My top tip is to reframe in your mind how you can have a productive writing session, rather than waiting until you have a whole day. Part of the reason I put off starting my novel for so long was because I was under the illusion that I needed to have huge chunks of time to write and I couldn’t work out how to fit that into my life... When I finally changed my mindset to ‘a little and often’ approach everything immediately began to come together.
Leeds-based crime fiction author Samantha Goodwin wrote professionally for her marketing career for over a decade before turning her hand to fiction. A year on from the release of her debut novel, she talks to us about making time for writing (when your days are already packed), the perils and laughs of researching crime fiction, and how she leverages the power of Instagram to reach her readers.
Please give us a brief overview of yourself and your work
I’m a crime author from Leeds, England. In my day job I’m a Marketing Manager for a national charity and I’m married with a nearly-two-year-old son who likes to keep me on my toes. One year ago I released my debut crime mystery novel, Murder at Macbeth, which went on to win a Chill With A Book Award and was longlisted for the international Flash 500 Novel Award.
What made you want to be an author?
I’ve wanted to write a book for as long as I can remember. I’ve always loved the escapism that comes with creating stories. It was my husband, Chris, who finally convinced me I could do it. Plus, it ended up being the last conversation I had with my Dad before he died suddenly of encephalitis three years ago, so I felt very driven to finish it as a tribute to him.
Do you have a writing routine?
I simply write whenever I can, which more often than not is in small snatches of time whenever I can find a spare moment. I always handwrite when I’m doing my first drafts as I find my ideas flow a lot better.
What do you think is the key to writing a page-turning murder mystery?
I think one of the key elements of a great mystery is to have really compelling characters. In Murder at Macbeth, I put a lot of time into creating multi-dimensional characters who drove the story as everybody had a legitimate motive that could drive them to murder. I also think it’s a great practice to drip-feed subtle clues along the way. Ideally, the reader will still be shocked by all the twists and turns, but with the benefit of hindsight will think, “Yeah, that makes sense.”
How do you outline your work and begin writing?
I find having a one-page outline of the whole book is helpful as then I can see at a glance the whole story arc and how the narrative will progress in that particular chapter. Using that makes it a lot easier for me to pick up writing where I left off and focus on the immediate scenes at hand. It also means I can write whatever scenes feel the most captivating to me at the time and I can patch everything together like a jigsaw afterwards.
Do you have any tips for a productive writing day?
So interestingly my top tip is to reframe in your mind how you can have a productive writing session, rather than waiting until you have a whole day. Part of the reason I put off starting my novel for so long was because I was under the illusion that I needed to have huge chunks of time to write and I couldn’t work out how to fit that into my life. I think that’s a dilemma a lot of aspiring authors can relate to. When I finally changed my mindset to ‘a little and often’ approach everything immediately began to come together. In less than a year I’d managed to write an entire novel pretty much just during my lunch breaks and during 30-minute writing sprints in the morning when I first woke up. I was working full time and was pregnant at the time, so it was certainly challenging but I was amazed how much I could write in regular small chunks. It can be done!
Is there anything that has happened along your writing journey that you’d like to share?
The research that goes into crime novels is always hilarious – my search engine results are certainly questionable. My favorite moment was when I interviewed an actual police officer in the middle of Wetherspoons! I was grilling him about all the behind-the-scenes police procedural work and our conversation definitely attracted a few concerned looks from the other diners!
Do you have any advice for aspiring authors?
I would advise not writing in isolation. Connect to a writing community, be that online or in person, and seek out advice from fellow authors. I never cease to be amazed at how supportive people are. One of my personal highlights was attending the Creative Writing Workshop at the renowned Theakston Old Peculier Crime Writing Festival in Harrogate. It provided a brilliant opportunity to network with respected crime authors, such as Lesley Thomson and Elly Griffiths.
What do you think is the biggest challenge for new authors?
I think the biggest challenge for new authors is believing that they need to conform to certain expectations and write something ‘on-trend’ to be successful. Nothing could be further from the truth. Writing your own original book is always going to be more satisfying than attempting to shoehorn your novel into a certain genre because you believe it will make it more popular.
What methods of book marketing do you find the most effective?
I’ve found Instagram to be a really effective book marketing tool. I’ve sold a lot of books through that platform, but I do think it’s really important to carefully consider your social media content as no one likes to be sold to. I’ve found more creative ways of connecting with readers to be a lot more impactful. My favorite campaign has been when I did a virtual world book tour and invited international readers to share photos and reviews of my book online. As an author it’s hugely exciting to see your book travel the world – my debut novel has visited 42 countries and 34 US states in less than a year and the tour is still going strong!
What struggles did you face in the writing and publishing process?
Honestly, my biggest struggle came in the form of a tiny newborn baby as my first son, Jack, arrived the day after I finished writing my novel. Thankfully he was late or I might have never completed it! Naturally, the manuscript lay untouched for over 4 months before I picked it up again to begin the editing process and I found I had to do most of my typing one-handed while holding a sleeping baby as Jack had decided at that stage he would only sleep in my arms! It’s not how I imagined editing my debut novel, but hard as it was I enjoyed having something that was just for me.
What is the best writing advice you have received?
Write every day. It’s that simple and it’s that hard! A fellow author told me that wise nugget of advice and at the time I remember thinking, “surely not every day though?” But actually, he was so right because allocating some time to write every day, even if it’s only for ten minutes, means that the story never stalls as it is always fresh in your mind.
You can find out more about Samantha via her website or Instagram. Find Murder By Macbeth on Amazon and GoodReads.
