Eve Thomson: 'I enjoy reading books where the female leads are relatable'
BY Emily Powter-Robinson
10th May 2023
Former student, Eve Thomson, took our six-month online Writing Your Novel course in 2018 led by course tutor Lisa O’Donnell. Her debut novel She Too was published by Echo (the Australian imprint of Bonnier UK) in February. We spoke about drawing on her experience as a lawyer to write her legal thriller, favourite literary heroines and her tips for applying for creative writing courses.
You took our six-month online Writing Your Novel course in 2018. How did your time studying with us impact your writing journey?
Completing the CBC Writing Your Novel course completely transformed my writing mind set. Before then, I had always written as a hobby I hadn’t shown anyone my writing, or known if my work was any good. Being accepted into the course allowed me to treat my writing as a serious pursuit, and to believe that writing a novel could be achievable for me. I experienced the joy and nerves of receiving honest feedback on my work. I was given insights that I’m certain resulted in a better product.
Many of our students find lifelong writing friends on our courses. Are you still in touch with anyone you met during the course?
Polly Crosby, who is now up to her third brilliant novel, completed the course with me, and I have followed her writing journey from afar. I also stay keep in touch with Lisa O'Donnell, the author who led our course. After the course was completed I continued exchanging writing excerpts with some of the other students for a little while, although admittedly my day job eventually got in the way and I realised I had to do the hard yards solo!
Your debut novel She Too was published by Echo (the Australian imprint of Bonnier UK) in February. It follows the story of criminal defence lawyer, Romola Cross, when she takes on the case of Patrick Payne, the only son of a famed property tycoon who has been accused of being an abusive partner. Can you tell us a bit more about the novel and the inspiration behind it?
The novel follows Romola Cross as she represents Patrick in a high profile defamation case. He sues a website for reporting that he at least emotionally, if not physically, abuses his girlfriends. Because the book centres around a defamation case rather than a murder trial, it means that what is really in issue is Patrick’s character. As Romola digs for the evidence to show that Patrick is a good man, she gets drawn into his life of privilege, at the expense of her own relationship with family and friends. She also has to navigate a controlling supervising partner at a new law firm, as well as some fairly dreadful barristers.
She Too was partly inspired by my own work in the field of defamation law, and partly by what I have read in judgments of other high profile cases. Defamation is all about damage to a person’s reputation and whether that is justified by the facts. How to establish what those facts are can be incredibly challenging, and all the while the damage to reputation continues escalating in the age of social media. I think that’s a fascinating premise for a novel.
As a lawyer specialising in commercial litigation and defamation, how did you draw on your experience when writing your legal thriller?
Law firms, legal cases, and Romola’s dealings with barristers and the court are all familiar to me, so that background was useful in setting the scene. I was very keen to write a novel featuring a female protagonist who is strong but not necessarily an alpha-type personality, and which would highlight some of the challenges faced by female lawyers in what is still quite a male-dominated industry. Sometimes this dynamic is shown in subtle things within Romola’s interactions with other lawyers or the barristers. I hope that readers come away with a good sense of what the practice of the law can be like.
You’ve introduced readers to a brilliant new female heroine with your protagonist Romola Cross. Who is your favourite literary heroine and why?
I read lots of different genres and it’s hard to think of just one favourite heroine. I just finished reading Lessons in Chemistry by Bonnie Garmus and Elizabeth Zott was a wonderful lead. I followed that by reading Romantic Comedy by Curtis Sittenfeld, which also has a brilliantly funny and smart heroine at its centre. Going back a little, Life After Life by Kate Atkinson is another of my favourites, with Ursula Todd at its centre, and for a comfort read, I always find something soothing about reading the Isobel Dalhousie novels by Alexander McCall-Smith. In general, I enjoy reading books where the female leads are relatable; not defined by one particular characteristic, but a mix of different strengths and vulnerabilities.
Do you have any advice to share with the aspiring authors reading this, perhaps those who are thinking of applying to a writing course?
If you’re thinking about it, then just give it a go. You’re likely to meet some incredible writers, receive direct and helpful advice, and perhaps get the motivation you need to finish, or at least make a very good start on, writing your novel. It can change your own perception of yourself as an author, and help to break down the mammoth task of writing a novel into manageable chunks.
Finally, what’s next for your writing journey?
I was lucky enough to be offered a two book deal with my publisher, so I’m currently working on my second novel. It will be another Romola Cross book, but will follow her in a whole new case for a different client. The area of law will be quite different from She Too, and I’m looking forward to introducing some new characters and showing a different side to Romola. I’m hoping to delve into some themes that are common to all of us, whether in the law or not.
She Too is out now. Order your copy here.
Applications for both our six-month online and London Writing Your Novel courses close on Sun 14 May. Find out more and apply here.
Some of the books linked in this blog can be found on our Bookshop.org shop front. Curtis Brown Creative receive 10% whenever someone buys from our Bookshop.org page.