London

London for cheapskates…

Posted by Clare Chase on June 5, 2015

Posted in: London. 4 Comments

As I set some of my novels in London, it’s great to visit quite often – purely for research purposes, you understand. I’m not just swanning around enjoying myself or anything…

Near the Travelodge…

For our most recent trip, we got a room at the Liverpool Street Travelodge, which came in at £79. It turns out it’s OK for 3 adults and one child to share a family room, which worked out well since our eldest is now over sixteen. (Obviously, it was lucky she was still happy to slum it with the rest of us. Four people in one Travelodge room after a family argument is never a good thing…)

The staff were great, looking after our bags since we’d arrived before check-in time, and offering maps and a ready knowledge of local eateries. It was also fantastically central, of course. The downside was the noise. I often find there are people making a racket in the corridors after hours at Travelodges, and I’m guessing they don’t have the security or staff to ensure order. But I’ll take the rough with the smooth when we’re paying under £20 each to stay right in the city.

We decided a boat trip would be a nice way to see the sights and bought a family River Red Rover ticket from City Cruises. This gave us unlimited hop-on, hop-off access for 24 hours from piers at Westminster, Waterloo, Tower Bridge or Greenwich. It worked out at £9 per person, which again seemed like a good deal.

The crew were at pains to point out that the price didn’t include tourist commentary, which they felt was a shame, but, out of the goodness of their hearts, they were prepared to give us their spiel anyway, if we’d like it. We all put up our hands, eagerly. Turned out there was bucket at the end in case any of the hand-raisers wanted to show their appreciation… But I couldn’t really grudge them; the commentary was amusing. (They said they’d use the money in the local hostelries, tirelessly researching more anecdotes for our enjoyment…)

The Prospect of Whitby, was one of the places they waxed lyrical about. Apparently it’s London’s oldest riverside pub, dating back to 1520, and as well as once having been popular with smugglers and thieves, it’s been frequented over the years by everyone from Charles Dickens to Paul Newman.

The other thing we tried was the Emirates Air Line, a cable-car ride over the river, between the Royal Docks and the Greenwich Peninsula. Our one-way ticket was £11.90 for two adults and two teens – again, less than I’d have imagined, given the views we got in return.

So, all in all, a very happy trip. I do love London.

Inspiration for romantic suspense

Posted by Clare Chase on May 23, 2015

Posted in: For writers - all posts, For writers - resources, Lake District, London. 6 Comments

I’m in that in between stage at the moment. I’ve just submitted a novella to my publisher, Choc Lit, and I’m having a nice time, mulling over the story I might write next. I’ve been working on books featuring two sets of characters – one lot based in London and one in Cambridge. The novella I’ve just sent off was a follow-up to You Think You Know Me, set in the capital. The first full-length Cambridge book is due out in December.

One of the things I enjoy most, when I’m between writing books, is getting enthused by other writers. I’ve found some inspiring advice out there in the last few days, so I thought I’d share it.

I really like this short video by Mary Burton. It’s full of concrete tips to consider. She covers everything from establishing the stakes to the difference setting can make:

I like her ideas about mini mysteries alongside the key one, and her tips about pacing. I certainly wanted Anna, the heroine of You Think You Know Me, to be caught up in the mystery right from the start. I haven’t tried using Burton’s method of showing the killer’s point of view yet, but I think it could work really well in one of the stories I’m planning.

I also enjoyed Lisa Gardner’s Seven Secrets of Writing Romantic Suspense. When it comes to research though, I’m not sure I’ll go as far as volunteering in a mortuary… You Think You Know Me has an arts-world setting, and I’m happy to commit to wandering round galleries. Gardner makes similar comments to Burton about the importance of setting. I was conscious of this when I moved the action in my debut novel from frenetic London, which was perfect for the main part of the story, to the bleak beauty of the Lake District, for the denouement. There’s a definite sense of isolation there. The mountains mean even if you’re driving, you can’t travel at speed, and mobile coverage is patchy. The weather in the Lakes can also turn very quickly; tricky for walkers, but perfect for storytellers.

As part of my internet browsing spiral, I also found some interesting posts analysing romantic suspense as a genre, including this one by Laura Sheehan.

And this article on AutoCrit is great if you’re looking for romantic suspense authors to read – from the classics like Daphne du Maurier to modern bestsellers such as Nora Roberts. It also gives the pluses and minuses of writing in the genre, and explores different approaches to plotting. So far, all the stories I’ve written have had a whodunit element, and the reader doesn’t know who the villain is until the end. However, as the article points out, you can create a fantastically suspenseful story by showing the reader exactly who to fear, right from the start, but leaving the heroine in ignorance.

