Q&A with A J Waines discussion

It's a pleasure to connect with you here on Goodreads. I look forward to receiving your questions about my books or writing in general at any time during January. I'll be available online to answer them on January 31st, 2014. No spoilers please, except in the spoiler-friendly thread!

Cheers
A J

Hello A.J.

I'm interested to know if any elements of the plot have anything to do with your own work as a Psychotherapist?

Thank you
Matthew (I know this is early, but I wanted to be head of the queue when you start responding on 31st!)

Yeah! I am excited and thanks for the invite. l can tell from reading your books (have started the 2nd) that you use your skills as a psychologist. My question is, have you ever been totally at a loss for words/direction in the middle of a project? If so, what do you do?

I would like to say that your education and work as a psychologist has added a very 'real' touch to your writing which for me makes your books come alive. Please hurry with your next story!

Thanks, Carol - great question - I'll have time to think about it before the 31st!

Best
Alison

Hello Alison,

first, thanks a lot for the opportunity to discuss your book with you. It was really a great read and it's awesome to be able to dig into things a bit more with you.

I visited your website, and in the behind the scenes part, there is this photo collage on the left that really drew me. I saw you had a photo of the full outfit of the 1st victim, and also some paper sheets with some sort of plan and schema. So I was wondering how you went about it : did you have a complete plot planned out before you started writing and then checked lines and boxes as you went along ? or did you build and modify the plan along the way ?

thanks !
ML.

Marie-Laure wrote: "Hello Alison,

first, thanks a lot for the opportunity to discuss your book with you. It was really a great read and it's awesome to be able to dig into things a bit more with you.

I visited your ..."

Thanks, Marie-Laure, for your good question and for checking out my website. I will give it some thought before I post up on 31st January! Feel free to ask more. I'm very glad you liked the book.

Best wishes
Alison

Hello! I'm curious how you balance giving clues without giving it all away too early in the story?

T.B. wrote: "Hello! I'm curious how you balance giving clues without giving it all away too early in the story?"

Thanks, TB - interesting question - I'll give that some thought and post a reply on Friday!

Matthew wrote: "Hello A.J.

I'm interested to know if any elements of the plot have anything to do with your own work as a Psychotherapist?

Thank you
Matthew (I know this is early, but I wanted to be head of the ..."

Hi Matthew
The short answer is Yes, although the story itself doesn’t come from any consultations I’ve actually had. My experience as a therapist does underpin the novel – I share some similarities with Juliet in that I used to see clients at home, although there were other people around at the time. Some of the characteristics of the clients in the story stem from people I’ve worked with over the years. No one would recognise themselves, though – too many details have been changed – as they should be. I have to be careful about what I write about - I have a responsibility to maintain confidentiality!

Bset wishes
Alison

Carol wrote: "Yeah! I am excited and thanks for the invite. l can tell from reading your books (have started the 2nd) that you use your skills as a psychologist. My question is, have you ever been totally at ..."

Hi Carol

Thank you for your kind comments about the book; I’m very pleased you like the psychotherapy content. I DO have more books in the wings – I’m just liaising with my agent to work out the best way forward for them.

To answer your question – on the bigger scale, I usually map out where the entire story is going first, so that I don’t have that horrible situation where suddenly none of the loose ends will tie up! I like to have several different story threads going on at once, so I can’t afford to come adrift.

On the smaller scale, I’m often in a situation where I can’t find exactly the right word in a sentence, so I just put X, and then go back and fill it in later. Generally, I’m very lucky in that I don’t seem to suffer from writers’ block. I also like problem-solving, so when I come across a section in my plot where I think ‘Oh, no – that isn’t going to work…’ I quite like the challenge of having to wriggle out of it somehow.

Best wishes
Alison

Marie-Laure wrote: "Hello Alison,

first, thanks a lot for the opportunity to discuss your book with you. It was really a great read and it's awesome to be able to dig into things a bit more with you.

I visited your ..."

Thanks, Marie-Laure, for your question and for your interest in my writing!

In my very first (unpublished) novel, I had no plot or plan at all and just started writing. That story got me an Agent, but it didn’t go on to sell, because it didn’t really hang together!

Now, I tend to have a method of writing that seems to work for me, as follows: I usually begin with a single hook or concept (with The Evil Beneath, it was the visual image of a woman’s corpse in the Thames and then the sudden shock when I looked carefully and saw she was wearing my own clothes). That was all I had at the start, but I was really excited by that idea.

