My debut novel, Heather, is released today (21 June 2024). This is life-long dream territory. And it still doesn’t feel quite real.
Nightmare
I started writing Heather when I was 20 years old. The idea came to me during a nightmare when I was living in a rented flat above a video rental shop in my second year of uni. A ghostly face reflecting back next to my own.
That was all I started with, but once home I opened my laptop and stayed there for two months typing faster than I thought I was capable of. And then there it was, a novel. A first draft of a novel I would see published a mere 21 years later.
I can’t remember exactly what it was that made me dust Heather off last year. In part, I was inspired by a friend (Hayley Smith) who had her novel published after starting it ten years ago. I suddenly realised it was within reach for me to do the same.
Re-reading those words two decades after they were furiously typed was a strange experience. I met myself at the age of twenty. And some of the things I had written did not make sense! So, the editing process started.
There is a reason most people don’t write novels. It is because of the editing. I read, and re-read Heather several times to iron out the inconsistencies, the typos and the naivety of a 20-year old writer who didn’t believe in research. It was a group effort. I am fortunate that my sister is an expert in mental health and the facilities that treat people for their mental health problems. She was able to steer me around those parts of the book quite nicely. Likewise, my husband gave some insights into how educational facilities worked. Together, they gave the book some authenticity.
Dream
Now, I have a fully-fledged book. Although I am scared to look at it in case I spot a typo. It has already been shipped out to more people than I was expecting and now I sit in fear of reviews.
It is tough, laying part of your soul bare for all to see. What will people see that I didn’t know I was showing? Will they think me mad? Will they tell me not to bother with novel number 2?
Try as I might, I can’t ignore the thoughts of others here. I would love to; I have done something I always wanted to and fulfilled a dream. Not everyone can say that. Although, I would say that the only thing it took was a little push. I saw how close that dream was and all I had to do was put in a little effort to get the ball rolling.
My advice to fellow dream chasers? Take a look at what you need to get started, a give it a push.
Charlotte Wood is a feminist and writer of the macabre and sinister. She reads horror, fantasy, classic literature and historical fiction (with a preference for history from a woman’s perspective).
Charlotte’s debut novel Heather available for preorder now!
A compelling, frightening and heart-breaking tale of desperation, Heather is a ghost story spanning 100 years that will keep you guessing till the end.
