Author Q&A with Mary Lay

Author Q&A with Mary Lay

Tells us about your writing/ published book(s)

3 novels in a series set in the 1920s-30s: Catching Up, The Price of Coal, and Birds of the Storm

 

Where’s your favourite place to write?

The only place I write is at home, usually sitting on the sofa with my laptop

 

How do you approach starting a new book?

I do a lot of thinking first, apparently like Agatha Christie did, so that when I finally come to write it out it’s almost fully formed

 

What’s your favourite genre to read?

Mysteries and social commentary

 

Have you always wanted to write?

No, I’ve always wanted to do lots of different things

 

What do you do when you have writer’s block?

I haven’t experienced it

 

Tell us about a scene that you loved but had to edit out of your book

The only scene I’ve removed is one at the start of Price of Coal that detailed Caroline and Luke’s trip to the museums. I took some feedback and re-wrote it to make it a little less like it was following directly from Catching Up

 

Do you like reading the same books you write?

Yes, that’s why I write them, there are so few!

 

Do write under a pen name? If so, tell us about how you chose it

Yes, it’s my mother’s name, she always wanted to write, and my own name doesn’t fit with the stories

 

How do you choose your book’s title(s)?

Usually a phrase will stand out as I’m writing, although I had trouble deciding on book 5’s title between two or three options.

 

What advice would you give to someone wanting to write their first book?

Read it out loud. If it doesn’t feel natural, especially the dialogue, re-write it

 

Do you do research for your books? If so, what kind of research?

Lots! Factual information is the backbone of my stories, and I want to be as accurate as possible. I use the internet, newspaper archives, libraries, local collections, anything that is relevant.

 

How do you fit writing into your everyday life?

I write mostly at evenings and weekends as I work full-time

 

How do you approach ‘world building’?

I let the actual history take care of that for me and then build my stories around it

 

How do you handle criticism?

I expect it, and accept that my stories are not for everyone. I am not going to re-write a novel just because a couple of people didn’t like it though! I also do not use sensitivity readers or include any trigger warnings.

 

Describe your perfect character to me

I love my character Daisy Clare. She is a bit eccentric, and a little older than the main characters, but she is intelligent and independent and jolly good fun.

 

Tell me about your current work

Book 4 in the series, Equally Wrong, is written and needs polishing. Book 5, The Safety Man, is written in first draft. I’m also working on some short stories featuring some of the minor characters in the series.

 

Tell me about your main character

Caroline is naive but bold and curious about the world she finds herself in. She cares for her friends, and likes to help people.

 

Would you want your book made into a film?

I think they might work as a TV series more than a film, something like The House of Elliot for example.

 

How many books do you own?

A couple of hundred

 

Where to find Mary Lay

Website

Twitter