I was once advised that you should never try to write more than one story at once, but I’m afraid I’ve never managed to keep to that.  In fact I prefer to write more than one at once, just as I seldom write books in a linear way, i.e. as the Red King says to ‘Alice’

“Begin at the beginning and end at the end, then stop.”

It means that if I get stuck in one bit I can switch to another until inspiration strikes. Just at the moment though, things are definitely getting a bit out of hand as I seem to be writing four books at once.

‘Martine’ you know about.  It’s pretty much done.  I’ve just given it a final read-through before it goes off to the editor.  After that though, I have two more books half written.  There’s ‘Debbie’s Gift’, the next Hazel book, where Debbie has Martine deeply worried about a distinctly unusual plan.  Then there’s ‘Fracture’, which sees Tina and Carol facing several crises at once as Carol strives to qualify for the World Athletics Championships.  After that I have one fully written called ‘Gold’.

For some reason though, most of the ideas I’ve had lately have been for a book which shouldn’t be due for at least a couple of years yet, but I’ve written two full chapters over the weekend.  This will be about one of my absolute favourite characters: sweet (not) little Sofie Fauld, a.k.a. Hannah Sofia, a.k.a. Monster.

But this is Monster with a difference.  We’ve grown used to an impish and distinctly precocious three year old.  But this is a coming of age Sofie, a much older Sofie at 19, with her ‘little’ sister Danielle now aged 17 (and almost a foot taller than her).  Sofie is still wonderfully mischievous.  She still has a tongue like a rapier, although she’s also still the nurturing, caring soul we saw in the child.  But around her, many things in Saltbury have changed.  Her Mums are in their sixties now.  She earns money babysitting Tina and Carol’s daughter.  Even her big sister, our lovely Hazel is 36 and living in an old railway station.  Meanwhile, Sofie’s best friend in all the world is still her old play-group mate, Andrew.  Mind you, the most important person in her life is Emma, even if the course of true love does not run any smoother than you might expect with Monster.

Don’t ask me what happens next.  I’m still waiting for Sofie to tell me.