Christina Henry: Discovering the Story as You Go Along
Bestselling author Christina Henry discusses how the story evolved as she wrote her new thriller novel, Good Girls Don’t Die.
Christina Henry is the author of The Mermaid, Lost Boy, Alice, Red Queen, and the national bestselling Black Wings series, featuring Agent of Death Madeline Black and her popcorn-loving gargoyle, Beezle.
She enjoys running long distances, reading anything she can get her hands on and watching movies with samurai, zombies and/or subtitles in her spare time. She lives in Chicago with her husband and son. Find her on Facebook and Instagram.
In this post, Christina discusses how the story evolved as she wrote her new thriller novel, Good Girls Don’t Die, her hope for readers, and more!
Name: Christina Henry
Literary agent: Lucienne Diver of the Knight Agency
Book title: Good Girls Don’t Die
Publisher: Berkley/Penguin Random House
Release date: November 14, 2023
Genre/category: Thriller/horror
Previous titles: Near the Bone, The Ghost Tree, Horseman, The Girl in Red, Looking Glass, Red Queen, Alice, Lost Boy, The Mermaid, and the seven-book Black Wings series.
Elevator pitch: Three women trapped in stories they know aren’t their own must find their way out in this twisty, meta-thriller.
What prompted you to write this book?
It was during the pandemic and I was reading a lot of cozy mysteries for comfort. I had an idea that I might like to write a cozy myself, but as soon as I started writing the book took a left turn (this happens a lot when I write).
How long did it take to go from idea to publication? And did the idea change during the process?
About a year, which is standard for my books. Once I begin writing, I’m pretty open to whatever happens in the story. I never plot my books; I just discover the story as I go along.
Were there any surprises in the writing process for this book?
I always find surprises as I progress into the novel. Since I’m not a plotter I tend to experience the story in much the same way a reader would. Basically, if it surprises you when you’re reading it then it probably surprised me when I’m writing it!
What do you hope readers will get out of your book?
I hope that they’ll be absorbed and thrilled and scared; I also very much hope they will be surprised.
If you could share one piece of advice with other writers, what would it be?
Read widely, in and out of the genre you write. The best way to learn how to write is to read.
Robert Lee Brewer is Senior Editor of Writer's Digest, which includes managing the content on WritersDigest.com and programming virtual conferences. He's the author of 40 Plot Twist Prompts for Writers: Writing Ideas for Bending Stories in New Directions, The Complete Guide of Poetic Forms: 100+ Poetic Form Definitions and Examples for Poets, Poem-a-Day: 365 Poetry Writing Prompts for a Year of Poeming, and more. Also, he's the editor of Writer's Market, Poet's Market, and Guide to Literary Agents. Follow him on Twitter @robertleebrewer.
