My new novel, The Pact, is a thriller that every reader can relate to. It’s got a fiery office love triangle, an out of hand office party and a prank with disastrous consequences. While the story is firmly fiction, an author always leaves the slightest trace of themselves. Here are 7 things about me that led me to writing this novel, and to being published.
The Pact
Writing The Pact made me realise what a big issue office bullying is
I felt drawn to writing a story that truly captured the stress of being bullied in the workplace. However, I was unprepared for the response when I appealed on social media for stories about office bullying. My inbox was flooded with stories about women who left their jobs, became ill and suffered severe emotional distress, often at the hands of subtle, incremental office bullying. The women who wrote to me were highly skilled, talented and often held powerful roles yet this didn’t impact their treatment in the workplace or the impact of persistent bullying.
I am South African
I have always been passionate about writing and began my career as a short story writer in South Africa. While I love my local literary scene, I always nurtured the dream of being published internationally and reaching readers across the world. After years of trying and failing, my dream finally came true when my first novel, Shame on You, was published by Bonnier Zaffre in 2017.
I consulted an investigative journalist from the Oscar Pistorius case when creating my journalist character
When writing Isla, the journalist who investigates the murder in the Pact, I realised I needed deeper insight into how an investigative journalist goes about deciphering a difficult case. I liaised with a prominent South African investigative journalist who worked closely on the Reeva Steencamp and Oscar Pistorius case. Interviewing him was fascinating, as he talked me through how he mined public information in order to uncover fresh insights in the story. Some of these techniques made it into Isla’s investigation.
My day job is in tech
I write for a global tech consultancy and have worked with several bright-eyed tech startups. There is a common culture in these places, a certain reverence for technology and young, innovative company founders. I really wanted to capture that feeling in The Pact, and describe what happens when it all turns sour.
I started writing thrillers by chance
In 2011, I wrote a short story about an assault that happened to me. I blurred the lines between fiction and reality, but the core of my experience and the emotions around it was there. I found the experience cathartic, and realised how the crime and thriller genre is able to convey complex social truths, all wrapped up in a gripping story.
I wrote two novels before I got my first book deal
I wrote my first novel in 2010, a funny, scandalous take on my dating escapades in my twenties. It got very far in the publishing process before being rejected which, in hindsight, is probably a good thing! The next was written in about 2012, and was my first full length thriller. I got interest from agents in the UK for that one, but ultimately, it wasn’t meant to be. Getting published is often a long road, and I learned to be grateful for every positive development along the way.
The Pact was written while juggling life with a newborn
I wrote The Pact during the first nine months of my son’s life. I would leave him with our nanny, go to a café around the corner and write in two-hour stints, rushing back to feed him soon after! With chronic lack of sleep and all the vulnerability one feels on becoming a new mother, this process was often grueling, but I feel like it created a thriller that taps into real emotional tension.
The Pact by Amy Heydenrych. Published by Zaffre, paperback, eBook and audio £7.99