- Published on
A quick update on ‘Unlocked Lies’: I’m now deep into the later-stage revisions. It’s been a big job because my manuscript was such a mess. I’ve had to revamp the last part of the book completely, which has created several continuity issues for the earlier part of the book. I’m enjoying the process, though — editing and polishing have always been the parts I love most. The downside is that the forthcoming chapters require a lot of work, and I need to scrap and rewrite some altogether. I’m still hoping to get it all done in 2026! I’ll keep you posted.
Now for a bit of light relief. If ‘Unlocked Lies’ came with warning labels, they might look something like this:
In other words: business as usual for a psychological thriller!
Now for a bit of light relief. If ‘Unlocked Lies’ came with warning labels, they might look something like this:
- Warning: the story you believe about your family may be false.
- Delving into the past is much easier than forgetting what you find.
- A lie told often enough can start to look remarkably like a memory.
- Some people spend years making sure the past stays buried.
- Family history may have been edited for your protection.
In other words: business as usual for a psychological thriller!
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Recently, my monthly book club chose a fantasy/magic-based novel. I read it. I finished it. I was open-minded and willing to be transported to another world. The problem? I simply didn’t enjoy the book.
This made me think about genre comfort zones. These days, I’m firmly drawn to crime fiction and psychological thrillers. However, when I was younger, I read much more widely. Classics, historical fiction, science fiction, literary novels — a much broader range than now. Somewhere along the way, my reading tastes narrowed. I can’t decide whether that’s a good or bad thing. There’s value in knowing what we like and don’t like. But should I step outside my preferred genres occasionally? My book club is certainly making me do that. Maybe next month’s choice will be a novel I actually enjoy.
Reading different kinds of books can stretch us. Expose us to different structures, voices, settings and ideas. As a writer, that matters too. Even a book I don’t enjoy can teach me something — about what works, what doesn’t, and also simply about my own preferences.
But there’s another argument too: reading is not homework. Most of us have limited time and energy, and probably a pile of unread books silently judging us. Is it really necessary to force ourselves to read genres that don’t give us pleasure, just because we feel we should? My gut response is ‘no’.
Perhaps the answer is balance. I’ll continue to read mostly the fiction I enjoy, with a monthly foray into something different courtesy of my book club. Maybe I’ll eventually discover a novel, and an author, that opens up new horizons for me.
What about you? Do you read widely across genres, or do you tend to stick with the novels you know you’ll enjoy?
This made me think about genre comfort zones. These days, I’m firmly drawn to crime fiction and psychological thrillers. However, when I was younger, I read much more widely. Classics, historical fiction, science fiction, literary novels — a much broader range than now. Somewhere along the way, my reading tastes narrowed. I can’t decide whether that’s a good or bad thing. There’s value in knowing what we like and don’t like. But should I step outside my preferred genres occasionally? My book club is certainly making me do that. Maybe next month’s choice will be a novel I actually enjoy.
Reading different kinds of books can stretch us. Expose us to different structures, voices, settings and ideas. As a writer, that matters too. Even a book I don’t enjoy can teach me something — about what works, what doesn’t, and also simply about my own preferences.
But there’s another argument too: reading is not homework. Most of us have limited time and energy, and probably a pile of unread books silently judging us. Is it really necessary to force ourselves to read genres that don’t give us pleasure, just because we feel we should? My gut response is ‘no’.
Perhaps the answer is balance. I’ll continue to read mostly the fiction I enjoy, with a monthly foray into something different courtesy of my book club. Maybe I’ll eventually discover a novel, and an author, that opens up new horizons for me.
What about you? Do you read widely across genres, or do you tend to stick with the novels you know you’ll enjoy?
- Published on
Let’s play a quick game of Would You Rather? — Thriller Edition. Here are your choices:
1. Would you rather read a thriller about a missing person or a suspicious death?
Both are irresistible in different ways. Take the missing person scenario. Are they alive? Hiding? Taken? Running from something? So many possibilities…
I explored this theme in ‘The Second Captive’, and I’ll probably write another novel covering this topic. A suspicious death, on the other hand, brings its own dark satisfaction: who doesn’t love a good whodunnit novel?
2. Would you rather have an unreliable narrator or a character with a hidden past?
The unreliable narrator keeps us questioning the story itself. I examined this theme in ‘Heart of Bone’. Greer Maddox is a damaged woman, grieving the death of her son – can we rely on everything she tells us?
