Read lots – you’ll absorb style and vocabulary
Write as often as you can – practice makes perfect
Get yourself a dedicated workspace and lots of stationery. If you want to be a writer – you need the official tools
Remember that writing isn’t easy – you will always hit sticky parts and think ‘this is rubbish’ – it’s quite normal
Don’t be held back by fear of rejection – if you have talent and resilience you will eventually find a door that opens for you and then you will be soooo glad that you fought for and won the best job in the world.
Marlen Suyapa Bodden’s debut novel, The Wedding Gift was published by Century in May 2013.
What can you tell us about your new book The Wedding Gift?
It’s my debut novel and it’s set in the 1850s pre-Civil War American South. When Cornelius Allen gives his daughter Clarissa’s hand in marriage, he presents her with a wedding gift: the young slave she grew up with, Sarah. Sarah is also Allen’s daughter and Clarissa’s sister, a product of his longtime relationship with his house slave, Emmeline. When Clarissa’s husband suspects that their newborn son is illegitimate, Clarissa and Sarah are sent back to her parents, Cornelius and Theodora, in shame, setting in motion a series of events that will destroy this once powerful family.
Norwegian playwright Henrik Ibsen, author of A Doll’s House, kept a live pet scorpion in an empty beer glass on his desk while writing for inspiration. Yikes, rather him than me.
Your character is post 50’s. They write a letter to their sixteen year old self. What would it say?
(Write and then post. Don’t edit.)
A new life is just a ticket away…
The Orient Express. Luxury. Mystery. Romance.
For one group of passengers settling in to their seats and taking their first sips of champagne, the journey from London to Venice is more than the trip of a lifetime.
A mysterious errand; a promise made to a dying friend; an unexpected proposal; a secret reaching back a lifetime…As the train sweeps on, revelations, confessions and assignations unfold against the most romantic and infamous setting in the world.
Buy via Amazon.
Thank you to all the people who entered our competition to win a signed copy of The President’s Hat by Antoine Laurain.
Well done to Mandy Carter (who’s superpower would be to look into the future,) Susan Nisar (who would like the power to heal,) and Kathleen Gallagher (who would like to be able to turn nasty food delicious.)
The Hitchhiker’s Guide To The Galaxy by Douglas Adams was originally a radio comedy which first broadcast on 1978 on BBC Radio Four.
Two sisters, one life-changing journey…
There are some currents in the relationship between sisters that run so dark and so deep, it’s better for the people swimming on the surface never to know what’s beneath . . .
Katie’s carefully structured world is shattered by the news that her headstrong younger sister, Mia, has been found dead in Bali – and the police claim it was suicide.
With only the entries of Mia’s travel journal as her guide, Katie retraces the last few months of her sister’s life, and
This month, pick a subject you know a lot about and write as much as you can about it. Sometimes this helps if you’re suffering a little from writers block.
Week 5:
Write in the first person about suddenly having the ability to see into the future.
(Don’t edit, just post in the comment box below.)
A.A. Milne, the author of the Winnie the Pooh series, used his son as inspiration for the character Christopher Robin. However, when Christopher Robin was born, Milne and his wife had wanted to call him Billy but then decided it would be too informal.
We have three signed copies of The President’s Hat by Antoine Laurain to give away.
To enter: Comment with your name and town. Also, just for fun, tell us what magical power you would have if you could pick one. The winner will be picked at random after the closing date which is Wednesday 3rd July 2013 at 23.59. The winner will be announced on the blog on Thursday 4th July 2013. (UK and Ireland residents only.)
About the book:
Daniel is dining alone in an elegant but expensive Parisian Brasserie and can hardly believe his eyes when President François Mitterrand sits down to eat at the table next to him. It’s once the President has left that Daniel finds Mitterrand’s black hat. After a few moments of soul searching, Daniel decides to keep the hat as a souvenir – a reminder of an extraordinary evening. The hat is a perfect fit. When Daniel wears it, he starts to feel somehow different.
Shakespeare is credited for creating many phrases.
If you use the phrases, “vanished into thin air,” be that as it may,” and “the truth will out,” then you are quoting Shakespeare.
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So, I’m plugging away at my first draft, fighting the ever plaguing voices of self doubt in my head; the voices telling me that ‘this is rubbish’ and ‘what the hell do you think you’re doing? What makes you think you can write a book?’
