Clare Whitfield was born the fourth child to ex-Armed Forces parents and grew up on St Helier Estate in Morden before moving to Sutton. After studying contemporary dance at Middlesex University, she worked as an editorial assistant for a publishing company, tried her hand at freelance writing, and eventually worked in marketing where she spent her free time writing. In her 30s she took an MA in creative writing at the University of Winchester and has now published her first novel, People of Abandoned Character.

Among other things, Carter and Clare discuss military parents and having a specific allotment of toilet paper, how being the youngest can teach creativity, and her road to writing fiction, handling rejection and getting published. At the end of their conversation, from a random sentence in Dreamcatcher by Stephen King they battle out a story of a husband and wife’s failing relationship that takes things to a new level, involving cheap (or expensive, depending on who you ask) cola and prescription painkillers.

Connect with Carter at www.carterwilson.com

Connect with Clare at www.clarewhitfieldbooks.com