“Got things to do. Tonight is the fight of my life after all” says Antione Deco, the antagonistic protagonist of David Albertyn’s debut novel, Undercard. In this high-octane thriller, David combines his love of sports and storytelling.
David is a South-African author who moved to Toronto when he was 10 years old. After majoring in Film Studies at Queen’s University, he decided to pursue his passion for creative writing. Undercard follows four characters over the course of an action-packed day. Tyron, an ex-marine, returns to Las Vegas after eleven years in Iraq to find that his childhood friends have been cast into the public eye. Antoine, an unmatched lightweight boxer, prepares for the fight of the decade at The Reef Hotel. Naomi Wilks, a former WNBA player and Tyron’s ex-lover, is unhappily married to Keenan Quinn, a disgraced cop struggling to avoid public persecution after shooting an unarmed teenager. The bonds between these allies are tested when their ambitions push them to opposite corners of the ring.
Set against the opulence of a Las Vegas Casino, this debut novel interlaces childhood trauma, corporate secrets, and a thirst for revenge. David’s multifaceted characters drive the plot forward at a break-neck pace, culminating in an edge-of-your-seat narrative. The book exemplifies David’s goal to craft visceral and meaningful stories by engaging with social and political issues. During a time of widespread activism, David utilizes the voices of his characters to address inequalities in our classed society and stress the need to look out for one another.
The White Wall Review was fortunate enough to sit down with the emerging author to discuss his work. Here, David speaks about being published and offers insightful advice on the industry and developing vivid characters.
White Wall Review: Do you have experience with Boxing?
David Albertyn: A little. I’ve been a fan of boxing since I was a kid. When my family first came to Canada, my father bought me a punching bag from Canadian Tire. I used to punch that with my gloves. As a kid, my friends and I would have boxing matches in my friend’s basement. So I did a little bit, but I was definitely a fan for a long time.
WWR: Did you do a lot of research in preparation for the book?
DA: I went to pro-fights and amateur fights. I also did a lot of reading about how other people write about boxing. I read a lot of fiction and non-fiction. I read a famous book in boxing called The Sweet Science by A. J. Liebling—he’s a famous journalist that wrote about boxing in the fifties. He’s been around a long time, and I learned a lot about the history of boxing through him. Something interesting is how long it has been a spectator sport. A lot of the sports we follow are relatively young, but boxing goes back a long time in recorded history. It was done in Ancient Greece and Ancient Rome, and Homer writes about it in The Iliad. That’s how Liebling opens his book, actually—how Boxing goes way back to the classics.
WWR: We noticed that all of your characters have an athletic background. Is that purposeful?
DA: That was definitely a purposeful choice. In my previous attempts to get published, I kept being told “write something that only you could write.” I just thought that since I’m a tennis coach, and have played a lot of sports, that I should have some sports involved in my work. So I wanted each of the characters to be an athlete. Even though the book is about a lot more than just sports, I wanted to have the sport that each character plays to shape them. For example, as a boxer, Antoine has a chip on his shoulder. Naomi, as a basketball coach, has a specific swagger.
WWR: Did you draw on any of your personal experiences playing tennis or coaching while writing Undercard?
DA: Definitely for Naomi’s opening scene. She sort of coaches the way I coach, in the things she says. In my initial manuscript, we wanted to develop all of the characters more (besides Antoine, he didn’t change much). But once I decided Naomi would be a coach, I drew from my own experience. I utilized a lot of the feelings around playing sports and sport development in her character. In terms of Antoine’s character, I really wanted to achieve the nature of accomplishing goals, which is so potent in a sports setting. That’s for sure something I took from my professional life to incorporate into the book.
WWR: Undercard moves very quickly, which makes it very engaging and exciting. Why did you decide to make the action span only twenty-four hours?
DA: I remember being 10 years old—I was even writing back then—and thinking it would be so cool to have a twenty-four hour story. One of the things that I’m happy about with Undercard is that I had a bunch of ideas that had been brewing in my mind for a long time, and they all came together in this book. I always wanted to have the action take place behind the scenes of a major sporting event, and it seemed like the perfect time to do this twenty-four hour story. We see the characters’ whole lives over this brief, one-day span.
