“Don't set pen to paper until you know your main characters inside out. Create files detailing their appearances, likes, dislikes, and personal background. You may not use all the information, but it is a crucial step in planning your story.”

English journalist, novelist, and screenwriter, since 2002

Jojo Moyes is an English journalist, novelist, and screenwriter. Born Pauline Sara Jo Moyes, she has been writing professionally since 2002 and is known for her romance novels and screen work. Her novels have sold more than 40 million copies worldwide and have been translated into 28 languages. She is among the few writers to have won the Romantic Novel of the Year Award twice from the Romantic Novelists' Association, and she is also a number-one New York Times best-selling author.