I tend to think of the structure in three acts and get down a general outline for the whole thing with high points marked in towards the end, then I do outline various key scenes. I do profiles of my main characters and a list of any research I need to do (although this mostly crops up during the writing itself). I like to have a title early on and even a mini ‘jacket blurb’ (even if both these change later on) – as a focus for the real essence of the story.

Best wishes
Alison

T.B. wrote: "Hello! I'm curious how you balance giving clues without giving it all away too early in the story?"

Hi TB

I think it’s all a matter of judgement. Personally, I try to reveal enough to keep the reader’s interest, but not so much that I give too much away. I also try to keep things ambiguous, if possible. I often find I alter the order of events/scenes to give the most dramatic outcome. The order of reveals is key.

It’s useful to keep going back inside the story to try to see it from the reader's point of view – that’s quite hard when you know what’s coming as the writer! After the first draft, I always go back through the story several times with a specific view to looking at it afresh and asking ‘what does the reader know by this point?’ ‘What is still unresolved?’ ‘what sort of questions would the reader be asking?’ This is very helpful in checking the clues and reveals.

Cheers
Alison

A.J. wrote: "T.B. wrote: "Hello! I'm curious how you balance giving clues without giving it all away too early in the story?"

Hi TB

I think it’s all a matter of judgement. Personally, I try to reveal enough t..."

Do you use beta readers to help you decide if there's too much or too little?

I can only imagine it's hard to go into the story and see it from a reader's perspective since you know it all.

Did you know how you wanted it to end right from the start?

T.B. wrote: "A.J. wrote: "T.B. wrote: "Hello! I'm curious how you balance giving clues without giving it all away too early in the story?"

Hi TB

I think it’s all a matter of judgement. Personally, I try to re..."

Hi TB

Thanks for your question. I do have a reader, who checks for continuity mostly and he lets me know if he thinks the clues give too much away etc. Yes, it is hard as the writer to get distance, but I usually find if I leave a story for a while and then come back to it I can recreate some level of freshness when reading. My agent will always point out lots of changes too.

No - I didn't know how it would end up at the start. I literally had one idea - the image of the body in the water wearing the protagonsist's own clothes. Once I had the sub-plot, I knew the killer also had to be linked in with that - and then who-did-it came quite quickly.

A.J. wrote: "T.B. wrote: "A.J. wrote: "T.B. wrote: "Hello! I'm curious how you balance giving clues without giving it all away too early in the story?"

Hi TB

I think it’s all a matter of judgement. Personally..."

I find it's helpful to set aside a story for a bit as well and take a break. But I hadn't thought of that for this purpose, however I haven't written a thriller. Makes total sense.

I find it fascinating how one idea, the image of the body, can lead to a whole book with so many twists and turns. That's why I love being a writer and a reader. Endless possibilities.

I forget, was this your first book?

T.B. wrote: "A.J. wrote: "T.B. wrote: "A.J. wrote: "T.B. wrote: "Hello! I'm curious how you balance giving clues without giving it all away too early in the story?"

Hi TB

I think it’s all a matter of judgemen..."

Hi TB
Yes - I agree! Endless possibilities. I can't remember who said it, but some great advice is to find five options at each plot-point in the story and take the 6th!

I think with any genre of book you're writing it's worth reading it through and asking yourself after each chapter - 'what does the reader want to know now?' 'What threads are up in the air?' 'What will make the reader want to read on?' etc. It works for romance, thriller, family dramas - anything.

My very first book came before this one. I'd read Stephen King's book 'On Writing' and he said start with an incident and get the story down. I thought that was great advice and never having written any fiction before, I started a short story. Only - when I got to 2,500 words, I couldn't stop. I had no plot planned at all and literally made it up as I went along. It was good enough to get me an Agent, but it didn't sell and I can see why, really - it didn't hang together properly! I don't risk that again - I usually have a reasonably clear idea of where the story is going before I get started.

I read On Writing as well and have followed most of his advice, but not all. Each writer is different and has to figure out his or her comfort level. I have a general idea of where my stories are going, but I have been known to change it if the story or characters demand it.

T.B. wrote: "I read On Writing as well and have followed most of his advice, but not all. Each writer is different and has to figure out his or her comfort level. I have a general idea of where my stories are g..."

