Category Archives: Writing

SISTER SCRIBES: SUSANNA BAVIN ON A WORD WRITERS SHOULD USE FREELY

Posted on by

 

I say, I say, I say…

When you were at school, were you taught to avoid using ‘said’ in your writing? Were you told it was dull? Were you instructed to use other, better words? Let me explain why teachers try to get you to do that. It isn’t because there’s anything wrong with ‘said’. It’s because teachers have to teach children from a young age (a) to use a variety of vocabulary and (b) to find words that convey precise meaning. ‘Strolled’, ‘wandered’, ‘hurried’ or ‘marched’, as opposed to ‘walked’ – that kind of thing. If you think about it, that’s quite a tall order, especially with infant school children.

And so we come to the first reason why ‘said’ is a wonderful word. It has umpteen alternatives, all of which convey precise meaning. Children are already familiar with many of these words and find them easy to use, which means that when they write their stories, they have ample opportunity to use and develop their new skill and hence their stories are filled with characters asking, answering, replying, exclaiming, whispering, shouting and so on.

And that is why teachers tell you not to use ‘said’. Ta da!

In the world of adult writing, it’s different, because – and here we come to the second reason why I believe ‘said’ is a wonderful word – ‘said’ is invisible. You could read it or write it a dozen times on every single page without its ever jarring. Every time an alternative is used, it isn’t invisible. There’s nothing wrong with that – in moderation. But the more times alternatives are used, and the wider their variety, the more visible they become.

I’m thinking of a novel I read some years ago in which the author seemed determined to avoid ‘said’ at all costs. The characters did all the usual things – they asked, answered, replied and exclaimed. They also did more ‘visible’ things – they wondered, whispered, chuckled and muttered. They shouted, snorted, cajoled and observed. They mentioned, uttered, declared and ranted. And it was all highly visible. Every single one of those verbs (which would have thrilled any primary school teacher – I speak as a former infant school teacher) was visible and the more of them there were, the more visible they became. For ‘more visible,’ read ‘more annoying.’

Then, in the middle of an argument, the heroine riposted.

After 200 pages of confirming, suggesting, murmuring and giggling, it was the final, pretentious straw. I didn’t know whether to laugh out loud or groan in anguish. I closed the book and never went back to it.

Sorry about my little rant, but I hope it’s helped to illustrate my point. Humble, under-rated ‘said’ is a dependable workhorse of a word. Use it freely and don’t let anybody put you off.

And unless you want me to come back and haunt you, please don’t ever let your characters do any riposting.

 

My Writing Process Sheila O’Flanagan

Posted on by

The Women Who Ran Away by Sheila O’Flanagan is published 16th July 2020 (Headline Review, £18.99). 

Sheila O'Flanagan author imageI’ve always loved reading and used to write sequels to Enid Blyton stories when I was young because I always wanted to know what happened next. Everyone thought I’d end up, if not a novelist, at least working in a library or a bookshop. However I was offered job in a bank and got side-tracked into the world of finance. I occasionally wrote short stories in the evenings as a way of unwinding but I didn’t think I had the time to write a novel, even though I had lots of different ideas and would think about my various characters whenever I wasn’t working. Eventually I realised that if I wanted to fulfil my dream of being a published author I’d have to make the time to write – unfortunately the ideas don’t magically appear on the page. So I bought myself a laptop, opened a Word document, typed Chapter 1 and wrote every evening until it was finished. I’ve kept going ever since.

2. What you have written, past and present.

My first novel, Dreaming of a Stranger, was published in 1997. I’ve written 25 novels for adults, 3 collections of short stories, 2 children’s books and contributed to both the Quick Reads and Open Door series of short novellas.

3. What you are promoting now.
My latest book is The Women Who Ran Away and is about two women, Grace and Deira, who meet on a car ferry from Ireland to France. Both have reasons for travelling alone but a sudden change of circumstance mean that they end up driving together. As a friendship forms between them, Deira helps Grace try to solve a complicated mystery that her late husband has left her. This takes them on a spectacular journey along the French Atlantic coast and through the heart of Spain to Cartagena on the Mediterranean sea. By the end of the novel they’ve completed both a physical and an emotional journey as they discover that sharing their secrets turns out to be a strength and not a weakness, and that there’s always more than one solution to a problem.

4. A bit about your process of writing.

I try to write every day but that’s not always possible. I generally work for a couple of hours in the morning, then take a break and return for some more writing in the afternoon. I move backwards and forwards through the novel, writing a few chapters and then editing them before moving on.

5. Do you plan or just write?

I wish I was an author who planned! But I can’t. I start at the beginning with a vague idea and just hope for the best.

