He became the character I worked on and enjoyed the most. But yes originally the idea started with three women. I then decided I wanted to include a love story and that’s how I came up with the idea of Callum. He became the person he was because I was also interested in how things like fame and addiction could impact how people process grief.
I did a lot of research about grief but also addiction because I wanted to portray both accurately and respectfully. I had had personal experience of grief but not addiction and so for the latter I spoke to people I knew who did. It taught me a lot about how people with addictive personalities view the world.
I think each of the scenes where each character’s story comes out for the first times are the ones I am most proud of. Freya and Misha’s in particular. I hope they are moving but also respectfully written. A lot of personal experience went into Misha but Freya’s story was based on that of a friend. Getting it right in terms of tone was therefore hugely important to me.
I’ve heard authors say that as they write, their characters develop a voice and insist their stories be told a certain way - sometimes veering away from the original “person” the author intended. It sounds like you had a pretty good idea of your plot before you started, but did you find that either your characters or your plot evolved in an unexpected way as you wrote?
Have you been on tour for The Seven O’Clock Club, and if so, are there any stories from the road you can share?
Do you have others who read your work while it’s in process and give you opinions as you go along, or does a book have to be more-or-less finished before you let others see it?
I found your book so helpful as within the last 6 months I have lost my niece and her mother, my sister. It has been quite an emotional roller coaster. Please know your book brought me not only comfort but food for thought. My copy is now being passed around to other family members for their enjoyment and thought.
Carol,
Thank you for sharing the grief you are experiencing now. This has also been a traumatic year for me. On New Year’s Eve my beloved Golden Retriever Bennett (he’s on the right in my name post)
He had a fun day playing with his brothers but before midnight collapsed on the floor. I put him on his bed and held him in my arms, at 12:40 he died of symptoms of an aneurysm. He was only 7.5 years old. We still have Willie who is very healthy at 11 years. We pray he has the years Bennett lost.
The evening of March 8 I was told the devastating news that my daughter Elizabeth (45) passed away that morning of a heart attack. Losing a child is not in nature’s way, and I am still processing the grief of her loss. I have been afraid to share my grief but reading your story gave me the strength.
I was fortunate to be able to review The Seven O’Clock Club before the book club discussion. I did enjoy the book however I was too paralyzed with grief to participate in the discussion.
After reading about your loss I know have the courage to tell the author my thoughts of the book.
Thank you
Hi Amelia.
The Seven O’Clock Book Club has become a special book for me.
I thought it was very thought provoking and enjoyed the surprising twists the book presented.
The twist in the middle centering on how each character was dealing with grief was surprising for me.
I read the book before I was told the devastating news that my daughter of 45 years died of a heart attack on March 8th. Then I had to go through my own stages of the unthinkable grief of losing a child. I was immediately reminded of how all characters suffered their grief differently. I felt like a character in the book. After reading Carol’s story of grief it gave me the courage to share mine.
I do have to admit the book’s meaning of the afterlife was very unique. I am curious how you developed the idea of afterlife in the book.
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I thoroughly enjoyed your book! I’m curious about Genevieve Dempsey. She was a complex character in her own way. Was she initially conceived as being a bit of a hippie and did you know from the beginning that she was going to deviate from the study as it was oriiginally designed?
Hmm that’s a good question. I do remember getting to a point when I felt like the story was falling out of me at such a speed it almost felt pre determined as to what the characters were going to do and say. All of that happened after the twist though so by that point I had written about the grief sources of all of them. It was almost like once they had been able to reveal what happened to them they took over my head and controlled the narrative!
I haven’t been on tour! I would love to though one day. Maybe for book two!
I have a good friend who was writing a book when I first started mine and we did three chapters a week as homework to get the book done! We would then review each other’s chapters so she saw it from the start and is the only person who read the first draft. After that a handful of people read it as a full manuscript and gave their views but I think I was most guided by my agent and publisher.
Hi Carol - I am so sorry to hear that. I am also very glad the book brought you some comfort. That’s exactly what I wanted it to do. I lost my mother at a fairly young age and it was important to me that the book helped people at least value the importance of talking and sharing their feelings about what are often quite painful subjects. I wish you all the very best!
Hi Lynne - that all sounds absolutely devastating. It’s clearly been such a hard time for you. I honestly can’t imagine how hard it must be dealing with the loss of a child however old they are. Thank you very much for sharing your story and having the courage to tell people what happened. Am glad you enjoyed the book - you are exactly the sort of person I wrote this for. Again, wishing you all the very best.
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The afterlife point is one I get asked about a lot and I honestly don’t know how I came up with it. I think I wanted something which was original - that is quite hard to do because many people have written about the topic! I also liked the idea that people who had made mistakes in life could work to correct them and become better even after they had died and so I suppose that was the central theme behind it all. There’s is more I could say but I don’t want to reveal the twist to anyone who hasn’t read it!
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Her character changed a lot as I did different edits! I think initially she wasn’t as important as she later became- I saw her more as a lynch pin for the other four. However when I went back over her character at a later date I decided I wanted to make her more interesting. I thought about things which explained why she herself was doing what she did and that’s why I included her story as well towards the end. I also wanted her to develop and learn from the other four rather than simply be static. She became much more of a heroine in the story as a result.
While the story focused on grief, one of the other aspects of this story that made me think was related to the ethical decisions Genevieve faced with time travel. Did you find yourself grappling with her decisions about deviating from the protocol and her concern that she might not be involved in phase two of the trial?
One last comment about The Seven O’Clock Club. I liked Victoria’s husband, Andrew. He added an interesting perspective about both Victoria and Mischa. I especially liked how he gently encouraged Victoria to join the group and supported her when she struggled with the best way to interact within the group given her age difference. I can’t imagine where she’d have ended up without his insight, encouragement and support. His character was a nice balance that showed the potential for what Vivian’s personality could be once the button upped lawyer persona shifted.
You mention a Book 2. Can you tell us anything about your next project?