I agree - absolutely - you can't possibly plan everything and it would be very dull if you set everything in stone, beforehand. I love it when characters pull the story I'm working on in another direction! Sounds like you do, too. Then it feels alive, don't you think?

David wrote: "Hi AJ,

Great little read by the way (The Evil Beneath) my question is not so much the psychological but the idea.

The tying in with the bridges on the Thames was a good idea but where do you get ..."

Thanks, David

The starting point was simply the idea of a woman's body lying in the Thames. I was walking in Mayfair with my sister at the time - nowhere near the water - when it did literally pop into my head. Like a lot of writers, I see images in a clear visual way and I knew she was underneath Hammersmith Bridge. Because I love London and the areas south of the river, in particular, I knew I wanted to set the story there. The idea of different bodies under different bridges was the next idea and it went on from there.

David wrote: "I forgot to say, thanks very much for agreeing to do a Q&A with your book. It is nice to get to speak to authors on their material and I know it is great for groups like ours to get opportunities l..."

(By the way, thanks again to you, David, for setting up the book as the value read for January.)

That's a nice question!
Girl on a Train is set in London (with a few scenes in Portsmouth). I have written 3 further books (I'm waiting for my Agent to see how we proceed), but they take place in different London settings(one is the Underground, one Regent's Canal and the other is partly set in the Lake District, for a change). I used to live in London and sadly had to move, so writing about it is a nostaglic process for me. I love the idea of snow, though - so I've got sketches of a future book set entirely in the Highlands of Scotland!

How important is 'setting' and 'location' to you as a reader? Is London too well-known, do you think? I've been thinking about this recently, as I'm going through a Nordic Noir stage.

David wrote: "A.J. wrote: "How important is 'setting' and 'location' to you as a reader? Is London too well-known, do you think? I've been thinking about this recently, as I'm going through a Nordic Noir stage. ..."

Yes - the other three are Psychological Thriller/mysteries. Incidentally, regarding location - my books were taken up by publishers in France and Germany (and not UK)where maybe a London novel has more pull to it?

It's possible that London being better known abroad it might help with your books getting more exposure in foreign countries .... would you rather read a mystery taking place in Paris or in Marseille ?
I for one love the highlands .... so this future book of yours sounds very interesting :)

Another question from me too :)
Do you believe in mediums and such, like Cheryl in the book ?

Marie-Laure wrote: "It's possible that London being better known abroad it might help with your books getting more exposure in foreign countries .... would you rather read a mystery taking place in Paris or in Marseil..."

Thanks, Marie-Laure
I think I'd probably prefer Paris, just because I know it a little and it's always nice to come across familiar spots in a book. Any reason why you mention Marseille?

Nope ... no specific reason ... I might as well have said Bordeaux, or Lyon, I was just aiming at another large French city :)
I'm from further east than Marseille actually

David wrote: "A total different question

Who are your favourite authors (fiction) not your psychology books and how much time do you get to read if your writing a lot?"

My favourite authors at this moment are Nicci French and new authors, such as Penny Hancock and Samantha Hayes - both the last two have written cracking psyche thrillers, which are my favourites. I also like US writers, such as Kathy Reichs, although at times books by the same author inevitably can get a bit formulaic.

I read every day and try to do focused, analytical reading when I can - by taking a writer I admire and working out how do they do twists, endings, openings, setting etc - because I feel there is so much to learn.

Marie-Laure wrote: "Another question from me too :)
Do you believe in mediums and such, like Cheryl in the book ?"

Interesting... I so think there is such a lot about the Universe we don't know and understand - and energies we can't see. I think some people are probably tuned into those energies more than others - but it's a very slippery area, because of charlatans. When I used to live in London, I used to visit the 'College of Psychic Studies' from time to time for talks and I've met a number of people just like Cheryl!

David wrote: "What about the police in the book's, do you just have a general idea of how you want them to be or do you have police contacts or know someone you base it on?"

I never really set out to write a 'police prodecural' with 'The Evil Beneath'(most of my other books don't have much police material)- and I'm afraid I know nothing about the police and just have to scrabble around on the net for research!

I'll be back after lunch (at 2.15pm!)

Do you ever feel that although a book is finished you're not done with one of the characters ? like you'd still like to bring them somewhere else ?

David wrote: "Do you base your lead characters on someone you know?