6. What about word count?

I don’t get hung up on a daily word count, especially at the start of the novel, but I try to write in scenes. If I finish a scene I’ll take a break before moving to the next one. That means sometimes writing a few hundred words, sometimes significantly more.

7. How do you do your structure?

Badly, to be honest. But the process of writing, then editing, writing, then editing helps. I usually come up with a slightly more formal plan about a third of the way through the novel when I have a better idea of the characters and how to move them through the story.

8. What do you find hard about writing?

Sitting at the laptop. It’s physically demanding even though you don’t realise it. Most of my author friends have bad backs and I’m no exception. I try to take more mini-breaks now. Distractions are more of a problem these days than they used to be with social media getting in the way. I’m more easily distracted now than before.

9. What do you love about writing?

Creating characters, seeing them grow and evolve and take control of their own stories. Sometimes the research is good too!

10. Advice for other writers?

Don’t get hung up on trying to write for a genre, or following weird rules about how your book should be structured. Write the story that’s inside you in the way that suits you best. Do remember, though, that while joining various groups about writing and following them on social media can make you feel less alone, the only thing that will get your book written is sitting down and writing it. Talking about writing isn’t actually writing. Reading about writing isn’t writing. The only person who can write your book is you.

Sheila is @sheilaoflanagan on Twitter and follow Headline too @headlinepg

SISTER SCRIBES: JANE CABLE ON A VERY PERSONAL TRIBUTE

Posted on by

The morning my mother died she asked me to tell her about the next book I would write. I said I had an idea about an archaeologist alone under Lincolnshire’s vast skies and she approved. True, the outline was a little different then, but Rachel and her story still caught her imagination.

It seemed only right, then, to include a character based on my mother in Endless Skies; an intelligent, perceptive octogenarian with a keen interest in people and a huge sense of fun. I called her Esther, the name on my grandmother’s birth certificate that she never used.

Even Esther’s physical attributes were the same as my mum’s. The platinum bob, the pearl handled walking stick and the desperately poor eyesight. But in the early drafts Esther had a very different life story, although I drew great comfort from Rachel’s growing friendship with her.

Without my mother’s faith and encouragement I can honestly say I would never have had a book published. She read my embryonic attempts at novel writing and gave constructive criticism – despite my father being the writer in the family – he never really understood romantic fiction and just seemed slightly puzzled by the whole thing. But Mum egged me on, and when she thought I had a strong enough book suggested I enter The Alan Titchmarsh Show’s People’s Novelist competition. I am absolutely sure it was one of her proudest moments when I reached the final and I just wish she could have travelled to London to see it with her own eyes.

She was also a huge influence on what I write. She devoured library books (large print in her latter years) and used to get very fed up with what she’d call ‘boy meets girl, they fall out three times then get married’ formulaic romances. As a reader she wanted so much more. What neither of us realised was that at the time it would have been far easier for me to find a publisher had I been closer to the mainstream in my chosen genre.

As a result she didn’t live long enough to see my first publishing deal, but I have a feeling she knows. I think she would have been really proud of Another You and would have enjoyed reading it. Endless Skies became a companion piece – my second book with Sapere – both contemporary romances looking back to World War Two.

It was when I made the decision to rewrite Endless Skies this way my mother’s wartime experience came into its own. Or rather one pivotal point she shares with Esther. Both were bright grammar schools girls living in rural communities who could no longer safely travel to school because of the bombing. My mother spent a terrifying air raid trapped on a train in a siding in the middle of Cardiff and her parents said ‘never again’.

While my mother went into the civil service at fourteen (not much older than she was in this picture), Esther’s only local option was a job in the laundry at the RAF base just outside her village. This was home to two squadrons of brave and often reckless Polish airmen, and Esther could only stand by and watch as the most tender and poignant love story unfolded in front of her eyes. A story which, seventy years later, had the power to change Rachel’s life.

SISTER SCRIBES: CASS GRAFTON ON AN UNEXPECTED LITERARY CONNECTION

Posted on by

Living in Switzerland for the past six years, we’ve been fortunate enough to visit some wonderful locations, many with literary connections.

For example, JRR Tolkien made a trip to Switzerland in 1911 and took inspiration from the scenery to create the settings for some scenes in The Hobbit and the Lord of the Rings trilogy. His journey took him to many iconic locations, including Zermatt—home to the Matterhorn—and Lauterbrunnen, a verdant and picturesque valley with over 70 waterfalls.

