Lorna Peel

Lorna is the author of Only You.

Her second novel, Into the Unknown is due for publication next year. Hi Lorna, thank you for joining us.

Can you tell us about your book, Only You?

Thirty-one year old divorcee Jane Hollinger teaches adult education classes. Her self-confidence and self-worth is very low, as she hadn’t known her ex-husband was cheating on her. Jane’s sister and best friend subscribe her to a dating website but little do any of them know that Jane’s fantasy man is a student in her family history evening class! Through Jane, I wanted to explore what it would really be like to be in a relationship with a famous person but you wish they weren’t famous because you are a very private person who prefers to live a quiet life? Could you love that famous person enough to be able to put up with all the intrusions the relationship would bring with it?

Can you briefly describe your writing style?

With Only You, it was a very informal and light conversational style. Into The Unknown, my forthcoming WWII historical romance, was a little more formal.

Do you plan? Also, do you edit as you go or wait for a first draft?

I’m not a scrupulous planner or plotter, I just begin to write and see where the characters take me! When I write the first draft of a novel, I try to write it straight through from start to finish. If I don’t write right through to the end, I probably won’t finish what I’m writing. I just want to get the first draft done, editing and adding or removing scenes comes later, but I do try and finish a writing session on a cliff-hanger so it’s easier to pick up from there again.

Do you cast your characters whilst writing?

Not always, no, but I did merge a couple of actors I like to create Robert Armstrong and that was the first time I’d written a character with anyone in mind. I have been asked to come up with my Only You film cast and it took AGES because I couldn’t decide which of the actors was more suited to being Robert! Ideally, I’d prefer readers to visualize my characters in their own head, rather than me showing them an actor or actress.

Do you get writers block and if so, how do you deal with it?

I’ve never suffered from writer’s block, thankfully, as I try to write or edit something every day, even if it’s only as little as one paragraph!

If you could go back to any point in history, where would you go and why?

I love history but with the benefit of hindsight, I wouldn’t like to live in any era but the present. If I could visit any point in history it would be the Fifteenth Century so I could try and solve the mystery of the Princes in the Tower.

Who would you invite to a fantasy dinner party?

Richard III and William Shakespeare – I probably wouldn’t seat them next to each other, though! Stephen Fry – I think I’d put him between the two – and I’d sit Richard Armitage next to me!

What’s your favourite word?

At the moment it’s fandangly! I thought I’d created it but then I heard it in an advert. Grrr..!

Five pieces of advice for new writers?

1. Write about what you know. 

2. Don’t allow yourself to get discouraged. If you get a rejection from an agent or publisher, send out another query straight away.

3. Be prepared for the fact that not everyone will love or even like your book.

4. Never respond to a bad review.

5. Don’t give up, if it can happen to me, it can happen to you.

Best writing moment so far?

I have two and they’re not actual writing moments but the two occasions Only You and Into The Unknown were accepted for publication were fantastic!

Find out about Lorna at her website.

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Laura

I’m Laura. I started Novel Kicks in 2009. I wanted a place to post my writing as well as give other writers like me the opportunity to do the same. There is also a monthly book club, a writing room which features writing prompts, book reviews, competitions, author interviews and guest posts.

I grew up by the sea (my favourite place in the world) and I currently live in Hampshire. I am married to Chris, have a cat named Buddy and I would love to be a writer. I’m trying to write the novel I’ve talked so much about writing if only I could stop pressing delete. I’ve loved writing since creative writing classes in primary school. I have always wanted to see my teacher Miss Sayers again and thank her for the encouragement. When not trying to write the novel or writing snippets of stories on anything I can get my hands on, I love reading, dancing like a loon and singing to myself very badly. My current obsession is Once Upon a Time and I would be happy to live with magic in the enchanted forest surrounded by all those wonderful stories provided that world also included Harry Potter. I love reading chick lit. contemporary fiction and novels with mystery.