A hidden past, however, keeps us watching for cracks in someone’s carefully polished surface. I had fun exploring this in my novel ‘Guilty Innocence’. In that book, Mark is concealing a dark secret, one that will of course be revealed, creating havoc in his life. His fault for volunteering to be a character!
3. Would you rather read a slow-burn thriller or one that starts with a shocking event?
I love a thriller in which the tension builds slowly but inexorably, keeping the reader hooked. There’s also something compelling about a book that opens with chaos and keeps the conflict high. Which works better probably depends on the plot. Some stories suit a slow burn; others work best with high-octane thrills.
4. Would you rather have a glamorous setting or an ordinary place that feels unsafe?
I mentioned this in last week’s post. A luxury hotel, remote island, or grand old house can be hugely atmospheric. But there’s also something gripping about a normal street, a family kitchen, or a familiar walk home that feels wrong. Maybe it’s because ordinary places usually offer fewer places to hide.
5. Would you rather guess the twist early or be completely blind-sided?
Me? I prefer to be taken by surprise. I get that readers derive pleasure in spotting tiny clues and thinking, ‘Aha, I know what’s going on here’. But there’s also huge satisfaction in being wrong-footed by a twist that fits perfectly yet was hiding in plain sight all along.
Now it’s your turn:
Which would you choose in each case — and which question was the hardest?
1. Would you rather read a thriller about a missing person or a suspicious death?
Both are irresistible in different ways. Take the missing person scenario. Are they alive? Hiding? Taken? Running from something? So many possibilities…
I explored this theme in ‘The Second Captive’, and I’ll probably write another novel covering this topic. A suspicious death, on the other hand, brings its own dark satisfaction: who doesn’t love a good whodunnit novel?
2. Would you rather have an unreliable narrator or a character with a hidden past?
The unreliable narrator keeps us questioning the story itself. I examined this theme in ‘Heart of Bone’. Greer Maddox is a damaged woman, grieving the death of her son – can we rely on everything she tells us?
A hidden past, however, keeps us watching for cracks in someone’s carefully polished surface. I had fun exploring this in my novel ‘Guilty Innocence’. In that book, Mark is concealing a dark secret, one that will of course be revealed, creating havoc in his life. His fault for volunteering to be a character!
3. Would you rather read a slow-burn thriller or one that starts with a shocking event?
I love a thriller in which the tension builds slowly but inexorably, keeping the reader hooked. There’s also something compelling about a book that opens with chaos and keeps the conflict high. Which works better probably depends on the plot. Some stories suit a slow burn; others work best with high-octane thrills.
4. Would you rather have a glamorous setting or an ordinary place that feels unsafe?
I mentioned this in last week’s post. A luxury hotel, remote island, or grand old house can be hugely atmospheric. But there’s also something gripping about a normal street, a family kitchen, or a familiar walk home that feels wrong. Maybe it’s because ordinary places usually offer fewer places to hide.
5. Would you rather guess the twist early or be completely blind-sided?
Me? I prefer to be taken by surprise. I get that readers derive pleasure in spotting tiny clues and thinking, ‘Aha, I know what’s going on here’. But there’s also huge satisfaction in being wrong-footed by a twist that fits perfectly yet was hiding in plain sight all along.
Now it’s your turn:
Which would you choose in each case — and which question was the hardest?
- Published on
When it comes to psychological thrillers, I often think the most unsettling settings are ordinary ones. A quiet street. The family kitchen. Maybe a spare bedroom or the back garden. A seaside town out of season, when the cafés are closed and the beach is deserted.
There’s something powerful about taking a place that should feel safe and making the reader view it differently. When danger creeps into an ordinary setting, it feels more personal. The unease comes from the tiny, and jarring, shift between ‘everything is normal’ and ‘something is wrong here’.
I think that’s one of the reasons domestic suspense thrillers work so well. The genre takes the places associated with comfort — homes, marriages, families, friendships, routines — and asks what might be hidden underneath them. In these novels, it’s always something dark and disturbing. The best thriller settings don’t just provide a backdrop. They add pressure. Make characters feel watched, trapped, exposed, while in the comfort of their own home.
Do you prefer thrillers set in dramatic locations, or ordinary places where something feels slightly wrong?
