Kathryn Whitfield: 'Receiving generous feedback made me think this dream of mine, to publish a novel, could be within reach'
BY Emily Powter-Robinson
6th Jun 2023
Former student, Kathryn Whitfield, took our six-month online Writing Your Novel course in 2018. Now, her debut novel, The Family at Number 11, is being published by Headline Accent in June 2023.
We spoke with Kathryn about the inspiration behind her nail-biting psychological thriller, her writing routines and her tips for building and maintaining suspense.
You took our six-month online Writing Your Novel course in 2018. How did the course impact your approach to writing?
When I applied for the course, I only had around 15,000 words drafted, and having the structure and deadline of having to produce scenes for critique spurred me on to finish the novel within the six months. The process of providing feedback on other novels also helped massively. I love crime and psychological thrillers and can get into the (bad) habit of just reading within that genre. I realised that I could learn so much about characterisation, structure and setting from reading books that were wildly different to mine.
The early feedback from our tutor, Lisa O’Donnell and the other students forced me to trust my readers and to write in a simpler way. It was the first time I had let anyone else read my work and being accepted onto the course and receiving generous feedback made me think that this pipe dream of mine, to publish a novel, could be within reach.
Many of our students find lifelong writing friends on our courses. Are you still in touch with anyone you met on the course?
We have a group email where we do keep in contact, although understandably that has become more sporadic as life takes over. Our course was online, and the students live across the world, so meeting in person is going to be tricky.
Writing groups are amazing though – as much as you can try to explain it to friends and family, the only people who truly understand the ups and downs of writing life are fellow writers.
Your debut novel The Family at Number 11 is being published by Headline Accent in June 2023. It is described as a nail-biting psychological thriller about seemingly perfect neighbours who are harbouring a secret behind closed doors. Can you tell us a bit more about the novel and the inspiration behind it?
The novel is about a couple, Penny and Jake, who have just had a baby boy. On the surface, everything is great. However, Penny is lonely on maternity leave and worries she isn’t bonding with her baby. Then Celia and Pete move in across the road, the perfect couple with two young children. Penny is delighted to have a friend. But Celia and Pete have a secret, and the truth threatens to devastate everyone around them.
My inspiration comes from several places but can usually be boiled down to a ‘what if’ question. For this novel, I had the image of a new mum, feeling shattered and anxious, trying to feed her baby, then seeing a glamorous family pulling up in a car outside the nursery window. It got me thinking. What if the glamorous couple were unhappy? What if they had moved house for a reason? What if Penny is in danger after she discovers this reason? I couldn’t wait to start writing it.
Pacing is important in any novel, but especially within the psychological thriller genre. Writers need to keep their readers on the edge of their seats and make it as difficult as possible for them to put the book down. Do you have any tips for building and maintaining suspense in a novel?
Post it notes! My writing method is still a work in progress, but I tend to start with a synopsis, which outlines the main beats I want to hit – a strong opening, inciting incident, midpoint, and finale. Then I get to work with post it notes, covering my white board (and sometimes my wall) with scenes. That way, I can see the structure of the whole novel and this helps me to figure out if there are enough moments of tension spaced out throughout the novel.
This can also be picked up in an edit too. My main edit once I have the first draft written is to look at pacing. I cut scenes that add nothing and build up or add scenes where more tension is needed. Obviously, having an excellent editor also helps with this part (which I am very lucky to have)!
You started writing The Family at Number 11 during new-born naps whilst on maternity leave. What does a typical writing day look like for you? How do you keep yourself focused and motivated?
There is no such thing as a typical writing day for me. I work full time and have two young children, so most of my writing happens in the evening, once they are in bed. I don’t write every day, but I make sure I write regularly, otherwise I lose the flow of the story.
I am also becoming very adept at writing in small pockets of time on my phone. It is amazing how quickly those short bursts of words add up. Recently I’ve done this in bed before I go to sleep, while waiting for my youngest to finish gymnastics and sitting in my electric car while it charges.
What books have you enjoyed reading recently?
Three standout recent reads for me have been:
Notes on an Execution by Danya Kukafka – a really interesting take on a serial killer novel, which examines the crimes from the perspective of three women who have been impacted by them.
Wrong Place, Wrong Time by Gillian McAllister – a fantastic concept and brilliantly executed. I have recommended this to everyone I know.
In the Blink of an Eye by Jo Callaghan – a fresh take on the police procedural, where a DCS is paired with an AI detective to solve cold cases.
Finally, what’s next for your writing journey?
I have delivered my second manuscript to my editor and am waiting for edits to arrive. That book is another psychological thriller about family relationships, motherhood and who you can trust. I’m in the brainstorming and synopsis writing stage for book three, and will start writing that over the summer.
The Family at Number 11, is being published by Headline Accent on 8 June 2023. Pre-order your copy here.
Applications for both our six-month online and London Writing Your Novel courses close on Sun 23 Jul. Find out more and apply here.
Our next Writing a Psychological Thriller course starts 22 Jun. Find out more and enrol now.
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.