My Creative Life - Cressida McLaughlin
Plus her tips for writing a great contemporary romance novel
Norfolk-based Cressida McLaughlin is one of the most successful contemporary romance writers in the UK. I met her on a writing retreat where I was struck by her encyclopedic knowledge of the romance and crime market - if I ever want a great book recommendation Cress is now my go-to friend to ask! She’s also got plenty of tips about writing contemporary romance novels. As the romance sector is booming in publishing, I thought it was time to ask her about them.
Your new book The Happy Hour is your fifteenth published book. Can you take us back to the beginning and tell us how you started writing?
I’ve always loved books, and studied English Literature at the University of East Anglia. It’s got a great creative writing school, but at that time I had no interest in writing myself, and just wanted to read and study other people’s books.
It wasn’t until I had my first job after university, working for Norfolk Adult Education, when I was given the opportunity to do a term of a course for free, and I chose creative writing. I fell in love with it completely, and paid for another two terms, then went back to UEA to do a diploma.
I decided then that I wanted to write a book and get it published, but it took about six years, four unpublished books, and a whole load of rejections before I got my first book deal.
Where do you write?
I’m lucky enough to have one of the bedrooms in our house converted into an office. It’s got a huge desk that my husband David built for me, at least three sets of fairy lights and my signed photo of Henry Cavill for inspiration, as well as bookshelves full of all my favourite romance novels, and copies of my own books.
It’s a lovely, calming place to write. I can put music on in the background, and sometimes I’ll do Zoom sessions with writer friends, where we do word races and then check in with each other, which always helps my productivity.
Sometimes I go on writing retreats with other writers, spending a week in Somerset – or a castle in Scotland – which are inspiring and productive, as we encourage each other and share our news.
You’re a huge fan of contemporary romance. What do you think makes a great contemporary romance novel?
I think you need a really compelling heroine and hero, and a scenario that allows them to have a lot of interaction, a lot of ups and downs, and some fun along the way. Your reader wants to be captivated and enthralled, and also to have a really great time reading your book.
An interesting setting and a cast of supporting characters are also key, so the world you’ve created is one your reader can sink into: the book equivalent of a huge mug of hot chocolate.
Creating sexual chemistry between the heroine and hero is so important, and is one of the most fun parts of writing a romance. I want their interactions to sparkle on the page, so you really care about them and want them to get together – but you also can’t make it easy.
I love a contemporary romance where the happy ever after feels really hard won, because that way it’s so much more satisfying.
You’ve done a long series set in Cornwall. How did that come about?
It was the BBC adaption of Poldark. I watched it and I fell in love with it – the beautiful, sweeping cliffs and coastline as well as Aidan Turner. I had never been to Cornwall and that made me want to go, and then, as soon as I was there, I was desperate to set a book there.
That book was The Cornish Cream Tea Bus. I loved writing it, and readers loved reading it, and then one book became two, then three, and eventually I wrote eight in that series, and I love them all.
Where else does inspiration come from?
The British countryside and the coast, small villages and communities are endlessly inspiring. I like thinking about the people who might live there and what their passions and dreams are.
The idea for The House of Birds and Butterflies came about because whenever we went to a bird reserve – and there are a lot in Norfolk and Suffolk – they all seemed to have a little cottage tucked away on the approach to the car park or visitor centre, that has seemingly nothing to do with the reserve.
I wondered what it would be like to be living in an idyllic cottage that was supposedly incredibly rural, and yet have cars and people with telescopes passing by your window all day. And so I imagined Abby, working hard to save a struggling nature reserve, who suddenly encounters reclusive, grumpy author Jack, who has moved to a supposedly idyllic cottage to get his latest book finished, and doesn’t find the peace and quiet he was banking on.
With The Happy Hour, I had an idea for two people who get thrown together unexpectedly, who can only spend an hour together every week.
The Happy Hour is out now. Buy it here.
I love reading books where the interactions between the heroine and hero are restricted in some way, and I loved the thought of these two people getting an hour together – having to try and fit in as much fun, as much connection, as possible – before they get pulled apart again.
And I wondered what would pull them apart – why does Ash only have an hour? Where does he go to afterwards, and why won’t he tell Jess? That was the central idea I wanted to write about, and everything else fell into place around it.