There’s something powerful about taking a place that should feel safe and making the reader view it differently. When danger creeps into an ordinary setting, it feels more personal. The unease comes from the tiny, and jarring, shift between ‘everything is normal’ and ‘something is wrong here’.
I think that’s one of the reasons domestic suspense thrillers work so well. The genre takes the places associated with comfort — homes, marriages, families, friendships, routines — and asks what might be hidden underneath them. In these novels, it’s always something dark and disturbing. The best thriller settings don’t just provide a backdrop. They add pressure. Make characters feel watched, trapped, exposed, while in the comfort of their own home.
Do you prefer thrillers set in dramatic locations, or ordinary places where something feels slightly wrong?
- Published on
If you’ve been meaning to try one of my books — or fill a gap in your collection — March is a good month to do it. I’m running limited-time Kindle promotions on three of my psychological thrillers across the UK, USA and Australia.
After She's Gone
99p (UK) / $1.49 (Australia) - available throughout March 2026.
Lori Golden’s family has had more than its fair share of troubles. But through it all, Lori and her sister, Jessie, have always supported each other. Then Jessie is killed. And Lori’s world turns upside down.
Devastated, Lori struggles to cope with her loss, and to learn to live in a world without her bright, bubbly sister by her side. Around her, her already fractured family starts to fall apart. And as Lori and her mother try to pick up the pieces of their shattered lives, secrets long thought buried are coming painfully to light.
Faced with the unthinkable, Lori is forced to ask herself how well she really knows those who are left behind…
Lori Golden’s family has had more than its fair share of troubles. But through it all, Lori and her sister, Jessie, have always supported each other. Then Jessie is killed. And Lori’s world turns upside down.
Devastated, Lori struggles to cope with her loss, and to learn to live in a world without her bright, bubbly sister by her side. Around her, her already fractured family starts to fall apart. And as Lori and her mother try to pick up the pieces of their shattered lives, secrets long thought buried are coming painfully to light.
Faced with the unthinkable, Lori is forced to ask herself how well she really knows those who are left behind…
His Kidnapper's Shoes
99p (UK) / $1.49 (Australia) - available throughout March 2026.
On some level deep inside, Laura Bateman knows something is wrong. That her relationship with her son is not what it should be. That it is based on lies.
But bad things have happened to Laura. Things that change a person. Forever.
For twenty-six-year-old Daniel, the discovery that his mother is not who he thought comes close to destroying him. As his world turns upside down, he searches for sanity in the madness that has become his life. Daniel is left with nothing but questions. Why did Laura do something so terrible? Can he move past the demons of his childhood?
And the biggest question of all: can he ever forgive Laura?
On some level deep inside, Laura Bateman knows something is wrong. That her relationship with her son is not what it should be. That it is based on lies.
But bad things have happened to Laura. Things that change a person. Forever.
For twenty-six-year-old Daniel, the discovery that his mother is not who he thought comes close to destroying him. As his world turns upside down, he searches for sanity in the madness that has become his life. Daniel is left with nothing but questions. Why did Laura do something so terrible? Can he move past the demons of his childhood?
And the biggest question of all: can he ever forgive Laura?
She'll Never Tell
99p (UK) / 99c (US) - March 2 – March 8 only
The sudden death of her mother shatters Olivia Gilchrist’s world. Grief turns to shock when a post-mortem reveals Sonia has lied to her daughter in the cruellest possible way. Angry and hurt, Olivia vows to uncover the truth.
Meanwhile, Olivia’s neighbour, Elena, harbours a dark secret. Now the past has caught up with her, forcing Elena to go into hiding.
Then Olivia discovers Elena was involved in Sonia’s deceit. She has questions she’s desperate to ask her former neighbour. Olivia suspects, however, that Elena is warped and unstable. Tracking her down may be difficult and dangerous.
The temptation proves too strong, and a game of cat and mouse with a vengeful woman ensues. One that has the potential to turn deadly…
The sudden death of her mother shatters Olivia Gilchrist’s world. Grief turns to shock when a post-mortem reveals Sonia has lied to her daughter in the cruellest possible way. Angry and hurt, Olivia vows to uncover the truth.
Meanwhile, Olivia’s neighbour, Elena, harbours a dark secret. Now the past has caught up with her, forcing Elena to go into hiding.
