Have you ever wondered what it would be like to write a book with someone else?
Writing a book together turned out to be even more enjoyable than we imagined when we discussed it during one of our lunch meetups in London a couple of years ago. Both of us were looking for something new to write at the time and had an idea we thought could work if we each took on a character that suited our different writing styles – and so, Ella and Colleen were born.
The process worked surprisingly well, perhaps partly because we were writing without pressure, with no expectation that our book would be published (or even finished) and found the ideas kept flowing, and that reading each other’s chapters as we progressed sparked ideas for our own.
We took on a chapter each, relay-fashion, emailing it to the other to read, critique and return, and even when the final twist turned out to be different to the one planned, and part of the beginning had to be rewritten, there wasn’t a point where we thought about giving up.
After becoming friends in real life after meeting online through our writing blogs, it was natural to be kind and respectful when it came to debating whether a particular plot point was working for the story. We wanted it to be the best it could be, so were open to suggestions and keeping things fluid – and if one of us got carried away, the other would reel them in!
It was great to have someone to bounce ideas off, and exciting to see our ideas taking shape and becoming a story we hoped people might want to read. In fact, we liked it so much, we’re doing it all again this year!
The Secret Sister is the new dark and twisty psychological thriller from authors K A Clarke and A J Brittany.
Can you trust a sister who is a stranger?