Read Lovely Books
Today’s Write Now interview features Ellie Marney, the New York Times bestselling author of THE KILLING
I spend a lot of time researching forensics, autopsy, homemade explosives, and law enforcement procedure, so I’
My stories tend to focus on smart teens — often girls — who find themselves in nasty predicaments they
I try to steer clear of writing tropes that feel repetitive, or cliched, or harmful
It’s particularly important when you write for teens that you have a sense of responsibility about
I can write pretty much anywhere — trains, couches, buses, planes, in my car… That’s a function
I wrote THE KILLING CODE at the kitchen table, while my youngest sons were doing their online
But in an ideal world, I’d just write in my new office — one of my sons
And I’m incredibly old-fashioned, as a writer! I write a lot by hand, in notebooks, when
It’s been reliable and it’s what I’m used to, so after eleven novels this
Morning time, afternoon, a few hours here and there… For a long time, especially when my kids
These days, I write between 9AM and 3PM, as my days are bookended by school drop off
I find word counts a pressure — because some days are good days and some aren’t, so
Having that community is really important, especially for career longevity
And of course, I’m driven to write because if I don’t write, I’m miserable
I’ve never been afflicted with writer’s block, and I don’t know whether that’s
Forcing decisions on your characters, or turning them onto Path A when they wanted/needed to go
Don’t always think you can wrangle the characters to suit your story plan — you need to
Sometimes you’re unmotivated, or you’re in pain, or you’re just plain tired — it’s
Go for a walk outside, or talk to a friend, or just take a day off
Oh, I’m a country girl, so most of my pursuits — other than reading and watching movies
I also love to travel — I’ve lived in Indonesia and India and Singapore, and visited a
But I spend a lot of time reading, because it’s what I love most
If my writing day is done, and I’m finished in the garden or on the kayak,