The author wrote to his son, Michael, in 1967: I am delighted that you have made the acquaintance of Switzerland, and of the very part that I once knew best and which had the deepest effect on me. The hobbit’s journey from Rivendell to the other side of the Misty Mountains, including the glissade down the slithering stones into the pine woods, is based on my adventures in 1911.

This is not the only Tolkien connection with the country. The unique Greisinger Museum in the village of Jenins is dedicated entirely to Middle-earth and contains unique artefacts, art, literature and collectors’ items, and you enter through a door into a hobbit hole!

Not far from Lauterbrunnen is another place with a literary connection: Meiringen. The town is in a beautiful valley and is famous for the stunning Reichenbach Falls, portrayed by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle in his Sherlock Holmes’ novel, The Final Solution.

These were not unexpected literary connections, however, being popular tourist destinations.

One of our early discoveries was idyllic Weggis, a small resort town lying on the shores of Lake Luzern and at the foot of Mount Rigi (known as the Queen of the Mountains) from whose summit there are stunning views of the lake and a spectacular vista of the Alps.

Modern day visitors take a train to the summit, but before the Victorians constructed this cogwheel mountain railway (the first of its type in Europe, opening in 1871), wealthy people travelled up Rigi by sedan chair. The mind boggles!

Weggis is such a beautiful place. The water is a deep, aqua blue, almost transparent by the shoreline, and the mountains across the water stand out starkly from it, glowing in the bright summer sun or wearing snowy caps in winter. There is an ethereal light gently embracing the rocky outcrops at all times of year; a light that changes with the seasons. Being there is like taking a deep breath of fresh air, bringing a sense of calm, of escape from the everyday world.

Imagine my surprise, however, to discover that American author, Mark Twain, had also visited the little-known town of Weggis and felt very much the same. In 1897 he wrote: This is the charmingest place we have ever lived in for repose and restfulness, superb scenery whose beauty undergoes a perpetual change from one miracle to another, yet never runs short of fresh surprises and new inventions.

I do, of course, take some words attributed to Mark Twain with a grain of salt. He is famously quoted as saying of Jane Austen, ‘Everytime I read ‘Pride and Prejudice’ I want to dig her up and beat her over the skull with her own shin-bone.’

Anyone professing such strong feelings against a book, yet continually attempting to re-read it, must be considered a bit of a contradiction! Jane Austen, I’m sure, would have been excessively diverted, and talking of diversions, it’s time I went off to look at the diary in readiness for booking another trip to Weggis.

Sources: MySwitzerland.com, The Letters of JRR Tolkien and Mark Twain – A Biography by Albert Bigelow Paine

 

 

My Writing Process Stephen Deutsch

Posted on by

Stephen Deutsch, author, writerI was born in New York, but have been living in Britain for fifty years! The first part of my career was spent as a pianist, composer and conductor.  Many of my works have been broadcast on the BBC, especially as scores for their Classic Serial, but that was some time ago. I live in Dorset with my wife and her garden.

What you have written, past and present.

A late arrival to novels, I had previously written TV plays, some of which were broadcast on the BBC. My first novel, Zweck, a historical comedy about music, was published four years ago. It concerns a fictitious nonagenarian composer who knew everyone and hated most of them. In this novel, the main characters are fictitious but everyone else is real. It is set in the 1970s.

What you are promoting now. 

My most recent novel, Champion, is a true story, a novel of persecution and heroism during the Second World War. It is based on the stories of two men from different worlds, both struggling in the febrile atmosphere of Nazi Dominated Europe. 

The first is Herschel Grynszpan, dark haired, slight, with deep-set eyes. He is an undocumented Jewish adolescent living in Paris. He receives a postcard from his parents – recently bundled from their Hanover flat, put on a train and dumped, with 12,000 others, on the Polish border. Enraged, Herschel buys a gun and murders a minor official in the German Embassy.  The repercussions trigger Kristalnacht, the nationwide pogrom against the Jews in Germany and Austria, a calamity which some have called ‘the opening act of the Holocaust’.

Intertwined is the parallel life of the German boxer, Max Schmeling, who as a result of his victory over the ‘invincible’ Joe Louis in 1936, became a poster boy of the Nazis. He and his movie-star wife, Anny Ondra, were feted by the regime – tea with Hitler, a passage on the Hindenburg – until his brutal two-minute beating in the rematch with Louis less than two years later. His story reaches a climax during Kristalnacht, where the champion performs an act of quiet heroism.

A bit about your process of writing. 

I try to write every day. Usually I write in the morning and revise in the afternoon (often something I had written some days before – one chapter might be revised several times, even in the first draft).  I try to read every word out loud, to get the sense of the rhythm of the words. This is especially true for dialogue, which I really enjoy writing. You can tell so much about a character by the slight variations in their speech patterns, not the ums and ahs, but the choice and order of the words they use. I like to feel that when the book is finished, I had written, read and weighed every word.