WWR: Did you find it difficult to condense a story into 24 hours?
DA: I think it suits the story well. I gained experience from previous projects I worked on by transitioning between past and present. It was definitely an effort to sort through all of the characters’ storylines. Structuring it gave me some difficulty as well because I wanted a chapter for every hour. It was challenging to find engaging scenes for 2:00am, 3:00am—but it was a fun challenge, like a puzzle. I will tell you, since there was a time stamp for every scene, I was seriously fact-checking to make sure that my scenes happened in an accurate amount of time! I spent so long trying to make the timing perfect, but I can say it’s 100% correct now.
WWR: The last time we spoke you said you had a previous novel that took longer to write, whereas this one took off rather quickly. How did your experience with these novels differ?
DA: I had written 2 previous novels that I tried to publish but couldn’t get published. I learned a lot from them, though. The first one took 11 years total, and I had to admit that it wasn’t going to happen. The second one I wrote quickly but still couldn’t sell it. And fortunately, this one took off.
WWR: What do you think was the difference between getting them published or not?
DA: For one, my writing really improved. Two, I took the Humber Creative Writing course, and I had an advisor there that really helped me shape my skills. Three, I learned to know my audience. For my first book, I wrote what I wanted to write. For the second book, I wrote what I thought the industry wanted. But with Undercard I tried doing both. I wrote about something that was meaningful to me and dealt with things that I thought were important, but then also tried to make it engaging and marketable. I think that’s when it finally clicked.
WWR: Why did you decide to set the novel in Vegas?
DA: Vegas is such an ostentatious city. It’s full of opulence and wealth. The first time I was there was with my family to watch an international rugby tournament. That day, we took cabs from the hotel strip to the football stadium. We were in the cab in the middle of a big street waiting at a red light, and suddenly, the whole street went still. You could feel everyone look over to see a SWAT team. They were dressed in desert camo and full gear, just standing near houses. There was definitely a sniper on the roof of a house too. Nobody had blocked off the street or anything, and eventually when the light turned green again, everyone slowly moved forward. It was surreal to me. I remember thinking did that just happen? So that experience, as well as other stuff I read about the impoverished parts of the city, made me think Vegas was a great setting for my book. It allowed me to engage in a conversation about a lot of socio-political issues while also using the allure of Vegas to capture attention.
WWR: So you were talking a little bit about telling stories that are meaningful to you, and there is a lot of social commentary in the book, like Black Lives Matter, for example. Why did you choose to make that movement such a big part of the novel?
DA: It sort of came about organically, I guess you could say. I consciously wanted each character to be an athlete in a different sport and for their parents’ lives to have a significant effect on them. And I had the idea from the beginning that Tyron’s parents were going to be activists who had passed away, and who were very beloved in their community. When you first meet Tyron, he’s returned from war as a Marine, he’s back in his community, and there’s a new tension for him: does he follow in his parents’ footsteps, as people from his neighbourhood are pressuring him to, or not?
Then Ferguson and Black Lives Matter exploded on the scene, and since I already had this idea that his whole inner conflict would be around activism, it just seemed insane not to include it. I did a ton of research on that, probably more research on that movement than any other aspect of the book; I learned a lot, and it had a real effect on me.
WWR: Do you have a favourite character?
DA: My favourite character is actually Antoine. I had this character called Antoine Garcia in one of my books that didn’t get published. He’s not the same as Antoine Deco, but there’s aspects of him in there, and I really loved his character. He was a minor character that got killed off, but I thought, the next book I write, I want to write about this guy!
But then, of course, I just like Antoine because he’s so shrewd; I like those proficient, competent characters. And I love that Antoine is a contrast to Keenan’s character. For Antoine, everything came hard to him, and then he worked and worked until things started coming easy. And for Keenan, everything came easy to him and then suddenly things became hard. But I like that underdog character who finds a way against the odds to achieve their goal, even if the goal isn’t an optimal one.
