Phoebe Locke questioned

Phoebe Locke is the pseudonym of full-time writer Nicci Cloke. She previously worked at the Faber Academy, and hosted London literary salon Speakeasy. She lives and writes in Cambridgeshire.

The Tall man (in Dutch De Schaduwman) is Phoebe Locke's debut thriller and was published in summer 2018

*Who is Phoebe Locke? Which five words will described you best and why?

Ooh good question! I would say I am: creative, emotional, thoughtful, caring and a bit of a geek! I love reading, cooking and running. I like watching true crime documentaries and horror films but also rom-coms. Before becoming a published writer I did lots of jobs – I was a waitress at a bar, a childminder and a Christmas Elf (which isn't as fun as it sounds!)

* Why did you use a pseudonym?

I've published other novels before under my real name (Nicci Cloke) but those were for teenagers. As this was my first thriller for adults, I wanted to use a pseudonym to keep the two genres separate.

Dutch version

*How did you come up with the plot of this first book?

I had been working on a novel about the Banner family for a long time – I knew that Sadie, the mother, had disappeared when her daughter, Amber, was a baby, and that she'd returned when Amber was 16. But I didn't know what Sadie was so scared of or what she had been running away from. Then I read an article about two 12 year old girls in the US who'd become so obsessed with an internet meme, Slender Man, that they'd tried to kill their friend to please him. I was fascinated by this story – it's terrifying and incredibly sad – and I knew straight away that I wanted a similar childhood legend to be haunting Sadie and that this would eventually lead to Amber being on trial for murder.

*What character in the book has most of you in it? 

I think they all have some tiny part of me in them but I hope Greta, the filmmaker who is working on a documentary about Amber, is most like me. She's the most sympathetic of the characters, the one who tries to see the best in Amber when everyone else believes Amber is evil or a criminal. Amber is probably the character who is most different to me but that made her the most interesting to write.

*The Tall man is your first book and is sold to several countries: how are your feelings about that?

It's amazing! I still can't believe it. It's a dream come true and I feel very, very lucky.

*Do you have a writing-routine or any writing rituals, and if so, what are they?

No, not really – I find it actually helps me if I don't do the same thing every day. So some days I'll write in the morning, others in the evening. Sometimes I like to sit at my desk, other times I like to go and write in a coffee shop. The one thing I always have to do is make sure I have a large cup of coffee next to me before I start! 

* What was the soundtrack while you were writing? Are your listening to music while writing?

I do sometimes but usually I can't have music with any words – I find it too distracting. So I like to listen to movie soundtracks. I find they really help set the mood. My favourite while I was writing The Tall Man was the soundtrack to Gone Girl by Trent Reznor and Atticus Ross. It's really creepy and tense – perfect! Soundtrack Gone girl op you tube

*Do you plot out your book from start to finish and then write it down or let you your characters lead the story and see where they take you?

A little bit of both. I like to write the first 10,000 words without too much of a plan in my head – I like to get to know the characters and get excited about the story they might have to tell. But then I'll stop and plot out the rest. I find it easier to get a first draft written quite quickly if I have a detailed plan, and it's easier to see where the story needs more action or where a twist might work. 

*What can distract you from writing?

The internet! Especially Twitter and Instagram. And food – I'm always sneaking down to the kitchen to get snacks!

*What kind of books do you like to read yourself?

I like everything, really! Thrillers, of course, but I also like literary fiction, comedy, romantic stuff, and dystopian or sci-fi. I always have a big stack of books I can't wait to read.

*When did you discover you wanted to be a writer?

I've loved writing stories ever since I was a little girl but when I finished university I thought I wanted to work in publishing. I loved books so much that it seemed like the best career option for me – I didn't think normal people could be authors! However when I got started, I realised that wasn't true and I also realised that writing was my dream. I started working on a novel in secret and eventually got the courage to try and find an agent for it. 

*Can you name some books we have to read?

I love all of Megan Abbott's books – I think she's an amazing writer. The Three by Sarah Lotz is one of my favourite books ever, and the best thing I read last year was Bad Apple by Zoje Stage (also called Baby Teeth in some countries). I also really loved Birdbox by Josh Malerman – I've just watched the Netflix adaptation which is good, but the book is even better in my opinion.

*Are you already working on a new book?

Yes! It's called The July Girls and it's about a killer who strikes on the same day each year, and a young girl who thinks it might be her dad.