Lucy Banks: On Writing

Writing for me was always a hiding place. I grew up in a strange house with a turbulent family life, and writing was the one thing I could reliably turn to when I wanted to escape from the world. From an early age, I was fascinated with turning those troubling experiences into words. Somehow, by writing them down, it makes the feelings lighter. It also gives you a level of control over them.

Ha – I didn’t realise it back then, but really, I used writing as a form of therapy. That’s why I never saw it as a viable career option until much later, because it was so private to me. I never once imagined while growing up that those words would end up on a printed page. 

So, when did the change of perception come about? Well, I continued writing books, just for myself. Then I had children and started writing for them. It was fun. All of a sudden, I had an audience and that’s when the penny dropped. Someone liked what I’d written. Admittedly they were young kids and probably would have enjoyed a story about a stone called Brian if I’d put a few toilet-related gags in there, but still. It was something of a revelation. 

Once my youngest was in school, I signed up for an eight-week creative writing course at Exeter College. This felt incredibly scary to me. I’d never invested a single penny into my writing before then, and I’d certainly never willingly shared my creative writing efforts with anyone who wasn’t family. The first time I read my writing aloud, my hands shook. We were only a class of ten or so people, but I was terrified. 

However, mortal terror aside, I loved the challenge of the writing exercises. One was focused on character development – asking a series of questions to flesh out a character we’d come up with on the spot. Mine was a debonair elderly Argentinian gent called Dr Ribero, who lived next door to a woman he’d secretly loved for years called Miss Wellbeloved. The rest of the class thought the short story I created about them was fun. I did too; in fact, I found myself really warming to both the characters. Still, it was only a writing exercise, so I put it to one side and concentrated on the rest of the course. 

Three months later and for some reason, Dr Ribero was still niggling at me. Every so often, I’d find myself thinking about his character and mentally adding little details here and there. He’d almost certainly have a very fetching moustache. He’d wear the finest silk shirts. He’d frequently frustrate people with his overexcitable personality. He’d also find it a doddle to make people instinctively warm to him. 

So, I started another writing exercise; this time about a young man called Kester, searching for Dr Ribero, his long-lost father. That little vignette swelled into a couple of chapters. Then a couple more. Before I knew it, I’d written a book, and it was the first time that I felt ready to send it out to the world. So I started to submit it to publishers.

I wasn’t expecting to get anywhere, of course. I’d heard how tough it was to get published. As such, I was gobsmacked when I heard back from Amberjack Publishing, requesting to read more. Then, shortly after Christmas, they got in touch saying they’d like to publish. I don’t mind admitting that I cried a bit. It felt like a massive achievement – all this stemming from the little girl who used to shut herself in her room and write to make herself feel better!

Every step of the way has continually surprised me, I have to admit. I was amazed at myself when I dove headfirst into writing the next book in the Dr Ribero series – The Case of the Deadly Doppelganger. Then shocked at how much editing and rewriting it required; that was a sharp wake-up call on how much effort it took to whip a book into shape! The books kept on coming after that, and I think part of the reason they came so easily was because I grew to love all the characters. It all started with Dr Ribero and Miss Wellbeloved, but the big ensemble of characters that sprung up as the books went on were all dear to me, warts and all. Perhaps it was because they were all so flawed that I liked them so much. Spending time with these fallible yet formidable ‘people’ was always so much fun. 

Perhaps it was therapy again – who knows? 

Now, we’re finally at the point where the series is coming to an end. I won’t lie, I felt sad after typing the final word on the final page. It marked the end of an era. However, something tells me that Dr Ribero and his team might turn up in future writing – they feel so much a part of me that I can’t imagine I’ll never write another word about them again. 

If I could offer one tip from my writing journey, it’d be to write something you fall in love with. Forget about trying to ‘hit the current zeitgeist’ or write what publishers are looking for. The writing’s always at its best when you write about something you care about. 

If it feels good (and a bit like therapy) then chances are you’re writing something that also feels good to read. 

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Bio: Lucy Banks set up her own copywriting company and turned her love for the written word into a full-time career. She is the author of the Dr Ribero’s Agency of the Supernatural series. Banks lives in the UK.

Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, TikTok – LucyBanksWriter

www.lucy-banks.co.uk

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Tags: featured, women writers

Category: Contemporary Women Writers