This post was originally published at Novelicious.com and is now at WritingTipsOasis.com. WritingTipsOasis.com acquired Novelicious.com in June 2022.
Helen Phifer is a crime and thriller writer from Barrow-in-Furness in Cumbria. Her first novel, The Ghost House, was published last month.
Can you tell us a little about your average writing day?
It’s a bit manic to tell you the truth. I work full time so I write whenever I get a minute. Mornings are my favourite time though, especially when everyone else is in bed. Then I can make a mug of coffee and lose myself in my story, heaven.
When you are writing, do you use any famous people or people you know as inspiration?
I did want my main character Annie Graham to be tough like Sigourney Weaver’s Ripley in Aliens, but she’s the only one. The rest are all my creations.
What is your favourite Women’s Fiction book of all time and why?
That would have to be Bridget Jones, I adore Bridget.
What is your writing process? Do you plan first or dive in? How many drafts do you do?
I like to do a lot of planning and plotting but I can guarantee it doesn’t always end up the way I’ve imagined. I don’t know if I should admit this but I’ve done about ten drafts of The Ghost House. I’m really glad I’ve learnt so much over the years. I’m hoping the next one will only take a couple.
What was your journey to being a published author?
Not as horrendous as I’d imagined. I did submit to some agents and one of them was interested in my work and asked to read the full manuscript which was amazing. Unfortunately it wasn’t for him and I was gutted about that but then I joined the RNA New Writer’s Scheme, had a ten minute editor appointment at the conference last year and I really clicked with the editor. Plus she loved my work and it evolved from there.
What do you think is the biggest myth about being a novelist?
That you will get a huge book advance.
What advice can you give to our readers who want to write a novel of their own?
Write the story that you want to read, which is exactly what I have done.
What are you working on at the moment?
The follow up to The Ghost House, which has the same main characters but an entirely new story. I love the characters so much I couldn’t wait to see what happened next.
What are your top five writing tips?
1. Read a lot of the books in the genre you want to write for.
2. Keep a notebook handy to jot down your ideas and inspirations.
3. Write the kind of story that you would love to read yourself.
4. Write whenever you can, don’t set yourself word count targets. Just do what you can.
5. Never, ever give up.