Then Olivia discovers Elena was involved in Sonia’s deceit. She has questions she’s desperate to ask her former neighbour. Olivia suspects, however, that Elena is warped and unstable. Tracking her down may be difficult and dangerous.
The temptation proves too strong, and a game of cat and mouse with a vengeful woman ensues. One that has the potential to turn deadly…
- Published on
It's been a long time since i updated my blog, but that will change! I'll be posting here with news about forthcoming novels, my writing career, etc. My tenth novel, Unlocked Lies, will be published in the first half of 2026, with Her Guilty Past following in the second half. Watch this space!
- Published on
Well-crafted characters - why they're essential to a novel
Today I'd like to look at what traits readers love in a character. As well as what they hate! My reason? I've just finished reading a book that's garnered high praise from literary pundits, but which failed to impress me. The main reason was the characters - totally flat and unbelievable, very one-dimensional. The protagonist was cold, unfeeling, dismissive of her parents because they lacked money. Yet the author wanted me to believe this person was also capable of a great, undying love. By that time I'd given up caring about her, repelled by her personality. The other characters were no better. To make matters worse, the plot lacked depth and cohesion, along with an unsatisfactory ending.
Crafting great characters is one of the hardest challenges authors face. The storyline might be intriguing, the narrative well written, yet if readers don't identify with the main characters, then the book is unlikely to entertain them. Or even hold their interest past the first few chapters.
Crafting great characters is one of the hardest challenges authors face. The storyline might be intriguing, the narrative well written, yet if readers don't identify with the main characters, then the book is unlikely to entertain them. Or even hold their interest past the first few chapters.
So what makes a great character?
Hannibal Lecter, from Thomas Harris's novel The Silence of the Lambs, springs to mind. This is no cardboard cut-out antagonist, but a complex individual who captures the reader's imagination, partly because he presents two such different sides to his personality. On the one hand, he is cultured, well educated, a former Baltimore forensic psychiatrist. He is knowledgeable about art, literature and cuisine. Yet he is also a psychopathic and cannibalistic serial killer. Quite a juxtaposition, isn't it? And that's what makes Lecter such a compelling personality. He'd make a great dinner guest – provided he didn't eat you!
What follows are my thoughts on what makes a great character. First, they need to arouse empathy in a reader. I don't necessarily have to like them, but I do need to be on their side, eager for them to overcome their demons by the end of the story.
They should also be interesting. I don't want to read about someone who works in a mundane job, has no friends and holds no opinions. That's boring, and in real life we shy away from dull individuals. Instead, I like characters to have fire in their bellies, to laugh, to cry, to experience pain and joy and all the emotions that come attached to this crazy life we're living.
What follows are my thoughts on what makes a great character. First, they need to arouse empathy in a reader. I don't necessarily have to like them, but I do need to be on their side, eager for them to overcome their demons by the end of the story.
They should also be interesting. I don't want to read about someone who works in a mundane job, has no friends and holds no opinions. That's boring, and in real life we shy away from dull individuals. Instead, I like characters to have fire in their bellies, to laugh, to cry, to experience pain and joy and all the emotions that come attached to this crazy life we're living.
Treat 'em mean...
One piece of advice that's often dished out to writers is to torture their characters... and then torture them some more. Wise words, in my opinion! By forcing them to endure angst, loss, loneliness, an author makes them real, because sorrow and tragedy happen to us all. In addition, how a character faces life's trials helps to shape their personalities, meaning that by the end of their novel, they've changed - and for the better. An example is Luke Skywalker from the Star Wars franchise, who morphs from a humble farm boy to a great Jedi warrior.
I love it when a character aspires to become a better person, often as a result of pain they've suffered in the past. Sometimes they're the underdog in a novel, a plot device that helps the reader to root for them. Underdogs are called to rise to challenges that will shape their personalities; a notable example is Harry Potter from J K Rowlings' books. Once a mistreated boy forced to live in a cupboard under the stairs, he eventually becomes an accomplished wizard despite facing adversaries such as Draco Malfoy and Lord Voldemort. Speaking of which, antagonists in a novel need to be worthy of the title of villain. Make them dark, make them twisted, make the reader loathe them, yet be fascinated by them. Hannibal Lecter again!
To be well-rounded, a characters needs to have flaws, because who doesn't? I don't want to read about someone who's always calm, patient, reliable, consistent - such people don't exist. We're all imperfect, changeable, difficult at times - some of us all the time! This leads me on the my last point - characters need to be believable. Don't give me street thugs who never swear, teenagers who don't act out, couples who never argue. I want reality, in all its ugly glory, because that's what shapes an great read. And I suspect other readers do too.