Also I notice that in both The Evil Beneath and Girl on A Train both are female, was that a conscious decision to have women as the main char..."

Great questions!

Yes - I did want the lead characters to be women - I suppose I'm more in touch with a female psyche, especially as I like the 1st person. Plus, I liked the idea of a woman taking things on. The characters aren't based on anyone I know - they have aspects of me (especially the psychotherapy aspects), but my leads are generally more extrovert, feisty and risk-taking than I'd ever be. Maybe they're more who I'd like to be? Not sure...

I like your Hitchcock idea - Maybe that's something for the future.

Marie-Laure wrote: "Do you ever feel that although a book is finished you're not done with one of the characters ? like you'd still like to bring them somewhere else ?"

Yes - my next 3 books (yet to emerge) are a series, based on a female Clinical Psychologist. She becomes a series character and her sister, who has schizophrenia, does too. They become a kind of 'series relationship' as the dynamic between them and lots of family stuff takes place, alongside the mysteries/murders.

Do you prefer series or stand-alones?

Actually, I like both.
I was just wondering what drew an author to go for a stand alone or a series...
And I often feel like an orphan when I'm done reading a book, leaving all these people and places behind. So I thought it might be the same when you're done writing.

Marie-Laure wrote: "Actually, I like both.
I was just wondering what drew an author to go for a stand alone or a series...
And I often feel like an orphan when I'm done reading a book, leaving all these people and pl..."

It's nice to have the choice to go and find them again - which I may do with either Juliet or Anna, sometime!

Aha ... you have the power :)

David wrote: "If you have 3 in the pipeline and 2 out already that is quite a few in a short time.
Do you ever dry up, get writers block, or once you start does it just seem to flow?"

I've been very lucky that I don't seem to suffer from writers block (I'm just writing a blog post about it for the Crime Writers Association, as it happens!). But, as a psychotherapist, I've worked with plenty of creative people who have suffered writers block. I think the key is to be really excited about the story you want to write. On the few occasions when I've got a bit stuck, it's usually because there's something wrong with the plot or it's not compelling enough. I usually just get the story down and the writing itself can sometimes take as little as 9 weeks for a first draft, once I've got the outline worked out. After that there's lots of revisions, re-writes and notes from my agent to work on. That goes back and forth and takes longer than the original text.

what made you want to write in the 1st place ? as opposed to your psychotherapist career.

Marie-Laure wrote: "what made you want to write in the 1st place ? as opposed to your psychotherapist career."

Nice one, Marie-Laure!
Just like the last point about writers' block, I think it's important (for me, anyway) to be really passionate about what I do for a living. I know that's hard for a lot of people, because they don't have the choices others have - but I want to make the best of what I've got (I'm really grateful for the opportunity).I'd been a psychotherapist for over 15 years and was feeling the drain of burn out. I was looking for a new place to put my energy and I thought I'd give writing a try - I'd always loved psyche thrillers and I had a lot of fodder with my expeience with real people. Once I got started I loved it. An old school friend reminded me recently (I'd completely forgotten) that I used to write long stories when we were at school. So, it was always there waiting in the wings. I love words and imagery and they have played a big part in helping people in therapy.

Hi Alison, firstly I'd like to say thank you for the opportunity to discuss your books! I recently read The Evil Beneath and thought it was brilliant, really loved it! I plan on reading Girl on a train very soon too :)

I would like to ask in The Evil Beneath I love the way the London bridges were linked in with the story and think it would make a really good TV murder mystery. Would you like to have this story adapted for TV or do you have any plans to?

Thanks,

Anna

Anna wrote: "Hi Alison, firstly I'd like to say thank you for the opportunity to discuss your books! I recently read The Evil Beneath and thought it was brilliant, really loved it! I plan on reading Girl on a t..."

Hi there, Anna - glad to have you on board!

I'm really glad you liked the book. I'd love for it to go to TV/film - I think it's a very visual story. My Agent is the one who can make it all happen if a company is interested. Out of my hands, really - although ironically one of my best friends is a film director in Hollywood!

Signing off for today, now. Thanks to everyone who contributed. Any extra questions I'll answer tomorrow (Feb 1st).

Best wishes
Alison

Thanks to everyone for a great Q&A day. I enjoyed it enormously - and thanks for taking the trouble to send in your interesting questions!

very best
Alison (AJ)