Katie Ward

How did you become a writer? I wanted to be a journalist when I was a teenager. So I went to study journalism at university and threw myself into various unpaid work placements. I soon discovered, however, that I thought much more deeply about issues than reporting a topical news story allowed for. I felt compelled to write about things in greater detail, to develop narratives, and to explore characters and ambiguity. Philosophy became my major and has been part of my creative life ever since.

Name your writing influences (writers, books, teachers, etc.). I have written about Hilary Mantel as my friend and mentor of 15 years for the Guardian. It was not only the genius of her writing, but also her poise and kindness that has influenced me. Her Wolf Hall trilogy is the outcome of decades of experience, her most fascinating ideas finding full expression at the height of her powers. Other works of fiction that are important to me include: Brideshead Revisited by Evelyn Waugh; The Waves by Virginia Woolf; and the Talking Heads monologues by Alan Bennett.

My new novel Pathways was inspired by the hard problem of consciousness (sometimes known as the mind-body problem). It wouldn’t exist had I not read the philosopher Mary Midgley’s Science and Poetry.

When and where do you write? My day starts with keeping a handwritten diary, while drinking my coffee at the table in my conservatory. I note the salient details of yesterday, so I can mentally clear them away and feel more ready for today. I will stay there, if I’m able to, and continue my creative writing on my laptop. In terms of good energy, the best time to write is the morning. And if I’m flowing, I will stay put until somebody stops me.

What are you working on now? Short stories.

Have you ever suffered from writer’s block? I have suffered from breast cancer which knocked out a couple of productive years. I had a manuscript in progress when I was diagnosed, which motivated me to return to creative practice when my active treatment was over.

What’s the best writing advice you’ve ever received? Back yourself. Hilary taught me there are two kinds of success for an artist: internal and external. Sometimes, these are at odds. The reality for a professional writer is that we need to find a way to navigate both: so have the courage of your convictions and believe.

What’s your advice to new writers? (1) Practice, practice, practice. Write regularly and attentively. The more you write, the more you will improve over time.

(2) Find a community, online or in real life, so you can tap into support when you need to. When you start talking to other writers, you soon realise how many of your struggles are normal and that they can be overcome.

(3) Write from the heart. Write for yourself. You will get out what you put in.

Katie Ward is an award-winning author from Suffolk UK. Her new novel, Pathways, is published by Fleet (Little, Brown UK 2024). Pathways is contemporary fiction: about Cara, a neuroscientist with a research post at Cambridge trying to make an impact in her field; and Heather, her almost-stepdaughter, who goes to Las Vegas on impulse without a backward glance. A novel of both the heart and the head, Pathways is perceptive, wry and unexpectedly moving – a love story of deep originality and intelligence.