What inspires you to write?

From a young age, I had a love of reading and writing and would regularly exceed word counts with school essays. I had always wanted to have a book published. My vocabulary, spelling, and grammar was always top of my class. In secondary school, I got moved up a set due to my work. My stories caught the attention of a headmaster who displayed my work at school. I have a very creative mind. For example, when I watch TV and am relaxed, part of my mind sub consciously picks up a phrase or sentence and gives me ideas. Life experience and previous jobs have inspired me, too. I’m often writing notes and have a notebook near my bed. I’m at my happiest when I’m writing.

This particular story came from an idea I had long before the Covid pandemic that I wanted to dedicate to my late parents on scraps of paper and in later years to my son as well who proudly takes it to school and shows his teacher and friends as well as reading it. As a driving instructor, I was prohibited from working, so I had a lot of time on my hands. Also, long before Covid, I took a course on hypnotherapy and counselling which I found fascinating and gained insight and knowledge. Little did I know that it would feature heavily in my work. That’s when I decided to start putting finger to keyboard in earnest. Before I knew it, my creativity had been rekindled and I found I couldn’t stop writing. One idea after another; they kept coming. Before I knew it, I had written approximately forty something stories with the same characters and twenty something of standalone short stories, and I’m still going.

Also, what inspires me is that my characters came alive in my mind. That’s when I knew I was onto something good and realised how niche it was. That’s when I realised I had to get it published. I can be writing for hours in one sitting. I find myself constantly looking forward to the next morning to sit at my pc and feverishly type away.

What are some day jobs you’ve had?

I mostly had office jobs in London: an internal messenger for an accountancy firm, an asset management company, and an assistant post room supervisor for an ombudsman bureau in Docklands, which is a location that features in another story.

I completed an advanced driving course which was something I had always wanted to do and, following my dad’s advice, I became a driving instructor until Covid came along.  

Do you have a special time to write, or how is your day structured to accommodate your writing?

I prefer to write in the morning after my son goes to school and my wife is at work, so the house is resoundingly quiet. I also set myself word count targets which I always exceed. I like to write between three thousand and ten thousand words in each sitting. My only distraction is fitting in housework around writing which gives my eyes a rest.

How do you think you’ve evolved creatively?

I would never have thought I would be writing supernatural / crime / mysteries. I feel my previous jobs and the hypnotherapy course I undertook have had a massive influence. As I have become older, my perception of life has changed with each new experience which has opened up my mind even more.

I feel more accomplished by taking onboard feedback I’ve received whenever I’ve entered writing competitions.

Furthermore, when I feel at one with my keyboard, I often find my fingers are typing far ahead of what I’m thinking. It’s strange and feels like they know what’s coming next before I’ve thought of it.

What have you written so far?

The book I have just had published, A Secret to Die For, is the first in a series of some forty stories entitled Ghostly Tales from the Therapists Couch.

I have also written about twenty individual short stories with a supernatural theme.

Do you work with an outline or plot sketch, or do you prefer to let a general idea guide your writing?

I prefer to just have a rough idea and see where it takes me. I love how I can change it and not see where it’s going to go. I always like to have a bombshell or a twist right at the end.

What advice would give for aspiring authors?

Believe in yourself and your characters. Take feedback positively. By understanding feedback, you’ll improve your writing and view it from the reader’s perspective.

Can you share with readers a little bit about your latest book?

An assassin hired, a government secret, a murdered witness and a gifted medium helping Scotland Yard discover the truth by making contact with the victim.

Do you listen or talk to your characters?

I’ve become really attached to my characters and often picture them in my mind. I do visualise my characters and any conversations taking place. That way, it helps them feel more real to me. I also visualise the spectacular scenery of Scotland as I have visited there when I was younger. Furthermore, my dad’s side of the family came from Scotland, too.

If your book was made into a movie, who would you cast?

Daniel Craig as Thomas Dunn, the medium (for his versatility in portraying sensitive emotions in his characters) and Mark Strong (as Ian Baker) for his brooding demeanour.

Who is your favorite fictional character and why?

Sherlock Holmes for his deductive reasoning by simply observing and logical thinking.

Want to learn more about Matt Duff?

Amazon | Blossom Spring Publishing