Writing and Editing

343. History, Crime, and Fiction: Striking a Balance Between Genres with Joe McClean

Jennia D'Lima Episode 343

Send us a text

Screenwriter and director-turned-author Joe McClean discusses blending genres, finding the right balance of historical accuracy and fiction, and gives a lesson on the importance of history.

Visit Joe's website:
https://www.gingerbeardfilms.com/

Get your autographed copy of Sins of Survivors:
https://premierecollectibles.com/sinsofsurvivors

Check out Joe's adventures on his socials:
https://www.linkedin.com/in/joe-mcclean-6668b018
https://www.instagram.com/joe_mcclean_gb/

Jennia: ​Hello, ​I'm ​Jennia ​D'Lima. ​Welcome ​to ​Writing ​and ​Editing, ​the ​author-focused ​focused ​podcast ​that ​takes ​a ​whole-person ​person ​approach ​to ​everything ​related ​to ​both ​writing ​and ​editing. ​Historical-crime ​crime ​fiction ​introduces ​the ​readers ​to ​both ​a ​thrilling ​plot ​and ​a ​time ​and ​place ​from ​the ​past. ​• ​Combining ​the ​two ​requires ​striking ​a ​balance ​between ​informing ​the ​reader ​in ​pacing. ​And ​author ​and ​filmmaker ​Joe ​McClean ​is ​here ​to ​share ​how ​he ​pulled ​this ​off ​in ​his ​new ​release, ​Sins ​of ​Survivors.

Jennia: Well, ​first, ​thank ​you ​so ​much ​for ​being ​here ​today!

Joe McClean: Oh, ​thank ​you. ​Thank ​you ​so ​much ​for ​having ​me!

Jennia: If ​you ​want ​to ​get ​us ​started ​by ​sharing ​a ​little ​bit ​about ​what ​the ​book ​is ​about ​and ​maybe ​something ​about ​where ​it ​is ​set ​and ​when. 

Joe McClean: Yeah, ​Sins ​of ​Survivors ​is ​a story ​that ​takes ​place ​in ​1937 ​Detroit. ​And ​it's ​a ​neighborhood ​called ​Black ​Bottom ​that ​has ​since ​been ​knocked ​down. ​It ​was ​knocked ​down ​in ​the ​late ​50s, ​early ​60s ​for ​urban ​renewal. ​But ​it's ​a ​story ​of ​two ​brothers, ​Jasper ​and ​Ben, ​who, ​after ​living ​through ​personal ​racist ​tragedy ​in ​the ​south ​in ​1908, ​end ​up ​moving ​north ​with ​the ​Great ​Migration. ​And ​they ​slowly ​but ​surely ​make ​it ​all ​the ​way ​to ​Detroit, ​where ​there's ​just ​more ​opportunity ​because ​of ​the ​auto ​manufacturing. ​But ​they ​build ​sort ​of ​an ​illegal ​empire ​of ​businesses ​through ​Prohibition. ​And ​then ​when ​prohibition ​is ​overturned ​and ​booze ​is ​now ​legal, ​they ​sort ​of ​lose ​their ​ability ​to ​have ​the ​illegal ​portion ​of ​their ​businesses. ​So ​they ​decide ​to ​go ​straight. ​But ​going ​straight ​​becomes ​much ​more ​difficult ​than ​they ​expect ​because ​they're ​not ​only ​dealing ​with ​a ​life ​in ​Black ​Bottom, ​which ​is ​this ​black ​neighborhood ​that ​was ​created ​by ​redlining, but ​they've ​already ​implanted ​themselves ​in ​sort ​of ​the ​evil ​underbelly ​of ​the ​criminal ​world ​there. ​So yeah.

Podcasts we love

Check out these other fine podcasts recommended by us, not an algorithm.

The Fantasy Writers' Toolshed Artwork

The Fantasy Writers' Toolshed

The Fantasy Writers' Toolshed