Holly Seddon: 'Suspense only works if the reader cares about the characters'
BY Maya Fernandes
14th Apr 2026
In this interview Holly Seddon, internationally bestselling thriller writer, shares her writing journey and advice for aspiring authors.
'If you know what you do and don’t enjoy in other books, you can apply that to your own work. For example, you will know when pace is lagging because you know what that feels like as a reader.'
We spoke to Holly about her writing routine, tips for building suspense and what she loves most about working with aspiring authors.
What first interested you in writing thrillers? Can you tell us a little about the process of writing your first book?
Throughout my twenties, I half-wrote a bunch of speculative novels but never planned them properly so they always ran aground.
Then in 2010, I heard a radio programme about people stuck in a form of long-term coma. I had the idea of a teenage girl who was the victim of a terrible unsolved crime in 1995 and had been in this state ever since. I knew it would be intriguing and emotionally rich to look at what happened to everyone connected to the case who had gone on with their lives (or not…) while she lay in stasis, and it naturally developed into a crime thriller. I planned the shape of it by reading other thrillers!
I was working and raising young kids and so it took quite a few years to reach the point of submitting it to agents.
Your latest novel, 59 Minutes, is a gripping thriller following three women as they face an incoming nuclear attack. Do you have any advice for writers who want to build suspense effectively in their own work?
Alfred Hitchcock says it best with his bomb under the table analogy. “There is no terror in the bang, only in the anticipation of it.” Tell readers what is going to happen (show someone hiding a bomb under a table), and then let the tension rise as that potential crisis looms over the world of the story (diners sit at the table, chitchatting while the bomb ticks).
I would also say that suspense only works if the reader cares about the characters. Even if we know something catastrophic is coming, we aren’t invested unless we want the characters to survive it. In a practical sense, I am also a fan of very short chapters.
You were also a journalist, writing for national magazines and newspapers. Has that background influenced how you write novels? And what does a typical writing day look like for you?
Journalism teaches you to boil down complex concepts into direct and accessible language, and how to immediately catch a reader’s attention. Writing headlines and story pitches helped me to drill down to snappy novel hooks.
Book editors are so gentle compared to tabloid editors, but I have quite a thick skin for feedback! I also really like deadlines. In fact, because book deadlines are much longer than journalism deadlines (which could often be an hour’s time!), I give myself regular smaller deadlines along the way.
My writing day varies but I always start by reading what I wrote the day before. I tweak it as needed, and this acts as a kind of warm-up exercise while lowering me back into the world of the book. If I’m working on a first draft, I write about 1,000 words a day, every day, six days a week and try to make them of a shareable quality. I’m still a jobbing journalist at heart!
As the co-host of The Honest Authors’ Podcast with Gillian McAllister, you speak to so many incredible authors and agents. Who would be your dream guest – dream rules apply so they can be alive, dead or imaginary?
Oh man, that is a great but tough question! After giving this a ridiculous amount of thought, I’m going to say H.G. Wells.
Which books do you always recommend to others?
I love writers’ memoirs, in particular A Moveable Feast by Ernest Hemingway and Curriculum Vitae by Muriel Spark. It helps to realise they were human too, getting into all sorts of scrapes, and both are very funny as well as inspiring.
My sister-in-law bought me the complete Sherlock Holmes collection. It’s over 1,000 pages long with tiny text, and includes every novel and short story. Every one is a masterclass on set up of mystery and delivery of solution, not to mention one of the most well-drawn characters of all time.
We’re so excited that you’ll be teaching on our upcoming online Writing Your Novel – Six Months course. What do you find most rewarding about supporting budding writers?
I’m excited too! I love working with emerging writers, helping them to find their voice, and develop a process that works for them. I try to be honest with them. Writing books can be messy and frustrating at times, it’s not a linear process and that’s good! It’s actually vital to learn through trial and error. Nothing makes me happier than watching writers grow in confidence and take bigger swings with their writing.
Finally, could you share your top three tips for writers who are at the start of their writing journey?
- Everyone’s writing process is different. Part of becoming a writer is understanding what yours looks like. If you write everything long-hand, or read out loud to yourself or need eight drafts to really nail the story, don’t pull against this if it’s working! And never be ashamed if your process is different to someone else’s.
- Don’t forget to read! Reading is likely what brought you to writing in the first place, and strong reading muscles are crucial for editing skills. If you know what you do and don’t enjoy in other books, you can apply that to your own work. For example, you will know when pace is lagging because you know what that feels like as a reader.
- Find your writing buddies. You don’t necessarily need beta readers (I don’t use them) but having cheerleaders who understand the unique challenges of writing can help you on the journey, and it’s wonderful to have writing friends to help celebrate the wins!
Holly Seddon is the international bestselling author of seven titles, including Try Not To Breathe, Don't Close Your Eyes and her latest 59 Minutes, which was picked by The Guardian as a thriller of the month and in the US as a Book of the Month and Indie Next pick. Alongside fellow author Gillian McAllister, Holly co-hosts the popular Honest Authors' Podcast.
We're delighted that Holly is a tutor on our upcoming online Writing Your Novel – Six Months course. Applications close 5 May.
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.