Anna Kent entered a writing competition, leading to a lunch meeting with an agent and a book deal for her debut novel.
Anna Kent revised her novel structure based on editor feedback, emphasizing character authenticity and coherence.
Deep dives
The Journey to Publication through a Writing Competition
Anna Kent shares her journey to getting published as she entered a writing competition that required a synopsis and the first five pages of her work. Winning the competition led to a lunch meeting with an agent in London who provided feedback and encouraged her to write a full novel. This opportunity culminated in a book deal for her debut novel.
Writing Structure Evolution with Editorial Input
Anna discusses her writing process, noting how she initially structured her novel by alternating perspectives between characters, which included an artist and an agoraphobic wife. Her editor's feedback on the husband's viewpoint led Anna to revise the entire book from the wife's perspective, enhancing character authenticity and story coherence.
Techniques in Crafting Domestic Noir Narratives
Exploring the genre of domestic noir, Anna reveals techniques she employs to engage readers, such as incorporating subtle foreshadowing inspired by Louise Doughty's writing. She delves into the art of maintaining suspense through interviews interspersed throughout the book, keeping readers guessing about the characters' past and upcoming revelations.
Creative Challenges and Character Influence
Addressing the creative challenges faced during writing, Anna mentions how characters sometimes dictate unexpected turns in the story, pushing against her planned roadmap. She reflects on the dynamic nature of character influence and how the narrative evolution often surprises the author, leading to unconventional yet compelling story arcs.
This week, we're joined by Anna Kent, with her sort-of-debut novel, 'The House of Whispers'.
See Anna Kent, is also Annabel Kantaria, who has already published 4 books. This is her first as Anna Kent. It's domestic noir, so treads the line between eerie psychological thriller, and chilling whodunnits at home. We talk about how she learned to write genre, and what she pays attention to when structuring the novel, also how she knows when to carry on writing.
'The House of Whispers' tells the story of Grace and Abi, friends who parted ways at Uni. Then Grace returns into Abi's life... and they slip back into the comforts of each other's lethal charm and company.
You can hear how she got published, about the contest she entered, and the meeting with a publisher that changed her life.
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