This week I have dived into writing the third in my crime series, a novel which I have tentatively called The Art of Breathing. I’m excited to be back with my characters and enjoying hearing what they have to say. This is one of the good things about writing a series, being able to consort for longer with characters who I have become very fond of and watching them grow and evolve.

The first two novels in the series – The Art of the Imperfect and The Art of Survival – came out of a rangy, loosely plotted creation I wrote in 2004. Crafting them into the crime genre gave the structure and pace the story badly needed. In number three, I am beyond the confines of the original, virgin territory, it is exhilarating and scary. So for the first time in my life, I found the need to plan before writing. Normally I write and write and write some more before I even think of the shape of it all. However, I went with my instincts and have created a rather lovely spider’s web of characters-action-backstory which interweave in a very satisfying way. Best of all it got me going and the words have tumbled out.

It will be interesting to discover where this new method of working will take me.