nANCY COLE SILVERMAN

Thank you, Nancy, for coming to speak to the Le Cour readers regarding your newest work. 

When you began A Spy in Saigon, what came first—the character, the setting, or the central conflict?
A Spy in Saigon is the 4th book in the Kat Lawson Mysteries series, so Kat Lawson obviously came first. Kat is a travel journalist working for Journey International, a travel publication that serves as a cover for journalists that the FBI uses for occasional special deliveries. To be clear, Kat is not an agent but a contractor, hired for those assignments where the FBI doesn’t want to risk exposing one of its own assets. If this sounds a little made-up, it’s important to understand that during the Cold War, the FBI and the CIA used civilians for just such assignments.
For the most part, Kat’s assignments are benign, relatively low-risk, and usually no more than the simple drop-off of a package or the whispered exchange of a message at a bar. Of course, if things were always as simple as designed, there would be no story, so I’m always looking for the unexpected opportunity to throw Kat into a spiraling situation for which she must do the impossible. 
 
Writing historical fiction set in Vietnam requires both accuracy and atmosphere. How did you balance research with narrative momentum?
I was trained as a journalist, I love research, and in addition to combing the archives for stories related to Vietnam and the war, I am a former military wife. I had friends in Vietnam, and during the war, I was a member of the Waiting Wives Club, and friends with MIA Wives, whose husbands, brothers, fathers, and sons had gone missing. Kat’s story, her backstory, and her connection to Vietnam were based on the stories shared with me by the wives I knew, and something I wanted to weave into the book. It was a delicate balance.

Your background in journalism and radio news informs your writing. How has that experience shaped your pacing, dialogue, or sense of urgency? 
I’m thankful I studied journalism, and I’m particularly thankful I spent most of my career in radio. That’s where I really learned to write. I’ll admit that after I graduated from college, I hoped for a career in TV, but that didn’t happen. Because it didn’t, I believe it helped me hone my skills in the written word. Working in talk radio taught me to ask questions, structure a story, keep it simple, and remember who my audience was. I think knowing what you want to write is as important as knowing your audience and crafting the message, so it hits home. That old acronym, Keep it Simple Stupid, works every time.


How do you build emotional stakes in a story rooted in political and military conflict?
I look for conflict: internal conflict, conflict between people, and conflict with nature. We all struggle with some form of conflict, and if a writer can key in on that struggle, I believe a reader will identify with it, which makes for a better story.
A Spy in Saigon is rooted in conflict. Kat’s torn between playing it safe or facing her fears and climbing into the Ch Chi Tunnels. Claustrophobia, fear of snakes and spiders verses saving the lives of the small children about to be trafficked. 

Did you outline A Spy in Saigon in detail, or did you allow the story to evolve as you wrote? 
I outline, but not rigorously. I have a more fluid outline that grows as I research and write, which I often do simultaneously. Invariably, I end up about halfway through a story, then go back and add more to my opening scenes, etc.

What techniques do you use to ensure that your setting—Saigon during wartime—feels immersive rather than merely described?
That gets back to show, don’t tell. I try to imagine what Kat must be feeling, what the weather was like, the sweat, the rain on her skin, the tires of her jeep slipping on the jungle’s muddy floor. I was fortunate to have visited Vietnam, so I know the weather and the torrential downpours that come with the monsoons, the darkness, and the hollow ghostly sounds of the jungle, and I tried to incorporate them into the story.

Spy protagonists often live double lives—as does your main character.  How did you explore the psychological cost of that duality in your main character?
It occurred to me that much of what I did as a journalist was to distance myself from the story so I could write it. Reporters can suffer from post-traumatic stress disorder just as easily as anyone on the front lines. In many cases, those who cover the stories develop a sense of gallows humor. It’s what I imagined my characters, like Davy Crockett or Eddie Charles, Rolling Stone’s first female war correspondent, would have used to survive the war. Their blind sense of duty, driven by their need to cover the story versus their suppressed reactions, created as much internal conflict as the story they reported. Making them complex characters, and deliciously fun to write.

How do you make secondary characters in a spy novel feel essential rather than ornamental—thinking both of your news boss and spy handler.?
Secondary characters, particularly when writing in first person, are essential. They allow the reader to enter a protagonist’s mind through conversation.
Sophie Brill, Kat’s handler, was entertaining to write because the two women are from different generations. Sophie is older and no longer able to be in the field, while Kat is her eyes and ears on the ground. Even as the creator of the two characters, I’ve never been sure whether Sophie is a bit jealous of Kat or just not ready to give up control. She doubts Kat’s abilities and probably has reason to. Kat’s not exactly by the book, and the conflict between them keeps the story going and deepens their relationship arc.

Were there moments when a character surprised you and altered the direction of the story?
There’s a big surprise in the second half of the book that was my ah-ha moment. I won’t get into it, but it required extensive research and interviews with vets and their families. I won’t say more, but I was proud of Kat.

Themes of trust, betrayal, and survival run strong in espionage stories. Which theme felt most central to you while writing this novel? 
Survival. I could say betrayal as well, but Kat learns we can’t rewrite history, but we can live with it. That said, what was most important in this story was that Kat accomplish her mission, and learn to live with a past that’s not as neat and easy to accept as she would have liked.

Looking back, what do you feel A Spy in Saigon taught you about your own craft as a writer?  
I believe writing is a gift, a form of divine inspiration, like a paintbrush to an artist or a musical instrument to a musician. We’ve all heard that old axiom; How do you get to Carnegie Hall? Practice. And just like any art, writing requires discipline. For that reason, whether I feel inspired or uncertain, I show up every day.  

And lastly, what can readers look forward to—a new book coming out?
I’m currently working on A Cold Case in London, book 5 in the Kat Lawson Mysteries. 

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