Discussing All Things Writing – Beth Lewis shares the inspiration behind WOLF ROAD

12th May 2022

‘Sheâ€™s an honest character which, for me, is refreshing in a world of unreliable narrators.’

Elka has a very distinctive voice, one that stays with readers long after theyâ€™ve finished the book. How did you first discover this style of writing, and how did you maintain it throughout the novel?

Iâ€™ve always loved reading books and watching movies that have a strong narrative voice. I enjoy feeling like Iâ€™m being told a story and thatâ€™s what I wanted to write. I donâ€™t think I could have written it any other way. It was very easy to maintain â€“ once I read a few lines of it, I was back in Elkaâ€™s head. I ended up speaking and texting like her and so did a lot of readers which is really amazing. I believe the way a person speaks mirrors their personality and the way we change our speech patterns depending on who weâ€™re talking to is telling. With Elka, she has none of that emotional intelligence, she doesnâ€™t know how to manipulate or alter herself, sheâ€™s an honest character which, for me, is refreshing in a world of unreliable narrators.

Did you carry out any research prior to writing The Wolf Road, which helped you develop the setting, characters and storyline?

Iâ€™ve been a long-time fan of any documentary or TV show set in Canada or Alaska and survival shows are my go-to guilty pleasure, so I had a good base of knowledge there already. The real research came from a survival course I went on which I hope lends a touch of authenticity to Elkaâ€™s experiences. Iâ€™m a visual person so when I research, I watch any and all TV shows, documentaries or movies set where the book takes place. I like to hear accents and patois rather than read them, and Iâ€™d always rather see a forest or cornfield or small town and put my own spin on it, than read how another writer has described the same thing. I also visited Canada a few years ago so got first-hand experience of the sights, smells and sounds of the area which was invaluable.

Do you have a preferred strategy for plotting and writing a novel? Would you start off with a detailed sketch of the storyline, written on a board across the wall? Or would you begin writing with a basic premise and let the story carry you along?

I tend to get an idea and an image of the first scene, then the first line comes and it all goes from there. I know a project is right if the characters pop into my head fully formed and I hear their voices when Iâ€™m writing. I know how they look, speak, their background, what they want â€“ like a close friend you havenâ€™t seen for ages. I plan more now than I used to, because I have less time so itâ€™s a bit more efficient, but I like to let the characters do what they want and drive the story.

Which books convinced you to become a writer? Have you always been a crime fiction fan or were you drawn to the genre later on?

Iâ€™ve always wanted to be a writer so no books in particular convinced me, at least none that Iâ€™m conscious of. I remember reading Wuthering Heights and The Woman in Black when I was thirteen or so and suddenly being aware of structure and framework narratives, as well as the feeling of being told a story instead of reading a book. I donâ€™t really have a favourite genre and I donâ€™t read as much crime as Iâ€™d like. I tend to read a lot of science fiction and books which straddle genres, the ones that are hard to categorise, which I think is why Iâ€™ve written a book that doesnâ€™t quite fit into one genre.

After The Wolf Road, what will you write next? Though youâ€™ve set this novel in North America, do you plan to write fiction set in the UK?

The next book is set in a small town in the American midwest in the early seventies. Four friends discover a body and set about trying to solve a murder but they dig too deep into the townâ€™s secrets. Itâ€™s all about leaving home and childhood behind and how that feels. I love writing stories set in North America. Itâ€™s so big and varied and the landscape is diverse and beautiful. You can get lost there in a way you canâ€™t in the UK which appeals to me. Iâ€™ll definitely write a story set in the UK one day, I have one brewing set during the Blitz. That one is two books down the idea queue at the moment but Iâ€™ll get there.

Of all of the books you have read in the past year, which has been your favourite?

Wow, thatâ€™s difficult. The one that immediately springs to mind is The Girls by Emma Cline. It has its faults but itâ€™s so beautifully written it stayed with me. I also loved Sleeping Giants and Waking Gods by Sylvain Neuvel, and The North Water by Ian McGuire. Iâ€™m currently reading The Power by Naomi Alderman and Hold Back the Stars by Katie Khan â€“ both excellent â€“ and next on the to-be-read pile is Defender by G X Todd which I canâ€™t wait to get stuck into.