After such a stressful 2020, I 'm relieved we're in 2021! Yes, I know the covid-19 infection takes no notice of dates, but there's something about a new year that always inspires me. I love setting goals for myself, yet I achieved little on the writing front in 2020. For much of the year my enthusiasm for writing novels evaporated, and I questioned whether to continue with my author career. That struggle is still with me to some extent, but I've made significant strides in conquering my demons. From talking to my author friends, it seems disillusionment is an occupational hazard!

Onwards into 2021! One thing I'm clear on - I'm keen not to overstretch myself this year. I've read social media posts from authors who publish a book a month; just the thought exhausts me. I want balance in my life, not burnout. Besides writing, I have other priorities in my life, such as health and fitness, improving my spoken Spanish and learning to paint abstract acrylics. Writing is hugely important, but not at the detriment of my other goals.

With that in mind, I've set myself modest and very achievable targets for 2021. My aim is to publish my eighth novel, currently in first draft format, and write and publish my ninth novel. That's two releases in one year, much better than 2020, which was a zero-release year. It's a far cry from joining the book-a-month brigade, but I'm comfortable with that. Wish me luck!

As of December 1, 2020, I've been a full-time novelist for six years! It's been a rollercoaster ride in many ways, but I have no regrets. I've blogged before about my first five years (see post here), so I won't go over old ground. 2020 has been a challenging year for my writing, with no books published and a distinct lack of mojo on my part. I'm working hard to get back on track, with my eighth novel now completed in draft, and I've started plotting number nine.

I've never regretted my decision to go full-time, although writing can be a very isolating profession, and one that has various pitfalls. I'm fulfilling my childhood dream, however, and I love that I can combine writing with my love of travel. So long as I have a laptop and an internet connection, I'm good to go!

I love setting myself goals! As we approach the end of 2020, I'm already considering what I want to achieve in 2021. I've no plans to change genres - I enjoy writing psychological suspense novels, so that's what I'll continue to do. Ideally I'd like to publish two books a year, one every six months. My process isn't as quick or efficient as it should be, however - editing takes me forever! - and I suspect a novel every eight or nine months is more realistic. We shall see.

Other goals? I aim to grow my email list and Facebook readers' group, and market my books better. Most importantly, I want to recapture my love of writing, which has been sadly absent for much of 2020. 2021 needs to be about FUN on the creative front!

Whatever happens, I'm very grateful to my readers for their support and encouragement. Thanks to each and every one of you!

During my writing career I've  come across readers who say they hate prologues. This baffles me, because they're part of the story - why dislike them, if the novel is a good read? As an author, I believe prologues fulfil several useful roles, and I've used them in my books when appropriate. Let's examine why prologues can enhance a novel.

I did notice, in the online debates I've read, that those people who said they hate prologues rarely gave a reason, in contrast to fans of them. This made it difficult to fathom the haters' antipathy! After some digging, I uncovered some explanations. Here are the reasons people cite:

1. They dislike an action scene containing characters without context, ones they haven't had a chance to care about yet. This doesn't resonate with me. Surely the prologue provide this chance, especially if the character is in a sticky situation?
2. Some people say prologues are old hat. I disagree. If they work for a novel, for any of the reasons I've already mentioned, why not use them? This argument smacks to me of writing snobbery, something I loathe.
3. Another argument against prologues is that, all too often, they're information dumps. This hasn't been my experience, but I agree that no part of a novel, prologue or otherwise, should shovel a load of facts the reader's way. Instead they should be woven into the narrative or dialogue in a way that's not obtrusive.
4. One person said they dislike the change of pace between a dramatic prologue and a slower first chapter. Me? I love that! A tense, action-packed prologue whets my appetite to read on, then a gentler first chapter gives me a breathing space to allow me to relax into the book.

No doubt the debate over prologues will continue for a while yet! I'll continue to use them in my novels if I believe they're warranted. Many other novelists love them too. Some say they use them, but retitle them 'chapter 1' so they don't antagonise prologue-hating readers!

If you're a reader, do you love or hate prologues? Give me your reasons! Or maybe you don't care either way? Perhaps you're a novelist. If so, do you use prologues? If not, why not? Leave a comment and let me know!

Woo hoo! I'm delighted to report that I've finished the first draft of my eighth novel. I've blogged before about how difficult I've found writing this year, so this is a happy day for me. A long road still lies ahead before publication, as the editing process takes me ages! First, though, I need to set the manuscript aside for a while. This is so that when I start editing I have the benefit of distance, enabling me to spot errors, plot holes, etc., more easily.