My main debate this week however, has been point of view. Which one do I choose for my novel? Third person or first person? All these questions and I know I’m not the only first time writer to ask them and I won’t the the last.
Antoine Laurain was born in Paris in the early 1970s. As well as being a novelist, Antoine has also directed short films and written screenplays. His latest book, the wonderful The President’s Hat was released in March by Gallic Books. We had a chat with Antoine and asked about his ideal dinner guests, whether he’s a planner and which book has had the most impact on him…
Can you describe your typical writing day?
You mean the ideal writing day… I feed my cat before going to do the market. I spend the morning reading over what I wrote the day before; meanwhile I’ve got a pot au feu on the stove. Lunchtime arrives and I eat the pot au feu, then I work until aperitif o’clock and … that’s the writing over for the day.
Can you tell us a little about your latest book, The President’s Hat.
Harry Potter and The Philosopher’s Stone was sent to a number of Publishers prior to publication. Reports say between eight to twelve Publishers rejected the manuscript.
It took a year before Bloomsbury offered to publish it and now it’s one of the most successful book series having first been published in June 1997.
Sophie Kinsella, the author of the Shopaholic series gives her five tips for new writers:
Don’t talk about your work except to someone you absolutely trust. Certainly don’t announce to the world ‘I’m writing a novel’ as your family and friends will never stop asking you about it.
Write the book you would love to read yourself.
Don’t be afraid to experiment. You may not find your voice or style straight away.
Halfway through your project it will all seem impossible and you will be tempted to jack it in and begin another, far more exciting idea. Trust me, that idea will get difficult halfway through, too.
Finish!
It’s claimed that the earliest Public Library in England was the London Guildhall and was established in 1425 whereas Charleston’s St Philip’s Church Parsonage in the US had a Parish Library in 1698.
Avon Books (Harper Collins Publishers,) are releasing two free e-book short story collections. Each will also contain exclusive extracts from the authors’ upcoming titles.
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THE PERFECT MURDER is available now. It’s a spine chilling collection of short stories from some of Avon’s talented crime authors including Paul Finch and Jacqui Rose.
THE PERFECT ESCAPE is a collection of short stories from some of the top names in women’s fiction. Featuring irresistible tales of love, friendship, betrayal and passion, authors include Sunday Times bestsellers Claudia Carroll, Miranda Dickinson and Julia Williams. THE PERFECT ESCAPE publishes on 27th June.
War has come to the Long Earth….
Humankind has spread across the new worlds opened up by stepping, which Joshua and Lobsang explored a mere decade ago. Now “civilization” flourishes, and fleets of airships link the multiple Earths through exploration, trade, and culture.
Humankind is shaping the Long Earth, but in turn the Long Earth is shaping humankind. A new America that has christened itself “Valhalla” has emerged more than a million steps from the original Datum Earth. And like the American revolutionaries of old, the Valhallans resent being controlled from afar by the Datum government.
In the intervening years, the song of the trolls—graceful, hive-mind humanoids—has suffused the Long Earth. But in the face of humankind’s inexorable advance, they are beginning to fall silent . . . and gradually disappear.
Joshua, now married and a father, is summoned by Lobsang. It seems that he alone can confront the perfect storm of crises that threatens to plunge all of the Long Earth into war.
Thank you to all of you who entered our competition to win a beautiful bookmark from Izzy’s Attic.
Well done to Aimee Talbot from Kings Lynn. Your prize will be on it’s way to you shortly. Aimee would like to meet Hazel Grace Lancaster from John Green’s Fault in Our Stars.
The bookmarks are available to buy from Izzy’s Attic.
Read more about Izzy’s fantastic charity, Eyes Alight.
Victor Hugo, author of Les Miserables, liked to write naked. It was said to help with writer’s block.
Your character has just come out of a relationship and is talked into joining an online dating site.
(As usual, write for 5-15 minutes and remember, don’t edit. Just write and post.)
Can you describe your writing day?
I have to cram it between school runs – and I never work weekends. If I’m distracted at home, I take myself off to the local library to work.
Are any of your novels/characters based on you or people you know?
