Even though I’ve written four novels now, there are some things which don’t get easier with each book. Here are seven things I have to re-learn every time I write a book:
Rosie Walker
1) Kill your darlings: It’s hard every time! But ultimately, if a scene or character or even a whole narrative thread isn’t pushing your plot forward or providing your readers with the most interesting possible story, you might have to hold your breath and press the ‘delete’ key. (Or, in my case, cut and paste the text into another document in case I need it later*).
* I rarely re-use cut text but it makes me feel better about killing those darlings!
2) Plotting vs pantsing: As much as I love the image of the writer shown in films where they sit down at a computer and just hammer their novel straight onto the page perfectly formed, that’s just not me. I’m a plotter, and my method of choice is spreadsheets: a row per chapter and columns for tracking timelines, characters, settings and twists. Deep down, I just know that if I wrote-by-the-seat-of-my-pants (aka pantsing) I would get stuck and never reach ‘The End’.
3) Editing is hard: No matter how meticulous and detailed my novel plan, there are always extensive rewrites after the first draft. Things get cut, moved and refined, and facing that initially always makes me feel a little like I failed. But the truth is that everyone’s first drafts need edits, even bestselling authors on their 15th or 20th book.
4) It’s a rollercoaster: “This is the worst book I’ve written,” I say to my husband over dinner. He just smirks and shakes his head, saying “You say that every time.” And then, sure enough, a couple of weeks later I come out of the other side and think “Maybe this book is OK after all.” (And then a couple of weeks later we’re back to “it’s the worst” again).
5) It’s a team effort: Although my name is on the cover of the books I write, there’s a huge team of amazing professionals behind every published book, from my literary agent, editor and the editorial team, through to the cover designer, audiobook team, marketing, publicity, operations team, data analysts and rights! I used to skip reading the acknowledgements when I finished reading a novel, but now I read them with as much interest as the story itself – it’s fascinating to see all the people whose expertise goes into the production of a finished novel.
6) Research is important: I would love to sit down and pluck a book straight out of my head without having to consult anyone else, but unfortunately, every story seems to need the expertise of others to make it really shine. Every time I write a new book I find myself contacting a new series of experts to get their insight so the story feels realistic: social workers, police officers, fire fighters, poison experts, stable hands, doctors… the list goes on! It can feel quite daunting to ask for help, but I’ve been pleasantly surprised by how enthusiastic and helpful people can be, especially when they hear their knowledge is going to appear in a novel.
7) Character names are tricky: When I’m plotting a book, I take short cuts to avoid making decisions about names. But you can only get so far with a main character named “Protag” before you have to make a decision! Now, I try to avoid names that rhyme with other character names or start with the same letter, and also try to vary the lengths of those names so readers don’t get confused. My favourite thing to do is ask my friends and family if they’d like to choose or lend their name (or give me the name of someone they don’t like for the villain!).
About Rosie Walker
Rosie Walker writes psychological thrillers about mysteries, secrets, lies, and strange people. Rosie was born in North Yorkshire and has lived in Lincolnshire, Lancashire, Birmingham, Ohio and Texas, and has yet to live in a house with a secret passageway, hidden basement or a long-forgotten sealed-up room, but still holds out hope. She now lives in Edinburgh with her husband Kevin, their daughter Elsie and their Cypriot rescue dog, Bella. She has a Masters in Creative Writing and a degree in Psychology.
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The Book 'My Husbands Ex' publishes on 3rd May 2024
Description:
‘Hello, stranger,’ says the beautiful woman on the doorstep. Pushing past me, she throws herself into my husband’s arms while I stand frozen in shock. I’ve never seen this woman before in my life… but how does she know the man I married?
The colour drains from my husband’s face as she releases him. When Ted says her name – Alice – my blood runs cold. Because I’ve heard her name before. Alice is the woman who broke my kind husband’s heart. Ted told me she vanished from his life after their breakup, but has he been lying this whole time?
I stare at him in disbelief, but he swears he never invited her. Can I believe him? Whatever actually happened, I want her out of my house… but as thunder cracks and the sky turns dark, a huge storm sets in. We’re stuck here: is this my chance to discover the truth?
While everyone is distracted with my two young children in the next room, I search through her coat pockets. I thought she’d come to try and steal Ted back… but the sharp silver knife I find hidden away changes everything. Looking at the blade, I’m more scared than I’ve ever been in my life – why does Alice want to hurt us? How can I keep my beloved daughters safe
My heart beats out of my chest, but I have to stay calm. Because I know something Alice doesn’t. She has no idea who she’s dealing with, who I really am. After all this time, I won’t let her take what’s mine…
This unbelievably gripping psychological thriller will keep you speeding through the pages, with your heart racing, until you reach the final jaw-dropping twist. If you absolutely loved Gone Girl, The Housemaid or The Perfect Marriage, you will be utterly hooked!
Rosie’s next book, My Husbands Ex, is out on May 3rd from Bookouture