The Interview - Jon Cocks

Which character do you enjoy writing the most as a writer and why? If choosing a favorite character is like choosing a favorite child, which character do you find requires the most attention and detail from you as a writer?

My favourite character that I have created is Anoush, the protagonist for my historical fiction Angel of Aleppo. Anoush is based in part upon my wife Lilit's many sterling characteristics, but she is also named for and has the incredible courage and forebearance of Lilit's grandmother Anoush. She needs courage and an internal faith of a rare order to survive the tests she must endure. Because she is a character based in the previous century at a time of great upheaval, significant research into contemporary detail of character and attitude, as well as events was mandatory.

Can you explain your writing process? Do you prefer to create an outline and plan beforehand, or do you prefer to write more spontaneously and organically?

I tend to have a general idea, rather than a more organised outline, then I reate with a fair degree of spontenaiety and organic development, with much cross-referencing, stopping to research, editing and re-writing as I go.

Tell us what you enjoy most about writing [genre].

I am a history nerd. Delving into the past and being in the moment never get old for me.

What have you found to be most challenging about writing in [genre]?

Historical fiction demands me to get my timelines in order. Making the dates make sense is crucial, time consuming but very satisfying when they come together with my story-telling.

Have you been able to incorporate your previous experience in [jobs/education] in your writing?

I have also written a novella, called Duty of Care, about a group of five teachers on a camp with a hundred Year Nine students. I was a teacher for many years.

Describe the [book/series] in 10 words or less for people who are just learning about it.

Angel of Aleppo is about surviving anything through love.

Would you like readers to have any specific takeaway from your book?

I would love readers to become aware that Armenia remains in limbo, without justice for the Genocide of a hundred years ago and still vulnerable to further injustice and latter-day genocide from neighbouring Azerbaijan, backed by Turkey. Also, Australia should recognise the Armenian Genocide, put the so-called 'special relationship' with Turkey back in its place by acknowledging that Mustafa Kemal never spoke the so-called 'words to the Anzac mothers' and that the same Kemal was an unconvicted war criminal, by whose orders hundreds of thousands of Armenians perished from 1918-22. Australia should celebrate its forgotten connection with Armenia, in the form of the first modern humanitarian effort from our land that raised money and provided goods to help survivors of the Armenian Genocide.

As an author, what critique has been the most challenging for you to receive? On the other hand, what compliment has been the most rewarding?

After an earlier draft, I was advised some of it sailed close to pornography. I didn't like that and made some changes. Also, my ending screamed deus ex machina. It was too unlikely to be credible and it caused me to think very long and hard about I would fix it. Ultimately I seeded three things into the text and they covered the shock of the revelation very well indeed. So, the critique was a good thing.

What do you like to do when you’re not writing?

I am a big fan of wining and dining. Restaurants with my wife and/or best friends are always on my agenda. I love to watch Test cricket, featuring Australia and the Adelaide Crows in the AFL. If I have an engrossing historical fiction by a favourite author, like Ken Follett, my schedules get rearranged to allow lots of reading time.

Was there anything you had to research for the book?

I had to complete a substantial amount of online research for Angel of Aleppo. I also had had countless conversations with my Armenian wife to unlock anecdotes she remembered from her late grandma and her still living elderly aunt.

Did you have any say in the cover design?

My designer Nikki Matthews consulted with me continuously until we had the cover I wanted. I remain very happy with her work.

What are you reading right now?

Barry Stone's The Secret Army, a non-fictional account of Dunsterforce, a company of just under a thousand crack soldiers from Britain and its Empire who were sent by British High Command into Persia in 1918 to cut off German and Turkish access to oil.

What can we anticipate from you moving forward?

Expect the unexpected.

How long did it take you to write this book?

Angel of Aleppo is adapted from a play I wrote in 2014-15. It took five years to write in its entirety.

What other hobbies do you have outside of writing?

I help my Armenian-born wife Lilit with her baking-catering microbusiness, which involves regular appearances at the Adelaide Hills Farmers markets. I am politically active online and as a supporter of my local Federal Member for the House of Representatives in Canberra, Australia. I enjoy Aussien Rules football and cricket as a spectator and love reading and movies.

Are any of the characters in your book based on people in your real life? If so, can you tell us more about that process and how it influenced your writing?

Anoush is in part inspired by my wife Lilit. She is brave, true, honest, hard-working... all characteristics shared by Anoush. When writing scenes, I might sometimes ask myself: 'what would Lilit do/say?' Sometimes I asked her for a reaction to a particular scenario.