Continue reading
Soon after his mother dies, forty one year old reclusive photographer Rob Fossick finds an unexplained package addressed to Mr Satoshi in his mother’s belongings. The quest that follows will propel Rob into the urban world of Tokyo and with the help of some new and colourful acquaintances; he will start to unravel the mystery surrounding the identity of Mr Satoshi. However, before he can do this, Rob will have to face his own past and reconnect with the world.
This book had been sat on the pile for a while but when I did start reading, I couldn’t stop. I found the plot instantly interesting.
Many people proclaim at some point that they would like to write a book. A surprising few will then go on to actually write a novel.
Being a writer is not easy. Writing a novel takes hard work, perseverance and patience.
So…why do you write? What reasons do you have for wanting to become a writer/author?
How do you write? In silence or do you prefer noise? Do you prefer longhand or typing?

J.M Barrie (Sir James Matthew Barrie) died on this day in 1937. Great Ormond Street Hospital in London owns the copyright to Peter Pan.
Released, July 2013.
Here’s the blurb…
Tess Brookes has always been a Girl with a Plan. But when the Plan goes belly up, she’s forced to reconsider.
After accidently answering her flatmate Vanessa’s phone, she decides that since being Tess isn’t going so well, she might try being Vanessa. With nothing left to lose, she accepts Vanessa’s photography assignment to Hawaii – she used to be an amateur snapper, how hard can it be? Right?
But Tess is soon in big trouble. And the gorgeous journalist on the shoot with her, who is making it very clear he’d like to get into her pants, is an egotistical monster. Far from home and in someone else’s shoes, Tess must decide whether to fight on through, or ‘fess up and run…
Jane Austen’s Pride and Prejudice was first published in 1813.
Its orginal title was ‘First Impressions.’
Every time you hear the theme tune to EastEnders start writing. When you hear the end credits stop. Do the same for the Sunday omnibus and you’ll have a book within a year. Jenny Colgan told me that and I believe her.
Mike’s new book, Turning Forty will be released in July.
Thanks to the wonderful Izzy’s Attic, we’ve got this beautiful red home bookmark to give away as well as a copy of Billy and Me by Giovanna Fletcher (as they go so well together,) to one lucky winner.
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To enter:
Comment on this post with your name, town and just for fun, tell us who your favourite book character is and why. The closing date for entries will be Sunday 23rd June 2013 at 23.59. A winner will be picked at random from the entrants and announced on the Novel Kicks blog on Monday 24th June 2013.
The bookmarks are available to buy direct from Izzy’s Attic.
To learn more about Izzy’s fantastic charity Eyes Light, click here.
Children’s book author and creator of The Planets series, Phamie MacDonald talks about her favourite writing moments and shares her writing space….
My favourite writing moment so far – is any moment at all when I get lost in the story. Every writer knows that frustrating blank page syndrome when all the words seem to have fallen out of your brain so it’s always a joyful, glorious time when the words flow, the story fits together and you can feel a new world being created. Bliss.
My favourite, favourite, favourite writing moment ever was when I first conceived my children’s book series idea, The Planets. Continue reading
Coming October 2013.
I’m stupidly excited about the third installment and the follow up to Bridget Jones Diary and The Edge of Reason.
Here’s the blurb for Mad About The Boy:
Fielding introduces us to a whole new enticing phase of Bridget’s life set in contemporary London, including the challenges of maintaining sex appeal as the years roll by and the nightmare of drunken texting, the skinny jean, the disastrous email cc, total lack of twitter followers, and TVs that need 90 buttons and three remotes to simply turn on.
Thank you to all the people who entered our competition to win a digital copy of The Language of Spells by Sarah Painter.
The winner is… Irene Wright from Morecambe.
Gill Paul is the author of Women and Children First. Her latest book, The Affair was recently published by Avon. What’s your writing day like?
I’m at my desk at 9am and spend half an hour pottering on Twitter and answering emails that came in overnight before I settle down to edit what I wrote the day before and continue with the next chapter. There are dozens of stops for tea but while waiting for the kettle to boil I’m thinking about the sentence to come. I swim every day in an outdoor pond on Hampstead Heath and in winter it closes early so I’ll go up there at lunchtime to break the ice and get my endorphin rush. (Yes, I’m aware it sounds completely mental…) In summer the pond is open later so I go at 6ish when the light is beautiful. I generally work until 6 or 7 then try to go out somewhere in the evening so I’m not a completely boring hermit.
