Blog Tour: Corrie Jackson - Breaking Dead

Corrie Jackson is spending some time with us today.

Her novel, Breaking Dead, the first of her Sophie Kent series is due to be released on 21st April.

My Working Day by Corrie Jackson.



6am: I drag myself into my running gear. I’m desperate to get back in shape after having my daughter, Evie, six months ago. The Serial podcast distracts me from the sound of my screaming lungs.


7-8: A total blur. Child + baby + school run = hell. There’s no amount of caffeine in the world that makes this hour more palatable.

8: I brainstorm plot ideas while walking the dog in the woods. I scare really easily, which is a problem when you’re a crime writer. There’s a gruesome woods scene in my debut thriller, Breaking Dead, and I always think how ironic it would be if I met the same fate. Although it might bump up sales, no?

9: I’m at my desk, come hell or high water. My office is tucked away at the top of the house. My four-year-old doesn’t know I work from home. When I come downstairs in the evening, I grab my coat and pretend I’ve come in from outside. I’ll break it to him one day, and put the proceeds from book sales towards his therapy.

9.30: I’m a total planner when it comes to plotting, although I think it’s partly down to my stationery obsession. Multicoloured index cards make my heart sing. I moved to the UK from Los Angeles last summer, and bulk-bought notebooks from my favourite shop, Sugar Paper. Sure, I write creepy stuff, but who says I can’t write it on chic stationery.

11.30: The page proofs arrive for Breaking Dead. It’s the first time I’ve seen it laid out in a book format and I do a little dance. Re-reading it is an odd experience. Some scenes are burned into my memory, down to what songs were playing on the radio when I wrote them. Other scenes I can’t even remember writing.

1pm: Lunch and a scroll through fashion blogs. The darker the scene I’ve written, the more I need stare at a pair of shoes. I give myself half an hour on social media. Easier said than done. My fellow Twenty7 authors are a heartwarming, hilarious bunch and we distract each other throughout the day. So if we miss our deadlines, you know why.

2: A change of scene. The thing I miss most about working in magazines is the buzz of a creative office. Writing can be lonely, so I’ll either head to my local café (hello Brontes!) or to Soho House if I venture into London. I love eavesdropping on conversations, so don’t say anything confidential if you spot me in the corner. 

6: Officially, the end of my work day. Unofficially, I never switch off. Some of my most vivid ideas come when I’m feeding my daughter in the cosy darkness of her nursery. Maybe I should start saving up for her therapy too…



Corrie Jackson has been a journalist for fourteen years. She freelanced in Los Angeles, before returning to Surrey, England where she lives with her husband and two children. She is currently working on the second book in the Sophie Kent series.

You can find Corrie at:

              www.corriejackson.com
              twitter @corriejacko                



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