Sometimes I get asked about my writing...here are some answers!
1. What is your typical writing day like?
It tends to vary, depending on how lazy I’m being! I definitely have favourite times of the day when I like to write - first thing in the morning or in the evening, anytime after 4pm. I also find it much easier to write when it’s overcast or dark outside and I can really focus on what I’m doing. On a good day I’ll try to write at least 1000 words. My worst time for writing is definitely between lunchtime and 4pm – I tend to spend a lot more time ‘researching things’ (translation: wasting time) on the internet than actually writing…
2. What are your favourite books?
That’s a hard question, there are so many! I love ‘Midnight’s Children’ by Salman Rushdie – coming to the end of that book was a sad, sad day. Other favourites include: ‘The God of Small Things’ by Arundhati Roy; pretty much everything by Kazuo Ishiguro; ‘Norwegian Wood’ by Haruki Murakami; ‘Neverwhere’ by Neil Gaimon; 'His Dark Materials' by Philip Pullman; 'Amsterdam' by Ian McEwan; 'Doctor Fischer of Geneva or the Bomb Party' by Graham Greene; 'Midnight in the Garden of Good and Evil' by John Berendt;‘The Road’ by Cormac McCarthy …the list goes on….
3. Have you got any tips for writers?
I’m certainly not the first writer to ever say this, but I think it is important to write what you love. Trying to put together thousands of words in a way that makes sense takes hours and hours of incredibly hard (and solitary) work. I think you’re much more likely to stick at it (and, more importantly, enjoy what you’re doing) if you have characters or an idea that you really care about. The only other tip (again, not at all original) is to read as much as you write, and to read critically – eg. how has the author structured the overall plot? How have they written their sentences (eg. are they all a uniform length, or has the author chopped them up a bit? Does it work?) What words has the author used? Are they words you would or could use in your own writing?
4. Do you ever suffer from writer’s block?
Yes! There are days when I have no idea what’s going to happen next in my story, or how to resolve a problem that my characters are facing. There are also the days when writing is a real struggle, and I find myself staring at the screen for hours, trying to find the right words. Agggh! On those days I just try to write something, anything, even if I know it’s complete rubbish and I’m probably going to get rid of it the next day. Writer’s block can definitely be stressful, especially if it lasts for a few days. It can lead to a pretty nasty dose of self doubt, which is when I start questioning not just the story I’m working on, but my very ability as a writer. I find it often helps to go for a walk for an hour or so, even if it’s just to stop me throwing my computer (or myself) out the window. Talking to close friends is also therapeutic!
5.What kinds of things help you stay motivated?
I really like to write at night, switching off all the lights so that, apart from the light of the computer screen, I’m pretty much completely in the dark. Probably not great for my eyes, but I find it really helps me focus. I also find music hugely helpful, not generally when I’m actually writing, but in my down times, when I’m thinking about stuff. I must have listened to “Howl” by Florence and the Machine half a million times when I was writing Blue Dome – it almost became an anthem. I’m also really motivated by all the authors who have achieved great things by just getting out there and doing it. I get a lot of inspiration from people like that!
1. What is your typical writing day like?
It tends to vary, depending on how lazy I’m being! I definitely have favourite times of the day when I like to write - first thing in the morning or in the evening, anytime after 4pm. I also find it much easier to write when it’s overcast or dark outside and I can really focus on what I’m doing. On a good day I’ll try to write at least 1000 words. My worst time for writing is definitely between lunchtime and 4pm – I tend to spend a lot more time ‘researching things’ (translation: wasting time) on the internet than actually writing…
2. What are your favourite books?
That’s a hard question, there are so many! I love ‘Midnight’s Children’ by Salman Rushdie – coming to the end of that book was a sad, sad day. Other favourites include: ‘The God of Small Things’ by Arundhati Roy; pretty much everything by Kazuo Ishiguro; ‘Norwegian Wood’ by Haruki Murakami; ‘Neverwhere’ by Neil Gaimon; 'His Dark Materials' by Philip Pullman; 'Amsterdam' by Ian McEwan; 'Doctor Fischer of Geneva or the Bomb Party' by Graham Greene; 'Midnight in the Garden of Good and Evil' by John Berendt;‘The Road’ by Cormac McCarthy …the list goes on….
3. Have you got any tips for writers?
I’m certainly not the first writer to ever say this, but I think it is important to write what you love. Trying to put together thousands of words in a way that makes sense takes hours and hours of incredibly hard (and solitary) work. I think you’re much more likely to stick at it (and, more importantly, enjoy what you’re doing) if you have characters or an idea that you really care about. The only other tip (again, not at all original) is to read as much as you write, and to read critically – eg. how has the author structured the overall plot? How have they written their sentences (eg. are they all a uniform length, or has the author chopped them up a bit? Does it work?) What words has the author used? Are they words you would or could use in your own writing?
4. Do you ever suffer from writer’s block?
Yes! There are days when I have no idea what’s going to happen next in my story, or how to resolve a problem that my characters are facing. There are also the days when writing is a real struggle, and I find myself staring at the screen for hours, trying to find the right words. Agggh! On those days I just try to write something, anything, even if I know it’s complete rubbish and I’m probably going to get rid of it the next day. Writer’s block can definitely be stressful, especially if it lasts for a few days. It can lead to a pretty nasty dose of self doubt, which is when I start questioning not just the story I’m working on, but my very ability as a writer. I find it often helps to go for a walk for an hour or so, even if it’s just to stop me throwing my computer (or myself) out the window. Talking to close friends is also therapeutic!
5.What kinds of things help you stay motivated?
I really like to write at night, switching off all the lights so that, apart from the light of the computer screen, I’m pretty much completely in the dark. Probably not great for my eyes, but I find it really helps me focus. I also find music hugely helpful, not generally when I’m actually writing, but in my down times, when I’m thinking about stuff. I must have listened to “Howl” by Florence and the Machine half a million times when I was writing Blue Dome – it almost became an anthem. I’m also really motivated by all the authors who have achieved great things by just getting out there and doing it. I get a lot of inspiration from people like that!