And of course, reading books in the genre also provides great inspiration. Given that it’s Saturday, I might just settle down with one…

There isn’t much excuse for this – but because I’m in between things and everything…

A London marathon and a Cambridge mystery

Posted by Clare Chase on May 1, 2015

Posted in: Cambridge, Choc Lit, Clare Chase - books, Journey to publication, London. Tagged: Journey to publication. 8 Comments

Several exciting things have happened since I last posted. We were in London at the weekend to watch DH romp home in the marathon. We were incredibly lucky to get passes to the grandstands so we had an amazing view. I felt really emotional watching the winners, Paula Radcliffe and of course, my husband, dashing past us on that final stretch. Luckily, I was given a cow bell to shake before I got too overcome. It made a fantastic racket and I’m thinking of keeping it handy, in case I need to call order. Since then, we’ve also had a lovely time celebrating elder DD’s 17^th birthday.

And on a personal note, I’ve just signed a new contract with Choc Lit. I’m really excited because it’s for a mystery set in my home city. I’ve been in Cambridge for years now, and have found it’s full of surprising contrasts. Since arriving, I’ve lived everywhere from the house of Lord to a slug-infested flat. Squatters live cheek by jowl with professors and millionaire entrepreneurs. Meanwhile, given that it’s home to an 800-year-old university, it’s steeped in tradition, yet also at the heart of ‘Silicon Fen’, a phenomenally successful cluster of science and technology businesses.

It’s atypical in that it’s a very small city. Its enclosed environment means there are lots of interconnections between people you wouldn’t expect, which is perfect for a mystery writer. Telling a secret is a risky business… Cambridge’s size also means the student population’s very visible. Almost 20 percent of residents are here to study. It skews the age balance and feels odd, since it means I gradually get older, but I’m surrounded by Peter (and Pippa) Pans!

Inevitably, where there are academics with international reputations, bringing in multi-million pound research grants, there’s also pressure and rivalry. I’ve worked at the University, and at one of the colleges, so I’ve had a sneak peek into that side of life. All the while I was enjoying a ringside seat, the desire to write about the city grew.

The novel Choc Lit have just taken on is (currently) called A Stranger’s House in Cambridge. Here’s a flavour of the set-up:

When Ruby Fawcett is offered a house-sitting job it seems like a gift, giving her a roof over her head when she’s made a bolt from home. But it’s soon clear the absent house owner likes to play games with women and Ruby realises she’s being controlled by a man she’s never met. As she explores his house she sees signs of a talent for cruelty that’s been given free rein. But now he’s crossed the wrong person, and Ruby’s about to get caught up in a chain of deadly consequences.

The fictional house overlooks Midsummer Common and the river, and the action takes place in high summer. The cast includes students, an actor, an entrepreneur and an academic. There’s also Nate, an ex-PI, who’s more than secretive about why he gave up his job.

My current release and this one feature ordinary women who are flung into extraordinary situations. It’s fantastic to be able to explore both London and Cambridge as settings, and I hope to continue both strands.

On the London side of things, I’ve just finished the first re-draft of the novella sequel to You Think You Know Me. I’m about to repeat the experience!

The ebook version of A Stranger’s House in Cambridge is due out in December this year. (I will now bounce excitedly and ring my cow bell. I knew it would come in handy…)

The perils of the partially familiar location – London calling

Posted by Clare Chase on December 17, 2014

Posted in: Clare Chase - books, For writers - all posts, For writers - methods, London. 4 Comments

Anna, the heroine of my debut mystery, You Think You Know Me, is in a smart London gallery when she meets the man who calls himself Max. She feels an instant connection with him, but then she finds he’s given her a false name…

Anna’s London is a world of bright lights, wintery glitter and parties. The setting mirrors her excitement, and the jittery nerves sparked off by the events that overtake her.

Anna’s lodging in Hampstead whilst she pursues her career as a freelance journalist. Asking questions is second nature, but a little knowledge can be a very dangerous thing…

I went to University in London, still visit regularly and love its incredible variety. My college, Westfield, was based in Hampstead, which influenced my choice of location. It was an expensive place to be a student, and full of tempting restaurants and pubs. Walks on the Heath were a good budget option when it came to entertainment!

I found using Hampstead, and London more broadly, had advantages but also pitfalls. I haven’t lived there for twenty years, which means it’s regained its mystery. I can see its quirks and curiosities all the more clearly now I’m not an insider. On the other hand, I’m out of touch. I took these photos when I went back to check my facts. I couldn’t remember if it was possible to feel isolated in Back Lane. The answer was no, not when you consider that the Flask pub is at the bottom of the road… Maybe at three in the morning, but…

Further investigation also revealed that I’d sent my characters on tortuous tube journeys when it would have been quicker for them to walk. Cue further editing… So being partially familiar with the territory was the issue; if you know you don’t know then that’s fine. I kept thinking I did know, but then finding I’d been deluding myself… I hope I didn’t miss anything in my checking. I love London, and I want to have done it justice. It provided just the atmosphere I needed for most of the book.