Your new book is a standalone. Did you want a break from Cornwall?
After eight books, I wanted to try something new. I loved writing my Cornish books, but I didn’t want to get bored of writing them, because then I knew the reader would get bored too. Also, the set up of The Happy Hour seemed suited to a more urban location, and I grew up near Greenwich and think it’s such a beautiful, interesting place, and have wanted to write about it for a while.
What do you think are the benefits of series vs standalone?
There are benefits to both.
I love the comfort of a series, being able to go back to a place that’s familiar, being able to carry on the stories of characters from previous books, build up a world that the reader can really get to know and feel comfortable and happy in.
Writing a standalone allows you to do something new and be more adventurous in your writing. But I always completely fall for my characters, and want to know how they’re getting on, so even when I do write standalone books I like putting little cameos from other characters in there. It’s one of the joys of writing, getting to know all your characters and caring about them.
Where - and when - do you feel most creative?
I get loads of inspiration from going on walks in the countryside or by the sea. Lots of my ideas come then, when I’m away from my desk, although I love the colourful, sparkly quiet of my office and can really get my head down and do my writing in there. I’m much more a morning person, and love getting my work done early in the day, saving the afternoons for reading or catching up on admin.
Other than writing books, how do you like to be creative?
I love taking photos. I am also a foodie, and love trying new foods (and coffee!) in new places. Is it bad to say that Instagram is a hobby? I love Instagram – how creative it is, how many fun things you can do on there, and so I try and make that as good, as engaging, as it can be.
Any Instagramming tips?
I think you should make your little corner of the internet a community. Don’t constantly sell your stuff, (though you do have to do that sometimes,) but engage with people, chat to them about what you’re both interested in, try and be creative with it and have lots of fun.
You’re a big reader. How many books do you read a year? Tell us about some your favourite authors and books.
I usually read about eighty books a year, and wish I could do at least double that because there are SO many books I want to read. Some of my favourite romance authors are Sarra Manning, Emily Henry, Ali Hazelwood, Kirsty Greenwood, Kate Clayborn and Christian Lauren. They all write beautiful, funny and incredibly sexy romances, where I am always rooting for the heroine and falling in love with the hero – starting a book by any of those authors feels like such a treat.
I also like crime, and really love Jane Casey, Sam Holland, Elly Griffiths and Lucy Foley. I love a really dark serial killer thriller or complex police procedural, and these authors write about difficult, dark things so well, and their characters are so good – often with a sprinkling of romance or chemistry too, which helps to balance out the trauma.
What are your tips for making a career as a writer?
First of all, write the story that’s in your heart. Don’t worry about trends/what’s popular/what you think will sell, only write something you love, that you’re desperate to write, that you would want to read. That way, you’ll pour all your heart into it.
Get to the end of a book. Don’t go back and edit endlessly, because that’s partly your fear talking and partly the need for distraction, and you could end up editing it forever and never have a finished thing to work with.
Be prepared for knock backs and rejections, remember that you love doing it, that you would be writing anyway, and keep going. Celebrate every small victory, whether that’s writing The End, or getting good comments from an agent even if they don’t take you on.
If things get hard or complicated or it isn’t how you imagine it’s going to be, remember the writing. It’s so easy to get distracted by everything that comes with being published, and so always keep the writing, your love of creating a story and characters you care about, as your anchor.
Imagine you are throwing a dream dinner party. Which creatives would you invite and where would you have it?
I’d invite some stellar authors – Sarra Manning, Jane Casey, Janice Hallett, Emily Henry and Veronica Henry. Then Henry Cavill, (maybe there is something about the name Henry that I’m drawn to?) Zach Bryan, my favourite country singer, and Keeley Hawes and Matthew Macfadyen who are a power couple but seem totally lovely with it.
One of the Henrys on the list
I’d have it in a beautiful, clifftop house on the Cornish coast somewhere, with glass walls that overlooked the Atlantic. There would be some modern, really inventive canapés, because I LOVE canapés, and scallops on the menu, and twinkling gold fairy lights, inside and out.
Thanks Cressida
Fab interview - really interesting. I must take more walks to glean inspiration (am at that help - I need an idea stage!) x