Decima Blake - Author Life

We decided it was time to catch up with the author of Hingston's Box, Decima Blake. We asked her a few questions about her journey to becoming an author, and the challenges she faced along the way.

Did you always dream of becoming an author?

I used to enjoy writing short stories as a child, but it was not until I had the idea for Hingston's Box that I hoped I would become a published author.

What was your first job?

After my A Levels I was first employed as a Learning Support Assistant, working with children and teenagers aged 11 - 16 years.

How did you come about writing your book? Was that your intention or did you start writing for fun?

The idea for Hingston's Box came whilst reading through a file of papers at work. It was just another file, similar to many I'd read before. I thought how it would be exciting if something could materialise in a file and help a present day police detective solve a crime from the past. I knew from that moment that I wanted to write a book around that concept. Hingston's Box was written for fun, but with the hope of publication.

What was your life like before you became an author?

Just as busy as it is now, but I was trying to fit my writing around a day job.

Now that you are a published author, how has your life changed, if at all?

I am now writing my second Hingston novel full time. I'm also busy marketing Hingston's Box and have begun to deliver creative writing workshops for teenagers.

Can you please describe a typical day in your life now?

Most days I start by participating in weekly 'writing games' on Twitter where writers share lines from their work in progress to match a specified theme or I write a micro-poem. I then continue with the writing of my second Hingston novel. I always write by hand. My day is likely to involve some re-reading of my initial research as well as typing and editing of the latest pages of my manuscript. I usually go for a walk after lunch or in the early evening.

What is your most memorable moment of your life as an author?

Attending the HW Fisher and Theakston Old Peculier Crime Writing Festival New Blood Drinks Reception in March 2017 stands out as the most memorable moment so far.

It was a fantastic evening event in central London overlooking the Thames at which Val McDermid announced the four authors selected for the Festival's New Blood Panel in July. The 2017 New Blood authors were: Fiona Cummins (UK), Rattle; Jane Harper (Australia), The Dry; Joseph Knox (UK), Sirens; Kristen Lepionka (USA), The Last Place You Look. I was delighted to be one of approximately 50 debut crime writers who reached that stage of the event.