“5 Questions With…” is a new series that shines a spotlight on talented authors and what motivates them to create. The series will highlight authors who are inspired by the film industry and focusing on adapting their work for the silver screen. Gerry Stewart is author of the Credible Justice series. Now available on Amazon.
What is your favorite book-to-movie adaptation?
This may be a surprising answer, because my favorite adaptation to film/series is not a novel, but factually based books. The late Stephen E. Ambrose was a military historian and author. He spent many years researching for his books, which turned out to be about the Band of Brothers. Subsequently used to create the series of the same name and the spectacular film – Saving Private Ryan.
Which actor(s) would you choose to play the lead character(s) in your book?
My immediate choice is Kevin McKidd. (Rome, Greys Anatomy, etc.) I just feel he can portray the character of Denver Stone to a tee, with all the complexities involved.
What film, novel or other creative work most inspires you as an author?
To be honest, I cannot name a specific film or novel to answer this question. I would have to say there are several films that I can relate to, and these would include several leading roles, such as Ethan Hunt from Mission Impossible or James Bond. Because my books involve several main characters, I appreciate the difficulty of enabling readers to follow a story that is made up of a “team.”
What tips do you think authors could learn from Hollywood (e.g. location scouting, casting, marketing)?
I immediately think of Saving Private Ryan, where the actors had to do a form of boot camp. Spielberg thought of this as essential to instill a sense of teamwork in his main characters, and I think it worked well. Authors should have as much knowledge of the circumstances and locations which they write about in their books. To this end I researched in London, New York, Orlando and so on. History too can be essential to get a feeling of an area.
What is the best writing tip you’ve ever received?
So far, the best tip I received is, “Don’t give up.”
Gerry Stewart – Biography
Gerry Stewart is author of the Credible Justice series. A former police officer in the U.K., he retired prematurely because of an injury on duty that necessitated spinal surgery. His operating style often led to postings that involved dealing regularly with violence and problem families. Early in his career, he received an award for uncovering and investigating a criminal gang that resulted in many arrests including drug supplying and abuse, burglary, car thefts, criminal damage and other related crimes.
His dedication to public service ended after two incidents. The spinal injury, which required surgery, was too severe to return to full duties. On retirement, he worked voluntarily with witnesses and victims at Crown Court as part of Victim Support.
He studied for and achieved a Dip (H.E.) for person centred counselling; part of his training was at a local medical practice. Inevitably perhaps, many of his clients had trauma, as a result of criminal actions. He has had a lifelong interest in American history, and the two World Wars, that prompted him to study these topics with the Open University, obtaining a B.Sc Degree (Open).
Gerry currently lives in the U.K with his wife Fiona, a serving police officer.
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