Writing Between Two Worlds: The Beauty of Dual Settings in Storytelling

As a writer of emotive women’s fiction, my stories often unfold between two vibrant, contrasting worlds: the warmth and complexity of the Caribbean and the grey, bustling life of London. I’m drawn to the richness that comes from setting my novels in both the past and the present, and exploring how these dual timelines and locations mirror the emotional journeys of my characters.

Why I Write Between Two Worlds

My inspiration comes partly from real life. I grew up listening to my mother’s stories—tales of family, heartbreak, courage, and migration from the Caribbean to the UK. These narratives sparked a deep desire in me to tell stories that honour those voices while exploring universal themes of identity, belonging, love, and loss.

As a Londoner, I cannot help be influenced by my environment and surroundings. The language, the characters I meet and the experiences that I live all form part of the narrative. I love the contrast in the worlds I create from the history and experiences of my life and the world around me.

When I write, I find that setting plays as big a role as any character. The Caribbean landscapes offer texture, rhythm, and rootedness, while London often reflects change, tension, and transformation. Switching between them brings a richness that a single setting might not deliver on its own.

The Challenges of Writing Across Time and Place

Writing dual timelines or cross-cultural stories does have its challenges. Here are a few I face:

• Authenticity – Ensuring both settings feel lived-in and real. I use research, personal memories, and a good dose of imagination to build worlds that resonate.

  
  

• Pacing – Balancing the flow between past and present, making sure neither timeline overshadows the other.

  
  

• Emotional continuity – Making sure the reader feels the emotional echoes that travel across time and geography. One decision in 1940s Dominica, for example, might ripple through to 1970s London—or even to today. And if you’re writing a series, all of this matters so much.

How Duality Enriches the Narrative

This layered storytelling allows me to explore complex themes. For example:

• In Wherever You Will Go (coming June 2025), a young woman’s journey from Dominica to England during the Windrush era reflects personal and cultural shifts that still resonate today.

  
  

• In the upcoming Book 2 of the Hope Series, I follow her daughter in a different time and voice, showing how the past never truly lets go.

  
  

Writing between two worlds helps me explore how history, memory, and legacy shape us, especially as women navigating love, family, and personal freedom.

Tips for Writers Exploring Dual Settings

1. Know both worlds intimately. If you can’t travel, read widely, listen deeply, and research obsessively.

   
   

2. Use sensory detail. The smell of salt on Caribbean air, the damp chill of a London morning—these anchor the reader.

   
   

3. Weave themes across timelines. Let the past influence the present, whether subtly or dramatically.

   
   

4. Let each world have its own emotional tone. One may feel vibrant and hopeful; the other tense or restrained. That contrast can be powerful.

Final Thoughts

Writing between two worlds has helped me find my voice. It allows me to honour the people who came before while speaking to readers who, like me, are still learning what it means to belong to more than one place—or time.

If you’ve ever felt the pull of more than one home, or more than one version of yourself, I hope my stories resonate with you.