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[Warning: the following question contains spoilers. Please skip if desired.]
WWR: When Antione brutally murders two minor characters, there are flashbacks to him “practicing” his killing on animals. That was pretty dark—what was it like to sit down and write that scene?
DA: So that I didn’t have planned! I had the idea that Antoine was going to strangle these two guys in the dressing room post-fight, but as I began writing, I realized I couldn’t make it too quick. Because this is a revenge that has been building for 20 years. But at the same time, you can’t just write two pages of the intricacies of someone strangling a person.
I’ve learned that with action scenes, you need to continuously be developing character. It can’t just be the motions—you’ve got to maintain that character development. And I realized that with Antoine, this would be a guy who would practice. He wouldn’t leave it up to chance.
Up until that point, it’s very much a classic sports story with an underdog who ends up winning, and Antoine is the hero. But then it suddenly flips. He’s not only exacting his revenge—he’s murdering cats and dogs and killing people for a gang.
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WWR: How did you come up with “Undercard” for your title?
DA: One thing I learned from my previous books is that you need a good title. So now I try to come up with my titles at the start, as opposed to just sticking with a working title and thinking I’ll come up with something better by the end. And for this book I wanted a really good one, but all I could think of were clichés like “Fight Night” or “Prize Fighter.” I kept thinking I need something that says he’s an undercard fighter, not a main event fighter. I need a wordthat captures that [laughs]. It took me longer than it should have to work it out.
WWR: So the word “undercard” is a synonym for underdog?
DA: It is, but it also means the opening fights in any kind of combat sport event—wrestling, boxing, MMA, etc. The preliminary fights are called “the undercard.” Because originally, they would have all the fights listed on a card, and there would be the main events on the main card and then the opener on the undercard. Someone even told me when they heard the title that concerts will sometimes call the opening act “the undercard.”
But “undercard” fits so well with Vegas and the casino setting, and it’s so close to “underdog”—I just thought it was so evocative, you know? It’s got such a strength to it. That was such a big boost when I alighted on it. With a great title, you’re already halfway there!
WWR: The ending is so visceral and shocking. What do you want readers to take away from Antoine’s story?
DA: I’d say I’m happy for people to take away whatever, and I have noticed people do take away different things. But ultimately, for me, I think Antoine’s story says that we’ve got to look out for each other, even if it’s not convenient for us or even if it means we have to sacrifice our time or money or energy. It’s about looking at the world on an individual level: through Antoine’s character. Also, on a societal level: through the protest and Tyron’s storyline. Then, even on the global level: through Tyron being in Iraq. It’s important that we’re looking out for one another, and not allowing people or communities to be neglected or marginalized. Issues may arise that will affect you, even if you’re not directly affected at the time. So, one, we should be looking out for each other to do what’s good and right. But two, if you want to stave off issues that might come down the line, it’s important to make sure that everyone’s got a decent life.
WWR: In terms of editing, was there any conflict or storyline you edited out of the book that you wished you had kept in?
DA: There’s nothing I wish I kept in—I was happy with all the edits. But I will tell you, a crazy thing happened! In the book, I originally had a sniper shooting from a window of The Reef. But the week my agents and I met with my publisher, the Las Vegas shooting happened. The shooting was on the Sunday night, and our meeting was later that week, on the Friday. So it was just this uncanny, terrible coincidence. I saw my mother the day after the shooting in such tears. I assumed she was going to tell me that one of our relatives had died. And she tells me “There’s been a shooting in Vegas, the worst one yet. It happened exactly like in your book.” And then I was in tears. These events are always horrific, but I felt much more connected, just having wrote that.
So that was a really surreal experience. And after talking to the publisher we all decided we should take it out. So that was a key scene that was changed.
WWR: When did you first realize you wanted to be a writer?
