Today I am delighting to be kicking off for Gayle Newman Curtis on the blog tour for her upcoming novel Too Close.
Published by Bonnier Zaffre on 30th June, Too Close is a devastating and unsettling story of a powerful and unshakable twin bond. It is a twisty and gripping tale where secrets, lies and illusions permeate the very essence of our beings.
When Bonnier Zaffre approached me about this tour, I was given the option of which piece to feature. I chose this piece, as I always find it interesting to see inside the mind of a writer and see where their ideas come from.
So over to you Gayle…
CHARACTERS, THE PEOPLE WHO RESIDE IN MY HEAD
‘There are rules with regards to living in my head, my characters aren’t just allowed free reign in my mind. One strict rule is that they’re not allowed to kill anyone or each other unless I have given permission and that can only take place in the book set rooms on the lower floor. Horror is completely forbidden, no one has ever been scared by outright blood and gore. Subtle suggestions of what might be there, in my opinion is far more macabre. A lot of the best stories don’t actually contain anything obviously horrible, it’s a hint that triggers our imaginations and that’s what keeps me awake at night.
My characters are pretty well behaved, we haven’t had any off screen dramas as yet. They’re not always very nice but there is an element of attraction in their personalities which helps me to accept and like them all. I probably focus more on the characters when I’m writing a book than I do on anything else.
I get to know them, find out what they’re like, the part they are going to play in a story. They don’t tell me everything initially,if ever at all but reveal more as the story progresses. I really grow fond of some and always feel sad, slightly bereft when I finish a book and leave the set.
You’ve lived with these people for many months and suddenly it’s all change again, time to get to know a new place, a different set of folks.
I don’t mind admitting I fell a little bit in love with Sebastian, one of the main characters in Too Close, much to the horror of my father who has read the story and thought he was a terrible human being.
But they’re my people, my human beings and I made them.
I have no idea where they come from and I never use real people in my books. I might use various characteristics from various people I’ve met over the years and mould it in to one person.
I start with a blank shape, a bit like a mannequin and then I develop them from there until they’re fully formed. Then I become totally absorbed in them. I want to know their foibles, quirks, strengths and weaknesses and when I feel like I really know them, I begin to write a new story.
My husband says he loses me for a little while when I’m writing a book and he’s probably right.
The prominent characters linger long after the book is finished. I don’t know why, possibly because they’re handy for reference or to make comparisons when a new person arrives.
A psychiatrist might say the inside of my head is starting to resemble Broadmoor. It’s a nice version of Broadmoor though, I have good taste in wallpaper and soft furnishings.
And now…Meet the Author
Gayle writes her books from an old chapel in Norfolk where she lives with her husband, Christopher. She draws inspiration from abandoned building, the sea and very strange people.
Gayle Newman Curtis can be contacted on Twitter @GayleCurtis1
Further details of the Too Close Blog Tour are listed below.
