Guest Blog: What was the inspiration behind Silenced by Anne Randall?

I find inspiration comes from many different sources. I read the newspapers and watch the news and process the facts as they are presented to me. It tends not to be one particular news item which inspires me but over time a character or part of a plot will develop in my imagination and it’s about taking the time to listen to those snippets and, of course, noting them down. Then eventually a pattern will emerge and the ‘form’ of the story will become clear.

With Silenced, the process began with the voice of the killer.

I found myself writing bits of dialogue and jotting down different scenes and over time I found that I had a clear idea of who the killer would be and what would make them tick. Also, people fascinate me and I always pay attention to overheard conversations on the bus, in the supermarket or in the pub. It helps to have a curious mind and to be interested in the different ways people interpret information and fit it around ‘their’ world.

Setting was also very important as I needed to make sure it was authentic and that the action was believable in the locations I chose. Glasgow is such a fascinating city with lots of juxtaposition, including old versus new in terms of how the city has developed and I wanted to portray that in a faithful way while being true to the story arc. It was important to me that I got the sense of place ‘fixed’ as I wanted the city to be part of the story and not just a backdrop to the action. Also,

as a Glaswegian, I had a responsibility to portray my hometown accurately.

The characters are hugely important and because Silenced is the second book in the Wheeler and Ross series, I already knew the pair of them quite well and had begun to build their rapport in Riven. In Silenced, I needed to develop them further as characters and as friends but also to drive the story forward. I knew that I was not finished with Andy Doyle, the crime boss featured in Riven, and it was important to me that he had a strong role in Silenced.

 I think one of the most important aspects of my writing is to know my characters very well and to be certain of how they would react in difficult situations and then to put them in those situations. Like many writers I employ the ‘what if?’ question throughout the novel. It’s a great way of pushing both the characters and the action forward.

I look forward to developing the Wheeler and Ross series and finding out where their adventures take them. I hope that my readers will enjoy the journey too!

Thank you so much for featuring me on your blog! 

Silenced is available now on kindle for £13.99 or HB £16.98

http://www.amazon.co.uk/Silenced-Wheeler-Ross-Book-2-ebook/dp/B00X7UI4JY/ref=sr_1_2?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1441707209&sr=1-2&keywords=Riven+aj+mccreanor