::mslexia author method::

The P D James Method
From Interview no. 14

• First comes the idea, which usually arises from the setting. The original inspiration for a novel springs from the feel of a particular place, be it a lonely stretch of beach, a house with a sense of history or a community.

• The details of the plot come next, and this is particularly important for a detective novel. Plotting, planning and research take about as long as it takes to write the novel – sometimes up to a year before actually starting.

• During this period never go anywhere without a notebook to jot down ideas, descriptions of places, faces observed and snatches of dialogue overheard. Always write it down because you won’t remember it.

• This is also the time to think about your characters, to get in touch with them. You may see a face that inspires a particular character, or find that the way someone speaks fits the bill. Picking up little bits of information about people is most important.

• Thorough research is vital for a detective novel. It’s important that the details are very accurate so that the novel reflects life as it’s lived in society today. For instance, if what you are writing encompasses the legal system, you will need to speak to judges and barristers, as well as go to a courthouse and sit in on trials.

• When the book is plotted, begin to write, although not necessarily at the beginning or in the right order. Choose what you’d like to write each day you come to it. For example, you might want to write the scene where the body is discovered. It’s rather like making a film: write the sequences out of order and then put them together at the end.

• During the writing process things may change in terms of the way characters interact or scenes are written, but the overall plot is rarely altered.

• Write by hand, which gives the feel of the words coming from the brain, down the hand onto the paper, then dictate on a daily basis onto tape for transcription by a typist.

• When it’s printed out, that’s the first draft. This may need altering a great deal, but sometimes, if you’re lucky, the first dictation is as good as it can be.

Plotting, planning and research take about as long as it takes to write the novel – sometimes up to a year before actually starting.