CRIME AUTHORS SPILL THEIR GUTS ABOUT WRITING. Every Thursday top-notch authors of psychological thrillers and crime fiction share their writing secrets – and the secrets to their success – with you and me.
“Don’t be influenced too much by what others are writing or doing and focus on your own writing instead.”
This week: L.J. ROSS
Tell us about yourself…
Hello! I’m Louise, but I write fast-paced murder mysteries under the pen name ‘L J Ross’. I was born in Northumberland, which is where my DCI Ryan series is set, but I lived for over ten years in London where I trained as a barrister and worked in the City before deciding to make the leap and become an author. Nowadays, I live in Bath with my husband and three-year-old son. I’m a fan of anything creative: reading, writing, painting, dancing, music…all of it!
How do you go about plotting your book?
Once an idea or a concept strikes me, I tend to create the bones of a storyline in my head. I make a few loose notes to remind myself of the direction I plan to take, but for the most part I let the writing flow. I’ve found that if I listen to my ‘inner voice’ (which is angry, sweary and Geordie), it tells me when a draft is becoming stagnant. It’s a useful guideline and lets me know when more action or pace is required to hold a reader’s interest (and my interest, while I’m writing it). I do keep more detailed notes on character biographies within my series, to ensure consistency from one book to the next…TO READ THE INTERVIEW IN FULL, CLICK HERE