Cath Stainclife - Guest Blog

My Murder Squad mate Cath Staincliffe is the hugely successful creator of the TV series 'Blue Murder', as well as a varied and accomplished novelist. I'm delighted she has found time to contribute a guest post about her latest book.

'Back when I first started writing novels I only had a few hours a week to write and that became sacrosanct – I ignored anything else clamouring for attention (chores, I mean – the kids were safely off at playgroup and school) and knuckled down. I knew it was the only way I’d get anything finished. The limit on time meant it took me something like eighteen months to write a book and that novel was the sole focus of my writing time.

Years on and now working full-time writing television scripts and radio drama as well as novels and short stories, I find myself jumping between projects like a grasshopper. I still get things finished but I’ve had to develop the ability to switch from one story, one set of characters, one form to another, on a regular basis. Though I only ever have one novel on the go; I don’t think I’d be able to do that hopping about between books but it’s easier moving from a book to a radio play or a television treatment and back. Writing two novels at the same time would cause my brain to melt, I think – like reading two books at once, something I can’t countenance.

At present I’m delivering a novel each year and that leads to some overlap of tasks: so for example I’m now busy promoting my latest publication WITNESS while I’m simultaneously re-reading and copy-editing SPLIT SECOND which will come out next year and also discussing new ideas for the book for 2013 with my agent and publisher.

Alongside that I’ve been proof-reading my contributions to BEST EATEN COLD (ed. Martin Edwards) a Murder Squad anthology, developing and pitching new television drama ideas, writing the script for a radio play in Danny Brocklehurst’s STONE series, drawing up an entry for a scriptwriting competition and researching ideas for LEGACY, my own radio drama series. I like the variety. But it’s interesting talking to other writers who much prefer to concentrate on one medium and would hate the mix I have. Novelists who say they couldn’t cope with the collaborative nature of working in television or radio, with everybody chipping in and shaping the script and changing it beyond all recognition or scriptwriters who imagine the life of a novelist to be unremitting loneliness and isolation, with no-one to bounce ideas off and the tedium of working on one book for years on end. I think I’m lucky to have the best of both worlds. Though now and again there will be a lull after deadlines have been met when I have a few weeks to concentrate solely on one piece of work – and that does feel like a luxury. So maybe a bit of me hankers after the old days when it was one thing at a time – but it’s just a bit. Honest.'

Cath Staincliffe and The Kindest Thing

Cath Staincliffe has been a friend of mine since she joined the Northern Chapter of the Crime Writers’ Association, not long after her first Sal Kilkenny novel, published by a small Mancunian press, achieved a great deal of acclaim. Later, when our mutual friend Margaret Murphy formed Murder Squad, she invited Cath and I to join, along with Ann Cleeves, Chaz Brenchley, John Baker and Stuart Pawson. That was ten years ago, and Murder Squad is still going strong.

In the intervening years, Cath has enjoyed a great deal of success. She is best known for Blue Murder, starring Caroline Quentin. This began life as a novel for which she could not find a publisher. But she sold the concept to television, and it was quickly turned into a highly successful cop show that ran for several series.

In the meantime, she continued to write Sal Kilkenny novels, as well as turning out several Blue Murder books, and a stand-alone book called Trio. We’ve done a good many events together over the years and they are always god fun. It was great to catch up with her at Crimefest and, along with Ann, we had a meal together before joining up with the rest of The Monkey Coalition for the pub quiz.

Now, she has signed up with a new publisher to bring out her latest novel, The Kindest Thing. I’ve just received a copy and I’m looking forward to it very much. And Cath will be contributing a guest blog here in July around the time of publication of the paperback edition.

Murder Squad Tour

I’m a member of a group of seven Northern crime writers known as Murder Squad. Margaret Murphy founded the Squad back in 2000 and we’ve been together ever since. It’s a gang of friends and a marvellous support group. We’ve done countless events together, produced a book of short stories and a CD, and even appeared together in a television programme.

This week some of us are doing a short tour around the North West. This suits me, since it doesn’t mean I have take holidays from the day job – I can join up with the others for events in the evening. Last night’s gig was at Holywell Library in North Wales, with Cath Staincliffe.

Cath is best known as the creator of the Blue Murder tv series, but her latest book Missing features her first series detective, Manchester private eye Sal Kilkenny. Do check it out if you like p.i. stories with a strong social/contemporary feel.

It’s hard to believe that nearly a year has passed since Cath and I last did an event together. That time we combined talks and readings with a meal at a restaurant in Derby. Holywell was a more conventional event, but fun all the same.

I know it’s a sweeping generalisation, but people who work in libraries tend to be among the nicest you could wish to meet. The Holywell staff had attracted a good turn-out of readers and their hospitality was all the more welcome after a long day in the office. Excellent escapism.