Ask the Author: Rebecca de Winter
Answered Questions (6)
Rebecca de Winter
To be honest, the only way to write is, unfortunately, to actually write.
There are no shortcuts whatsoever which is quite tough for someone like me who has ZERO patience and gets very bored very easily.
Aside from making yourself sit and write the main things that helped me were:
- doing a CBC online course, but also if this is financially impossible, then reading Take Off Your Pants or Save the cat. I struggle to structure things, so having a frame work for my thoughts helped a lot
- joining the twitter writing community. there are 1000s of us and I definitely wouldn't be here without all of their support, hand holding, advice. I'm on there under @stupidgirl45 so come and find me
- lean into whatever makes you, you. this I think makes it so much easier to find your author voice. I have been told I have a very distinctive way of writing and I'm now proud of that, I might not be like other writers, but I am uniquely me. So be uniquely you!
- don't give up but also define success for you. there will always be something more, something bigger, better sellers, better deals, people with huge advances. learn what you want to get from writing. a book deal is not the be all and end all, you need to enjoy the journey. Having said that, one piece of advice someone wise once told me is that if you give up, you definitely will never get published. So don't give up. EVER
- And finally, when you're writing, especially crime/thrillers/horror, don't pull back from the darkness. It is much easier to dial down something horrific than dial it up. Don't worry about readers, write the story and vision in your head. figure out the rest later.
Hope all that helps!! Don't give up. I never ever thought I'd be here on goodreads or holding my own book. Seriously. So if I can do you, you can too :)
There are no shortcuts whatsoever which is quite tough for someone like me who has ZERO patience and gets very bored very easily.
Aside from making yourself sit and write the main things that helped me were:
- doing a CBC online course, but also if this is financially impossible, then reading Take Off Your Pants or Save the cat. I struggle to structure things, so having a frame work for my thoughts helped a lot
- joining the twitter writing community. there are 1000s of us and I definitely wouldn't be here without all of their support, hand holding, advice. I'm on there under @stupidgirl45 so come and find me
- lean into whatever makes you, you. this I think makes it so much easier to find your author voice. I have been told I have a very distinctive way of writing and I'm now proud of that, I might not be like other writers, but I am uniquely me. So be uniquely you!
- don't give up but also define success for you. there will always be something more, something bigger, better sellers, better deals, people with huge advances. learn what you want to get from writing. a book deal is not the be all and end all, you need to enjoy the journey. Having said that, one piece of advice someone wise once told me is that if you give up, you definitely will never get published. So don't give up. EVER
- And finally, when you're writing, especially crime/thrillers/horror, don't pull back from the darkness. It is much easier to dial down something horrific than dial it up. Don't worry about readers, write the story and vision in your head. figure out the rest later.
Hope all that helps!! Don't give up. I never ever thought I'd be here on goodreads or holding my own book. Seriously. So if I can do you, you can too :)
Rebecca de Winter
Gosh, this is a great question.
I think the best thing is the process itself. I so enjoy writing. Even when it's hard and I'm crying and fed up. There are times when I will write 1000s of words in one sitting (hello ADHD hyperfocus) and I literally lose time.
There's something that you see a lot in sport called being in the zone - and it's when you tap into a part of your brain and hyperfocus and get a massive release of dopamine or oxytocin. When I write, I get the same thing. A natural high!
But also I love the fact that I have a platform to express how I feel about the world. It's up to me what and how I share what I produce, but it is so satisfying to have a way to process the things happening in the world that make me happy or sad - and to be creative in how I communicate that.
Lastly - and this is an absolute privilege and dream, one that I never though would happen - I love it when readers connect with what I've written. It is so humbling to know that my words have connected with and resonated with someone on the other side of the world. That somehow I've seen and validated their feelings, or allowed them to enjoy their free time, through my books. Honestly it is such a complete privilege to know that people have chosen to spend their time reading my work. I am so grateful for that.
I think the best thing is the process itself. I so enjoy writing. Even when it's hard and I'm crying and fed up. There are times when I will write 1000s of words in one sitting (hello ADHD hyperfocus) and I literally lose time.
There's something that you see a lot in sport called being in the zone - and it's when you tap into a part of your brain and hyperfocus and get a massive release of dopamine or oxytocin. When I write, I get the same thing. A natural high!
But also I love the fact that I have a platform to express how I feel about the world. It's up to me what and how I share what I produce, but it is so satisfying to have a way to process the things happening in the world that make me happy or sad - and to be creative in how I communicate that.
Lastly - and this is an absolute privilege and dream, one that I never though would happen - I love it when readers connect with what I've written. It is so humbling to know that my words have connected with and resonated with someone on the other side of the world. That somehow I've seen and validated their feelings, or allowed them to enjoy their free time, through my books. Honestly it is such a complete privilege to know that people have chosen to spend their time reading my work. I am so grateful for that.
Rebecca de Winter
I think it depends how I'm "blocked".
I have ADHD and I am terrible for procrastinating. So sometimes I'm not really blocked, I just don't really want to sit my butt down and write. So I will "bribe" myself with chocolate and coffee and my favourite playlists.
