Introducing … The Gene Thieves by Maria Quinn

The Gene Thieves

Hi everyone I’m very excited because this is my first blog. I’m trying to figure out whether ‘blog’ is a noun (my blog, your blog, our blogs) or a verb (I blog, you blog, we blog.) I assume that now I’ve started one, I’m ‘a blogger.’ What does that make you, as you read this…a ‘bloggee’? Have you just been (or are about to be) ‘blogged’? Crazy word game of course, but it’s just the kind of thing every writer needs to distract her from the task in hand, the kind of game that lets the characters in her head write the novel they want to write, while she mucks about with the words.

Writing The Gene Thieves taught me this scary lesson; we, the writers are not alone! Everyone talks about what a solitary pursuit the writing life is. But when you’re writing a book peopled with characters like Dancer, Piggy, Molly and Jack Lee, you’re never alone. They live in the back room of your brain, beavering away, determined to make you put their story down, the way they want to tell it. Even when you think you’re sleeping, they are in bed with you. (As I’m dreaming of seeing Hugh Jackman on screen as Dancer…well…being a writer may have some perks).

Kirribilli Books obviously have taken to Piggy Brown, a major force in The Gene Thieves. Love their book display!

Early on, I thought I was in charge of The Gene Thieves. I thought I knew just how the story would evolve. Then one of my characters committed suicide. I had no warning, I just kept tapping at the keys and there it was on the screen! Stunned, I walked away from my desk and went and poured myself a stiff drink. What the hell was I going to do, play God and raise this person up like Lazarus?

When I found the courage to go back and read the chapter I immediately knew the character was right to do it. Resurrection was not an option. I had no idea where the story was heading from here. Then I got it, they knew! I just had to trust the fascinating people I had given life. I knew them all intimately, I became each one as I wrote their dialogue, so I just did what came naturally…to them. They told me a terrific story and it became The Gene Thieves.
Now I’m living with a whole new group of people, as I write my next novel. But that’s okay; there are still plenty of backrooms for rent in my head.

Maria Quinn

The Gene Thieves by Maria Quinn will be hitting book shops from today onwards. This is Maria’s first novel but you can find links to her short stories by going to her website. Watch this space for more from Maria and make sure you lay your hands on the book asap!