Caven Tootell
Sydney, NSW
Australia
Good morning, Caven, and welcome to Vision and Verse, the place for art and authors and the people who love them. Tell us a little about yourself.
I am currently a Director with Sydney Trains.
In the past I served for over 20 years in the Royal Australian Navy as a Combat Warfare Officer before moving across to Intelligence where I finished my career as Deputy Director Navy Intelligence. During my career I served in a combat role in Desert Storm II, as well as HQ intelligence staff for the operation to stabilize East Timor. I also served in exchange postings in Malaysia and Indonesia.
After leaving the Navy I worked briefly in the mining industry as a consultant in Indonesia, then took up several contracts in Afghanistan assisting the UNAMA mission and other contract clients over a seven year period, finishing in 2010 conducting the civilian side of a US counterinsurgency mission, in essence living by myself out in Afghan townships and managing local civil engineering projects with villages (wells, road rehabilitation, farm land clearing etc.) paying locals to encourage them not to take up offers from the Taliban for paying work. At times though this meant, due to the isolation of this work, having to gain the local Taliban commander’s approval for the work to proceed. I have recently returned from a 2 year contract constructing the new Metro rail system in Doha, Qatar.
At present I am completing my second Master’s degree, but have always felt I could write a historical (colonial) novel in the genre most associated with my favorite authors, Graham Greene, Joseph Conrad, Somerset Maugham and Rudyard Kipling.
What have you written?
2. Currently working on post WWII murder mystery in Penang, built on Dante’s Inferno
What is your favorite genre to write?
Historical Fiction (not romance)
Favorite food.
Asian
Tea or coffee?
Coffee
Pizza or ice cream?
Pizza
Wine or beer?
Beer
Where would you like to visit?
Asia
Favorite musical artist.
Nick Cave & the Bad Seeds.
Do you listen to music when you write?
No
What makes you laugh?
Very dark & black, gallows’ humor
Favorite work of art or sculpture.
Anything by Klimt
How old were you when you started writing?
40’s
Do you plan out your book with outlines and notecards? Or just write?
Unfortunately, all of the above, but find outline is perhaps the better method.
Describe your perfect evening.
Watching Film Noir
Where do you get your inspiration?
Childhood reading of Boys’ Own Adventure stories
What do you do when you get a writer's block?
Walk away and do something different
Who is your favorite author?
Graham Greene
Best book you ever read.
Burmese Days
Last book you read.
Almayer's Folly
What would you do for a living if you weren’t a writer?
Unfortunately what I am doing now – so not a full time author.
Who is the one person who has influenced your personal life the most and why?
Joseph Conrad
If you could sit down and have a conversation with ONE person, living or dead, real or fictional, who would it be and why?
Graham Greene
What advice would you give someone who aspired to be a writer?
Just write – anything! But do it every day.
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