Lesley Kara questioned

Lesley Kara is an alumna of the Faber Academy ‘Writing a Novel’ course. She completed an English degree and PGCE at Greenwich University, having previously worked as a nurse and a secretary, and then became a lecturer and manager in Further Education. She lives on the North Essex coast.

Her debut novel The Rumour is a Sunday Times hardback and paperback bestseller and 2019’s bestselling print crime and thriller debut.

For today: she answered some questions

Who is Lesley Kara? Which five words describe you best, and why?

1.      Determined

Writing a novel is a long process and when things don’t go according to plan, it’s easy to lose heart. But writing is what I’ve always wanted to do and so determination has helped keep me going.

2.      Curious

When I was a child, my parents were exasperated by my continual questions. It’s probably why I became a voracious reader. As a writer, I can indulge my curiosity by observing people and situations and doing lots of research on the internet. Sometimes, it’s the little snippets you find out about something that add texture and authenticity to a novel.

3.      Happy

I would say that I’m generally a very happy person. That’s not to say I haven’t experienced periods of sadness and the occasional bout of depression. But on the whole, I feel incredibly fortunate, especially now that I’m doing something I truly love.

4.      Outgoing

Actually, I’m quite an introvert, but as long as I don’t overdo things and maintain a healthy balance between spending time with other people/attending writing events, etc. and having quiet time on my own to reflect and work on my books, I truly enjoy going out and about, talking about my novels and meeting people. There’s nothing quite like the magic of connecting with an audience.

5.      Optimistic

It’s a difficult time right now, for obvious reasons, and there’s lots to worry about. But I truly believe that we’ll come through this pandemic and that all the things we’ve learned will stand us in good stead for the future. It’s been heart-warming seeing all the positive things people have been doing to help others.

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

The initial idea for the book came to me a few years ago, when I heard a rumour that a notorious figure who’d committed a dreadful crime many years ago, was now living in a safe house in my neighbourhood (not the one I live in now, just in case you’re wondering!) For a few days after hearing this, I remember looking at people I passed on the street who were the right age and gender and thinking, ‘I wonder if it’s them.’ It occurred to me that this would be a great concept for a psychological thriller. I then started looking into past cases and in particular, that of Mary Bell in the 1960s. I also looked at other high-profile cases regarding the murder of children by other children, but it was Mary Bell’s story that inspired the novel. It’s certainly not based on the facts of that case, but there are one or two similarities.

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

Haha! Now that would be telling! I think there’s an element of me in all of my characters. When you write in the first person, as I often do, people always think that you’re writing about yourself, but it isn’t true. Of course, there are elements of my own personality and emotions that I sometimes find myself drawing on. The main character Joanna is, like me, a curious person, perhaps too curious for her own good! But equally there are elements of other people in her and the other characters too – people I’ve met or read about - plus a good dose of imagination, so that what appears on the page is an amalgamation of all these things.

The Rumour is your first book and is sold to several countries: how do you feel about that?

The Rumour has now been sold in 18 countries and I’m absolutely delighted! It’s been an amazing experience – literally a dream come true – and when I see all the foreign editions and my words translated into all those different languages, I feel incredibly proud of my achievements and immensely grateful to the translators, many of whom rarely get the recognition they deserve. So thank you very much, Els van Son!

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

I’m lucky to be able to write full-time now, so I can write at whatever time of day suits me best. In the early stages of a novel, I tend to write in short bursts, usually in the morning after breakfast. 600 words a day would be a good result for me. However, as I approach the end, I often find myself writing all day, especially if a deadline is looming, and then it’s not uncommon for me to write 1500 to 3000 words a day. My only rituals would be having a strong coffee and doing the crossword with my husband before starting work. I also like to start the day with a clear desk, so I might spend some time tidying up the mess from the day before, which is basically just a form of procrastination!

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

No music. Ever! I mean, I love listening to music, but not when I’m writing. It’s too distracting. I like complete silence.

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

I usually know the beginning, the end, and possibly one or two of the major plot points along the way. The rest is a journey of discovery, but I tend to write better if I know what is going to happen in the next few chapters. I always knew what the major twist in The Rumour was going to be, but the actual ending, ie. the last few lines, took me completely by surprise!

What can distract you from writing?

I’m fairly disciplined, to be honest. However, I do find it hard to lock myself away in my study when it’s sunny and warm outside. I love gardening, and I’m also lucky enough to live a two-minute walk away from a beautiful beach. Social media can also be a great distraction. I try to schedule Twitter and Facebook breaks into my working day so that I don’t end up scrolling for hours on end!

When did you discover you wanted to be a writer?

I used to enjoy writing stories when I was a young child and as a teenager, I wrote a lot of poetry. Throughout my twenties and thirties I dreamed of being a writer, but work and family meant that I didn’t always have enough time to devote to it. Then, in my late forties, I had a period of ill health which prompted me to re-evaluate what I wanted from life, and since writing a novel had always been an ambition, I decided I had to start taking it seriously.

What kind of books do you like to read yourself?

I have a wide-ranging taste in books, but probably read more crime fiction than anything else because I enjoy it so much, and because I’m sent so many proofs to read! Crime is such a broad genre and from the time I first started reading Ruth Rendell in my early twenties, I never looked back.

Can you name some books we have to read?

I’ve just finished reading a wonderful book called ‘What’s Left of Me is Yours’ by Stephanie Scott. It’s a fabulous debut set in Japan and it’s based on a true crime centred around the covert Japanese industry ‘wakaresaseya’, where one spouse hires an agent to seduce the other in order to gain the advantage in divorce proceedings. It is beautifully written and I’d highly recommend it.

Are you already working on a new book?

I’ve just completed the draft of Book 3, The Dare, which my editor is now reading. I think you can read the blurb on Amazon already, and of course, my second novel, Who Did You Tell, which tells the story of a recovering alcoholic whose troubled past comes back to haunt her, came out in January in the UK. I do hope these two novels will be published in The Netherlands. Fingers crossed!