I’m having a bit of a battle. My characters are getting downright insubordinate. Talk about rank ingratitude to the person who’s giving them life.

I thought the fact that I’d got the whole story mapped out would mean I just had to sit down and write it, but it’s proving to be a battle of wills. They’re starting to behave in ways I don’t want them to and never intended them to.
Tony was meant to be a bit of a lily-livered wimp (don’t worry he’s not the hero) – but he’s suddenly gone all stroppy on me and keeps throwing his weight about in a very “But I’m a man” macho sort of a way. Poor old Ginny is on the receiving end of all this crap and has suddenly gone all anorexic on me. I’m struggling to find other causes for her weight loss (and may have just pulled it off) – but the little minx does seem set on going down that road – and I DON’T WANT HER TO! Maybe just the act of writing that will help me re-exert control?

People say ‘you’re the boss – just make them do what you want them to do’, but anyone who has ever tried writing a novel will, I hope, sympathise. It can take on a whole life of its own. I go to bed at night and wake up after dreaming about what’s going on. Sometimes I can’t sleep at all and ideas or questions plague me. I keep a notepad and pen by the bed to catch this stuff – sometimes it’s useful but often I can’t even work out what I was thinking about! Infuriating.

I may moan about it here – but it doesn’t half make it interesting.