If I'm genuinely blocked or struggling with the next scene or plot point, I often "lean in" to whatever weird angle my brain is obsessing over. One of the things I love about having ADHD is how I will get lots of weird little obsessions - I will have to listen to a particular song, or artist over and over, or I will only want to watch or read very specific programmes and books (current obsession is 70s/80s serial killers)
So if I'm blocked, I kind of trust my brain and my sub conscious and fully immerse myself in whatever it is it wants, I feed the monster inside as it were. And often after sometimes just an hour or a day or whatever, my brain will be satisfied and let me carry on writing or solve my plot issue.
The final thing I do, is go for a walk or just before I go to sleep, I let my brain think about whatever it is I can't write - but with no barriers. My brain will make weird connections between things and suddenly I'll have a solution to whatever it is.
So basically, bribe yourself not to procrastinate, and lean into your weirdness :)
I have ADHD and I am terrible for procrastinating. So sometimes I'm not really blocked, I just don't really want to sit my butt down and write. So I will "bribe" myself with chocolate and coffee and my favourite playlists.
If I'm genuinely blocked or struggling with the next scene or plot point, I often "lean in" to whatever weird angle my brain is obsessing over. One of the things I love about having ADHD is how I will get lots of weird little obsessions - I will have to listen to a particular song, or artist over and over, or I will only want to watch or read very specific programmes and books (current obsession is 70s/80s serial killers)
So if I'm blocked, I kind of trust my brain and my sub conscious and fully immerse myself in whatever it is it wants, I feed the monster inside as it were. And often after sometimes just an hour or a day or whatever, my brain will be satisfied and let me carry on writing or solve my plot issue.
The final thing I do, is go for a walk or just before I go to sleep, I let my brain think about whatever it is I can't write - but with no barriers. My brain will make weird connections between things and suddenly I'll have a solution to whatever it is.
So basically, bribe yourself not to procrastinate, and lean into your weirdness :)
Rebecca de Winter
So I've actually re-written this book, from scratch, 3 times!
And originally it was described as a female Fight Club - which it definitely isn't anymore - so that gives you an idea of how different it was.
I found I was watching a lot of shows or films with psychopaths or very violent people, drug dealers and gangs and so on. And Fight Club and American Psycho have fascinated me for a very long time.
But the whole time I was like, but where is the female american psycho. Where is the female Tyler Durden?
A lot of the books I read, the women were the victims, they were always being hunted, always looking over their shoulder.
And I also knew that sociopathy is a lot more common that people think it is, that chances are you know or have met one.
So I wanted to write a novel where a woman - or women - were the villains, but passing as perfectly normal. I was tired of the stereotype of women being lovely and innocent, or victims, or crazy.
And of course I watched Gone Girl and fell in love with Amy Dunne who is just the most incredible character.
So it was really a combination of all of that plus things that myself and my friends were going through - infertility, pregnancy, motherhood, working and so on. And Best Friends was born!
And originally it was described as a female Fight Club - which it definitely isn't anymore - so that gives you an idea of how different it was.
I found I was watching a lot of shows or films with psychopaths or very violent people, drug dealers and gangs and so on. And Fight Club and American Psycho have fascinated me for a very long time.
But the whole time I was like, but where is the female american psycho. Where is the female Tyler Durden?
A lot of the books I read, the women were the victims, they were always being hunted, always looking over their shoulder.
And I also knew that sociopathy is a lot more common that people think it is, that chances are you know or have met one.
So I wanted to write a novel where a woman - or women - were the villains, but passing as perfectly normal. I was tired of the stereotype of women being lovely and innocent, or victims, or crazy.
And of course I watched Gone Girl and fell in love with Amy Dunne who is just the most incredible character.
So it was really a combination of all of that plus things that myself and my friends were going through - infertility, pregnancy, motherhood, working and so on. And Best Friends was born!
Rebecca de Winter
This is a really good question!
I find it's a mix of things that either I or my friends have experienced, or are in the news - and then my brain sort of goes "well what if this happened..."
But I often have to let ideas "percolate" in my head for a few months before I plot them. I'll often listen to a lot of music or watch specific movies or films that tie to the idea I've got.
I very much believe in leaning into the rabbit holes and weird little obsessions my brain has, because often they flavour the narrative I end up writing. I let myself indulge all those weird 3am wikipedia articles and random youtube videos.
I'd say though, that as I'm synaesthetic, music is hugely inspirational for me and I can't write without it.
I find it's a mix of things that either I or my friends have experienced, or are in the news - and then my brain sort of goes "well what if this happened..."
But I often have to let ideas "percolate" in my head for a few months before I plot them. I'll often listen to a lot of music or watch specific movies or films that tie to the idea I've got.
I very much believe in leaning into the rabbit holes and weird little obsessions my brain has, because often they flavour the narrative I end up writing. I let myself indulge all those weird 3am wikipedia articles and random youtube videos.
I'd say though, that as I'm synaesthetic, music is hugely inspirational for me and I can't write without it.
Rebecca de Winter
I'm currently working on my second novel, also a thriller - but this time about a bored housewife who, when someone reappears from her past, decides to take drastic action to change her life.
It touches on themes of metoo, motherhood, and of course, revenge!
It touches on themes of metoo, motherhood, and of course, revenge!
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