In search of the truth, Anna travels from the frenetic capital to the lonely winter landscape of the Lakes, surrounded by the towering fells. It’s an isolated spot to run into trouble. I liked the stark contrast of the settings, and have visited the area recently enough to know that mobile coverage is still remarkably patchy up there… a pain when you’re a tourist, but darned handy when you’re writing a mystery!

To finish, a London song (any excuse):

Waxing Lyrical – Poetic Pop

Posted by Clare Chase on November 23, 2013

Posted in: For writers - all posts, For writers - methods, London. Leave a comment

Got into a mad YouTube spiral last night. I’m not sure if it was the fact that it was Friday, the quantity of red wine that was flowing or what, but before I knew it, I was chain-watching the music videos of my youth and beyond. It made me realise how effectively some of my favourite songs conjure up a sense of time and place, something I really mind about in books too. I found the artists’ ability to create such convincing vignettes in around three and a half minutes inspiring. With that in mind, I’ve picked out five of my favourites to share here:

The Jam – That’s Entertainment

I can practically smell the urine-soaked alleyways. I know that doesn’t sound like an advantage, but it’s one of the most evocative songs I know…

Billy Joel – Piano Man

This bitter-sweet song conjures up the scene and the characters involved so clearly: a group of people, together alone, not quite where they want to be, but too caught up in the mesh of life to change course.

Madness – Our House

I don’t know why this tugs at my nostalgia strings quite so strongly – maybe it’s because I’m just like the mum in the video. Other than the bit about being house-proud obviously…

Tom Robinson – Listen to the Radio

This takes me to cities I’ve never visited, and a situation in someone else’s life. I had the single when I was young and used to lie back on my own bed, imaging it all. It’s probably just me, but I don’t find the video helps, and have taken to listening to the music with my eyes closed as a precaution…

The Kinks – Waterloo Sunset

The temptation to go for something specifically London-ish for number five was too strong to resist. I find Baker Street very atmospheric, and in darker moods have certainly felt alone, lost and anonymous in amongst London’s masses. But most of the time I’m very fond of its sprawling, scruffy crowdedness, so I went for Waterloo Sunset instead.

Settings in Fiction – London and Cambridge

Posted by Clare Chase on April 15, 2013

Posted in: Cambridge, For writers - all posts, For writers - methods, For writers - resources, London. 2 Comments

I’ve been thinking about settings in fiction this week. Two of my favourite locations for novels are London – where I went to University – and Cambridge, where I live and work. At first glance, they appear to be quite different. I love the great, heaving mass of activity that makes up London: the diversity, the size; I even like the noise and the dirt and the bustle. I love the blast of hot air you get when a tube train rushes into the station, the way you can go out in central London at midnight and still find the place crawling with theatre goers, just tumbling out of the restaurants after a post-show dinner.

But, of course, I realise I’m talking about the prosperous side of London life here. Just like London, Cambridge has its share of street drinkers, homelessness and crime. Just like London it also has plenty of life at the other end of spectrum, with its expensive homes, exclusive shops and shi shi restaurants, alive with conversation. And it throws some rarefied university-related traditions into the bargain. Cambridge isn’t anywhere near as large or as busy as the capital, of course, but it too is visited by tourists from all over the world, and in spring it sprouts street entertainers and its streets throng with people.

In both London and Cambridge you can be as eccentric as you like without causing a stir. Fancy indulging in some public mud wrestling? Want to dress entirely in shades of purple? Plan to hurtle past with an unexplained skeleton in your bike basket? In either city I suspect you’d feel quite at home. The phrases “only in London” and “only in Cambridge” are both much used, and I expect there are other “only” places too..

Both cities have green areas within their borders – London with its parks, and Cambridge with its commons, next to the river, with grazing cattle in summer. And both have some great architecture – both historic and modern – and famous images to draw on.

With Cambridge it’s much quicker to access the countryside proper: the strange eerie loneliness of the fens, with their 180 degree skies and flat watery landscapes as far as the eye can see.

Both cities instantly fill me with ideas for stories, with their strange nooks and crannies, the mix of cultures and the way in which they sandwich people from different backgrounds together. Because Cambridge is smaller, this effect is intensified. Squatters live cheek by jowl with Nobel laureates, and you can walk from singers performing madrigals by the river to crowds of dispossessed people on Christ’s Pieces in five minutes. The inequalities of life are very apparent. Cambridge is also full of a constantly replenished supply of young people. Students make up a substantial portion of the population. When I first arrived I was roughly their age. The years have passed for me, but not for this perpetually renewed cohort. That, for me, is one of the singularities of living here.

When working on a setting for a story, I love the excuse it gives me to set out for a long walk, camera and notebook in hand. I record video when I can so that I can remember sounds, as well as the way a place looks. I find writing scenes set in summer especially satisfying, when the warmth brings out the smell of a place, whether its traffic fumes, grass or a newly painted fence.

Clare Chase

London & Cambridge mysteries