I love it when a character aspires to become a better person, often as a result of pain they've suffered in the past. Sometimes they're the underdog in a novel, a plot device that helps the reader to root for them. Underdogs are called to rise to challenges that will shape their personalities; a notable example is Harry Potter from J K Rowlings' books. Once a mistreated boy forced to live in a cupboard under the stairs, he eventually becomes an accomplished wizard despite facing adversaries such as Draco Malfoy and Lord Voldemort. Speaking of which, antagonists in a novel need to be worthy of the title of villain. Make them dark, make them twisted, make the reader loathe them, yet be fascinated by them. Hannibal Lecter again!
To be well-rounded, a characters needs to have flaws, because who doesn't? I don't want to read about someone who's always calm, patient, reliable, consistent - such people don't exist. We're all imperfect, changeable, difficult at times - some of us all the time! This leads me on the my last point - characters need to be believable. Don't give me street thugs who never swear, teenagers who don't act out, couples who never argue. I want reality, in all its ugly glory, because that's what shapes an great read. And I suspect other readers do too.
What do you think?
Are there any points you can add? What do you like or loathe in a character? Leave a comment and let me know!
- Published on
Combining writing with travel - is it possible?
Those who know me well are familiar with my wanderlust! I've been passionate about solo travel for decades now and I've been fortunate to have explored many wonderful countries. For a long time it's been my ambition to combine travel with writing and become, at least for a while, a nomadic novelist. All I need to work is a computer and a decent internet connection, so the idea seemed very achievable. In addition, there were several trips I longed to get under my belt, and most of them were west of the UK, in the Americas. Combined with the nagging feeling I was in somewhat of a rut in Bristol, it wasn't a hard decision to arrange another overseas jaunt. This time I liked the notion of travelling without a set return date. I bought a one-way ticket to Canada to enable me to fly to Toronto in April 2017, with some vague plans as to where to visit after French Canada, which I'd missed on my last trip to the country back in 1990. I ending up spending a couple of months in Canada before I crossed the border into the USA, where I had friends with whom I wanted to reconnect.
In America I visited Vermont, then Boston, Philadelphia and Washington, before making my way to Las Vegas, where I hired a car and went touring for a week. My journey included the wonders of Monument Valley, Zion National Park and other beautiful places before I finished up in San Diego. Next came Mexico, El Salvador, Costa Rica, Panama. Colombia, Peru, Ecuador, Bolivia, Chile and Argentina.
Towards the end of my trip I seized the chance to travel to the Falklands, South Georgia and the incredible White Continent, Antarctica. WOW!!! What a fantastic experience. The wildlife on South Georgia was awe inspiring - beaches packed full of seals and penguins, accompanied by some very strong fishy odours! As for Antarctica, a friend told me it's like being in a different world, and she was right. The silence, the ice, the remote location… I'd love to return some day and explore further.
In America I visited Vermont, then Boston, Philadelphia and Washington, before making my way to Las Vegas, where I hired a car and went touring for a week. My journey included the wonders of Monument Valley, Zion National Park and other beautiful places before I finished up in San Diego. Next came Mexico, El Salvador, Costa Rica, Panama. Colombia, Peru, Ecuador, Bolivia, Chile and Argentina.
Towards the end of my trip I seized the chance to travel to the Falklands, South Georgia and the incredible White Continent, Antarctica. WOW!!! What a fantastic experience. The wildlife on South Georgia was awe inspiring - beaches packed full of seals and penguins, accompanied by some very strong fishy odours! As for Antarctica, a friend told me it's like being in a different world, and she was right. The silence, the ice, the remote location… I'd love to return some day and explore further.
So how hard was it to travel and write at the same time?
My main fear before I set off was whether I'd be able to combine travelling and writing. My previous trips had usually been done at a fast pace, with lots of planes, trains and buses involved - hardly conducive to the quiet writing environment I prefer! I found it hard to write the first draft of 'His Kidnapper's Shoes' while travelling in 2010-11, and I only completed the book by parking my butt in the gorgeous Bolivian city of Sucre and not leaving until I'd finished. Hence my concern. How would I manage all the sight-seeing I'd want to do while writing my novels? As well as maintaining the rest of my business - marketing, finance, etc?
