A CRIMINALLY GOOD READ

BESTSELLING CRIME AND THRILLER AUTHOR LISA GRAY TELLS US WHAT INFLUENCES HER WRITING

What was the inspiration behind your new novel?

A few years ago, I read a feature about an unusual hobby—people who get a kick out of developing the camera films of strangers. They find the spools on ebay, at car boot sales and house clearances, and then share the photos in online forums. I loved the idea of “mystery film” and thought it would be a great premise for a book but, of course, being a crime writer, something really bad would have to be on the film!

What attracts you most about writing crime and thrillers?

Coming up with the pieces of a puzzle to be solved that gets the adrenaline pumping and the brain cells working, and keeps the reader guessing.

How do you come up with your ideas?

They come from newspaper stories, true-crime shows and podcasts, magazine articles, real life... I’m always bookmarking stuff on Twitter or ripping pages from magazines for my ideas file.

When plotting a book, my wall is covered with colour-coordinated Post-its. I usually know the main twists before I write a single word, but one or two new ones always sneak in later on.

How much, if anything, of what you write is based on real life?

Bad Memory was inspired by a real case where a group of people confessed to a small-town murder in the 1980s that none of them had any memory of committing. DNA exonerated them years later. The idea for Dark Highway came from reading about several women who’d all disappeared along US Route 29. W hile these cases provided the spark of an idea, the storylines in the books were different to the real-life events.

Do you have a favourite author?

Ian Rankin and Michael Connelly, for creating series characters you look forward to spending time with; Karin Slaughter for compelling small-town mysteries, and Gillian Flynn for brilliantly unlikeable characters.

How easy do you find writing?

I love coming up with ideas, plotting, researching and editing. For me, writing the first draft is the most daunting. Then something clicks, and the scene plays out in my mind like a movie and it’s a case of writing it all down as fast as I can.

‘REAL CASES PROVIDE THE SPARK OF AN IDEA’

What’s your advice for aspiring writers?

Write! Having the courage to get started can be the hardest part.

What do you love most about your job?

The freedom to choose when and where to work. I’m a night owl and often write into the night, so it’s great to be able to have a lie-in or afternoon nap after a big session. Also, hearing from readers. It blows my mind that someone can get lost in a world that I’ve created, just like I do with my own favourite authors.