One of the most awesome things about the world of book blogging is when you get to have an amazing author featured on your blog! So excited to have the author of The Girl Who Lied, Sue Fortin, on Clues and Reviews today!
In case you missed it, make sure you check out my review of The Girl Who Lied (which is out TODAY!) here!
Your upcoming novel, The Girl Who Lied, features complex characters and a complex plot. Which do you feel is more important when writing a novel?
Hmmm, that’s a tricky opening question 🙂 I think, for me, both my characters and plot start off as quite basic and then as the book progresses I sometimes find out more about my characters and this can drive the plot on. However, other times, I might think the plot isn’t working and throw in some more twists and turns. So, I think both are important, especially with The Girl Who Lied as it’s not an out-and-out thriller but takes a look at relationships and romance too, one being more plot driven and the other more character driven.
Which character in this novel did you connect with the most?
Being a mother myself and having daughters, I feel I connected with all the women in the book but at different levels and for different reasons. In particular, I would say, Marie, Erin’s mother, who was fiercely protective of her family and really would go to any lengths to keep to keep them from the fall-out that was about to happen. Whether I would do something as drastic as Marie, I can’t say for sure. I don’t think anyone can make that call, or indeed predict with a one hundred percent certainty, how they will react until they are in a particular position themselves.
If The Girl Who Lied was optioned for film rights, which actors/actresses would you cast to play the leads?
I think for Kerry, it would have to be Charlie Hunnam in his Sons of Anarchy role as Jacks. It’s the biker connection and the blonde hair that fits the bills nicely. As for Erin, I’m thinking a young Nicole Kidman – porcelain white skin, willowy figure and red curly hair make her a perfect candidate.
What does your writing process look like? Are you a consistent writer? Is it more sporadic? Do you make an outline? Go with the flow? Does writing energize or exhaust you?
My writing process seems to differ ever so slightly with each book, but on the whole I like to a plan, sometimes this can be very detailed in that I know what is going to happen in every chapter, other times less si. What I try to do though is plan a few chapters at a time so I know where they are going, have an end goal and write to that. However, it’s not set in stone, as I find the story evolves as I write and quite often the characters end up doing something that I hadn’t planned. By only planning a few chapters at a time, I can keep up with them!
As I write full time, I try to fit it in around school hours for my youngest. My aim is to be at my desk by 9.30 and have five hours of writing before the afternoon school run and all that entails with being a mum to four children (albeit that two are technically adults now). It’s rare that I get those five hours as there’s always something that needs doing but I do get at least two or three hours to write. So, although I said I write full-time, that’s probably not true, in the working world those hours would be classed as part-time. Writing can both energize me when the book is going well and the words are flowing but equally can exhaust me when the writing days are tougher and time is limited. However, I’m very lucky to be able to do what I absolutely LOVE doing, so I’m not complaining – I really do enjoy the whole process.
When you aren’t writing, what do you like to do?
Most of my spare time is spent with my family and looking after my youngest who is still at primary school. We’ve recently invested in a motor home so we have lots of plans to go travelling this year and I’m really looking forward to seeing much more of Europe in the summer holidays. I try to read as much as possible but I’m a slow reader so it takes me ages to finish a book. I’m also a bit of a sewing enthusiast but it’s time dependant.
Thanks a bunch!!
Thanks so much for inviting me on your blog, it’s been great answer your questions.
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