It turns out I needn't have worried. I managed to maintain a full work schedule and still got to visit the sights I want to see. Most times I would work during the morning and get out and about during the afternoon and evenings. I also tried to arrange travel and sight-seeing whenever possible at the weekends. It all worked out really well and my schedule left me plenty of time left to practise yoga, read and socialise. What helped was not having a set itinerary; there was nowhere I needed to be at any particular time. From what I understand, this way of working is becoming more common, with more and more people choosing to become digital nomads. and why not? If your work is internet-based, such as web design or life coaching, then you can earn money wherever you are in the world. You're not location-dependent for your income. It's immensely freeing and if, like me, you love travelling, it's the ideal solution. As I mentioned earlier, I'd become aware I was deep in a rut in Bristol, and needed to break out. It felt right to be backpacking again, with everything I needed in a couple of bags, moving from one wonderful place to another, doing as I pleased. Since my return from that trip, which lasted ten months, I've moved to Newcastle-upon-Tyne and been busy with other things, but I plan to continue combining travel and writing in the future. Who knows, maybe I'll inspire some of my readers to become digital nomads! See you in Rio, perhaps!
It turns out I needn't have worried. I managed to maintain a full work schedule and still got to visit the sights I want to see. Most times I would work during the morning and get out and about during the afternoon and evenings. I also tried to arrange travel and sight-seeing whenever possible at the weekends. It all worked out really well and my schedule left me plenty of time left to practise yoga, read and socialise. What helped was not having a set itinerary; there was nowhere I needed to be at any particular time. From what I understand, this way of working is becoming more common, with more and more people choosing to become digital nomads. and why not? If your work is internet-based, such as web design or life coaching, then you can earn money wherever you are in the world. You're not location-dependent for your income. It's immensely freeing and if, like me, you love travelling, it's the ideal solution. As I mentioned earlier, I'd become aware I was deep in a rut in Bristol, and needed to break out. It felt right to be backpacking again, with everything I needed in a couple of bags, moving from one wonderful place to another, doing as I pleased. Since my return from that trip, which lasted ten months, I've moved to Newcastle-upon-Tyne and been busy with other things, but I plan to continue combining travel and writing in the future. Who knows, maybe I'll inspire some of my readers to become digital nomads! See you in Rio, perhaps!
- Published on
People who see music and taste words...
In October 2016 I discovered I have synaesthesia, which came as a surprise! It seems that many people, myself included, don't realise that they view the world differently.
What is synaesthesia, you may be wondering? It’s when the senses cross over, meaning one type of stimulation evokes the sensation of another. For example, hearing a sound may result in a synaesthete seeing that sound in colour; musicians such as Billy Joel and Mary J. Blige visualise music this way.
Synaethesthia can combine any of the senses, although the most common types are the ones I have, when letters, numbers and time assume colours and shapes. I find some of the rarer forms, such as lexical-gustatory synaesthesia, in which people taste words, fascinating! As a foodie, I’m quite envious of that one, but studies show only 0.2% of people have lexical-gustatory synaesthesia.
To help non-synaesthetes understand, to some extent we all do this anyway. Have you ever talked about warm colours or complained that the weather is bitterly cold? Then you’ll have some idea of what I mean. Think about smell and taste; those senses are linked for almost everyone, meaning we can predict how a food will taste from sniffing it. Synaesthesia takes this process a step further.
It’s a shame some of the articles I read referred to it as an affliction or medical condition. To me, that smacks of the prejudice that existed decades ago against left-handed people, and isn’t helpful.
What is synaesthesia, you may be wondering? It’s when the senses cross over, meaning one type of stimulation evokes the sensation of another. For example, hearing a sound may result in a synaesthete seeing that sound in colour; musicians such as Billy Joel and Mary J. Blige visualise music this way.
Synaethesthia can combine any of the senses, although the most common types are the ones I have, when letters, numbers and time assume colours and shapes. I find some of the rarer forms, such as lexical-gustatory synaesthesia, in which people taste words, fascinating! As a foodie, I’m quite envious of that one, but studies show only 0.2% of people have lexical-gustatory synaesthesia.
