‘Write what you know’ is classic advice – for good reason. We all want our work to have a tang of authenticity, and staying within familiar territory can make things more truthful, and certainly a heck of a lot quicker. And as I wrote in my last blog, no matter how well-intentioned, endless research can easily become a procrastination tool.
Continue reading “How to research a novel”Tag: novel-writing
How to finish a novel
This first post in a series of blogs about writing was going to be on how to start a novel. But I feel like starting is rarely the problem – whereas finishing often is. Whether you plan a book out or plunge right in, the beginning is always full of shimmery possibility. And then… the reality of the words on the page often disappoints. Hence the urge to polish and polish, re-writing the first chapter or section over and over.
Continue reading “How to finish a novel”Writing a novel
Some exciting news: I have signed to RCW literary agency for a currently work-in-progress novel. My agent is Tristan Kendrick, who I am thrilled to be working with as the book progresses.
The story imagines one couple meeting at three different points during the 20th century, looking at how changes in class, gender and social mobility impact on a relationship.
Alongside the actual writing, I’m conducting oral histories with people who lived through the late 1940s/early 1950s, the late 60/early 70s, and the late 80s/90s as research. I’ll be putting up some posts about that process as I go along, as well as more general reflections on the writing process.