Q&A with Tanya Scott author of Stillwater

Allen & Unwin
Jul 9
5 min read

We chat with Stillwater author Tanya Scott.

A&U: Hey Tanya! Thanks so much for speaking with us. First up, what was the spark that inspired Stillwater? Was there a specific moment or image that set the story in motion?

TS: The idea started with a story a patient told me. I can’t share the details, but (I’m whispering now) You wouldn’t believe what this patient’s family secret was…

After I was finished being gobsmacked and ghoulishly fascinated, it got me thinking: you never know what people are hiding. We all have a past. We’ve all made mistakes, and we all have secrets, regrets, healed and unhealed wounds; we guard the parts of ourselves that feel shameful or vulnerable to show an ‘acceptable’ face to the world.

When I started writing Stillwater, the premise was simple: it was about a young man who looks normal on the surface…but isn’t.

I have a clear memory of the moment I decided on the title. For a long time, the manuscript was called ‘Luke Book’, which doesn’t have much of a ring to it, does it? While driving to work one day, I crossed the new bridge over the Moorabool River at Fyansford, heading into Geelong; and as I did, I looked towards the old historic bridge. The water was perfectly still, reflecting the trees and sky like a silver mirror – an image that encompassed everything I wanted to express with both the setting and characters for Stillwater.

A&U: Luke Harris is a wonderful character! He's tough but vulnerable. A victim of his past but has also made some bad choices. What drew you to writing someone caught between two worlds?

TS: During the Covid 19 pandemic, I studied a Professional Writing and Editing course. One of my tasks was to write a character study – a summary of personality traits, likes and dislikes, physical appearance, key relationships, strengths and flaws, goals and aspirations. It was a great exercise, which I’d encourage all writers to do! However, it wasn’t until I put Luke into the story – gave him challenges, highs and lows, and interactions with other characters – that he came alive. A key trait that emerged was that he’s a survivor who knows how to blend in – and how to avoid hard questions about his past.

I’ve always been interested in the complexity of human motivation – what makes us do the things we do? It’s much more complicated than we usually think. I liked the idea of exploring the moral ambiguity of a reluctant criminal. Luke is influenced by mentors from opposite ends of the moral spectrum. He’s needed to develop his own sense of right and wrong, which is why he has a tendency to overthink the ethical implications of his actions.

A&U: How did you approach writing the crime elements in the book? Did you do any research into Melbourne’s criminal underworld?

TS: As most crime writers will say, my browser history is highly incriminating. My research into money-laundering was fascinating, as I am not particularly financially-minded. At one stage I had to develop a glossary of terms for my own use. In early drafts, I included a lot of detail about financial crimes and then realised I was falling into the trap of demonstrating the depth of my research rather than furthering the story! Apologies to early draft readers, who had to endure the info-dumps.

I chose to develop my ‘own’ criminal underworld rather than basing it too closely on real examples. I read reams of court reports from criminal trials, and I will repeat the often-used phrase that truth is stranger than fiction. Some of the cases I read were remarkable – tales of homemade firearms, complicated murder plots and even more complicated cover-ups, gruesome violence and unspeakable cruelty – but then, tough guys running home to their mothers and, a common theme, betraying each other. In all seriousness, nothing I make up could possibly be more outlandish than the antics of real humans.

A&U: There’s a lot of action, but also a strong emotional core. How important was it to you to balance the grit with heart?

TS: When writing about serious topics such as violent crime, mental illness and childhood trauma, it’s important not to minimise the impacts – we need to recognise that there can be real, long-term effects on victim survivors. I wanted to show that there is hope and a chance for healing after these experiences. I’ve always been fascinated by people who’ve faced remarkable challenges in their lives and come through, not necessarily unscathed, but stronger. I’ve asked patients what helped them most to start recovering, rather than being ‘stuck’, and the common theme was that it’s often small things that make a difference. One person to listen without judgement, a particular book or movie that resonates, a pet, a garden, a creative outlet – these connections and anchors help people find meaning and purpose to life.

I took inspiration from lessons I’ve learned in values-based counselling and mindfulness meditation, both of which are influenced by Stoicism and Buddhist teachings. One of my favourite Seneca quotes is ‘You can’t polish a gem without friction’ which I have written on a sticky-note in my study. It means that without trials or challenges, we don’t learn or grow. It sounds cliched, but we don’t really know what we’re capable of until we’re tested.

A&U: Have any writers influenced you as a writer? Who else do you read in the genre?

TS: We (writers) are influenced by everything we read, from a very young age. When I was younger, I was obsessed with reading fantasy, science fiction, and classics that made me feel smart. I think it’s important as a writer to read outside your chosen genre to experience different ways of story-telling. I love crime (obviously), and I enjoy a good spy thriller – the more outlandish and escapist the better. But I also love literary fiction for the richness of prose and sentences that make me sigh, and fantasy and science-fiction for imagination and sheer creativity. Every genre has its own unique offerings for a writer.

My influences will come as no surprise – I’m an OG Jane Harper fan, and other favourites include Dervla McTiernan, Chris Hammer, Shelley Burr and Hayley Scrivenor. The book I’ve raved most about this year is Highway 13, by Fiona McFarlane. My to-be-read pile is enormous: next on my list is Melaleuca, by Ange Faye Martin, another Australian crime debut.

A&U: Can we expect more from Luke Harris or are you working on something completely new for your next book?

TS: No spoilers…Maybe. Or I might do something completely different.