A Q&A with Cynthia Murphy, in partnership with the West Midlands Teenage & Young Adult Book Club!

Posted on 20 February 2024

Best-loved thriller author Cynthia Murphy answers questions submitted by the West Midlands Teenage & Young Adult Book Club!

Cynthia’s latest book, Signed Sealed Dead is out now.

From Cathy Cook, the founder of the West Midlands TYA Book Club and a Teenage Cancer Trust funded Youth Support Coordinator. Cathy is based at Queen Elizabeth Hospital Birmingham.

In 2020, the pause button was pressed on people’s lives across the world due to Covid-19, but for many Teenagers and Young Adults (TYA’s) who have a cancer diagnosis, this button would have been pressed long before we had even heard of coronavirus. When we were told to ‘Stay At Home’, there was at times little to do and nowhere to go, and so many sought the escapism offered through a book. Our West Midlands TYA Book Club started with three members, which would meet every couple of weeks and would talk about the books that we had decided to read, noting some of the things that overlapped with our lives or the differences in how we interpreted some of the characters or plot twists – it was a safe and friendly space to spend some time away from things.

Over the past three years, our little TYA Book Club has grown and evolved and we are now joined by young people not only from the West Midlands, but Leeds, Edinburgh, and Newcastle. We even have a consultant hematologist fully invested and recruiting new readers! We have also been lucky enough to have been joined by four different authors to discuss the books that we have read, and have welcomed Cynthia twice to join us to discuss two of her books which were an instant hit with the group (Win, Lose, Kill, Die and The Midnight Game). We were so excited to read her latest book, Signed Sealed Dead! Here are some questions put to Cynthia from some of our Book Club members….

How do you plan for the plot twists in your books? Do you add the foreshadowing/clues after or do you add them throughout?

A little of both! I plan some of the twists and usually the finale, but sometimes I add in more on a second draft or they come to me on the spot. I love foreshadowing and adding Easter eggs, and sometimes I have to rein it in so I don’t give the game away too much!

What is your favourite part of the planning/writing process?

I love two parts the most – the daydreamy bit before I start to write, where everything is possible, and the final read-through, where I realise I’ve done it again and I did in fact remember how to write a book! The in-between bit is a chaotic whirl of writing, some crying, much excitement, and a lot of snacks.

What inspired your idea to write about a character experiencing a cancer diagnosis in your new book?

I was diagnosed with breast cancer in 2016 and went through nine months of treatment. It has always been something I’m comfortable talking about in a kind of clinically detached way – I think it’s really important to raise awareness – but this was the first time I felt safe enough to approach the emotional aspects of dealing with things like the anxiety around scans and not knowing what will happen in the future. Talking to the members of the book club helped massively with this, as I could chat with them about their experiences too. So many people’s treatment experiences are different, but our emotions were all the same and I wanted to get that down on the page, in case it ever helped a reader.

Is being an author what you expected it to be like?

Yes and more! I never expected to be a full-time writer so soon – I was a primary school teacher when my first two books were published. Since then I’ve had experiences that have felt like dreams, from meeting readers and signing books at ComicCon to winning awards and flying to Dublin to take part in the Lit Fest. Every day brings something new and exciting and I’ve made some wonderful friends in the industry too.

How long does it take you to write a book?

Anywhere between three to six months for a first draft, but the whole editing process from starting to write to a finished book takes roughly a year.

Where do you start?

With the hook. I need an idea that’s different enough to stand out but familiar enough for me to explore. I often need to know how it will all end and once I do, the opening scene starts to play out in my head, like a little movie. That’s when I know I’m ready to go!

When you write does the story develop as its goes along or do you have the plan set out?

I roughly plan, so I’ll have a loose idea of the ‘big’ moments and then I write in between them. Often I’ll see something online or listen to a podcast that fits in with what I’m doing, so I go ahead and add those in as I draft. It’s a pretty magical process!

How do you choose the settings/locations? Are these places that you know well or have been to before?

I love a closed set, whether that’s a small town or a school that’s been locked up. Somewhere that it’s not easy to leave is ideal – like Morton Academy in Win Lose Kill Die. My first book was set in an area of London that I’m familiar with, so sometimes it’s based on somewhere I’ve been, but I tried to make it seem claustrophobic and unknown to the main character.

How do you come up with the names of the characters?

I have named characters after friends, looked on baby name websites and asked people for ideas. Sometimes the character’s name is the first thing that comes to me – Paige in Signed Sealed Dead was decided right at the start of the planning process, because it seemed like a good name for someone with American and British parents.

What is your go to snack when you are writing?

Cups of peppermint tea with jelly sweets (I love Marks & Spencer Fruit Pastilles) and some salt and vinegar crisps always go down well! I also love a Diet Coke or a coffee to perk me up.

Do you ever get writers block or fear a blank page and how do you get over it?

All the time! I write a list of what I need to happen next and try to get to that point. I find a loose plan is best for me, as I don’t feel like I’ve failed if I don’t quite follow it or if I add in extra bits on the way! A little discipline works for me, but not too much.

What inspires your writing? Do you include your own life experiences?

I find inspiration everywhere, from movies to podcasts to weird objects in museums (especially weird objects in museums). I also find my own life sneaks in all the time! It might be a big thing, like my feelings around cancer treatment, or it might be small, like an inside joke or a nod to a place in a friend’s book. I love those bits!

What is your writing process?

Chaotic! I can’t do a little a day, so some days, especially towards the end of a draft, I will write a lot of words in one day. I’m trialing ‘office hours’ at the moment, which are kind of working, but I’m easily distracted sometimes!

How do you find the editing process?

I enjoy it more than I used to because I know it’s going to make the book so much better. Saying that, the first round of edits is usually the biggest, and I will generally have a quiet little sulk after I read them, wallow for a day and think I’m the worst writer ever, then read them again, agree with everything that’s been said and get on with it. I am more confident now and will question things that I feel might not work, but I’m really lucky and that has very rarely happened and if it has, they’ve been minor points. An editor works with you because they love the book as much as you do, so their notes are always there to strengthen a manuscript.

Do your main characters have anything in common with you?

They all do to a point, but Paige in Signed Sealed Dead is definitely like me – she’s a Manchester girl!