Tell us about the story behind Slags – where did the inspiration for this novel come from?

The teenager came first. I know this is one of those annoying things writers say, but I didn’t set out to write a book from a teenager’s point of view – her voice just came through so loud and strong, she was undeniable. She was there, she was funny, she had REALLY strong opinions about things, and I had to get it all down. I found some of my old teenage journals at my parents’ house and lifted some of the thoughts and feelings from them to put into the book. So then I started building it out and realised I wanted to explore the origins of female fantasies. Fantasies are such a huge part of my life, as I’m sure they are for a lot of women. Mine started when I was about ten years old. I suddenly had a new romantic place to live – inside my own head. I read a lot of poetry and fanned the fire. Then in my early teens I started involving versions of people in the real world – older boys I fancied, pop stars, that sort of thing. I soon had the complete arc of the teenage girl storyline – but I also knew that wasn’t the whole story. The challenge then was to think of the adult storyline to intertwine with the teenage story. That’s when the sisters came in. The road trip. The pressurised environment, the mission. The misapprehended past. I think in some way I am always exploring our relationship with our bodies, always exploring hedonism, always exploring where you should be at certain points in life. That’s the constellation I write by.

Do you have a particular writing routine or any habits that help you stay creative and productive?

For a long time I had this really great habit going on called ‘not having children’, which was fabulous for my creativity and productivity. That changed in 2016, and again in 2020, and since then I’ve been scrabbling and fighting to maintain a routine around the demands of a young family. It’s okay, it’s my beautiful complex deal with the Universe, and I’m grateful and joyful – as well as stressed and harangued and always feeling either guilty for not writing enough or guilty for not being with my children enough. I do breathwork and I go running to focus my mind. I use reality TV to reward myself – every time I write two pages of a novel or three pages of a script I get to watch 30 minutes of trashy TV. That’s my motivation. I also work on several things at once, and ricocheting between them gives me momentum and focus.

What was the most joyful part of writing Slags?

Finishing it.

Emma Forrest described Slags as ‘the most distressing funny novel I’ve ever read.’ Can you tell us a bit about your decision to balance humour and darkness in Sarah’s story, and what you were aiming to achieve?

For me the darkest moments in life, and writing, are always shot through with some light. Usually this takes the form of absurdity, but that’s probably just the way my mind works. The blood-spattered Bella magazine on the floor of the murder scene – that sort of thing. Funny is my factory setting – I always revert to that. But I’m attracted to the murkiest places too, for sheer drama. I’ll always end on a punchline if I can – that goes for entire novels as well as individual chapters. And I’m a sucker for the happy ending, although the novel I’m working on now might end up being more bittersweet, I’m not sure yet. Oh who am I kidding, it’ll be a rude joke. I’m not elegant, I’m a cheeky little Manc to my core.

What do you find most difficult or painful about the writing process?

I find writing quite painful. Redrafting is the best bit. I really enjoy editing. And I REALLY enjoy holding the finished thing and feeling as though I did good work, like if I captured something I wanted to capture, a particular emotion or thought, and then having readers connect to it and say they’ve felt that feeling inside too but never had the words for it before. That is essentially what I work for. Or if the form holds together well, the structure of the novel or screenplay. That feels good. But the blank page is terrifying. It’s such an obnoxious prospect isn’t it, the blank page – how DARE it just stare at us like that, expecting things? So needy, the blank page. So selfish! So rude!

I’m always working on several things at once, and when I tell people how many projects I have on they think I’m crazy, but it’s really the only way I can work. It’s how I get my focus and momentum, from jumping from thing to thing over the course of a day and working in mad short bursts. I have ADHD and I’m autistic so there is a constant battle inside of me… the ADHD wants the dopamine hit, the party party, and the autism wants to be alone and quiet, sealed off, to see something through to completion down to the tiniest detail. But that constant battle gives me my creativity, I think. My brain is a bit of a firecracker and I think that probably translates into a certain energy on the page.

Are there aspects of a writer’s life or process that you wish were discussed more openly?

The anxiety of publication. How to deal with bad reviews (we all get them, forever). Dealing with criticism is a writing skill in itself, I think. Learning whose opinion to take to heart, and whose not.

What advice would you give to writers looking to build confidence in their work?

Remember that everyone finds it tough, however many books they’ve written. Just keep going, do it every day, even if it’s just for five minutes, keep flexing that muscle and keep pushing towards the end of a first draft of whatever you’re working on. Then you’ll know the shape of it. I often don’t know what I’m writing about until I’ve reached the end of a first draft, as shoddy as that draft may be. Then you can polish, polish, polish. Don’t look down, don’t look back, just keep moving forward through the draft until you reach the end. Then edit like a mofo.