Can you tell us a little about your novel, The Affair?
A blank page makes me nervous but the first sentence makes me even more anxious. I have an idea – an idea that won’t go away but getting it down on the page seems to be more of an issue.
I sit down at the computer, I open up a word document and I begin. The motivation and momentum is strong but it’s not long before these run out and the lack of confidence creeps in, at which point I will stop writing, read what I’ve written and then decide it’s not good enough despite it being a first draft.
Can you tell us about your debut novel, Jellybird?
Jellybird is a chilling tale of first love, loss and murder. Jessica Byrne’s childhood sweetheart, Thomas, disappeared seventeen years ago under violent circumstances, presumed drowned. The discovery of an old postcard sends Jessica in search of the truth. Risking her marriage and career to discover what happened the night Thomas vanished, she unearths lies and secrets, including an unsolved murder.
What’s your writing day like?
Thank you to all of you who entered our competition to win the Woman’s Prize For Fiction shortlist.
Well done to Catherine from Leeds. Sh has won all six books. She is looking forward to reading Flight Behaviour the most.
‘Seek and ye shall find.’
With these words echoing in his head, eminent Harvard symbologist Robert Langdon awakes in a hospital bed with no recollection of where he is or how he got there. Nor can he explain the origin of the macabre object that is found hidden in his belongings.
A threat to his life will propel him and a young doctor, Sienna Brooks, into a breakneck chase across the city of Florence. Only Langdon’s knowledge of hidden passageways and ancient secrets that lie behind its historic facade can save them from the clutches of their unknown pursuers.
With only a few lines from Dante’s dark and epic masterpiece, The Inferno, to guide them, they must decipher a sequence of codes buried deep within some of the most celebrated artefacts of the Renaissance – sculptures, paintings, buildings – to find the answers to a puzzle which may, or may not, help them save the world from a terrifying threat.
Dan Brown’s books are not everyone’s cup of tea. They are a guilty pleasure of mine.
1860 – The 1st US ‘Dime’ novel was published.
1790 – ‘The Philadelphia Spelling Book’ became the first book to be copyrighted in the US.
1956 – Patricia Cornwell was born.
1939 – Charles Webb (the author of The Graduate,) was born.
Thanks to the lovely people at Blott, we had this gorgeous notebook to give away. Thanks to all of you who entered.
Congratulations to Beverley Kirwin from Salford. This notebook will be on it’s way to you shortly.
Check out Blott’s website for some lovely and inspiring stationary. Go on, treat yourself.
We’re pleased to have been one of the stops on Sarah Painter’s blog tour.
Thanks to Sarah and her publisher, Carina, we have a digital copy (kindle or e-pub format,) of her debut novel, The Language of Spells to give away.
To enter: Continue reading
Gwen Harper left Pendleford thirteen years ago and hasn’t looked back. Until an inheritance throws her into the mystical world she thought she’d escaped. Confronted with her great-aunt’s legacy Gwen must finally face up to her past. The magic she has long tried to suppress is back with a vengeance but gift or burden, for Gwen, it always spells trouble. She has to stay – she has nowhere else to go – but how can she find her place in the town that drove her out after branding her a witch…?
This book has such an interesting premise. I love books that hint at magic and so this was right up my street.
I liked Gwen from the first page (she was a great protagonist,) and I immediately wanted to know what had happened to her and what was going to happen. Cameron was a great love interest and, to me, he had a slight ‘Mr Darcy,’ air about him.
Novel Kicks is very pleased to be part of Sarah Painter’s blog tour. We had a chat with Sarah to talk about her typical writing day, her favourite word and her ideal dinner guests…
Can you tell us about your novel, The Language of Spells?
Certainly! It’s funny, romantic fiction with a touch of magic. Gwen Harper has the uncanny ability to find lost things and a family with a history of magic. What she most wants, though, is to be normal. At eighteen, she left home and vowed not to go back, but when she inherits End House from her mysterious great aunt Iris she has no choice but to return and face the town that branded her a witch.
What’s your typical writing day like?
Week 3:
Write a story where something important is lost.
As usual, write for 5-10 minutes without stopping and don’t edit – just post in the comments below.
Revenge Wears Prada by Lauren Weisberger.
