An interview with Sir Terry Pratchett

By Neil Gaiman on BoingBoing - Monday, Oct 10

Terry Pratchett's latest book, Snuff: A Novel of Discworld, is out now. Don't miss Cory's review. — Boing Boing
Neil Gaiman: Where did the idea for Snuff originate?
Terry Pratchett: I haven’t a clue, but I think I started out by considering the character of Sir Samuel Vimes, as he now is, and since I find his inner monologue interesting I decided to use the old and well tried plot device of sending a policeman on holiday somewhere he can relax, because we all know the way this one is supposed to go. And then I realised that moving Vimes out of his city element and away from his comfort zone was going to be a sheer treat to write.
NG: The Watch fascinate me. You get to do hardboiled police procedurals while still writing funny smart books set in a fantastic world.
TP: On a point of order, Mister Gaiman, the world in which Sam Vimes finds himself is hardly fantastic. Okay, there are goblins, but the overall ambience is that of the shires of Middle England. It’s all about the commonality of humankind. Shove Sam Vimes into a situation that has gone toxic and away he goes, as realistic as any other policeman and thinking in the very same ways and being Sam Vimes, questioning his motives and procedures all the way through.
NG: Do you remember the initial inspiration for Sam Vimes? How do the real police react to him and to the Watch?
TP: I have three policeman’s helmets lined up in my study, gifts from policemen who are fans of Sam Vimes. I remember when I was touring, there would occasionally be the copper turning up in the book shop; they would never come through the front door, but via the staff entrance, and with a nod to the manager, after the queue had finished. And what they would say to me was so predictable that I could have almost said it for them. They would say things like, “Oh, yes, [scathing laugh] we certainly have a Nobby Nobbs alright, and every nick has got a Sergeant Colon,” although I must report that the policeman who told me that was quite clearly a Sergeant Colon in his own right. I know loads of coppers and dealt with them a lot when I was a journalist – coppers are easy to write for; they tend to run on rails.
Full interview at BoingBoing.