Do you plan or just write?

Both.  I normally have a plan, but once that scaffolding is in place, I let the characters do the writing themselves. It depends on the story.  In Champion, the events unfold as they actually happened, so I didn’t need to work out a plot structure. In the historical novel I am now writing, Dallas, fictional characters set in a real historical time and place, The structure is fluid, but to some extent needs to fit into the chronology of actual events. It isn’t set at the time of Kennedy’s assassination – I was at the parade, but didn’t witness the shooting. A story for another time.

What about word count?

Horses for courses, really. Zweck  was a heavyweight, coming it at 120,000 words. Champion is leaner and meaner, only 80,000 words.

What do you find hard about writing?

Starting.  It is a new problem every day. It’s easier to encourage myself to edit a previous chapter than to begin a new one. There are various subterfuges and helpers I can use to get started.  Dictating some random thoughts onto a recorder can grease the wheels. A blank page is less terrifying if it contains even the smallest thought, the shortest sentence.  Then you feel like going on. I also use a software package called ‘Scrivener’. This allows me to enter text, import web pages, and most importantly, to see and change the shape of the entire book as it develops.

What do you love about writing? 

Almost everything.  Each book, each situation teaches me new things. And of course the internet makes researching both pleasurable and far less tedious than it used to be – especially as I don’t live in a large urban area with libraries, etc., at my disposal. Sometimes, when researching a particular item, I accidentally find something else, which can liven up what I am writing. And the act of writing itself, passing the time with my characters, is immensely pleasurable.

Advice for other writers. 

Whatever your style or genre, literary fiction or mass market romances, my advice is always to write as well as you can. Write every word. Spot clichés and either remove them, or turn them on their heads. For example, ‘You make a happy man very old’ is a great twist on a sclerotic saying. The best advice I can give is to enjoy what you are doing, do it every day, and while doing it forget everything else.

 

In the Corridor of a College Lodgings. A Poem By Annie Clarke | Uplifting Stories

Posted on by


Who’s this?’ the lecturer asked my daughter.
She said, all bare midriff with tattoo peeping,
‘Only Mum. She’s carrying my plants,
helping to move me in.’
‘Hello, Mum,’ he said, not looking just brushing
the leaves as he passed.
It was a plant my daughter felt would make her room
look familiar, lived in. ‘Like you,’ she’d joked.
At her doorway I placed it in her arms,
but it was his bustling back I watched.
He turned this way and that
distributing greetings to other beasts of burden.
Not waiting for their replies, either.
I called, too loud perhaps. ‘My name is Margaret.
I usually wear stiletto shoes, and pink jackets,
when not camouflaged as a removal man.
I cycled off road across harsh terrain for charity. If you’d looked
You’d have seen highlights in my hair.
I belly dance and have a name.
My name, again, is Margaret.

‘Way to go, Mum,’ my daughter whooped
Up and down the corridor’s length and breadth
Plants and CD players were handed over.
Students were kissed with love. And left.
‘Yes, we have names,’ we all said.
As thoughts of achievements big and small
lent wings to trainers. ‘And places to go. And
lives to live.
Fashion statements to make, and parameters to break.

‘Goodbye, lecturer,’ we smiled, as we passed by.

My Writing Process Caroline Walker

Posted on by

caroline walker, authorI came to writing through teaching. After graduating in Geology, I couldn’t find a job (in the 1970s it was virtually impossible for a woman to be employed in what was still considered a man’s world), so I changed direction and trained to teach English as a Foreign Language. It was a decision I’ve never regretted. I’ve taught teenagers, overseas graduates and business professionals both in the UK and abroad and a big part of my job was improving their writing skills for letters, reports and dissertations. It was good preparation for the writing I began at the end of 2006.

 What you have written, past and present?

I’d become fascinated by my great-uncle MacDonald ‘Max’ Gill (1884-1947), artist brother of the controversial sculptor Eric Gill. Max was best known for the beautiful maps he painted for places like Lindisfarne Castle and the humorous posters he designed for the London Underground. I was astonished to find that his story had never been told so I decided to write it myself. Over the years I’ve curated several exhibitions of his work and written text for these as well as articles for magazines such as Country Life. This year – fourteen years after I started – my biography MacDonald Gill: Charting a Life has finally been published, receiving a five-star rating in its first national review.

What are you promoting now?

Recently I’ve been busy writing articles for various publications to promote the biography. I don’t have any plans for another book at the moment – this one has taken so long, I think I deserve a break!

