“Grief doesn’t experience time in a linear model. You don’t just grow out of grief by dint of the days passing. That’s why Lily doesn’t have a typical arc - that eureka moment at the end”.

Characters won’t always align with your views, or do the things you expect of them. The most authentic and compelling characters are those who lead messy lives and make infuriating decisions - because that’s real.

Susannah Dickey is a Northern Irish writer and the author of Common Decency. In the novel we follow neighbours Lily and Siobhan, whose isolating and messy lives become entwined in a dark way. In this episode Susannah explores their lives, delving into issues of empathy, understanding and the hidden intimacies of modern existence.

In this episode, you will learn:

1. Why it’s our job as writers to create deeply flawed and frustrating characters.
2. Why characters don’t always need to have a traditional narrative arc.
3. Why it’s ok for a reader to interpret your work in whichever way they want.

Find out more about Susannah here.

Your host is inkjockey founder Mark Heywood.

Behind The Spine is an inkjockey production, and the audio accompaniment to The Writing Salon. Sign up to the newsletter here.

You can buy copies of our anthology series here. 

You can view the full transcript here.

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