DA: When I was six years old! I always wanted to tell stories, and I didn’t really care about the medium. My mom showed me some stories she had written when she was five, and I just thought you mean I could have been writing stories for the past year and no one told me?! So I started writing stories. They were all about a little boy who gets kidnapped by ghosts and taken on an arduous journey. I think therapists would make a lot of it [laughs]. But it was always what I wanted to do.
WWR: How do you maintain a good work/writing balance? Can you describe a little of your writing process?
DA: For me, I basically have these writing phases, and when I’m in a writing phase, I try and do sessions. First thing in the morning, I’ll do about an hour to two hours—I like to get up early and get that in. After eating and resting up, I’ll start a second session. I know other people have different schedules, but for me, I think my brain is freshest after I wake up. So if I’m in a writing phase that’s my number one priority; I want writing to be the first thing I do in the day.
I also like to read as a warm-up. I pick a book with a writing style I like, one that I want to emulate in my own work. I know some other writers say they can’t read someone else, they don’t want to be influenced, but I like it. I feel like it pushes you to take what they’ve done and see if you can do it better.
One thing I don’t do is quotas. I pay attention to my level of output, but I’ll take days off it I’m starting to get worn out and not able to produce good work. Some people say to themselves that they have to write this many pages in a day, or this many words, and I definitely disagree with that. Because it depends on what you’re writing too; for me, the beginning of a scene is much more difficult than the end of a scene. It’s not the same level of effort for every page, so how can you have the same quota? Plus you physically don’t have the same level of energy. It’s like exercise, you can’t push yourself the same amount every day. Some days should be harder and some days should be easier.
WWR: Were there any particular books you read while writing Undercard that influenced its style?
DA: Wolf Hall and Bring Up the Bodies by Hilary Mantel. I love her style, in those books especially. And also J. M. Coetzee’s Disgrace, I like the style in that novel too.
WWR: We noticed that with some authors, once they find a formula that works, they stick to it and their novels are sort of ‘copy-paste’ but with new characters. Do you feel like that is something that could happen in your future novels?
DA: That’s actually something I’ve thought about a lot, and I definitely don’t want that to happen. At the same time, the industry has these terms, like “the same but different,” and “build your brand.” I think thrillers, structurally and stylistically, tend to follow the same conventions. And for my future thrillers, I want to stick roughly the same format as in Undercard. But story-wise and in terms of characters, I want my next novels to be very different. I think I aim for work that is socially engaged, as well as entertaining and thrilling. I want there to be social commentary, not just mindless entertainment.
WWR: Was there anything in particular about the publishing process that you found surprising or challenging?
David: The revisions really take a lot out of you. You have a solid manuscript that you just have to keep taking to another level. I was told there would be a lot of editing at the beginning, but you’re going through it thinking holy smokes! this is a lot of revisions. But that’s how the book gets to the quality it is. Eventually, you do get to the point where you ask: how can I make this better now? But the editor, copyeditor, and proofreaders help you when you’re out of ideas—they keep finding ways for it to improve.
So I guess I was surprised by how collaborative the publishing process is. Everyone always says film and television are collaborative processes, whereas books are the work of one person, but by the end of the journey, you realize that writing a novel is so much more collaborative than you thought. There are so many influences within the book from so many people. You begin to see why books are so good! It’s not just the authors—they are getting a lot of great help.
WWR: Are you working on any new novels?
DA: Yes! There are a couple new thriller ideas that I’m working with, as well as a murder mystery “dramedy.” It’s going to have a very different tone. It will still be crime fiction because a murder takes place, but it will be a more of a “whodunnit.” It’s really about the relationship between characters and it will be set at a tennis club. (This was actually the premise of the second book I wrote that didn’t get published, but now I have a bunch of new ideas for it.) The goal is for it to be as funny as possible.
WWR: Is there anything you really want your readers to take away from your novel?
DA: There’s something in the novel for everyone. It’s a gritty boxing story, it’s an intense thriller with a shocking twist, it’s a character study, and it’s socially conscious. Even people who don’t like boxing have told me they still loved it. So that’s something that I wanted people to know—if you don’t like boxing, you’ll still like the book! And if you do like boxing, you’ll really like it!