What will I do in the meantime? After a short break, I'll work on plotting novel number nine. I have some ideas already, so it's a case of choosing one, then fleshing out the story. For me, plotting is the hardest part of the writing process. By nature, I'm a planner, but that doesn't work so well for my books. After a while, I itch to start writing and stop plotting. In addition, I often find that what seems a great idea at the plotting stage doesn't work so well in practice. I'm still developing the way I write, so it's all part of the learning process. I'll keep you posted as to progress with number eight!

I've shared on this blog and on social media how my writing mojo deserted me for several months earlier in 2020. (Read my other post on this subject here: When novelists lose their love of writing). I don't think the issue was related to the covid-19 pandemic, as my disillusionment began before lockdown happened in the UK. I suspect I'd been pushing myself hard for a while (I'm very goal-driven!) and just needed a break. I spent the time relaxing, reading and enjoying the summer, and didn't worry too much about whether my writing mojo would return.

Luckily, it has. My output isn't back to what it was before, when my average daily output was c2,200 words. Nowadays I manage between 1,200 and 1,500 before my creativity wanes, but that's OK. There's no rush. It's more important that I regain my love of writing rather than fret about how many words I write, or how long I'm taking to finish a book. I'm very close to completing my eighth novel, though! As of today's date I've written 75,659 words, and I estimate another 11,000 will see the book completed in first draft format. After that will come the lengthy (for me, anyway!) task of polishing my prose, weeding out any plot holes and getting the manuscript ready for my beta readers/editor. I'll keep you posted!

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.

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.

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.

Are there any points you can add? What do you like or loathe in a character? Leave a comment and let me know!

This week's post is a review of 'The Surrogate' by Louise Jensen. A dark, twisted psychological thriller that never fails to entertain, it's the first novel by this author that I've read, but it won't be the last. Here's the Amazon blurb:

She can give you everything you want... But can you trust her?

Kat and her husband Nick have tried everything to become parents. All they want is a child to love but they are beginning to lose hope. Then a chance encounter with Kat’s childhood friend Lisa gives them one last chance.

Kat and Lisa were once as close as sisters. The secrets they share mean their trust is for life... Or is it?

Just when the couple’s dream seems within reach, Kat begins to suspect she’s being watched and Nick is telling her lies.

Are the cracks appearing in Kat’s perfect picture of the future all in her head, or should she be scared for the lives of herself and her family?

How far would you go, to protect everything you love?

Wow! Sounds good, doesn't it? I read 'The Surrogate' in one sitting, drawn in by its fast pace and intriguing plot, and the twist at the end came as a shock. The narrative switches between past and present, from hope to despair, but always entertains. If I had to level any criticism at this book, it would be concerning the plot; without wishing to give spoilers, I thought it a little implausible at times.  I also found the last few paragraphs jarred; I wasn't convinced Kat would behave that way, not given her current circumstances. These are minor points, however, that didn't detract from my enjoyment of this novel.
 
At the start of the book, Kat is a happily married woman whose life only requires one thing to make it complete: a baby. However, both she and her husband Nick harbour secrets, ones that threaten to derail their relationship. Kat's skeleton in the closet is dark, serving to drive a wedge between her and her best friend, Lisa. Nick's, however, is even darker, mirrored by his damaged family history. Lisa, too, isn't all she seems. At first money and revenge appear to be her reasons for being a surrogate, but as Kat increasingly appears unreliable as a narrator, Lisa's true motives still aren't clear. Until the truth is revealed, leading to a wow! of an ending.
 
This novel is twisted, dark and menacing, with a climax that some readers will love and others, like myself, will question. It embraces themes of revenge, forgiveness, love and parenthood, set against a backdrop of intrigue. You can find out more about Louise and her novels via her website, www.louisejensen.co.uk.

Have you read 'The Surrogate'? Did you like or loathe it? What about the ending? Leave a comment and let me know!

This week I'm interviewing the lovely Sibel Hodge, a best-selling novelist who writes in a range of genres, including crime and thriller fiction. Welcome to my blog, Sibel!

I love books told in an original way so I decided to write 'Anatomy of a Crime' in the format of a true crime podcast that I fell in love with listening to a few years ago. It's a twisty psychological-style thriller that leads readers on a dark, unpredictable journey...
 
On the summer solstice in 2017, two girls walk into Blackleaf Forest.
Only one comes out alive.
Dubbed as the Sleeping Beauty Killer, and surrounded by rumours of witchcraft, Caris Kelly is sentenced to life in prison for murdering her best friend during a ritualistic thrill kill.
Although Caris insists she is innocent, no one believes her.
Then three years later, investigative journalist Lauren Taylor looks into the murder for her true crime podcast. She becomes convinced there's more to the flimsy witness testimony, sinister coincidences, and sensational press coverage and probes into the case. As prejudices are revealed, lies are uncovered, and secrets are blown wide open, a single question remains... is there really one truth about what happened that night? Or are there only different versions of the same story?

