crime_and_ink | Writing Meme (Part 2) (Reply)

4. Tell us about one of your first stories/characters!

Oh, Gods, do I have to?

My first character was Riah Sutton, and although her story was eventually scrapped, she features in the Birchwood Series, fifteen years older and even worse than she originally was. She’s one of the minor characters, but I’ll admit to being very attached to her. She started out as a teenager who got involved with drugs and prostitution after her parents died. In the Birchwood Series, she’s older and much more experienced. She’s not really a great person; she’s a bit nasty and very manipulative, like an evil, prostitute version of Amber.

5. By age, who is your youngest character? Oldest? How about “youngest” and “oldest” in terms of when you created them?

My oldest character depends on which book it is, but the oldest in the series has to be Frank McKabe, a retired police officer, who’s over sixty (life expectancy in this series isn’t great). The youngest in the first book is Lauren Delaney, who’s thirteen, Amber’s youngest sibling, who I love to write about.

My ‘oldest’ character (save for Riah) has to be James Linden, one of the two main characters. He was created long before the series was a concrete idea. The story he originated from was actually worked into the plot of the first book, because I loved it, but didn’t think that I could make it into an entire book. The ‘youngest’ is Ollie, an ‘one-off, casual sex thing’ of Amber Delaney’s (the other main character.) He was a bit of a random creation, but I decided that, with how secretive they both are, they’d make a good couple, especially in terms of how complicated their relationship.

6. Where are you most comfortable writing? At what time of day? Computer or good ol' pen and paper?

I like writing at night, particularly when my neighbours are quiet and everything’s very eerie and empty feeling, because it suits the mood, but I can write anywhere, as long as I have my laptop of a pen and a notebook. I’m not fussy about what I use, as when I’m on holiday I use a notebook and type everything up when I get home.