To help non-synaesthetes understand, to some extent we all do this anyway. Have you ever talked about warm colours or complained that the weather is bitterly cold? Then you’ll have some idea of what I mean. Think about smell and taste; those senses are linked for almost everyone, meaning we can predict how a food will taste from sniffing it. Synaesthesia takes this process a step further.
It’s a shame some of the articles I read referred to it as an affliction or medical condition. To me, that smacks of the prejudice that existed decades ago against left-handed people, and isn’t helpful.
August is such an orange month...
There are two main forms of synaesthesia – projective and associative. People with the former type actually see the shapes and colours projected into their vision, whereas others, like me, have the associative type – we see the results in our mind’s eye, not in reality. Statistics vary as to how many people are synaesthetes – the most common one indicates that 4.4% of people have it. Some researchers have postulated that everyone is born with synaesthesia, with most people losing the ability early in childhood. Early research linked synaethesia to being left-handed and poor with mathematics, although later studies contradict such findings. As a right-handed ex-accountant, that's definitely not true for me!
I came across the condition a while ago, thought "yeah, I have that - doesn't everyone see letters in colour?" and then didn't think any more about it. After all, we don’t tend to ask people what colour their alphabet is, or how they visualise time; I honestly thought everyone must use some sort of mental map to process numbers and years. It was only when I read something about Vladimir Nabokov, who was a synaesthete, that I chanced on a Wikipedia article on the subject. After reading through it, it was obvious to me that I had synaesthesia and that it took several forms, which apparently is common. I took the long and very detailed online test at http://www.synesthete.org/ and the results confirmed my suspicions.
I came across the condition a while ago, thought "yeah, I have that - doesn't everyone see letters in colour?" and then didn't think any more about it. After all, we don’t tend to ask people what colour their alphabet is, or how they visualise time; I honestly thought everyone must use some sort of mental map to process numbers and years. It was only when I read something about Vladimir Nabokov, who was a synaesthete, that I chanced on a Wikipedia article on the subject. After reading through it, it was obvious to me that I had synaesthesia and that it took several forms, which apparently is common. I took the long and very detailed online test at http://www.synesthete.org/ and the results confirmed my suspicions.
Tasting of Flora and the country green...
Kandinsky may have been a synaesthete! It appears that synaesthesia may be more prevalent in women than men, and is seven times more likely to occur in artists, musicians and writers. Besides Nabokov, other authors with synaesthesia include Joanne Harris and Orhan Pamuk. In literature, synaesthesia refers to a technique adopted by writers to present fiction so it appeals to more than one sense at a time. Take this quote from Keats’s Ode to a Nightingale: 'Tasting of Flora and the country green, Dance, and Provencal song, and sun burnt mirth!' In this example, music, dance, etc, are described as having taste – very synaesthetic!
What about this quote from Julia Glass’s novel 'The Whole World Over'? 'The word would fill her mind for a few minutes with a single color: not an unpleasant sensation but still an intrusion… Patriarch: Brown, she thought, a temple of a word, a shiny red brown, like the surface of a chestnut.'
I have to disagree – ‘patriarch’ is definitely lemon-coloured! No two synaesthetes view things in quite the same way, it seems. For me, words take on the colour of their first letter, unless we're talking about weekdays or months, and 'P' is pale yellow.
I’m considering ways to use my synaesthesia in my writing, both through my narrative description and as the basis for a novel or series of novels. Now that I’ve discovered I’m a synaesthete, I’m keen to put it to practical use!
What about this quote from Julia Glass’s novel 'The Whole World Over'? 'The word would fill her mind for a few minutes with a single color: not an unpleasant sensation but still an intrusion… Patriarch: Brown, she thought, a temple of a word, a shiny red brown, like the surface of a chestnut.'
I have to disagree – ‘patriarch’ is definitely lemon-coloured! No two synaesthetes view things in quite the same way, it seems. For me, words take on the colour of their first letter, unless we're talking about weekdays or months, and 'P' is pale yellow.
I’m considering ways to use my synaesthesia in my writing, both through my narrative description and as the basis for a novel or series of novels. Now that I’ve discovered I’m a synaesthete, I’m keen to put it to practical use!
What about you?
Are any of you synaesthetes and if so, what types do you have? Leave a comment and let me know!
