To celebrate the release of her new book Friend Request, we spoke to Laura Marshall about her inspiration for the book. 

Laura Marshall

Laura Marshall

What can readers expect for your new book Friend Request?

It’s a psychological thriller, which begins with Louise, a 40 year old woman, receiving a Facebook friend request from Maria, a girl she bullied at school; the only problem is, Maria disappeared twenty-five years ago and was presumed drowned, never to be heard of again … until now. Flipping back and forth in time between the present day and the girls’ last year at school in 1989, the truth about what really happened to Maria, and Louise’s role in it, is gradually revealed. You can expect plenty of twists and turns along the way.

Why did you want to write a book that’s an ‘it could happen to you’ read?

They are the kind of books I love to read. I think with thrillers, there’s much more tension for the reader if they can imagine themselves in the situation the characters find themselves in.

How much does social media play in your life and have you ever had a negative experience with it?

I have a sort of love/hate relationship with it. Facebook is great for keeping in touch with people who might otherwise have drifted out of your life altogether. On the flipside, it’s very easy to get sucked into believing that the perfect lives other people portray on there are an accurate representation of what’s really going on with them, and to compare your own life unfavourably. I use Twitter more for author stuff, and again on the one hand it is wonderful for keeping up with what’s going on in publishing, virtually meeting other authors and learning about great new books, but on the minus side, it’s a massive distraction when I’m trying to write, and it can fuel pointless and self-destructive comparisons with other authors.

This is your debut book so how did the concept come about and how long did it take you to put it all together?

I have always wanted to write a novel, and had started and abandoned various ideas over the years. The premise for Friend Request had been floating about in my head for a year or so before I began to write it. In September 2015 I turned forty-one, and decided that this would be the year I gave writing a proper go. I felt like I needed help with structure and so on, so I applied and was delighted to be accepted on the Curtis Brown Creative writing course. I wrote most of the first draft of the novel whilst doing the course between November 2015 and March 2016.

All your reviews have commented on your talent for creating tension so what are your tips for creating tension in writing?

I try to constantly be posing questions in my writing, so that the readers are keen to read on to find out the answers. As well as the central question of the novel (what really happened to Maria, and is it her sending the Facebook messages, or someone pretending to be her?), I tried to pepper the novel with smaller questions, some of which were answered before the big reveal at the end. Foreshadowing is another good way of creating tension (my tutor on the course called it the “little did she knows”); trying to hint at things that are going to happen, or things that happened in the past, without giving everything away.

Friend Request was shortlisted for the Lucy Cavendish Fiction Prize in 2016, so how did this make you feel as a new writer?

It was amazing. Of all the extraordinary things that have happened to me in the last two years, this was one of the best. When I got the email to say I had been longlisted I literally jumped around the kitchen whooping. I think it was so special because, apart from the good feedback I had had on the course, it was the first time somebody had said they thought my writing was OK. I’ve been writing on and off all my life, but I didn’t really know if I was any good or not. The day I heard from the Lucy Cavendish prize was the first day I dared to hope that I could achieve my dream of being published.

Please tell us about your ideal writing surroundings.

I would love a small, silent room with a beautiful oak desk, a comfortable writing chair, walls lined with floor to ceiling bookshelves, a kettle, a fridge, a well-stocked cupboard of snacks and a beautiful view. Yesterday I was trying to write in an airless, window-less, boiling hot, noisy swimming pool café with overpriced snacks and weak coffee whilst “watching” my sons and their friend swim. As I write this I am in a brightly coloured indoor climbing centre, and just took a break to watch my son on the “death slide”. Maybe one day

The book has been compared to Girl on the Train, I See You and The Darkest Secret so are these authors you look up to or books you have enjoyed?

I genuinely loved all those books, and it’s a complete honour to be even mentioned in the same breath. I am a huge fan of psychological thrillers – it’s almost the only genre I read, and has been for years. I’ve been lucky enough to meet Clare Mackintosh and Alex Marwood and they were both absolutely lovely. In fact, all the crime writers I have met so far have been really friendly and welcoming.

What’s next on your ‘to be read’ pile?

I recently got back from the Harrogate crime writing festival, so my TBR pile has grown substantially! There are lots of good things on there, but I’m particularly looking forward to “They All Fall Down” by Tammy Cohen, “The Boy Made of Snow” by Chloe Mayer and “Close To Me” by Amanda Reynolds. I could go on!

What is next for you? Another book?

Yes, I am nearing the end of the first draft of my second book, which is another psychological thriller. It’s been a very different experience from writing Friend Request, as this time I know that people are going to be reading it, which on the one hand is wonderful, but on the other there’s more pressure to deliver!