Ask the Author: Nicole Fitton
Answered Questions (16)
Nicole Fitton
Oh, no doubt I am a panster! I get so excited sitting down for the first time with a blank sheet of paper. I usually have a protagonist and a general idea but its only when I sit down that I start to flesh it out and see which direction I'll be blown towards. Sometimes it can be wonderful, a bit like discovering treasure in the bottom of your closet. Other times it feels as if I'm driving through fog with no lights! I would not have it any other way though!!
Nicole Fitton
Yes I think I did always want to be a writer Caryn. I don't think I was consciously aware though until my twenties. Writing was always there in the background. I worked in PR and constantly wrote press releases and biographies. I did not have any formal training either so much like yourself there has been a lot of on the job learning! I do think learning on the hoof helps to develop resilience. It can be a great source of frustration but also immense satisfaction.
Nicole Fitton
No not at all. It was just where I was taken by my characters. My first book All Tomorrow's Parties is a contemporary romance with a bit of suspense. Forbidden Colours is my first romantic medical thriller. I think whatever I write will be down to the direction my muse takes me! I hope there will always be a bit of romance though!
Nicole Fitton
Hi Constance,
I write mainly romantic suspense, although the novel I'm now working on is pure romance. My first debut novel 'All Tomorrow's Parties' was heavy on the romance and with twists of suspense. I would say my second novel 'Forbidden Colours' is heavy on the suspense elements and light on romance. Whatever I write it always has a happy ending. I like writing short stories and so far have embraced a ghost story, a historical piece and of course romance!
I write mainly romantic suspense, although the novel I'm now working on is pure romance. My first debut novel 'All Tomorrow's Parties' was heavy on the romance and with twists of suspense. I would say my second novel 'Forbidden Colours' is heavy on the suspense elements and light on romance. Whatever I write it always has a happy ending. I like writing short stories and so far have embraced a ghost story, a historical piece and of course romance!
Nicole Fitton
Hi Judy,
'Forbidden Colours' was the working title for the book as I loved the song. I like to use working titles based on songs I like, but I usually end up changing them... not on this occasion though because the concept of Forbidden Colours ( which I've outlined below) also became part of the story line! When it comes to titles I am a bit like a squirrel. Something will strike me and I 'll think 'oohh that would make a good title for a story'. I write them down and store them up then when I need inspiration I go through them.
'Forbidden Colours' was the working title for the book as I loved the song. I like to use working titles based on songs I like, but I usually end up changing them... not on this occasion though because the concept of Forbidden Colours ( which I've outlined below) also became part of the story line! When it comes to titles I am a bit like a squirrel. Something will strike me and I 'll think 'oohh that would make a good title for a story'. I write them down and store them up then when I need inspiration I go through them.
Nicole Fitton
Thank you Casi, I'm glad you like it. It really was quite amazing how it came together. One of my favourite songs is called 'Forbidden Colours' from the film soundtrack 'Merry Christmas Mr Lawrence'. I was about 3/4 of the way through writing the book and researching a variety of conditions that would tie in with my concept. I came across something called 'Forbidden Colours' or 'Impossible Colours' ( I kid you not) which brought the whole story line together and provided me with the book title. The fact that it is the title of a song I love was the icing on the cake!
Nicole Fitton
Hi Tena,
I used to be a nurse so knowing how a hospital works made for an easy transition to paper.Once I had the whole concept I went and spoke to a few neurologists and floated my ideas. They were very supportive and based on their feedback I tried to make sure the story line although complete fiction could be believable. What is it they say...'everything works in theory'. A lot of the action takes place in a small town in South West France where I vacationed a few years back. I like to use places I have visited, it helps the descriptive side of my writing.
I used to be a nurse so knowing how a hospital works made for an easy transition to paper.Once I had the whole concept I went and spoke to a few neurologists and floated my ideas. They were very supportive and based on their feedback I tried to make sure the story line although complete fiction could be believable. What is it they say...'everything works in theory'. A lot of the action takes place in a small town in South West France where I vacationed a few years back. I like to use places I have visited, it helps the descriptive side of my writing.
Nicole Fitton
I think it's the unknown. When I'm reading a thriller I always try to think about what's going to happen next. The good thing is I never seem to know which is fantastic because that's exactly what I want from a book. I like to be able to say 'well, I didn't see that coming!' So when I write thrillers I try to write what I would want to read, lots of unexpected twists and turns which, when you look back it all makes sense but is still surprising.
Nicole Fitton
Now that's a tough one Elizabeth. I love both the USA and the UK. I have grown up in the UK but I was lucky enough to live in the states for a while. I don't know as I prefer one over the other if I'm honest. I love the history that can be found in the UK, plus the very dry sense of humor we are known for which sometimes doesn't translate. But I also love the sheer overwhelming diversity that can be found in the US. Even though I live here in the UK now the US will always have a piece of me.
Nicole Fitton
Yes it was a very good foundation. Medicine has come such a long way, especially in the last thirty years or so but, there is so much that is still unknown, so much still to discover. As a writer it has allowed me to use what is known but take it one step further into my world of fiction. What a great question. Thanks for asking.
Nicole Fitton
If I am struggling I walk away, take the dog for a walk and try again. Sometimes its better to walk away for a few days and come back with fresh eyes. The dog is very exhausted by this stage! One of the reasons I have a few projects on the go at the same time helps me when the B word comes a calling. By changing my focus from one piece of writing to another it acts as a reset and seems to help.
Nicole Fitton
Creating my worlds, my characters. Seeing my embryonic ideas grow and develop. I do it because I love it not because I have to. I feel very very privileged.
Nicole Fitton
Write because you love it, because you're passionate about it not for any other reason. Always and I mean always carry a notebook and pen. Write everywhere - on the bus,in bed, in a coffee shop it gets you into good habits and I've found that different environments help me formulate different ideas.
Nicole Fitton
I am currently working on my second novel. Its working title is 'Forbidden Colours'. It is very early stages but the bones are almost there. It is a story about a revolutionary new drug that's not all it seems, nuff said! I am also formulating the idea for my third novel which may be a sequel to 'All Tomorrows Parties'. We shall have to see how that pans out. I like to have a few things on the go at the same time, keeps me out of trouble!
Nicole Fitton
Something sparks my imagination and off I go. It can be something quite innocuous such as a train journey or standing in line to pay for something. I ask myself what if and what would happen if quite a lot?
People watching is a wonderful thing. I will look at someone and make up an imaginary life for them.Try it next time you are standing in a line for something, it can be very entertaining!
People watching is a wonderful thing. I will look at someone and make up an imaginary life for them.Try it next time you are standing in a line for something, it can be very entertaining!
Nicole Fitton
The idea had been forming for quite a while before I put pen to paper. I worked for many years in the music industry and this was the inspiration behind the book. The characters are all fictitious, although some of the traits of a few quirky characters may have seeped in! I got to thinking that it would be good to write a book about the 1980's music industry, that's how it started . As I started writing the characters took on a life of their own. What started out as a straight forward novel set in the 1980's became a story of love and loss with a few surprise twists.
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