Heather Davey: 'Know your story and understand the motivations of your characters'
BY Maya Fernandes
18th Sep 2025
In this interview Heather Davey, author of the debut gothic novel The Ghosts of Merry Hall, shares her advice for writers looking to build suspense.
'Think about the things that scare you. Even the simplest of things – say, a fear of spiders – can provoke extreme physical reactions. Taking this fear and weaving it into a piece of writing can create extraordinary results.'
We caught up with Heather to discuss her time studying on our Finish Your Novel course, the inspiration behind her debut novel and her approach to creating vivid settings.
The crumbling Victorian mansion in The Ghosts of Merry Hall feels almost like a character in its own right. How intentional was that, and how did you go about using setting to create such an immersive atmosphere?
Right from the outset, it was important that Merry Hall felt ‘real’. I wanted the reader to buy into the idea that the building held echoes of the past and was guarding long-forgotten histories within its walls. Making Merry Hall as vivid as possible was definitely intentional, and I spent a long time thinking about the house, drawing maps and really placing myself mentally in the building. Without Merry Hall, it’s fair to say that there would be no story.
Throughout the novel, I’ve used this setting to reflect the way the characters feel and often employ devices such anthropomorphism to show how the mood and character of the house is central to the story. However, I didn’t deliberately shoehorn these devices in. Because Merry Hall is so vital to the story, and so vivid in my mind, this way of writing just came naturally. The wider setting – the isolation of the house and the encroaching snowstorm – adds to the desperation, claustrophobia and hopelessness that I needed readers to feel.
Dual timelines can be notoriously tricky to navigate but you manage to weave the mid-19th century and present day narratives together seamlessly. What was your approach to structuring these interwoven narratives, and were there any particular challenges you encountered along the way?
I’m a real planner and spent a long time on this part of the writing process. I created the storylines in parallel and made sure that both narratives rose and fell at roughly the same points in the book. I also tapped into the emotional states of my characters and ensured that they also worked together throughout the book, even when events in the two narratives were completely different.
It also worked to write the book straight from beginning to end rather than writing one narrative and then the other. This helped me to maintain cohesion and to journey with my characters chronologically, sometimes even discovering new connections between the two narratives. Swapping between two wildly different voices also helped me to keep things fresh and kept up my interest throughout the writing process.
The main challenge was not overwriting the historical parts of the book. I read widely on life in Victorian England and discovered many interesting facts which I desperately wanted to share. However, it was important to simply add flavour to the narrative rather than overwhelm (and possibly bore) the reader with everything I had learnt about the Victorians!
What advice would you give to writers looking to create tension and unease in their own stories?
- A good place to start is to think about the things that scare you. Even the simplest of things – say, a fear of spiders – can provoke extreme physical reactions. Taking this fear and weaving it into a piece of writing can create extraordinary results, especially when mixed with emotion.
- Secondly, a well-crafted structure will help to build tension and unease – know your story and understand the motivations of your characters. There needs to be a very clear reason why unsettling things are happening in your story – maybe revenge, injustice, unresolved history. Your reader must feel that the journey they are being led on has purpose, even if that purpose isn’t revealed in full until the end of the book. A strong structure will do that for you.
- Finally, I would say it’s important to read other stories in the genre. See how other writers have built tension and determine what you think works. Which novels send shivers down your spine and why? Reading is, I think, vital to any writer.
You studied on our Finish Your Novel – Eight Months course. How did your time with us shape your approach to writing?
Prior to studying with CBC, I completed an MA in Writing for Young People at Bath Spa University. After finishing, I realised that I actually wanted to write adult fiction and so enrolled on the Finish Your Novel course. The structure of the course and the input from tutors really helped me to push my novel forward and gave me the opportunity to clarify my ideas and focus on where I wanted the story to go.
Many of our students find lifelong writing friends on our courses. Are you still in touch with anyone you met on the course?
Yes. A group of us have kept in touch and we regularly share writing tips and help to keep each other motivated through the highs and lows. It’s a real strength of CBC – there’s a sense of community and I have found a really supportive and friendly group in my fellow alumni.
Are there any upcoming mystery or gothic novels on your ‘to be read’ list that you’re especially looking forward to?
At the moment, I’m busy reading for the 2026 Carnegie Awards for which I’m extremely honoured to be a judge. However, there are some novels that I’m looking forward to, once I get some free reading time. In particular, I’m eager to get my hands on The Last Witch by CJ Cooke, The Infirmary by Carly Reagon and Rainforest by Michelle Paver.
And finally, what’s next for your writing journey?
I’m currently working on my second novel, The Memory Tree, which comes out in September 2026, also published by Titan Books. In addition, I’m sketching out plans for a third book, but am still playing around with ideas for this one and getting to know my characters and setting.
Get your hands on a copy of The Ghosts of Merry Hall, out now from Titan Books.
Heather Davey was a student on our Finish Your Novel – Eight Months course in 2022.
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