Anna Lucie asked C.L. Taylor:

Hi, Firstly; I think its amazing that you take the time to reply to messages here. I have really enjoyed reading "The Escape" and "The Missing" and am about to get started on "The Lie" :) My question is... How did you get into writing? How do you begin the process of writing a novel? Do you have any advice for someone who wants to write, but doesn't know where to begin!? Thanks, Anna

C.L. Taylor Hi Anna, thanks for your question. I'm really glad you've enjoyed my books. I normally start with a 'what if?' question e.g. what if four girls went on holiday and had to turn against each other in order to survive? I then think about my main character and what she wants. So for The Lie Jane in the present thread wants to discover who is behind the note and Emma in the past thread wants to escape from the retreat. I then try and think of a flaw that character has that will make it harder for her to achieve her goal (for Jane it's wanting to keep what happened a secret, for Emma it's her anxiety). I then think of lots and lots of obstacles to stop my character from achieving her goal. I hope that helps!

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