Emma Curtis' Writing Toolkit

WRITING TOOLKIT gives you an idea of an author's writing process through the tools they use. The tools can be anything (real or virtual) that they think is essential for their writing - serious, fun or even a fetish (that they're willing to own up to)! 

I am delighted to welcome 

EMMA CURTIS

AUTHOR OF ONE LITTLE MISTAKE

TO SHARE HER WRITING TOOLKIT

Writing space

I don’t attach much importance to where I write; it tends to depend on weather and who is living in the house. Currently both kids are renting flats with partners (Hurray!) so that frees up their bedrooms.  I also have a writing shed, which though perfect in Spring, Summer and Autumn, can be a cold in winter.  It’s also used for a – ‘where shall I put this, I don’t want to get rid of it but’, items and outside furniture.  So, it’s not always conducive.  The essential thing is to feel uninhibited and because I write using Voice Recognition (more of this later), it can be difficult to find that space if my husband is home.

Creative writing books

I keep my favorite creative writing books in the bathroom to dip into when nature calls, a habit that bemuses my husband.  I love Stephen King’s On Writing, Sandra Newman and Howard Mittelmark’s hilarious How not to Write a Novel, Harry Bingham’s How to Write.  You think you know it all when you get your first book deal, but you really don’t. You’re only scratching the surface.  It pays to be humble and learn lessons.

Dragon

I use Dragon Voice Recognition to write my first draft because I have chronic pain in my hands, arms and shoulders.  It’s great for pounding through those chapters, but unfortunately it slows down the editing process to such an extent that I end up getting angry and pulling the plug.  It can also be tricky when you need to write a sex scene.  I wait for an empty house for that task.  Not that I write many!  I am very much a ‘less is more, use your imagination,’ author.

Silence

I can’t bear being able to hear the radio, my husband on the phone, sneezing or merely breathing near me.  I can handle noise that I have no control over – like those pesky parakeets and squirrels who enjoy a prolonged screeching session, but if I can put a stop to something, I can’t ignore it.  This morning there are builders outside my window.  I’m doing my best to blank them out.

Healthy eating

Food is definitely part of the writer’s toolkit, and a tricky one to balance.  The weight crept on.  I started 2017 with a hashtag #ThisWritersArse to motivate myself to lose it and get healthy again.  I have strict rules (I am an all or nothing person). No eating between meals, no carbs.  I have porridge for breakfast, a huge salad for lunch and for supper meat and veg – no potatoes!  It’s worked. I’m now down to a respectable ten stone.  Chocolate after lunch and supper, is my pat on the head for keeping my hand out of the biscuit tin. I keep a supply in the fridge and can become disproportionately upset if it vanishes.

Clothes

I think my most important material item for writing is clothes.  I dread neighbours turning up unannounced (which they do all too often) because I look awful in baggy old sweatpants and hideous jumpers.  But I just cannot cope with anything that fits snuggly.

A good night's sleep

I don’t work in the evenings because I have trouble sleeping so avoid over-stimulating my brain.  A TV drama followed by a couple of chapters of whatever I’m reading, usually does the trick.  I don’t like box sets because they go on for so long.  I prefer English serials like Missing, Doctor Foster and Paula and love Scandi Noir.

THANKS FOR TAKING PART, EMMA!

About Emma Curtis

Emma Curtis was born in Brighton and brought up in London. Her fascination with the darker side of domestic life inspired her to write One Little Mistake, her first psychological suspense. She has two children and lives in Richmond with her husband.

Find Emma on Twitter - @emmacurtisbooks

About ONE LITTLE MISTAKE

Published by Black Swan (15 June 2017)

Publisher's description

YOU TRUSTED YOUR BEST FRIEND . . . YOU SHOULDN'T HAVE.

Vicky Seagrave is blessed: three beautiful children, a successful, doting husband, great friends and a job she loves. She should be perfectly happy.

When she makes a split-second decision that risks everything she holds dear, there's only person she trusts enough to turn to.

But Vicky is about to learn that one mistake is all it takes; that if you're careless with those you love, you don't deserve to keep them . . . 

What Alice Knew by T.A. Cotterell

I am delighted to be today's stop on the What Alice Knew blog tour. What Alice Knew by T.A. Cotterell was published in e-book by Black Swan on 1 December 2016.


What Alice Knew
By T.A. Cotterell
Published by Black Swan (E-book - 1 December 2016; Paperback - 20 April 2017)
ISBN: 978-1784162399

Publisher's description

Alice has a perfect life – a great job, happy kids, a wonderful husband. Until he goes missing one night; she receives a suspicious phone call; things don’t quite add up.

Alice needs to know what’s going on. But when she uncovers the truth she faces a brutal choice. And how can she be sure it is the truth?

Sometimes it’s better not to know.

My verdict
What Alice Knew isn't an easy book to review without giving away any spoilers. There is a crime involved - but you know who the culprit is from very early on and the story focuses on the aftermath instead. It's very much a character-led novel.

This psychological thriller presents Alice (the protagonist) and the reader with a moral dilemma. How far would you go to protect your family? And what would you do if you knew a secret that could tear your family apart? It's written in a stunning literary style, with vivid descriptions and tense narrative. It certainly makes the reader think carefully about each character and whether they can be trusted. The author has done a great job of blurring the lines between right and wrong and showing that not all moral dilemmas are as black and white as they initially seem.

I have to admit that I didn't particularly like Alice, or some of her views, so I found it difficult to empathise with her dilemma. But some of the best books are filled with characters you're meant to hate. There's a strong emphasis on history of art (as Alice is a portrait painter) and the author clearly knows his stuff, writing with a passion. I did find this slowed down the plot at times, yet I remained intrigued right until the end.

And as for that ending... it wasn't what I expected at all. It's quite ambiguous, and I'm sure it will prompt many reading group discussions. In fact, the whole book was not what I was expecting when I sat down to read. I thought it would be a standard psychological thriller about a woman who is trying to save her marriage. Yet What Alice Knew is much darker and more twisted than that - and is certainly a book that makes you think.

I received an Advance Reader Copy from the publisher.

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