I wish I was the sort of compulsive planner many of my writing colleagues seem to be. I long for neat boards filled with multi-coloured post it notes.
Degrees of Guilt
Instead, I’m the sitting in my garden, staring at a blank screen until something comes type of writer. Then off I go into the unknown, without a clue where the next paragraph will take me, let alone a detailed story arc. What comes to me first is always a character. A sense of a person who wants something, good or bad, right or wrong. I hear their voice. That’s the trigger for me to begin writing. With the character’s motivation comes their weakness or their personal struggle. For protagonists, it’s often their problems that make them stronger or more heroic. When I write serial killers or broken, dangerous characters, I’m mindful that not every thought, not every part of their past or present life, can be a depiction of evil. Life’s just not that straightforward. So when I write, I’m writing a character driven book more than a plot focussed book. I have to be mindful of pacing, highs, lows and reveal points, but when you make a new friend they tell you about themselves - their achievements, hopes and dreams, losses and grief - slowly over months. That works for books characters, too.
So inspiration and having a creative space to write is doubly important for me, because it fills the gap left by my inability to plan a book in advance. I love writing in my garden. I have the benefit of living in Southern California at the moment, so there’s rarely a day I can’t write in the sunshine. I also like loud music when I write. Oddly it isn’t a distraction. In fact, it drowns out the rest of my environment and allows me to immerse myself in my work. I’m writing my current book to Peter Gabriel, Kate Bush and X Ambassadors. I tend to get stuck on specific music for a single book then I move on. I drink endless cups of tea while I write, and if I’m indoors I usually burn a scented candle. I keep all my senses full while I’m preparing my first draft but everything changes when I’m in editing mode. That requires not free flow but intense concentration. No one likes editing, and it’s best to do it properly early on. I can’t wait for inspiration to find me, though. The music, candles, even my favourite comfortable jeans, all put me in the right place to be creative. At the end of the day, as much of a privilege as it is to be a writer, it’s still a job and sometimes you have to force yourself to get on with it.
Degrees of Guilt by HS Chandler (Helen Fields) is published by Trapeze in paperback and out now.