1. A question from Katy Noyes on the TV Book Club Facebook Group: Where does the writing process begin? 'The big idea'? Chapter one? A character?
I think maybe it's a combination of things. Ideas come and go, but sometimes one will stick and will keep calling the writer back. With Before I Go to Sleep Christine's character came to me when I imagined her looking in a mirror, and I suppose the 'big idea' was to write her story in the first person, but I suspect every book is different.
2. A question from Samantha on channel4.com/tvbookclub: Where and how do you engage in the writing of your work?
I wrote Before I Go to Sleep while working part-time in the NHS, so as well as writing pretty solidly on my 'writing days' I used to grab the odd hour whenever I could at weekends and in the evenings. I'm not a great believer in the rituals around writing - I think it's important to remember that really one can write anywhere and with any instrument - so while a lot of the book was written either at my dining room table or at the library in The Barbican, a huge amount was written on trains, in various hotel rooms and in a not insignificant number of cafes and bars!
3. A question from Mez on channel4.com/tvbookclub: Who or what has influenced your style of writing?
That's such a difficult question to answer! Other writers have the biggest influence of course, and it feels that almost every book I read can have an influence in some small way. For me writing is a learning process; it isn't something that one day I learned how to do. Every book I read can teach me something.
4. A question from Jo Baines on the TV Book Club Facebook Group: Do you feel it's inevitable that an author's life experiences will influence their writing or is it possible to write a book that is pure imagination and creative process?
That's an interesting question! When I wrote Before I Go to Sleep I thought it was pure invention and as far away from my life as it was possible to be. Of course now I have a little distance from the writing of the book I can see that the book is totally entwined with my life and there are elements of autobiography everywhere. So I'm not sure! I think the writers' own life will always colour the work, even if it's only inasmuch as it influences what he or she chooses to write about.
5. A question from Ali on channel4.com/tvbookclub: My GCSE English teacher told me (a few years ago now), that when authors write a book they know exactly what the plot is, and wouldn't start without knowing what the end will be. I've always found this difficult to believe; is it true!?
No. There are as many different ways of writing a book as there are books to be written, and every one is different. I had no idea how Before I Go to Sleep would end when I began to write it, and I know I'm not alone in that. Some authors plan everything meticulously before they begin, and some don't. There isn't a right and wrong way to write.
6. How old were you when you had your first book published, and what were you doing before you were a writer?
Before I Go to Sleep is my first book, and I'd just turned 40 when it came out. Before I became a full-time writer I worked in the NHS - with children who have a hearing loss.
6. A question from the TV Book Club Facebook Group: In a crowded market many authors don't get published; what's the secret of your success?
I think there was an element of luck, in that I'd made some changes to my life in order to be able to devote more time to writing and at the same time a subject matter came to me that I found interesting and felt would make a good novel, but ultimately I think my 'secret' is that I worked really hard! There aren't any shortcuts. A novel is written a word at a time, and it's not always fun. I just had persistence!
7. A question inspired by Yaisa's suggestion on channel4.com/tvbookclub: How much research do you have to do, which are the most difficult types of scenes to research, and have you ever had to go to extreme or unusual lengths to research a scene?
I did a fair bit of research for Before I Go to Sleep as I wanted it to be as medically and scientifically accurate as it could be, and I also wanted to try to understand what it must be like living with a memory problem. So most of my research was around that. But also there's a lot of observation involved, and I'm always looking for details. Everywhere I go I'm thinking 'What makes this café different?' or 'How could I bring that person to life on the page? What is unique about them?' I've never really gone to extreme lengths to research a scene, though for my new book I might have to!
8. What's the most outlandish idea you've ever had for a storyline, and has it made it into one of your books?
I couldn't possibly say! I might want to use it one day... Sorry!
9. And another question from the TV Book Club Facebook Group: What do you think of e-readers and would you ever consider providing additional content for readers who use them (e.g. pictures, video clips, web links)?
I like my e-reader, though it will never replace physical books for me. I love collecting them, and I love the way they change as you read them. The paper creases, the spine bends. A well thumbed book becomes like an old friend. But throughout history writers have had to adapt to different formats, and the potential for e-readers is exciting. I'd never rule out making more material available for those that enjoy consuming their books on screen.
