In Conversation with Author Hannah Mary McKinnon
Hannah Mary McKinnon was born in the UK, grew up in Switzerland and moved to Canada in 2010. After a successful career in recruitment, she quit the corporate world in favour of writing. While her debut, Time after Time, was a rom-com, she quickly transitioned to the dark side. Her suspense novels include The Neighbours, Her Secret Son and Sister Dear. Hannah lives in Oakville, Ontario, with her husband and three sons.
1. Could you tell us a bit about your latest novel ‘Sister Dear’?
Absolutely! Sister Dear is my fourth novel and published on May 26, 2020. It’s a twisty tale about two half-sisters, who don’t know the other exists. When Eleanor finds out, she realizes her glamorous, sexy, smart, wealthy and happily married half-sister Victoria has, and is, everything Eleanor could only ever dream of. Eleanor decides to infiltrate Victoria’s life without telling her they’re related…and mayhem ensues!
2. What is your creative process?
It’s very structured, and the more I write, the more I plan. My novels start with an idea—something that pops into my head after hearing a radio segment, which was the case for Sister Dear. I noodle the thoughts around for a while as the main characters take shape. The next step is to write an outline. I start by jotting down the big picture plot points, which I then use as stepping-stones to build and write the rest of the outline. I fill out personality questionnaires for my main characters to understand them better, and search for photos on the internet to build a gallery I stick on my pin-board. By this point I’m raring to go. At first, I write a basic, largely unedited manuscript that’s a good two-thirds of the final word count, then layer and develop until I’m happy calling it a first draft, and send it to my wonderful editor, Emily. That’s when the real editing work begins, which is incredibly exciting, because I know the story will become a thousand times better with her expert input.
3. Have you ever been writing and felt like giving up? If so, how did you get through this?
Yes, of course. Writing a novel is hard work and takes months or years, and self-doubt often creeps in…but you can’t let it rule you or you’ll never finish a manuscript. I’m now working on my sixth book and I’ve come to learn to trust my process. Do I have to push myself to keep going at times? Yes, undeniably. But I also know that if my backside isn’t in my chair, the words won’t write themselves. Also, while writing is hard, editing a blank page is impossible.
While writing is hard, editing a blank page is impossible.
4. Where do you tend to write?
Either on my laptop in the spare bedroom with the internet switched off and my phone in another room to get rid of all distractions, or at my desk in my home office. It depends on the stage of the manuscript. I rarely write outside the house. I find I lose focus too easily.
5. How do you get your books published?
I’m traditionally published and represented by my agent, Carolyn, whom I adore, and who is responsible for selling my books. In North America I’m published by MIRA, an imprint of HarperCollins, and by Hodder & Stoughton in the UK, Australia and New Zealand. I’m very fortunate to work with incredibly supportive, highly professional, wonderful teams, which I can’t praise highly enough, and who promote my books across the globe.
I’m also very active on social media and love connecting with readers, reviewers and bloggers. My author friends are fabulous champions of my novels, too. Their tireless enthusiasm is a balm for the writerly soul and I’m grateful to every single one of them. It really does take a village. The one thing that surprised me the most about this industry is how genuine, welcoming, and helpful everyone is, and it’s one of the reasons why I created First Chapter Fun back in March 2020.
My author friends are fabulous champions of my novels, too. Their tireless enthusiasm is a balm for the writerly soul and I’m grateful to every single one of them.
A group of us were discussing how we could promote one another after the pandemic hit. I half-jokingly offered to read the first chapter of their novels on Facebook and Instagram, and within a few days I had over 40 daily readings lined up. I read for 53 days in a row, introducing viewers to a new novel and author each day. As of May 12, I teamed up with my partner-in-fictional-crime, powerhouse Hank Phillippi Ryan. We created a new Facebook group and Instagram account. We read twice a week, every Tuesday and Thursday (the days with a “T) on both platforms simultaneously at 11.30 am ET (12.30 pm ET as of September 15), and have readings scheduled until next spring already. All the previously aired episodes are saved and can be viewed at leisure. It’s a fun group. Come check it out!
6. What advice would you give to aspiring authors?
Read as much and often as you can and listen to audio books. Write, even if you think it’s rubbish, because, as mentioned above, an empty page is impossible to edit. Another tip someone once suggested was to skip ahead if I couldn’t get a grasp on a chapter or scene, that I should focus on another part of the manuscript and trust myself enough to backfill later. It was revolutionary to me, and it beats the heck out of staring at a blank page or shoving my hand in the cookie jar. Also, I was advised to read my manuscript out loud. Every. Single. Word. Doing so helps avoid repetition, improves cadence, and zaps stilted dialogue. And, finally, share your work. It can be scary, but it’s the only way you’ll get feedback and improve your craft.
Share your work. It can be scary, but it’s the only way you’ll get feedback and improve your craft.
7. Do you have any future projects lined up?
Harper Collins acquired my next two novels last year. Book 5 is called You Will Remember Me, and publishes on May 25, 2021. It’s another psychological thriller about a man who wakes up on a beach, not knowing who he is, or how he got there. When he makes it back to his hometown in Maine, he discovers he’d abandoned everyone and everything two years prior. Not only do some of the locals suspect him of murder, but he’s also faced with the daunting challenge of figuring out the truth about what he did, and to whom. I’m very excited to introduce you to another cast of messed up characters!
Book 6 is another wicked story, which I’m in the process of writing, but shhh! It’s too early to give you the details…
This interview was not paid
For more information and to connect on social media, visit www.hannahmarymckinnon.com
