Claire Hatcher-Smith: 'I love language and figuring out what makes people tick'
BY Maya Fernandes
4th Mar 2025
Claire Hatcher-Smith was a student on our Edit & Pitch Your Novel course in 2020. We caught up to discuss the release of her debut novel, The Mizzy Mysteries: A Skeleton in the Closet – out now from Farshore.
Read on to hear about Claire’s time on the course, her writing routine and the classic detective novels that inspired her middle-grade murder mystery.
Claire, you took an Edit & Pitch Your Novel course with us in 2020. How did the course help shape your writing?
Oh, wow. The course helped in so many ways. I really started writing seriously in January 2000. I wrote three other novels which I tried to place with an agent. Even after all that time, and with a fulfilling other job and family, being a published writer was still my dream. I then wrote Mizzy and, as Covid hit, like many of us I suddenly had a bit more time to nurture that dream. I enrolled on the CBC course and, for me, the rest is history. Anna’s approach to editing was invaluable, not only for tightening up my manuscript but also for preparing the whole submission package. Connecting with other authors at a similar stage in the journey was also incredibly meaningful. Everyone was so generous with their time and input and support. I was so inspired that I began querying Mizzy shortly after the course finished.
A lot of students find a great writing community during our courses. Are you still in touch with any of your course mates?
Yes! We still have a Facebook group which we update from time to time. Three of us have managed to place our books with publishers and hopefully some of them are coming to the launch party. It’s been so fun to cheer each other on.
The Mizzy Mysteries is such a fun take on the children’s mystery genre! What inspired you to write a mystery, and what was it about Mizzy that made her the perfect protagonist to lead the series?
Great question, but actually it was the other way around. I knew I wanted to write a middle-grade novel with a main protagonist with Down Syndrome, which would promote representation and help to smash some stereotypes. The challenge was coming up with her story. My previous novels had all been historical or literary wannabes and I’m not quite sure how the mystery idea first came to me. But, once it did, it felt perfect. I had a tween-age addiction to Agatha Christie along with every British TV detective series (especially Scott and Bailey). In particular, I adored the unsuspected, underestimated brilliance of Miss Marple. Just like that, Mizzy Maypole was born.
A strong setting can make or break a mystery. How did you go about crafting the world of The Mizzy Mysteries? Is there a place from your own life that influenced the setting?
As a starting point, I drew heavily on Miss Marple and St Mary Mead. Of course, with copyright, I had to pivot, but I had so much fun creating the alternative English country village of St Jude’s Junction. For the other settings, I was inspired by my years living and working in London, in particular Putney and Fulham and West Hampstead. And once I remembered the Ladies Pond on Hampstead Heath, I simply had to include it. Then once it made its appearance, it seeped across the whole story.
How has your experience as a speech and language therapist influenced your work? Do you find that it informs the way you portray communication and relationships in your writing?
Ooh, another great question. I’m not sure I can separate my work as a speech and language therapist from my writing. I do both jobs because I love language and connection and figuring out what makes people tick. With Mizzy, my work experience obviously informed her character development, and I was lucky enough to have so many supportive families to guide me along the way.
What is your writing routine?
I now work part-time as an SLT, so I’m very lucky to have several hours of writing time a day. After the dog is walked (valuable plot-knot thinking time) I settle down and write until lunchtime. This can be pages and pages, or lots of thinking and not much to show for it. After another dog walk, I might sneak in a few more words before switching hats and working virtually with my clients. If I have deadlines, I will continue writing in the evening, after I’ve fed the family and at least said hello. If I don’t have deadlines, I’ll watch a good murder mystery on TV or read: other middle-grade novels for inspiration (and to review and support other authors), but also whatever catches my eye (usually domestic noir or murder mysteries or a wonderful literary, lyrical voice). When I’m hatching plots, I do a lot more walking (the dog loves plot-hatching) and a lot of mindless chores, which keep me busy while my mind slips sideways.
Are there any authors or books that influenced the way you write mysteries, or that you looked to for inspiration when creating The Mizzy Mysteries?
Agatha Christie, of course! But more recently, and more firmly in the middle-grade zone, Robin Stevens and Sharna Jackson. I also adore Kate Weston’s YA murder mysteries.
What’s next for Mizzy? Can we expect more books in the series, and do you have any other exciting new projects on the horizon?
I’m just in the middle of the magical madness of promoting Mizzy #1. It’s a dream-come-true but also a bend-over-backwards learning curve. I’m also squeezing in structural edits for Mizzy’s second case, which is due to publish in the spring of 2026. As for new projects, I’m tuning up a World War Two coming-of-age story (with a ghostly twist) which I would really love to place with a publisher. Which brings me back to where we started and Anna’s wonderful advice…
Get your hands on a copy of The Mizzy Mysteries: A Skeleton in the Closet.
The books linked in this blog can be found on our Bookshop.org shop front. Curtis Brown Creative receive 10% whenever someone buys from our bookshop.org page.