A bit about the process of writing

The key to writing a good biography is meticulous research. This has been one of the greatest pleasures too – days spent delving in libraries and archives, the excitement of finding pieces of key information and long-lost artworks, and the joy of meeting hundreds of people eager to share their own connections to Max. A pivotal moment was the discovery of a major private collection of Max’s work and memorabilia. Thankfully, I was permitted to photograph all the letters, diaries and work documents, so I could pore over these at home. I made copious notes, highlighting important events and quotes that I might want to use later. I also kept separate lists of names, artworks and key dates. Setting aside good chunks of quiet time for writing was essential, as was having a table and space of my own.

Do you plan or just write?

I don’t write a plan although I do think it’s vital to have a basic structure in mind. With a biography, it’s quite easy as it’s a chronological narrative. Writing articles is different – I always think hard about the audience so that the angle, text and images are relevant.

What about word count?

As my publisher’s submission deadline for the biography came ever closer, it was clear the manuscript was far too long so I had to make some major cuts and revisions. It still ended up at just over 300,000 words! 

What do you find hard about writing?

I was unsure how to begin until a writer friend suggested: ‘Why don’t you start by setting down why you want to write this book?’ So that’s what I did. The words then flowed easily and I often found it hard to stop. I do sometimes agonise over sentences and even single words – I may change a passage umpteen times but end up with the original. 

What do you love about writing?

It’s an absorbing, creative process that – for me – has been the way to achieve recognition for a neglected artist and relative. And I now realise that I can actually write quite well!

Advice for other writers

Don’t be afraid of the blank page – just get something down – you can always change it. Use your own ‘voice’ – don’t be tempted to copy others. Remember to save when you’re writing (I once lost several pages when my laptop crashed). Avoid cliché and don’t be afraid of using tools such as a thesaurus if you can’t find the right word. And finally, have faith in yourself and enjoy the experience!

MacDonald Gill: Charting a Life is available here. 

SISTER SCRIBES: KITTY WILSON ON HANDLING DIFFICULT TOPICS IN LIGHT HEARTED ROMANCE

Posted on by

I had planned to write about Happy Ever after for this month’s post, the last in my Cornish Village School series and out last Thursday.

However, I had a lovely review today that has changed my train of thought. The reader kindly said that she really liked the way I handled difficult topics in an easy way. And this made me want to write about that…handling difficult topics within the confines of light-hearted feelgood reads.

And I ram them in.

So far across five books I have dealt with all sorts of real-life issues, including coercive relationships, maternal loss, war, marital breakdowns, parents with addiction issues, neglect.

I will forever remember my editor’s reaction when pitching the second in the series I dropped into conversation that I wanted to bring in the South Sudanese Civil War. I thought she was going to have a heart attack. I had to reassure her that yes, I was still writing a light-hearted romcom set in Penmenna and that she could a) trust me b) gamble knowing she could always edit it out later.

Why have I insisted on featuring these things? How do I justify including such things in feelgood books? The answer is simple. I love the romance of a romance novel, the sighs, the highs, the hopes and desires and the guaranteed happy-ever-after. But I also like real and relatable characters, people I can empathise with, bond with and enjoy writing about and then reading about (honestly, we have to read our own books so many times before they come to you). And the truth is I don’t know a single person in real life that hasn’t had to deal with trauma in one way or another, and many people who have to deal with far more than their fair share. Therefore, I need my characters to reflect the people I know and love in real life. Bad things frequently happen to good people, they just do. And whilst I love writing about a fictional village that features the best of Cornwall – beautiful beaches, picture postcard cottages and strong community I do need a smattering of something to balance that out. In the county I love we have all those things but it doesn’t mean that behind closed doors that life is as perfect as it is pretty.

My poor children have always had it rammed home that it’s not the things that life throws at you that are important, it’s the way that you deal with them that counts. And that has to be true in fiction as well. We need to see how our characters respond to real-life situations, to the tough things that real people have to face every single day. I want to recognise when I write that everyday people are as heroic and wonderful as characters in books, that they too have to deal with the most dreadful things and, apart from an occasional understandable wallow, they get up and keep going.

On the flipside are the joyful things about life, the big stuff – people we love, personal achievements and the everyday stuff, the hedgerows and the birds, a good book and delicious things to eat, or whatever your little joys are. The happy keeps us going when we have the awful, the awful makes us appreciate the happy.

I hope by bringing these subjects into my books, I am reflecting this balance and also acknowledging the heroic nature of what people have to deal with every day, and how I am in awe of the sheer resilience and goodness of human beings and life in general.

 

All love, Kitty.