'I've spent most of my adult life feeling not quite enough' - Carmel Harrington talks body image

When author Carmel Harrington had an idea for a novel about body image, she knew she'd have to face her own demons. Half-way through the first draft, she finally managed to silence the inner heckler she'd been listening to since her teens

'I've spent most of my adult life not feeling quite enough'

I've been noodling the central character from my latest novel, My Pear-Shaped Life, for years. Greta Gale is funny and flawed. She hides her insecurities behind a big smile and nobody knows how much she hates how she looks. Overweight, her negative body image has impacted every part of her life. While she's a fictional character, I understand Greta. We both have a resident heckler in our head for a start.