The following is an interview with USA Today bestselling author Carter Wilson regarding the release of his psychological thriller novel, Tell Me What You Did, through Poisoned Pen Press. In this interview, Fanbase Press Editor-in-Chief Barbra Dillon chats with Wilson about his creative process in bringing the story to life on the page, what readers may connect with about the character’s journey, and more!
Barbra Dillon, Fanbase Press Editor-in-Chief: Congratulations on the release of Tell Me What You Did! For those who may be unfamiliar, what can you share with us about the premise of this story?
Carter Wilson: In short, Tell Me What You Did follows Poe Webb, who runs the top-ranked true-crime podcast in the country, in which guests come on and anonymously confess past crimes. Poe started the podcast as a means of healing: She witnessed her mother’s brutal killing when Poe was only 13. But when a strange and oddly familiar man appears on her show, Poe is forced to take a second look. Not only because he claims to be her mother’s murderer from years ago, but because Poe knows something no one else does. Her mother’s murderer is dead. And Poe was the one who killed him.
BD: How would you describe your creative process in bringing this story to life on the page, especially in light of the infusion of multimedia into the mystery?
CW: Well, I’ll say nothing is ever planned. I start with very loose premise and an opening scene that’s compelling to me, and then I just sit there and think, What happens next? What would I do if this were me? There’s no master design, no grand plan, just me banging away at the keys until some semblance of a plot slowly unfolds. And that’s the joy in writing. The not-knowingess of it all. It gives me the chance to be thrilled and surprised as well as the reader (if I do it right, that is).
I do like to bring multimedia into my books, whether it’s printed imagery, fake websites, phone numbers a reader can call, or, in the case of Tell Me What You Did, QR codes that link to videos. This is mostly to satisfy my own curiosity. In my book, the podcasting main character Poe always uses her iPhone to record her side of her podcast interviews. I decided I wanted to see what that looked like, so I hired a wonderful actor to bring those scenes to life. I’m guessing maybe 5% of readers will check it out, but that doesn’t matter. It was entertaining to me.
BD: At Fanbase Press, our #StoriesMatter initiative endeavors to highlight the impact that stories can have on audiences of various mediums. How do you feel that Poe’s story may connect with and impact today’s readers?
CW: Well, a writer never really knows that. But I’ll say this is an angry book about a woman trying to live her own life and heal the trauma from her past, and suddenly she’s forced to live through that trauma all over again because of an individual who takes pleasure in the pain of others. It’s a story about fighting back, more than anything. I’m not saying every reader could relate to this, but I’m guessing many can.
BD: What makes Poisoned Pen Press the perfect home for this story?
CW: Poisoned Pen Press has never shied away from aggressive, in-your-face thrillers featuring powerful, female protagonists. They love an original story that leans on both emotion and character development. This is my sixth title and I couldn’t be happier to have them as my publisher.
BD: Are there any other projects that you would like to highlight for our readers?
CW: I’m always writing, so I hope to be able to announce more upcoming title releases soon!
BD: Lastly, what is the best way for our readers to find more information about Tell Me What You Did and your other work?
CW: Thanks for asking! Everything about my works is available at www.carterwilson.com, and my writing services (one-on-one coaching, seminars, online courses) are available at www.unboundwriter.com.
