Mira V Shah: 'It is possible to write a gripping, emotive and twisty novel whilst celebrating the richness and complexities of female friendship.'

Like many of our students, Mira V Shah turned her attention to writing during the pandemic. By the time she’d finished our Writing Your Novel – Three Months course, she had completed a first draft. Now, Mira’s debut novel, Her, is being published by Hodder in March 2023. We spoke with Mira about her time studying with us, keeping motivated and fictional dinner guests!

During the first lockdown in 2020, you took our Writing Your Novel – Three Months course (online). How did your time studying with us impact your writing journey?

In short, a great deal! The moment I received the email notifying me of my place on the course was the start of my writing journey – a turning point in my life. Before then, I had dabbled in writing, but predominantly as a form of therapy. My mum died when I was 19. It took me several years to confront my grief, and when I did it appeared like a tidal wave. Overwhelming and all-consuming. Writing became my only release, my safe haven.

I’d never considered writing a book before. I’ve been a voracious reader for as long as I can remember (my first word was book, would you believe?) but I saw becoming an author in the same camp as becoming a marathon runner – impossible!

The course impacted me in many ways. From day one we were told to call ourselves writers and be proud of ourselves for taking a leap of faith. At times, I couldn’t believe my luck. It felt like a dream - surrounded by talented, supportive writers, being able to read their work and receive their critique on yours. Also, it helped with accountability, focusing my mind on the end goal. Writing courses aren’t cheap. I couldn’t really afford it and was super grateful to the team for letting me pay in instalments. So, when I accepted the place, I told myself that had to finish my novel.

And three and half months later, I had a first draft.

The fact that you managed to write an entire novel during the midst of a world pandemic is a huge achievement! What does a typical writing day look like for you? How do you keep yourself focused and motivated?

I heard a lot about writers feeling creatively stifled by the pandemic. That must have been so hard, especially if they had deadlines to adhere to. But for me it was the opposite. I don’t think I would have started writing a novel if it wasn’t for the pandemic.

My husband and I were living in a cramped flat with three dogs and a cat at the time. I found myself desperately seeking an escape from the claustrophobia of my surroundings and the turmoil of the world. Some of my friends learned how to make sourdough; others joined TikTok. I turned to writing. Every day, I’d wake up at 5am and write in the dark until the dogs woke up. Then after finishing my day job in the evening, I’d head straight into the garden with a glass of wine and continue writing until I could no longer see the screen.

I don’t have a typical writing day as I’m still writing alongside a hectic full-time job. It’s a constantly juggle, requires a lot of sacrifices and I’m always teetering close to burn out, but for now it’s the only way I can make it work financially. Whilst I tend to edit in every spare moment I have, my first drafts can only be written early in the morning – it’s when I feel the most creative. I’m about to start writing my third book (I wrote my second one in 2021) and am growing more and more anxious about re-joining 5am writing club!

I’m naturally quite obsessive (it’s the Capricorn in me) so motivation comes easy to me once I fall in love with an idea. But what I find more difficult is switching off and maintaining a healthy balance, which is essential for writing.

I often have to remind myself that a substantial part of writing happens away from the keyboard!

Many of our students find lifelong writing friends on our courses. Are you still in touch with anyone you met during the course?

My goodness yes. My friend Georgie (Georgina Sewell) is such a talented writer (and editor) and has read and critiqued every iteration of Her since 2020 - I often joke that she is a pro bono member of my editorial team!

I would not be here today without her brilliant observations, constant faith, and our giggles over Whatsapp.

Your debut novel Her is out with Hodder in March 2023. The story follows a dark and obsessive friendship between two neighbours which has devastating consequences. Can you tell us a bit more about the novel and the inspiration behind it?

The overarching theme of Her is perception (or deception, depending on which way you look at it!) It’s about two young women, Rani and Natalie, who their whole lives ahead of them yet are cripplingly lonely. Her asks the question: how well do you really know someone?

It stems from my own experience of being in my twenties after my mum died. Navigating the crushing societal expectation that these are supposed to be the best years of your life, when they were undoubtedly my worst. I remember wearing a permanent ‘mask’ in public, laughing, and joking with my friends, while on the inside I was breaking down. Initially, I wanted to write about the experience of grief as a young person and how isolating it is, but then as the characters became full formed, the plot spun in a much broader direction.

Another key theme of the novel is female friendship. Most women protagonists in suspense novels are pitted against each other, driven by obsession, revenge or jealously. I wanted to turn this trope on its head and show that it is possible to write a gripping, emotive and twisty novel whilst celebrating the richness and complexities of female friendship.

Finally, being British Indian, diversity and representation is hugely important to me. Unfortunately, whilst publishing has moved leaps and bounds, I often read books with very little representation and far too much stereotyping. I also think there is a pressure on BIPOC authors to write books that are predominantly about racial struggles and different cultures. In Her, I wanted to explore racial prejudice and discrimination in a much more nuanced and relatable way.

As a former City Lawyer, was your previous experience useful when it came to writing a psychological drama?

Certainly – it’s not surprising that there are quite a few of us ex-lawyers writing in the crime and thriller/suspense genres!

I practised as a commercial litigator for several years, working on a wide range of disputes, many of which ended up in court. Whilst I don’t have a legal drama in the pipeline (although I wouldn’t rule this out in the future), part of a litigator’s job involves reviewing papers and papers of complex facts to build your client’s case, which is similar to the process of fleshing out a plot of a novel. I am also very detail orientated (partly nature and partly nurture), which has certainly helped unleash the character-driven writer within me.

If you could invite three fictional characters to a dinner party, who would you invite and why?

I love this question!

So, off the top of my head I’d go with Amy Dunne from Gone Girl because she is bat sh*t crazy but extremely likeable, which in my opinion is the perfect combination, Martha Friel from Sorrow and Bliss because she has such a unique charm and I could listen to her all day and Six-Thirty from Lessons in Chemistry because I am dog obsessed (can you tell?) and I absolutely adore him.

Finally, your second novel is due to be published in spring 2024, what can you tell us about this book?

Oooh, I’m not sure how much I can say about book two, so I’ll keep it brief. But I’m very excited about this one.

It’s a locked room family mystery with a twist, set in a remote hilltop town in the heart of Italy. My agent has said that it reminds her a little of Succession, but I think that’s much too generous!

If you like the sound of this, then feel free to follow me on Twitter and/or Instagram (@shahvmira) where I’ll be posting the official announcement early next year.

Pre-order your copy of Her here.

Find out more about our Writing Your Novel course, our three-month online course. Open for applications now.