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Writing

On Friday, I attended a talk by author Katie Fforde, who read aloud from her thirteenth novel, Going Dutch, before discussing her writing and freely answering questions from her audience at West Kirby Library. Katie came across as a warm and likeable lady, and told us that while she sometimes bases her fictional characters on people she knows, even family members, she’s always careful to make sure she writes nothing unpleasant about them!

It’s always heartening to hear an author describe how they struggled to get published for ten years before being successful, as Katie apparently did. I’ve heard it said that, on average, an author experiences seven years’ worth of rejection slips.

The topic of the practical benefits of developing a writing routine was discussed at some length during Saturday’s meeting of Wirral Writers Inc., organised by John Gorman.   Everyone seems to have their own quirks and methods. For example, I write (virtually) every morning until around 2pm. Some people still write their first draft in long-hand, while other - including me - write straight onto the computer.
Actually, we’d met to discuss the forthcoming Windows Monologues and dialogues stage scripts, plus the ghost stories tour which is intended to take place around Oxton on Hallowe’en this year. Professional actors will be performing all of these, with live audiences of course – so much more responsive than dead ones, in general.
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