Abigail Johnson: 'I wanted to write something full of hope'
BY Katie Smart
10th Apr 2025
Abigail Johnson was a student on our three-month online Writing Your Novel course in 2020. We caught up to discuss her debut novel, The Secret Collector – out now from Pan Macmillan.
Read on to discover Abigail's advice for writing authentic dialogue, her favourite fictional friendships and what inspired her to write this heartfelt intergenerational story.
You studied on our three-month online Writing Your Novel course in 2020. How did your time with us shape your approach to writing?
It was transformative in many ways. I’d got some agent interest with my previous novel but wasn’t taken on by any of those who had requested full manuscripts. To move on from the disappointment, I wanted to start a new novel, and the CBC course gave me the structure and motivation I needed to push forward with my writing goals. In fact, I wrote the synopsis and the first few thousand words specifically for my application for the course, so I often wonder if I hadn’t applied, whether this novel would even exist!
For me, it was a big commitment of both time and finances. I almost didn’t apply as it felt too indulgent. Who was I to believe I had a chance of becoming a published author? However, I had to believe in this possibility to make the course worthwhile and so it gave me a real opportunity to take my writing seriously.
Sharing submissions with my wonderful tutor, Laura Barnett, and also my fellow classmates was nerve wracking at first, but I gained so much confidence and grew as a writer as a result of their feedback.
Many of our students find lifelong writing friends on our courses. Are you still in touch with anyone you met on the course?
Yes, we have a Slack group and a core group of us still meet regularly online to share the highs and lows of writing and to talk about our current projects. It’s been a lovely outcome of the course, and I love catching up with my fellow classmates and hearing what they are up to. They are like agony aunts and cheerleaders rolled into one – what every writer needs!
In your debut novel The Secret Collector you write brilliantly about the unlikely friendship formed between an elderly eccentric collector and a troubled teen. How did you approach writing across these different generations? And do you have any advice on perfecting a character’s voice and writing dialogue between characters of different ages?
Dialogue can be quite hard to get right but it’s so important if you want to create believable characters. I enjoy writing dialogue, and it was surprisingly easy to step into Alfred’s shoes as he came to me as an almost fully formed character – I could hear his voice right away. Kian’s voice took a little longer to get right but the book is set just before the millennium when I was around the same age as he is, which I think helped me get into his mindset.
In terms of perfecting characters of different ages, there’s a lot to be gained from observing those around you and listening to radio plays or watching films to get a feel for the ways people speak and act. Sometimes it’s worth reading dialogue out loud to see if it sounds natural and seek feedback from others – clunky or unbelievable dialogue is often something that’s very quickly noticed by readers as it takes you out of the story.
You write about teen Kian (and widower Alfred) with compassion and humour – what inspired you to shed light on those so often forgotten by society?
My background in communications has involved supporting adoption and fostering services, youth offending teams and the elderly, so I was drawn to writing a story from the point of view of those whose stories often go untold. Because this novel was mostly written in lockdown, my awareness of the impact of isolation and loneliness was heightened but it was also a time where I was heartened by many stories of the transformational power of community and friendship and ultimately, I wanted to write something full of hope.
Can you tell us about some of your favourite fictional friendships?
I’ve recently finished reading Remarkably Bright Creatures and have no idea how the author, Shelby Van Pelt, made a friendship between an elderly cleaner in an aquarium and an octopus believable but she did! I loved it.
Another is One Day by David Nicholls. The slow burning friendship that eventually becomes the romantic one you know it’s destined to be, was completely absorbing and is one of my all-time favourites.
Do you have any writing routines or rituals? What writing essentials can be found on your desk?
I try and write whenever I can fit it in, although I don’t have a set routine. For me, mornings usually work best, and I try to get stuck in before I get distracted by other things. On my desk I have my laptop, several notepads, an angle poise lamp and often, a mug of hot chocolate.
Finally, what’s next for your writing journey?
My second book will be published by Pan Macmillan next year. The first draft is now complete and I’m about to start editing! It’s been a bit of a whirlwind, but a very exciting one and I’m already thinking about ideas for another novel. I’m also taking part in some writer events this year and really looking forward to meeting readers of my book.
Get your hands on a copy of The Secret Collector.
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