Jeffrey Archer on storytelling and chronicling the Cliftons

MANILA, Philippines - The Philippine STAR recently had a chance to sit down with international bestselling author Jeffrey Archer for an exclusive interview in Hong Kong. Proclaimed by many to be one of the best storytellers ever, Archer has written over 30 books, plays and short story collections, the most notable of which may be Kane and Abel. With over 200,000,000 books sold at 71 years of age, Archer is embarking on perhaps the most ambitious project of his extremely prolific career with Only Time Will Tell, which is the first book in The Clifton Chronicles series.

The Philippine Star: How did you become a writer?

Jeffrey Archer: When I left Parliament after five years, I couldn’t get a job, and as I’d always had a gift for storytelling, I thought I would try and write a book. My breakthrough came with my third book, Kane and Abel. 

Where do you get and continue to get your ideas and inspirations for your numerous books and short stories?

Look around you. I get ideas and inspiration all the time from places I visit, people I meet, the experiences I have. But some people are ballet dancers, others painters, I’m a storyteller. I believe it’s a God-given gift and there are no master classes on it.

When you start writing a story, how much of the plot do you have formulated from the beginning and how much do you “make up” as you go along?

I usually know about a third of the book I’m about to write, and then as I am writing, the story begins to unfold, often going in a totally different direction from what I had originally thought.

What is more difficult to write? A novel or a short story?

It’s far more difficult to write a novel, because you’re never able to finish it in a short period of time. The short story is a different skill, and the big difference is you have to know the ending of the short story before you write the first sentence, whereas with a novel, usually I haven’t a clue.

Do you approach writing fiction, non-fiction and short stories differently?

No, each demands the same amount of research, hard work and imagination.

There are a lot of people out there who dream of being a successful author. What is your advice?

There is nothing wrong with dreaming of being a bestselling author, but don’t kid yourself — it’s hard work. Each book takes about 1,000 hours, and you must never be satisfied. I always want to make each book an inch better than the last one.

Tell us a little bit about Only Time Will Tell and The Clifton Chronicles.

The Clifton Chronicles is a saga that will span five books and 100 years. The first book is Only Time Will Tell, which will introduce you to the hero, Harry Clifton, the son of a dockworker, who is born in poverty in the backstreets of Bristol. As a young boy, he discovers he has a remarkable talent, which opens doors to him that he would never have dreamed possible.

What made you decide to do something this ambitious?

I simply had a desire at this stage in my life to be focused on a major project. I confess I hadn’t realized what a challenge five books in a row would turn out to be. But I have no regrets as I am enjoying it immensely, and the public’s response to Only Time Will Tell has only inspired me to want to do better with book two.

How much longer do you expect to be writing and do you know what’s next for Jeffrey Archer after The Clifton Chronicles?

Good heavens, no. The Clifton Chronicles will take me through to 2015, and I expect I will then want to do another set of short stories. But at the moment, the only thing on my mind is putting all my energy, time and imagination into The Clifton Chronicles.

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Only Time Will Tell is available at select National Book Store branches for P995. Follow National Book Store on Facebook and Twitter.