Your Writing Companion

When I began to write a novel almost fifteen years ago, I had no idea how to begin. As an avid reader I recognized good writing when I saw it, but producing it myself seemed an impossible task. So I decided to take Anne Lammot’s advice and approach it Bird by Bird. This is the title of her wonderful 1995 book, subtitled ‘Instructions On Writing And Life.’ It means don’t be daunted by the task in its entirety, but break it down into individual components – a sentence, a paragraph, a page, a chapter. It was advice I followed, and still do today.

The first draft of my debut novel – Learning To Speak American - took over a year to write, and was shortlisted for the Amazon Breakthrough Novel Award. It didn’t get any further because it didn’t deserve to, but I felt motivated to keep going, hopeful that one day I would succeed. 

Success is an amorphous concept that means different things in different contexts. For me it meant getting signed by a leading literary agent and offered a two-book deal with a major publishing house. It’s easy to say I was lucky, but like a lot of people, I found the harder I worked, the luckier I got. Learning To Speak American and An Unsuitable Marriage were published in 2016 and 2017 respectively, and my third novel, The Mortification of Grace Wheeler, was published in August this year. It's heartening to see all the wonderful reviews my books have received, and to get messages from readers whose lives my words have touched.

I’ve learned an enormous amount along the way, not least that people write for all sorts of reasons. Publication isn’t always the goal, and nor should it be. I know this because whenever I tell people I’m an author, they often confide their own creative ambitions. The book they’re going to write when they get the time, the memoir for their children or grandchildren, the poetry they don’t dare show anyone for fear of being embarrassed. Sometimes I’m asked if I can look at their work and tell them what I think. This is tricky. I’m not a professional editor and would never say anything negative about someone else’s writing. A few times I’ve been pressed into reading draft novels and on one memorable occasion, a very lengthy memoir. They all had two things in common. One, it was obvious that a huge amount of work had gone into them, and two, it was equally obvious they needed a great deal more. 

It got me thinking about my own writing journey, and how I would have welcomed the advice and companionship of an experienced author. ‘Companionship’ may seem an odd choice of word, but here it refers to friendly association and fellowship, especially with people who share a common interest. I remember sitting at my desk, laptop open, fingers hovering over the keyboard, waiting for inspiration that I feared may never come. If I had had a writing companion, they could have reassured me - told me not to worry. At the time I didn’t realise how many famous authors had confessed that if they only wrote when they felt inspired, they would hardly ever write. So instead of waiting anxiously for that elusive inspiration, the trick is to just sit down and get on with it. At the very least you will have something to work on and improve. After all, you can’t edit an empty page. 

Another reason I would have liked a writing companion is that though writing is a creative and rewarding experience, it is also a solitary one. Several years ago I joined a local writers’ group and while it was nice to meet other writers, the group was too big and impersonal to improve my work in any tangible way. I’m a sociable, chatty person and whether I’m writing a novel, flash fiction, short stories or poetry, there are times when I would love someone to talk to about my work-in-progress. The difference between talking to friends or family, and talking to a professional author, is that the latter understands what you’re going through in a way the former can’t. I wanted someone to listen and offer friendly advice when my writing wasn’t going well, and to cheer me on when it was. There are so many practical solutions to what seem at the time like insurmountable problems, but if you don’t have anyone to ask, how do you know? With my latest novel, The Mortification of Grace Wheeler, my editor spotted a timeline issue that I feared might require a major rewrite. I allowed myself a day to worry and panic, before sitting down and talking through how it could be fixed. And it was, with minimal disruption, because talking about it really helped. 

Looking back to those early days when I started to write Learning To Speak American, I was an enthusiastic amateur, wildly optimistic but with much to learn. It's in my nature to reach out to people – literary consultants, beta readers, manuscript assessors – and wouldn’t be where I am without them. This is why I have decided to offer a Writing Companion service – someone who will provide support, encouragement and practical advice. You never know, it might make all the difference. 

If you’re interested in finding out more, click on the link….