Everything’s in place for the season’s hottest launch:
Tall latte (with two raw sugars)? Check.
Gucci trench (draped over desk)? Check.
Outrageous, unreasonable demands? Check.
Andy has just turned thirty and is an incredibly successful magazine editor, working closely with her best friend Emily, another Runway survivor. She’s about to get married – life’s on track and she’s been careful to stay clear of Miranda Priestly, her dreadful first boss. But Andy’s luck is running out. Miranda Priestly isn’t the kind of woman who hides in the background.
She’s back… and more devilish than ever.
If I were to be stranded on a desert island (and I couldn’t request a boat to get back to mainland again) I would wants books with me so I could sit in the sun.
I ask this question a lot as the varied answers interest me.
I’ve been thinking about the three books I would want to choose. Would I want books I love but have read before or would I risk taking three that I’ve not read but always wanted to?
Which three books would you want with you on a desert island?
The Woman’s Prize For Fiction Prize ceremony takes place in June.
We have one set of the shortlisted titles up for grabs. That’s all SIX books.
To enter:
“Thank you for joining us, Andrew. So, what’s been your best writing moment so far?”
Thank you so much for asking that! Mostly you never get to describe these to anyone. So… the best one? Okay… my friends Piers and Becky had leant me their flat, and so I spent three weeks finishing off my book there. My concentration got more and more intense. I felt as if, by the end of it, my brain was finally fully switched off and I was free to hear the characters’ voices as they told their story…
For June, it’s all about senses.
The scene: a tea shop in a small village in Scotland.
Write one paragraph per sense describing the scene above.
One paragraph on what it looks, smells, sounds, tastes and feel like.
Post work below in the comments box.
Here’s the blurb:
“I fell in love the way you fall asleep: slowly, then all at once.”
Despite the tumour-shrinking medical miracle that has bought her a few years, Hazel has never been anything but terminal, her final chapter inscribed upon diagnosis. But when Augustus Waters suddenly appears at Cancer Kid Support Group, Hazel’s story is about to be completely rewritten.
The Fault in our Stars explores the funny, thrilling, and tragic business of being alive and in love.
Laura’s Verdict:
Can you tell us about your debut novel, The Deception Artist?
“The Deception Artist” is literary fiction, set during the recession of the late-80s. The protagonist is eight-year-old Ivy who has a vivid imagination and lies so people will like her. When the story begins, Ivy’s brother is sick in the hospital and their dad loses his job. Ivy’s best friend hates her and she’s afraid her parents might divorce. Ivy copes the best she can, through make-believe and lies, before abandoning her fantasies to try and uncover the truth.
What’s your typical writing day like?
Write a letter to your lost love. What would you want to say?
(Write for 5-10 minutes and then post your writing in the comments section. Remember, no editing.)
By Helen Jackson.
I was lucky enough to get invited to Gill Paul’s The Affair Launch Party.
The party was held in The Green Rooms near Oxford Circus.
It was an Italian 1960s setting (as the novel is set in Rome in 1961/2), with pizza and prosecco for all.
Gill wore an amazing blue 1960s dress. The room was decorated with photos donated by a living member of the cast of Cleopatra, John Gayford, who snuck a camera onto the set amid the high security. Continue reading
One of the things I love most about reading is the characters that you get to meet. If you are anything like me, there are many that you wish you could meet in real life.
As a writer, one of the most exciting things is creating the character and getting to know them. Eventually, you hear their voice in your head and they become your friends.
My best writing moment – well, it’s almost 10 years now since my first book was published, so I have loads of great moments, especially when a lovely email from a reader pops into my inbox and makes me feel like a ‘proper author.’ I had one from Syria the other day!
But I think the most exciting part of the process is getting to see the cover for the first time – I always hold my breath when I open the email but it’s the first sign that the book is REALLY happening, and it still gives me a thrill to see books – my favourite things in the world, since I first learned to read – with my name on them… My workspace: doesn’t it look tidy? But the table-cloth is wipe-clean due to coffee stains, and you can’t see the chaos behind me. Neither can I, when I work, which is a good thing. The candle, coffee and Chinese kitchen timer are all there to help me focus – I use the timer to keep me off the internet for an hour at a time…
Follow Kate onTwitter @katewritesbooks
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