An interesting question, Mayowa. I think Xavier, son of Emily and Luke. He was the hardest to write because he doesn't have such a strong or clear character as the others. Yet he's crucial to the story. I guess some characters are "background" to the main ones.
That’s a fascinating insight! It can be challenging to develop characters who play a more subtle role but are still vital to the story. How did you approach bringing depth to Xavier despite his background presence?
Hello again Mayowa, I tried to understand what it would be like to be Xavier, having one sister he shared both parents with, and one from the same mother but no-one knew who her father was. Also how was it for him to be so successful in life personally (great wife), academically (1st class degree), and professionally (secured a good first teaching post), and then to have to make multiple job applications when he wanted to move to a new teaching job. My aim was to get inside his head!
Intensive and addictive, with regular self-enforced breaks to walk in the fields and enjoy a coffee or tea; the breaks are useful for regrouping and enable me to return to my desk refreshed and often with new ideas, or simply with one word that's an improvement on its predecessor :).
Both are vital. Think how titles of (good!) books and titles of (good!) films become part of your history and an integral part of your life; just thinking of some of these warms my heart. So the title is crucial. But so is the cover. The cover needs to "speak" to the reader. My cover with the photograph of Edinburgh Castle in the evening sun seemed just right for "A Place of Justice". Edinburgh is the main character in the first and final chapters, and also in a key middle chapter, and the castle is referenced several times in Chapter One.
The biggest challenge is creating time to write. I simply couldn't have written my book while working full-time. Last summer I had a blissful empty 7 weeks, when I was able to knuckle down and get on with the task. It was a gift!
Take some regular time, sit down and start writing. Be committed to this "me time". Use your life experience. Speak from the heart. Don't think this task is impossible. You can be a writer too. This is not just for others. Be persistent, and enjoy the process of writing your book. Get excited about it. Take time, too, to take a break; sometimes the best ideas come then.
A love of reading inspired me, and the beauty of words, and their power. Writing fulfils me; it brings me joy. I love to polish a paragraph and secure just the right language to satisfy me that it can't be improved on any more. I'm also inspired by the spell that a story casts on the reader, and how it can make us think long after we've finished reading a book.
A burning desire to write; an addiction to words and how they can be combined to create something powerful and beautiful; time to devote to the process; appreciation of what makes a compelling read; having read many books oneself; dedication to what can be a hard grind and, at times, hugely challenging in all the detail required.
Take time out regularly! Go for a walk. Have a coffee. Do the ironing. And while you're doing any of this, more inspiration is sure to come. But also take time away when you tell yourself not to think about your book. Have a really writing-free evening or weekend; totally forget about your book. You'll return to your desk refreshed, and with new energy :).
