Interview with a Twist: Talking with Jeffrey Round AND His Fictional Detective, Dan Sharp

Lambda Award–winning author Jeffrey Round has gotten Dan Sharp into trouble again. In The God Game (Dundurn Press), the fifth Dan Sharp novel, gay private investigator and father Dan finds himself caught up in a baffling political murder set agains the backdrop of a corrupt and scandal-riddled Toronto. Worst of all, the body shows up on Dan's own doorstep.

It's a tense and fascinating premise for the newest mystery in a series that has earned rave reviews. So we were excited to speak to Jeffrey, but then things got even more interesting when Jeffrey offered us access to not only to his thoughts on the writing process, but direct responses from investigator Dan Sharp himself, the fictional protagonist of The God Game. 

Read on for an unconventional twist on our In Character interview series with Jeffrey and Dan telling us about each other, Jeffrey explaining how trumpet player Wynton Marsalis impacted his approach to writing dialogue, and both author and character chiming in on the actor who would make a perfect Dan Sharp on screen. 

Open Book:

Tell us about the main character/author of your new book.

Jeffrey Round:

My main character is Dan Sharp, a gay private investigator and father of a teenage son. Dan's investigations focus on missing persons, but ultimately bring murder into the picture. Dan is street smart, having briefly been a teenage hustler until an older man who recognized his potential set him on a better path. Dan's a bit of a contradiction, because even though he lives a rough-and-tumble life he still finds time to read Proust.

Dan Sharp:

My author is Jeffrey Round. He started out as a literary writer, but made good by taking on issues in the gay community that reflect the world at large, turning out some award-winning work along the way. He's a bit of a do-gooder himself, but usually not to the point where it gets annoying. And by the way, he was the one who turned me on to Proust.

OB:

Some writers feel characters take on a "life of their own" during the writing process. Do you guys agree with this or is the writer always in control?

DS:

I'll take this one, Jeff.

JR:

Go for it.

DS:

Although I'm not what you might call a "chatty" guy, I tend to have strong opinions about how people treat one another. You might call me a moralist, though I understand that word is out of favour these days. So, let's just say I have a strong sense of right and wrong, and I want the world to know that people like me still care about basic human values. I like to hold myself up as an example at all times. Every once in a while JR tries to make me go in a direction I don't like. I let him know pretty quickly that he needs to find a solution that satisfies us both. Basically, though, he trusts me enough to let me call the shots even when he disagrees. How does that sit with you, JR?

JR:

Yeah, I'm good on that. Thanks.

OB:

What is your approach to crafting dialogue, particularly for your main character? Do you have any tips about writing dialogue for aspiring and emerging writers?

JR:

My turn, DS. Coming from a literary and dramatic background, I'm very conscious of words and their impact, both written and spoken. I need to know my characters from top to bottom, as well as their past, present and future, before I know how they speak. When you don't know people, it's hard to make assumptions about them, whether they're real or fictional. I'm a fan of Wynton Marsalis, the trumpet player, and because I knew he played both jazz and classical I had certain expectations about how he would talk. Cerebral and lofty, was what I thought. When I heard him on a radio interview, however, I heard a guy who spoke the language of the street as easily and fluently as the language of the concert hall. That moment spoke volumes to me and has never been far from me when I write.

OB:

Do you have anything in common with your main character/author? What parts of yourself do you see in him or her, and what is particularly different?

JR:

I've been asked if I am Dan Sharp in real life, in part because we're both gay men from Sudbury, but the answer is no. I think Dan is more conservative than me, but then he had a harder upbringing so I forgive him for it. He would never, for instance, have chosen a liberal arts career as I have done. And I would never have become a private investigator. On the other hand, I value his integrity, honesty and courage, and try to exemplify those in my portrayal of him as I do in myself. I would also very much love to have been a father, as Dan is.

DS:

Nice words. I never thought of myself as conservative, though. Being part of the gay minority, I am constantly aware of being on the outskirts of society. For my generation, coming out was an act of rebellion. If I have the courage to go against the norm, it's because I believe in standing up for my values. You obviously do too, JR, because you go on doing what you do best despite the hardships it causes you. I remember you once told me you made a conscious choice between writing and making money working in the television industry, because you knew you couldn't do both. You chose the one you loved. And I, for one, am glad you did.

JR:

Yes, well, there were also the egos in the world of television to consider. I don't mind doing without them. Whatever else we may or may not be, DS, we're both loners who chose to make our own way in the world.

DS:

Agreed. And by the way, there's still time for you to become a dad.

OB:

If you had to describe your main character in three words, what would those words be?

JR:

Sexy, caring, morally upright.

DS:

Smart, fun, generous. And I'm glad he thinks I'm sexy.

OB:

What actor would you most love to cast to play your most recent main character?

JR:

Jason Isaacs.

DS:

Me. Also Jason Isaacs.

OB:

What are you working on now?

JR:

I'm working on the sixth Dan Sharp book, Shadow Puppet. It deals with a spate of real-life disappearances in Toronto's gay community.

DS:

And I'm working on living up to my reputation.

JR:

Good luck with that, DS.

DS:

Thanks, JR.

_______________________________

Jeffrey Round is the Lambda Award–winning author of the Dan Sharp mystery series and Endgame, dubbed a “punk rock reboot” of an Agatha Christie classic. His first two books were listed on AfterElton.com’s 50 Best Gay Books. He lives in Toronto.