still holding him accountable for his actions. As for Jackson? The stoic Yorkshireman 鈥渦nderstands his role in life is to protect the innocent,鈥� she says.

The Monitor asked Ms. Atkinson about World War II, themes in her work, and more.

Many writers depict crimes in lurid detail. But you don鈥檛. Why?

It鈥檚 about the emotion behind it, and that鈥檚 the thing that you have to capture. Often it鈥檚 when something鈥檚 offstage that you feel it the most. There鈥檚 no point in relaying butchery if you鈥檙e not going to get some kind of emotion out of it. So, yeah, I鈥檓 not terribly interested in writing about gory detail, I have to say. Or fights!

In 鈥淏ig Sky,鈥� Jackson Brodie remains a country music enthusiast. Are you a fan, too?聽

I鈥檝e been listening to country music for about the last 40 years. I like things that tell a story. I really like Miranda Lambert, actually; she is my current favorite.

Jason Isaacs played Jackson in the BBC television adaptations. Has he influenced how you now imagine the character in your books?

I am on very good terms with Jason, and I think he does a great job on the audio books, and he did a great job as Jackson. But he鈥檚 not my Jackson, although he likes to think he is. I do not see Jason鈥檚 face when I鈥檓 writing Jackson and that鈥檚 a good thing, for me anyway. I鈥檓 sure a lot of people who watch the series now see that face, but that鈥檚 fine.聽

What are the characteristics that make Jackson 鈥渢he last good man standing鈥�?

I understand that kind of harsh poverty that is in his background, and the tragedy as well. And so I think a lot of his background is my father鈥檚, whereas his actual character is probably closer to mine, in a way. I try not to use him as a mouthpiece because that would be too tempting. But he does tend to reflect my thoughts about Brexit, for example, and Yorkshire.

But you don鈥檛 get much more political than that. Why?聽

Well I don鈥檛 think it鈥檚 the job of a novelist to be political. To be polemical, rather. Because then it becomes boring and you may as well write a newspaper article. I think that the duty of all art, in a way, is not to be didactic but to entertain. But it鈥檚 not my job to tell people what I believe politically. I think it鈥檚 a personal thing.聽

Do you see a connective thematic thread running through your work?

A lot of it is about truth. Particularly in 鈥淎 God In Ruins鈥� and 鈥淟ife After Life,鈥� it was about understanding one鈥檚 self and what that means in one鈥檚 place in the world. In 鈥淭ranscription,鈥� too, I suppose. Whereas with crime novels, it鈥檚 more about the truth of your character.

A recurring theme in your work, especially 鈥淏ig Sky鈥� and 鈥淎 God in Ruins,鈥� is one of generational differences. Why?聽

I think my generation, and a couple of generations below me, we have been taught a lot more history. And so you see things more in context, and I think Jackson鈥檚 very aware of that. His history is no longer relevant because it鈥檚 incomprehensible.聽

I had really quite a lot of letters after 鈥淎 God in Ruins鈥� was published from the grown-up children of bomber crew. It was very emotional. They were saying, 鈥淚 understand now why my father was like he was,鈥� or 鈥淚 understand now what he went through.鈥� And in a way fiction is an opportunity to re-create something in a way that communicates, I think. That generation in the Second World War, they didn鈥檛 want to talk about the war. It was over. It was done. And I think we have to go back now and unpick those experiences if we want to understand them.聽

You wrote a trio of books mainly set in Britain during World War II. What sparked your fascination with that era?

Out of all the wars, in a way, the Second World War was unique. I mean all wars are the same; they all end up with people being killed. I think the Second World War was something that cannot be replicated just because of the technological advances. That鈥檚 the last time that very ordinary people were put into very extraordinary circumstances. Although I feel I missed it and even though we did have a very good war, I hope that you never have to go through that.

Like the character Rhoda in 鈥淏ig Sky,鈥� you once worked in a hotel. Did you enjoy the people-watching?

I was too young to appreciate how many people were passing through my hands, who they were. I used to work with old people as well, later on, and that was interesting because they always had a story to tell that no one else wanted to listen to. I鈥檝e always liked jobs where I can steal people鈥檚 lives, basically. Writers are the ultimate voyeurs and the ultimate vultures as well. You know, you鈥檙e always looking for a good story.聽

On a good day of writing, do you ever marvel at the flow of ideas?

I always remember listening to Anne Fine on the radio; she was a children鈥檚 author. She said, 鈥淎 good day is when you鈥檝e written a good sentence.鈥� And I have held to that mantra ever since.