14/02/2012

Hearts, cupids and all that

Love in books and in life exists in a multitude of forms: adoration, obsession, lust, jealousy and even, or especially, friendship – plus many more. When I write, I aim to push the boundaries of the ‘ordinary’ and perhaps what people expect from a married couple, partners or a boyfriend and girlfriend and reveal some truth about that relationship. Sometimes the most unlikely characters will ‘fall in love’ and develop a tenderness toward each other and, in other cases, two people (or more!) will resist being stereotyped and their relationship might do the opposite to what we’ve come to expect . I can think of the man and wife in my latest book – their marriage is on the rocks and it is, in fact, the woman’s obsession with her husband’s behaviour and what is happening inside her home, that ultimately leads her to ignore the danger just outside her door.

Love is a wonderfully diverse emotion to write and explore, though DI Ward wouldn’t agree.

She is in a foul mood today: Valentine’s Day. It’s not that she wants to put a dampener on proceedings but since love has never appeared on her doorstep wrapped in ribbon, pink paper and ‘all that fluffy stuff’, she can’t wait for this day to be over. DS Franklin bought her flowers, not as a romantic gesture but because, ‘They were going cheap at the petrol station.’ DS Franklin will not miss out on a bargain. So with a pile of reports to get through and no chocolates in sight, DI Ward has bought the largest Fruit and Nut bar she could find in the local newsagent, and is currently munching her way through it, by herself, in the meeting room. DS Franklin is keeping well out of her way.

Whether you celebrate or not: Happy Valentine’s Day and enjoy – in whatever way you do.

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09/02/2012

The importance of dreaming

I know it’s an absolute cliché but I do live, breathe, sleep and eat my work. In fact, I’m not sure what I’d do if the ability to write was ever taken away from me. I have always been writing – be it short stories, diaries, poetry and more recently, novels – it has become my life.

The big question is why am I trying to get published? Is it for the money? No. Which is probably a good thing when you think how small advances can be today. Don’t even talk about royalties! So, is it to be ‘famous’? No. Because, again, I’d unlikely ever be properly famous. What does that even mean anyway? No, I want to be published because I think there would be nothing more wonderful than sharing your characters and their journeys with others. (Oi, you, at the back, shouting, ‘Cheesy!’ Quiet down!). But he’s right, it is a bit cheesy. Though, I think if you’re really serious about your writing and in love with the process, you’ll be nodding right now and also shooting evils at said rowdy audience member.

In the last few months, I have read quite a few debut novels and so many have been excellent. But beyond the wonderful writing, they are also the product of a new author’s sheer hard work. They will have undergone the most fantastic creative process: captured their own imaginations, scribbled and scribbled – most likely for months  - and then honed until their words have shone.

So, yes, I dream. All the time. Much to the annoyance of everyone around me (must remember to talk about other things and not just my writing and D.I. Ward – though, if I don’t say so myself, I think she’s rather cool).

The last couple of years  - since I started writing novels – have had their ups and downs. But one thing I hold on to is my dream of being published.

Who knows, one day that dream might come true. Until then, I’m happy tapping away on my keyboard, coffee by my side, country music playing out of my rather big (retro) headphones and listening to my characters as they leap about the page.

 

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07/02/2012

Write what you know. Really? Even if he’s a murderer?

If my books are a reflection of ‘what I know’ then I really should be locked up, quite frankly, and doing life. But it is important to get inside the bad guy’s head as well as the good guy’s. So, no, hand on heart I know nothing about murder but what I do know is that my character still needs to have very human qualities. He or she might be ‘unfeeling’ in regards to the way they go about killing someone or abducting a child but, ultimately, even they are affected by life. Perhaps just in a different way to the rest of us.

Then, in terms of the good guys, am I writing what I know? No. Because, thankfully, these things have never happened to me. But, again – just like the bad guy – I am writing emotions. Emotions are universal, whether we are ‘good’ or ‘bad’.

Writing will always require research to make it feel credible. But, at the end of the day, I write to entertain an audience. So that, hopefully, readers will lose themselves in my words and forget their everyday lives.

The most amazing effect any writer can hope to have on a reader is that wonderful, ‘Ah, yes, so sad. I would feel that too.’ Or, ‘I kind of feel sorry for that guy. Even though I shouldn’t.’

You’ve given the reader the great gift of emotion. Albeit the tears might be for the ‘wrong’ person.

After all, characters – like humans – don’t exist in a black and white world. Thankfully, we have grey.

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11/10/2011

What’s in a title?

When I started writing my first book I didn’t think a title was of any importance. In fact, I was three-quarters of the way through before a very wise owl told me, ‘I’ve got a title for you. Try it on for size.’

I did and never looked back.

A title, you have to realise, can be changed. It’s not set in stone. So, I started on the last quarter of the novel, now entitled A Closer Evil, and would you believe, the themes gradually came into focus, the characters cheered because they knew what they had to do. Simply put: I was focused.

With my second book, the title was the spark behind all my ideas. I wrote it, with one title in mind, reached the end and knew it wasn’t quite right. Its initial title would have been fine, only it felt a little like a slightly baggy jumper. But the difference between the second novel and my first is that it was already so much more focused because I started off with a title.

Don’t forget you’re in control and if your title doesn’t fit, it’s up to you to change that. Ultimately as a writer you want that title to shout, ‘READ ME! I’M ENTERTAINING!’ And then to have written a manuscript that delivers.

So, my second book is called The Killing Diary: it is about just that.

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