Ask the Author: Susan Allott
Answered Questions (5)
Susan Allott
So far I haven't had a big problem with this. I don't write chronologically, so if there's a scene I feel like writing from the end of the book, or the middle, then I just write it. It makes me feel like I'm in the middle of it all, which is better for me, as a completer-finisher who likes getting things done and who hates the start of a project. Once I've got those key scenes written, I go back and write the ones that lead up to them. Then I go back and smooth it all over. The first chapter of The Silence was one of the last chapters I wrote.
If I ever get stuck, I usually go and hang out some laundry or empty the dishwasher. I often find the solution once I've stepped away from the desk.
If I ever get stuck, I usually go and hang out some laundry or empty the dishwasher. I often find the solution once I've stepped away from the desk.
Susan Allott
I had the germ of an idea for the book I'm currently working on (the one which will hopefully be published after The Silence) when my house was being renovated a few years ago. I live in London in a house which is about a hundred years old and was built at a time when people lived differently. It's a very common thing to extend and open up old houses to suit the way we live now. It made me think about the other people who had lived in the house and the history that might be cracked open when a team of builders come in and disturb things. I won't say more here but let's just say it got me thinking!
Susan Allott
Writing begets writing. The more you write, the more ideas you have. I find that at the beginning of a new novel, everything becomes fascinating. I notice everything and want to put it all in the book. I have to force myself to narrow it down so the book doesn't get too cluttered with all the thoughts in my head. If I'm ever lacking inspiration I go for a walk, or sometimes to a gallery. Often inspiration comes unexpectedly when I'm sitting on a bus or a train. Something will catch my eye and I'll write it down. You become a magpie when you write, picking up nuggets of observations wherever you go.
Susan Allott
My advice would be to write your first draft without letting yourself believe that anyone else will ever read it. Write the book you would love to read and write it for yourself. Write every day, even if some days you can only manage ten minutes. Don't let it get cold. Don't worry if it doesn't resemble the brilliant thing you hold in your head. You will get better with practice. Keep going.
Susan Allott
My second book will be set in London, in the area where I live. It's a spooky mystery this time, but like The Silence it's really about people and families and the things we keep from each other. And it's about realising you have been lied to for a very long time.
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