What goes into writing a book? How easy or hard is it? And what happens when you’ve finished? With my new book, Murder All Inclusive, due to be published soon, I thought I’d answer some of those questions based on my experience writing it.
What’s the big idea?
Writing a book (in my experience, anyway) usually starts with one central idea. This is my fourth book now, and each time I’ve written a novel, there’s always been a nugget of an idea, which grows and develops into the full story. For Murder All Inclusive, the thing that kicked it all off was the idea of Freddie Winters – the main character from my previous book, Killing Dylan – misbehaving and getting into trouble in a fancy holiday resort. Doesn’t sound like much, but that was where it began.
With that initial gem of an idea, I started building the story around it. Why was Freddie in the resort? What would happen to him? How would he react? The plan was to write it as a follow-up to Killing Dylan, which was a cosy crime murder mystery. That meant this book ought to be a murder mystery as well. So that meant coming up with a murder plot for Freddie to solve.
Plotting the plot
The first thing to do was figure out who the killer was? Then I had to decide who they were going to kill, and why. I also had to figure out where all this was happening, and how it was going to connect with Freddie’s holiday in the fancy resort.
One thing that I was keen to carry over from Killing Dylan was the literary theme. Freddie Winters is a crime author who uses his experience of murder mysteries to solve real crimes. In Killing Dylan, the action all takes place in the publishing world, and I wanted that to carry on. So, I decided the best reason for Freddie to be in Spain was as part of a writer’s retreat, which he was attending in order to teach and inspire amateur writers (something Freddie would hate to do, which meant it was great for comic potential). And in that surrounding, who better to kill off than some of the other authors?
Casting the characters
I set about creating a cast of quirky characters who would also be in attendance at the writers’ retreat. I needed a host of other authors, some amateur writers, a few familiar faces from Freddie’s past to stir up some trouble, plus a group of victims who could be picked off throughout the course of the book. And, of course, the killer.
Uncovering the motive
Naturally, I couldn’t just have a bunch of murders with no reason behind them. So, I had to figure out why the killer was doing it. I spent a few weeks thinking things through, making lots and lots of notes, changing the plan and the motive (and even the victims) several times. Finally, I had a good story to work with. And a duplicitous plot for Freddie to uncover.
Getting the words down
With a good sense of the story (beginning, middle and end), I set about writing it. That meant lots of trips to coffee shops. Yes, I am one of those people that likes to write in coffee shops – I like the buzz and the ambience, plus a certain amount of people watching (and the coffee, of course). It also meant lots of unsociable hours, early mornings and writing little bits here and there, whenever I got the chance. The story changed several times through the first draft alone, as I thought of new ideas, spotted the odd plot hole, and realised certain bits weren’t working as well as I would have liked. And after about a year (yes, I am a little slow) I had a good first draft.
Edit, edit, edit
Then, of course, it was time to edit the book. I tend to edit a little bit as a I write the first draft, revisiting parts, reworking sections and finessing bits here and there. So, although it was technically still a first draft, I had already edited it quite a bit. As such, I was pretty happy with the structure of the book and didn’t feel like I needed to make too many big changes.
Naturally, there were typos to correct (there always are). Bits that I knew I could improve. A little bit of character development. The odd plot hole that had somehow still snuck in. And, of course, quite a bit of cutting down. I spent a few months trimming, shaping and finessing the words, and then I had a good second draft.
Gathering feedback
I have a small group of trusted early readers who give up their valuable time to read early drafts and give me their opinions. It’s invaluable help. So, I sent the book to my chums and they came back with some thoughts and suggestions. I did another good edit and then it was time to submit to the publisher.
Thankfully, the good people at Raven Crest Books were keen to publish the book. Hooray! Then the book went to my editor, who gave me even more valuable feedback.
Doing it all again
Then it was time for another draft, based on the editor’s comments. A bit more character development, a few plot adaptations, some more finessing and it was done. Then it was back to the publisher for a proofread, formatting, getting the cover designed, and all the amazing things the publishers do behind the scenes.
Finally, the book became a thing and it will soon be ready for people to buy and read.
Murder All Inclusive will be published this December. Check back for further updates.