I don't have a desk. I write anywhere, it can be on a train, in a waiting room or in the garden. All I need are notebooks, pencils, eraser and sharpener. I will then type out my handwritten draft onto the computer to be edited.

I grew up in the Midlands in the UK. Early life was hard. We didn't have much money and I went to large comprehensive schools. I also come from a large family. I therefore had a lot of source material for creating characters and situations. This made it easier for me to empathise with why people do the things they do, even though on the surface, it might be wrong or a crime.

I have always written things. I used to keep a diary when I was 10, then I would write plays for my siblings. My English schoolwork wasn't that good because the curriculum wasn't that inspiring, but I had the urge to write stories for my own pleasure. The two were separate. I have continued to write stories on and off all through my life.

My latest novel is called Nora is in the process of being adapted from the screenplay of the same name. My book blog enables readers to enjoy this story for free. You can find my blog novel on the following link.

http://charlesjharwoodfreebie.blogspot.co.uk/

The blurb is as follows:

Her harsh brand of rehab hides a bitter secret.

Ex-nurse, Nancy is hurled into the world of celebrity when she finds herself performing a shoot for handsome but odious playboy, Vince, as they walk from one of his nightclubs.

Vince wears a tailored Armani suit; Nancy wears a cheap cocktail dress from Kelly’s next to the fish shop. Vince is OK with the shallow values that cherish good looks, sporty cars and a fluctuating love life. Nancy’s more traditional values have been forged from an underprivileged life and a neglectful mother.

Nancy has a score to settle.

Her alter ego, Nora takes over after a series of unprecedented events cements their worlds together. Vince’s playboy lifestyle is turned upside down. Hers will never be the same.

Smashwords is great. It makes life for the author much easier as they distribute to all other main ebook retailers in one go. You don't need to create accounts for Sony, Apple, etc. You can access all from one dashboard. It saves the writer valuable time. Your ebooks also become more visible.

I will not put pen to paper unless an idea comes to me that has a thrill factor. By thrill factor, I don't mean action, blood and eroticism, I mean a story that poses a personal risk to write. I love throwing together disparate ideas that creates a bizarre story, and most importantly, characters with realism. My bugbear is stereotypes made of Plasticine. If I feel my characters and live through them, the story becomes more thrilling to write. With these ingredients, the novel is much easier to write.

I will write a first draft or a screenplay. Writing a screenplay is great for creating a map of your story in a coherent form and identifying problems. Once the screenplay has been perfected, I will write the novel itself. I will try to get it right first time, to save effort in later drafts. I will read through the story several times before putting it away and reading it one last time and publishing.

Cover design is vital for book marketing and therefore will give it some thought. Fortunately, I love designing covers. I will keep it simple. As my genre is thrillers, I prefer dark, sombre colours and large fonts. Elements must not clutter, or the image will not have impact on thumbnail size.

I use simple programmes and a low budget. I use Paint, Photoshop and my camera. I like to play around with colours and different fonts. Book cover design can be organic, as I will change the design after a year or so.

I still don't really know what works. Some of my books sell better than others for reasons I cannot fathom. I personally don't think Facebook, Twitter and the like do much for book marketing. You just have to keep plugging away and write. Get more books out there and get on more platforms. Not forgetting great writing and story.

My greatest joy in writing is risk, risk and more risk. By risk, I mean taboo, saying something that shouldn't be said or creating a bizarre or embarrassing situation. Some write for money, which is fine, but there comes a point where writing could become a chore and the joy goes out of it. My thrillers feature complex characters with realism. Putting them in bizarre psychological situations will create a dynamic core to the novel where I can't wait to put words down. This is what drives me to write.