I am delighted to welcome
SANJIDA KAY
AUTHOR OF MY MOTHER'S SECRET
TO SHARE HER WRITING TOOLKIT
Office
Our exciting news is that we’re renovating a house in rural
Somerset. In the meantime, we’ve downsized so I no longer have an office, but a
desk in the corner of an open-plan room. I look out over a small, but beautiful
green garden that backs onto an urban nature reserve. Jays and blue tits peep
through the window. I can’t think if there’s any clutter, and I like to have a
flower or two next to me. I work on an Apple Mac and a laptop. This has
revolutionised my life: because everything is in the cloud, I can pick up my
laptop and go, without having to check it’s saved, and I no longer have that
awful realisation that I’ve spent hours working on the wrong document.
Notebooks
I love having different notebooks with lovely covers. I have
one for ideas, one for quotes and overheard snippets of conversations and a
working one, with what I need to do next. It helps me keep track of where I am
- for instance, My Mother’s Secret is just about to be published out,
but I’m still talking to readers about my previous thrillers, Bone by Bone
and The Stolen Child, whilst editing the fourth one, The Anniversary.
I find writing long-hand is a good way of generating ideas too, although I
actually type my novels straight onto the computer.
Exercise
Writing is incredibly sedentary, so I need to move! I get up
before anyone else and do an hour to an hour and a half of the Tracy Anderson
Method. Tracy is a trainer in the states; I stream her classes, which are a combination
of light weights and dance cardio. At the weekends I run or go mountain biking.
I love walking. One of the characters in My Mother’s Secret lives in the
Lake District, so it was a great excuse to head up there for ‘research’. I find
walking helps with creativity and general resetting of one’s mental
equilibrium.
Coffee and chocolate
I start my writing day with black coffee and 80% dark
chocolate. I’m lucky enough to have a fantastic coffee roaster, Extract, at the
bottom of our road and I buy their organic espresso, which tastes of hazelnuts
and cocoa. Apparently.
Candles
I light a candle when I start working. I like scents that
are quite sharp when I’m concentrating: my favourite is St Eval’s Rosemary and
Bay; and then soothing, like Sandalwood, when I want to unwind. I love being
surrounded by greenery so I fill the house with lots of plants.
Protein shake
I get through that mid-afternoon slump with a protein shake,
usually made of fruit and vegetables, non-dairy milk and protein powder. I normally
add spinach - this one is raspberry and coconut milk.
Headphones
Since we’re all in one room, there’s quite a lot of ‘negotiation’ about who gets to watch downhill mountain bike racing, How to Train your Dragon, or have some peace and quiet to write their novel. I spend quite a lot of time wearing headphones and pretending I can’t hear anyone speaking to me. I listen to audiobooks and podcasts when I’m doing chores; I’m a big fan of The Story Grid podcast and book, which is by editor Shawn Coyne and is aimed at helping writers and editors improve.
Since we’re all in one room, there’s quite a lot of ‘negotiation’ about who gets to watch downhill mountain bike racing, How to Train your Dragon, or have some peace and quiet to write their novel. I spend quite a lot of time wearing headphones and pretending I can’t hear anyone speaking to me. I listen to audiobooks and podcasts when I’m doing chores; I’m a big fan of The Story Grid podcast and book, which is by editor Shawn Coyne and is aimed at helping writers and editors improve.
THANKS FOR TAKING PART, SANJIDA!
About Sanjida Kay
Sanjida Kay is a writer and
broadcaster. She lives in Bristol with her daughter and husband. Her first
psychological thriller, Bone by Bone, was longlisted for the CWA Ian
Fleming Steel Dagger, chosen as one of the best reads of the year by the Sunday
Express, a must-read by the Guardian, and she’s been named an Amazon
rising star. The Stolen Child, her second thriller, has been optioned
for TV and movie rights by the company that made Homeland. Her third
psychological thriller, My Mother’s Secret, will be published on 3 May
by Corvus Books.
Find Sanjida on her website, on her Facebook page and on Twitter - @SanjidaKay
About My Mother's Secret
Published by Corvus/Atlantic Books (3 May 2018)
Publisher's description
You can only hide for so long...
Lizzie Bradshaw. A student from the Lake District, forced to
work away from home, who witnesses a terrible crime. But who will ultimately
pay the price?
Emma Taylor. A mother, a wife, and a woman with a dangerous
secret. Can she keep her beloved family safely together?
Stella Taylor. A disaffected teenager, determined to discover
what her mother is hiding. But how far will she go to uncover the truth?
And one man, powerful, manipulative and cunning, who controls
all their destinies.
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