When I'm not writing I usually spend a long time researching for the next novel! I also read 2-3 books a week. In my spare time you'll find me exercising, spending as much time in nature as I can, catching up with friends, and cooking.

 I've written ten thrillers, three romantic comedies, seven cozy mysteries, one contemporary romance, one young adult novel, one children's novel, two novellas, and three non-fiction, including two vegan cookbooks. I'm a hybrid author, published both traditionally and independently.

When I first started writing I concentrated on romantic comedies and comedy/cozy mysteries that were a great fit for me at the time. But as my writing journey progressed, so did my life journey, and I wanted to start tackling darker subjects I could give a voice to as a writer that I felt weren't getting the mainstream attention they deserved. The first serious book I wrote in the crime genre was a novella about sex trafficking, and since then I've written multiple thrillers about many different types of trafficking, from exotic animals to organ trafficking, child and labour trafficking, and trafficking for ritual abuse.

I'm very focused, so when I'm working on a first draft I get up about 6ish and then do some yoga and meditation before I start writing. I aim for 3000-5000 words per day. The first draft will usually take 3-4 weeks.

As for plotting, I'm a total pantster! I know the underlying theme of a novel when I start writing, and most of my thrillers involve a lot of research that I have to condense into something readable, but I have no idea what's going to happen until I start writing. I let my characters lead the way.

I like to write what I call true fiction. A lot of the novels I've written in the last ten years are inspired by real life events. I'm very passionate about animal and human rights and want to give a voice to darker subjects to raise awareness, particularly in tackling corruption, conspiracy, and women's issues.

'Virus Mania' by  Torsten Engelbrecht and Köhnlein Claus.

My hubby is my chief beta reader, which is great because he's not a reader so he'll point out a lot of things that I'm too close to see. If I'm indie publishing a book I'll send it out to a few more beta readers to get their helpful feedback. Then they all go to be professionally edited and proofread.

Absolutely. And although I can't use a cover design program, I'll always have a clear idea in my head of how I want the cover to look so I can give as much visual instruction to the designer as possible.

I always get an idea in my head that fits a name to a personality type of the character I want. It's also a bonus to have the names of main characters as short as possible so it's less typing!

I do masses of research that sometimes spans years because I'm writing about real life events that I want to make as authentic as possible. I collate information from a huge range of sources from alternative news/mainstream media/investigative journalism/books/government agencies and reports/victims' accounts/documentaries.

'Go Ask Alice' by Anonymous. I read it when I was about ten and it really stuck with me.

The hardest? Collating and condensing the amount of research into something that weaves into the story seamlessly.

The easiest? My books are very character driven, and I love getting inside my characters' heads. One of the things I find easy is expressing the psychology of their thoughts, actions, emotions, and personality. I think being an author is a lot like being an actor, but you have to wear all the characters' skins, not just one.

You can find out moe about Sibel and her novels via her website, www.sibelhodge.com/

Some of you already know that I've struggled to find my writing mojo in 2020. All was well until February, when I suddenly found I couldn't summon up the desire to write. The coronavirus restrictions hadn't yet come into force, so that wasn't the reason. Instead I believe I was experiencing a minor case of burnout.

I'm quite a driven individual and over the last two decades I've pushed myself hard in various ways. They include extensive travel (always a joy), moving three hundred miles away, leaving my accountancy career, operating a dog walking business before becoming a full-time novelist, achieving other important goals, etc. It's all been great fun and I have no regrets. But inside me, things were changing.

I began to experience a strong urge to slow my life down. The thought of waking up to my alarm clock didn't appeal (did it ever?) I yearned to do more than just write. I wanted to spend time with friends, make new ones, exercise more, improve my Spanish, etc. The pressure authors experience to pump out books filled me with dread. I wanted to write for love, not because I was on a production schedule. To my horror, I realised I no longer wanted to write. Anything. At all. I'd published seven novels as well as a novella and a non-fiction book. Perhaps I'd taken my writing as far as it was meant to go?

This wasn't a case of writer's block. I didn't sit in front of a blank screen, desperate to conjure up words. Instead I avoided writing all together, despite having completed a good chunk of my eighth novel. I told myself my writing mojo would soon bounce back. It didn't.

Unsure how to proceed, I turned to my author friends for help. To my surprise, they'd either gone through, or were currently experiencing, the same dilemma. Here are some of their comments:

I'm having the same doubts as to whether to continue writing, whether its worth the backlash and all the intense hard work.

I too want to try to take my writing to the next level, but am plagued by doubts.

I had an email from an author friend saying exactly the same thing, and that he was on the verge of quitting.