- Published on
A tragic case made the news a few years ago with the revelation that a young American woman, Kamiyah Mobley, had discovered she'd been abducted as a baby. It seems she'd harboured an inkling for a while that she may have been kidnapped. DNA tests subsequently proved that she was the baby abducted from a Florida hospital in July 1998 by a woman posing as a nurse. Gloria Williams, who is now in custody, brought her up as her own daughter, unbeknown to the man who believed himself to be the child's father.
The case caught my eye because it mirrors some of the events in my novel 'His Kidnapper's Shoes'. While Daniel is abducted as a young child, not a baby, and from his home rather than a hospital, other facts are similar. Laura Bateman brings him up as her own child, and the truth only emerges after Daniel reaches adulthood. Like Kamiyah, he has nursed suspicions that Laura may not be his biological mother, although his doubts stem from early childhood.
The original idea for 'His Kidnapper's Shoes' came from a conversation I had in 2010 concerning missing children. I put forward the opinion that most children who are kidnapped are taken by opportunistic predators. Someone else disagreed, saying that perhaps some are stolen by people unable to have children of their own. That makes sense when a baby is concerned, of course; it's believed Williams suffered a miscarriage a week before she kidnapped Kamiyah. A tragic set of events for all concerned.
Anyway, the conversation got me thinking. How would it feel to discover as an adult that you'd been kidnapped as a child? That the woman who you considered your mother was actually your abductor? From that seed the idea for 'His Kidnapper's Shoes' was born. Here's a taster:
On some deep level inside, Laura Bateman knows something is wrong. That her relationship with her son is not what it should be. That it is based on lies. But bad things have happened to Laura. Things that change a person. Forever.
For twenty-six-year old Daniel, the discovery that his mother is not who he thought comes close to destroying him. As his world turns upside down, he searches for sanity in the madness that has become his life. Daniel is left with nothing but questions. Why did Laura do something so terrible? Can he move past the demons of his childhood?
And the biggest question of all: can he ever forgive Laura?
A tense novel of psychological suspense, 'His Kidnapper's Shoes' weaves one man's quest for his identity with one woman's need to heal her troubled past.
You can buy the book from Amazon in e-book, audiobook or paperback format via this link: His Kidnapper's Shoes
By a strange coincidence, round about the same time as I finished the first draft of the book, another case came to light in America in which a young woman discovered she'd been kidnapped from hospital as a baby. A while back I blogged about novels based on real-life crimes. You can read the post here: Five Novels Inspired by Real-Life Crimes.
The case caught my eye because it mirrors some of the events in my novel 'His Kidnapper's Shoes'. While Daniel is abducted as a young child, not a baby, and from his home rather than a hospital, other facts are similar. Laura Bateman brings him up as her own child, and the truth only emerges after Daniel reaches adulthood. Like Kamiyah, he has nursed suspicions that Laura may not be his biological mother, although his doubts stem from early childhood.
The original idea for 'His Kidnapper's Shoes' came from a conversation I had in 2010 concerning missing children. I put forward the opinion that most children who are kidnapped are taken by opportunistic predators. Someone else disagreed, saying that perhaps some are stolen by people unable to have children of their own. That makes sense when a baby is concerned, of course; it's believed Williams suffered a miscarriage a week before she kidnapped Kamiyah. A tragic set of events for all concerned.
Anyway, the conversation got me thinking. How would it feel to discover as an adult that you'd been kidnapped as a child? That the woman who you considered your mother was actually your abductor? From that seed the idea for 'His Kidnapper's Shoes' was born. Here's a taster:
On some deep level inside, Laura Bateman knows something is wrong. That her relationship with her son is not what it should be. That it is based on lies. But bad things have happened to Laura. Things that change a person. Forever.
For twenty-six-year old Daniel, the discovery that his mother is not who he thought comes close to destroying him. As his world turns upside down, he searches for sanity in the madness that has become his life. Daniel is left with nothing but questions. Why did Laura do something so terrible? Can he move past the demons of his childhood?
And the biggest question of all: can he ever forgive Laura?
A tense novel of psychological suspense, 'His Kidnapper's Shoes' weaves one man's quest for his identity with one woman's need to heal her troubled past.
You can buy the book from Amazon in e-book, audiobook or paperback format via this link: His Kidnapper's Shoes
By a strange coincidence, round about the same time as I finished the first draft of the book, another case came to light in America in which a young woman discovered she'd been kidnapped from hospital as a baby. A while back I blogged about novels based on real-life crimes. You can read the post here: Five Novels Inspired by Real-Life Crimes.