Inside the Mind - E.M. Wallis

I have always been drawn to stories that explore the things people hide, the experiences that shape them and the possibility that there may be more to our world than we understand. My background in journalism and public-sector communications has brought me into contact with complex social issues and real human experiences, which often inspire the emotional themes in my fiction. Writing allows me to explore those themes through mystery and the supernatural, creating stories that entertain readers while also leaving them with something deeper to think about.

My latest book, Ghosted, is a supernatural mystery built around a very modern experience: being suddenly abandoned by someone you have met online. It follows a divorced man trying to rebuild his life through dating apps. When women he has been talking to begin disappearing without explanation, he initially assumes he has simply been ghosted. Gradually, however, he discovers that the truth is far stranger than rejection: the women contacting him are dead. What begins as a story about loneliness, dating and emotional disconnection develops into something much more supernatural. As he learns why these women have reached out to him, he is forced to decide whether he will retreat from life again or help them find the answers they were denied. At its heart, Ghosted is about people who disappear, the damage they leave behind and the importance of choosing not to disappear from the lives of those who still need us.

My characters usually begin with an emotional truth rather than a physical description. I think about what they want, what they fear and what they are hiding, sometimes even from themselves. My background in journalism and communications has allowed me to meet people from many different walks of life, so characters may contain fragments of personalities, experiences or conversations I have encountered, although they are never direct copies of one person. I then place them in situations that test their beliefs and expose their flaws. I prefer to reveal character through choices, dialogue and behaviour rather than explaining everything immediately. This is particularly important in my stories because characters are not always what they first appear to be, and sometimes the reader only fully understands them when the final twist is revealed.

I am not sure I really have a typical writing day. I work full-time in communications and also have family commitments, so writing has to fit around the rest of my life. Ideas rarely arrive at convenient times, so I make notes whenever a line, character or possible twist occurs to me. Most of my focused writing happens during quieter evenings or at weekends. I usually begin by reading over the previous section, making a few changes and allowing that to lead me back into the story. Some sessions produce several pages, while others may be spent refining a single scene. I try not to measure a successful writing day purely by word count, because solving a plot problem or finding the right emotional direction can be just as important.

The most rewarding part is having the freedom to tell the stories I genuinely want to tell. I can explore difficult social issues, experiment with supernatural ideas and take creative risks without having to reshape everything to fit someone else’s expectations. There is also something incredibly satisfying about taking an idea that once existed only in my imagination and turning it into a finished book that other people can read. When a reader connects with a character, is surprised by a twist or tells me that a story stayed with them after they finished it, that makes all the solitary hours of writing worthwhile.

One of my biggest challenges has been learning that finishing the book is only the beginning. Writing is something I understand instinctively, but promoting my own work and helping it reach the right readers has been a much steeper learning curve. The indie market is incredibly crowded, and a good book can easily disappear among thousands of new releases. Finding ways to talk about my work without feeling as though I am constantly selling has not always come naturally. I am gradually learning to focus less on reaching everyone and more on building genuine connections with the readers who enjoy supernatural mysteries, psychological suspense and stories with an unexpected twist.

I tend to keep my writing tools fairly simple. Microsoft Word is where most of the writing takes place, while the notes app on my phone is invaluable for capturing ideas, snippets of dialogue and possible twists before they disappear. For editing, I use AutoCrit to highlight areas that may need closer attention, such as pacing, repetition, sentence structure and overused words. It does not make the creative decisions for me, but it provides another useful perspective and helps me approach the revision process more objectively.

My first piece of advice would be to finish the story. It is easy to spend years planning, rewriting the opening or waiting until you feel completely ready, but you learn far more from completing a book than from endlessly perfecting the first few chapters. Take editing seriously, invest in the best cover and presentation you can afford, and begin thinking about your readers before publication rather than afterwards. At the same time, be cautious of anyone promising guaranteed sales or instant bestseller status. Indie authors are frequently targeted by people selling visibility that has little real value. Most importantly, write the story you genuinely want to tell. Trends change quickly, but an authentic voice, memorable characters and a story you truly care about will always give readers something worth discovering.

Book promotion is probably the part of indie publishing I am still learning the most about. My approach is gradually moving away from simply posting a cover and purchase link towards giving readers a reason to become interested in the story. I try to focus on the questions, themes and intriguing ideas behind a book without revealing its twists. Social media, author interviews, reader communities and genuine reviews can all help build awareness, particularly when they create conversation rather than feeling like a constant sales pitch. With Ghosted, I am also trying to begin that process before publication. My aim is to introduce readers to its themes of modern dating, loneliness, loss and supernatural connection, so that they already understand what makes the story distinctive when it is released.

My immediate focus is preparing Ghosted for publication, but I have already begun editing the next story, The Last Caller. Ghosted is the first in a planned collection of standalone supernatural stories. Each book will tell its own complete story and explore a different human or social issue through mystery, emotion and an unexpected twist. As the collection develops, subtle connections will begin to emerge between the stories, eventually leading to a final book that brings their characters and worlds together. I want each story to work independently while also rewarding readers who follow the whole collection and begin to notice the clues connecting them.

The supernatural allows me to approach real experiences from an unexpected direction. Issues such as loneliness, trauma, abuse, grief and social isolation can be difficult to explore directly without a story becoming too heavy or predictable. Introducing something unexplained creates mystery and suspense, but it can also give those experiences a different emotional meaning. Although my stories contain ghosts or supernatural elements, they are ultimately about people. The supernatural draws the reader in, while the human issue beneath it is what I hope stays with them after the final twist.