Author Interview – Emma Christie
Exotic destinations, mindfulness, and a run-in with Donald Trump... In Her Shadow author Emma Christie shares her writing journey here.
Emma, tell us a bit about your writing journey…
I was offered my first ever book deal exactly 10 years to the day after I’d told my boss I was quitting my job to write a novel. In that time I’d written three-and-a-half novels. The first got me my agent but no book deal. The second got me a meeting with a London publisher but… no book deal. The third one I started writing was rubbish so I never finished it and almost gave up. Then I completely rewrote the first one, setting the story in Scotland instead of Guatemala… and after dozens of rejections and seven months on submission, I finally got an offer from an independent publisher. And I said yes!
Tell us about your newsroom experience. How has that informed / influenced your writing?
I worked as a news reporter for five years, four of those in Aberdeen and one in the Highlands of Scotland. It’s helped me in so many ways – writing even if I don’t feel like it, and chopping and deleting huge sections of text. It also gave me an insight into real life and real crimes that I’d never have had access to otherwise.
And you met Donald Trump…
Ha, yes I did. Trump was involved in a very controversial project in the north-east of Scotland back in 2005. He wanted to build a golf course on protected land that happened to be in my ‘news patch’ at the paper. So I became the official Trump reporter for that story and for the public inquiry that followed. I was invited on board the Trump jet for an interview but we refused, knowing it wasn’t neutral territory. So instead I was offered a phone interview, direct to Trump Towers, with half the newsroom crowded around me as we spoke. I also asked a few questions during press conferences, which he never answered. Even back then, when the idea of him standing as president was little more than a joke, he was the master of soundbites and tried to make sure he got his own booming message out, regardless of whether his message matched reality.
In Her Shadow was recently named a thriller of the month in The Times. What’s been the key to your success?
First of all, perseverance. Secondly, meditation has been a hugely important part of my personal development over the past decade. For me, it’s like some kind of superpower. It’s helped me to understand myself much better, and with that, I understand my characters so much better too. It helps me respond to and accept challenging situations – of which there are many in the life of a writer.
Also, what does writing ‘success’ mean to you?
I think the typical idea of success shifts all the time. Initially it was - get a book deal. Then once I got a deal it was – sell lots of books, win an award, get a novel optioned for film. It’ll never end, but I don’t think that’s a bad thing. It’s good to have goals and to feel like you can always get better. BUT I do think that my greatest success so far is not anything to do with the books or sales etc. My greatest success is building a lifestyle that I love, and I did that during my 10 years of writing and NOT being published. I could be a Sunday Times bestseller and award-winner but it’s all for nothing if I didn’t have time for exercise, meditation, weekends away in my van, and spending quality time with family and friends on a regular basis. I live intensely but without stress and that for me is key.
Tell us about your writing routine?
My writing routine has changed since I spent six months living and working in my campervan in Europe and the Balkans. Like many freelancers, I’d always adopted the typical nine-five working life even though I was working for myself. In fact, I often worked even longer hours to ‘prove’ to myself and others than I was working hard, especially before I got published. But during that van trip I’d get up at 5.45am and work intensely for three to four hours and then close the laptop and spend the rest of my day exploring the places we were travelling through. The impact was amazing. I enjoyed writing more because I was working fewer hours. I always felt like I’d had a proper break from my screen and my story when I got back to it each morning as there was often a 20-hour break between my daily sessions! I had no back and neck pain for the entire trip as I wasn’t spending all day sitting down. All in all, I worked more efficiently and enjoyed it more. I can’t really argue with that. I am now trying to build a similar routine into my life back home…
How do you deal with writing doubts?
Mediation helps. I can see the same doubts come and go, over and over, and that helps put them into perspective. I know they’ll come at some point but I also know they’ll leave again. Also chatting with other writers is super important. One of my biggest surprises about being a writer is how amazingly supportive and fun the writing community is. I had no idea I’d end up making so many new friends. And I quickly realised that almost everyone has the same doubts and fears, no matter how successful they appear on the outside. Key learning: you are not alone.
Talking of which, tell us about your festival…
The Diary of a Debut Novelist Festival aims to give new novelists a platform to share their experience, promote their work and gain knowledge and support from their peers. We’ve built up a thousand+ strong community of writers and regularly see more than fifty people join our free online events. If TYPE! readers would like to get involved, they can follow us on our Facebook page here.
Lastly, what advice do you have for aspiring writers?
Build a routine. Persevere. Sit down and write!
++ Emma Christie is the author of The Silent Daughter, Find Her First and The Times’ ‘thriller of the month’ In Her Shadow. You can follow Emma on X here, Instagram here, Facebook here, and on her author website here.
++ Picture credit Maria Jose Fernandez Hidalgo