say, in the way I want to say it.
Q&A ON WRITING
What do you love most about being a writer?
Being at home all day with my imagination. When I’m in the middle of a story and I’m happy with how it’s going, I feel like I’m walking around with a brilliant secret.
Where do you go for inspiration?
My friends. Otherwise I go for a walk, or have a bath. The best ideas come to me when I’m in the bath.
What one piece of advice would you give to a writer wanting to start a career?
Work hard. Lots of people start novels but few finish them. If you can persevere and complete a first draft, you’ll have something to show and edit—this is the first step. Stop talking about it and do it!
And what’s the best piece of advice given to you?
If at first you don’t succeed, try again.
Which book do you wish you had written?
Sacred Country by Rose Tremain.
How did you feel when your first book was signed?
As though finishing my book wasn’t the end; it was the beginning. It’s a really wonderful, exciting, happy feeling, just like people describe.
Where do your characters come from and do they ever surprise you as you write?
They come from all over—I get ideas about characters from people I see in the street, friends, someone on TV. But mostly the feeling is that they’re already in my head; in a primitive form, maybe, but definitely there—and they’re waiting for the right story.
Do you have a favourite character that you’ve created and what is it you like about that character?
My favourite in Hollywood Sinners is Cole Steel. He started off as outright horrible, but he didn’t work that way: he’s complicated, which I think is important for baddies.
What comes first, the characters or the story?
The characters. If I get them right they’ll tell me what the story is.
What kind of research goes into the writing process?
It depends what sort of book you’re writing: I was lucky in that the bulk of my research came from reading celebrity magazines! I’ve visited LA and Vegas—so I had a feel for what they were like, but much of the detail needed fleshing out. A friend gave me pointers on the workings of the film industry: it’s always better to find someone who can talk to you face to face—you get so much more out of it than poring over books and the internet.
Reading novels is underestimated as research, too. Books in the genre can tell you what’s out there and what’s working; books in other genres are just as useful for seeing how authors organise their stories and develop plot.
A WRITER’S LIFE
Paper and pen or straight on to computer?
Straight on to computer. I love writing on paper but my hand can’t keep up, and even if it could I’m not sure how legible the end result would be. Plus all the cutting and pasting I do means I’d end up with a complete mess!
PC or laptop?
Laptop—the one I use is really small and light so I can take it around with me.
Music or silence?
It depends. Silence if I’m trying to figure out a problem; music if I’m in a scene and the characters are doing a lot of the work.
Morning or night?
Morning, generally—my brain always goes to sleep after lunch. I’ll get a second wind in the evening, especially if I open a bottle of wine.
Coffee or tea?
I drink a lot of herbal tea, chamomile and mint and things like that.
Your guilty reading pleasure?
Too much time is spent reading celebrity magazines—but it’s research so I can get away with it. Guilty pleasures would have to be things like Chat and Take a Break: I find them fascinating.
The first book you loved?
The Jungle of Peril by Patrick Burston and Alastair Graham—it’s like a maze in a book and each choice you make leads you down a different path. I used to insist on reading it every night for about three years. When I was a bit older I loved The Worst Witch books by Jill Murphy, Judy Blume’s Deenie and the Sweet Valley High series.
The last book you read?
Shopoholic and Baby by Sophie Kinsella.
A day in the life
I get up really early—I’m most alert in the mornings so I try to make the most of this. The first thing is to organise a cup of tea, then I’m straight in front of my laptop before I get sidetracked by other things. I’ll do a couple of hours before having breakfast, then