Phew! At least I knew I wasn't alone in this. I was also lucky enough to have a wonderful accountability partner. We check in with each other about our writing goals each Sunday via Skype and midweek via email. During this difficult time he was a huge source of support and encouragement, even when weeks turned into months and I still hadn't written anything.

I'm pleased to report that, while I'm by no means out of the writing doldrums, things have improved significantly. What's changed? Two things. First, I asked myself whether, given that I'd dreamed of being a novelist for decades, it was likely I'd lost my writing mojo forever. Was this just a blip instead? The answers came back: no, and probably. Second, my writing buddy suggested I write a few words on my novel and see where it took me. I agreed, and committed to doing 1,000 new words the following week. And I did. The next week I managed 5,000 and the one after that, 6000. It's a way off the 2,000+ words I used to write daily before my 'blip', but I'm not worried. I'm writing again, and so far I've added over 24,000 new words to my eighth novel. At times I've even felt flashes of my old drive and energy, which is wonderful.

My aim is to complete the novel and get it to my editor/beta readers by Christmas. I'll keep you posted! Thanks for reading.

This is the first book by B P Walter that I've read, and I'm looking forward to more. A gripping psychological thriller, it weaves the stories of Julianne and Holly into a roller-coaster read that hooked me from the start. Here's a taster:

2019: Julianne is preparing a family dinner when her son comes to her and says he’s found something on his iPad. Something so terrible, it will turn Julianne’s world into a nightmare and make her question everything about her marriage and what type of man her husband is or is pretending to be.

1990: Holly is a fresher student at Oxford University. Out of her depth and nervous about her surroundings, she falls into an uneasy friendship with a group of older students from the upper echelons of society and begins to develop feelings for one in particular. He’s confident, quiet, attractive and seems to like her too. But as the year progresses, her friends’ behaviour grows steadily more disconcerting and Holly begins to realise she might just be a disposable pawn in a very sinister game.

A devastating secret has simmered beneath the surface for over twenty-five years. Now it’s time to discover the truth. But what if you’re afraid of what you might find?

First, let's deal with the characters. None of them are particularly likable, in my opinion.  Julianne has a tendency to bury her head in the proverbial sand when it comes to her husband. James, Ernest, Peter and Ally are self-absorbed and cruel. Holly is unbelievably naive and at times an inverted snob.

None of this matters; I'm not the kind of reader who needs to like characters in a novel, but they do need to interest me. And they did. When would the scales fall from Julianne's eyes? Why can't Holly see how warped her friends are? Is James really that easily led by Ernest?

Other downsides to the characters? I wish the author had developed Diane, Julianne's mother, more.  B P Walter does a great job of portraying this narcissistic woman and how she undermines her daughter, so i assumed this was part of a character arc/subplot that would develop as the novel progressed. I was wrong - Diane doesn't appear again. A shame, as her acerbic brand of commentary used as the novel reaches its climax would have, in my opinion, added to the tension. As it stands, she appears to contribute nothing to the plot.

As for Holly, she vacillates between uptight virginity and sexual abandon in a way that fails to convince.  One moment she's a prudish bookworm, the next she's spying on her friends' sex lives. That scene where she hides in a wardrobe? Really?

I also rolled my eyes at the way the wealthy characters are portrayed as selfish and uncaring individuals who use their social status to procure their twisted desires with no regard for others. It's stereotypical thinking - 'All rich people are bastards!' - and says more, in my view, about the holders of such opinions than wealthy people themselves.

Let's move on and examine the plot. Some parts are hard to believe - would James really have saved those documents in the family Dropbox account, even by accident? However tired he might be, its hard to imagine him making such a catastrophic error. Also, the way his character arc ends is weak and far too convenient, letting him off the hook for his crimes.

The ending almost calls for a sequel and doesn't answer the question of whether the other members of James's cabbal get their comeuppance. From what we're told, it could go either way, but we never get to find out. The reader is left hanging, which makes for a less than satisfactory finale.

You might be thinking that I disliked this novel. I didn't. 'A Version of the Truth' drew me in from the first chapter. It's soon obvious that Julianne's husband harbours a dark side; the mystery lies in the fine details and how James manages to conceal his depravities for so long. I enjoyed the way the stories of Julianne and Holly are interwoven along with the different timelines - that worked well. A warning - this book is not for the faint of heart. It examines rape, people-trafficking, abuses of power, dysfunctional families and class envy. Some readers may find the sexual scenes uncomfortable reading. The novel is dark, twisty and intriguing, despite its flaws. You can check it out via this link: A Version of the Truth.

Did you like it, love it, hate it, find it a bit 'meh'? Leave a comment and let me know!