Paula R.C. Readman's Blog, page 65

Clubhouse Chat Guest: Dawn Knox

Welcome to Clubhouse Chat page. Those who are not a member won’t be aware the location of the Clubhouse is shrouded in mystery. The only way to visit it is via membership or an invite to the tearoom. Every few days, I’ll be sharing a conversation with all sort of writers and authors at different levels of their writing careers. Over tea and cakes, or maybe a glass of something stronger, I shall be chatting with my guest about their work in progress, or latest book release.

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Today I’m welcome Dawn back to help launch her new book. Welcome back to the tearoom.

It’s lovely to be back, Paula.

Today I have a set of new questions to ask you, can I start by asking you what’s your latest book release? Please tell us a little about it.

My latest book is called ‘The Macaroon Chronicles’ and it’s published by Chapeltown Publishing. It is a – hopefully – humorous romp on the fictitious Isle of Macaroon with Eddie the Bald Eagle who is really a chicken but doesn’t like to admit it and his friends: Brian, who’s a monkey, Colin who’s a lemur and doesn’t like to be referred to as a monkey, Gideon the failed spy who’s a pig and finally, two teenage rabbits, Babs and Deirdre, who are addicted to social media. The geography of the Isle of Macaroon is interesting because it contains Meringue Mountains with chocolate waterfalls, cheese mines, a custard river and the island itself, is surrounded by the Bouillabaisse Sea to the east and the Vichyssoise Ocean to the west.

[image error] The Extraordinary Dawn Knox

How did you become interested in writing?

I’ve always read lots of books and made up stories in my head, probably as a result of being an only child, but writing stories only began about fifteen years ago when I was trying to help my, then, teenage son to complete his essay homework. In fact, I was actually trying to encourage him to start it! And the beginning of a story which I came up with interested me so much that I carried on writing it although I think my son thought of an idea of his own for his essay. But that incident began a real passion for writing and a few years ago when I was feeling rather down I realised that writing was therapeutic and could lift me out of my thoughts and transport me to a different world.

Do you prefer to write in any particular genre and if so, which?

I’ve tried many genres including sci-fi, speculative fiction, historical romance, horror and humorous, quirky stories. I’ve also won two prizes for non-fiction writing, which surprised me greatly! It would be hard to say which I prefer although it’s probably fair to say that I prefer the genre I’m writing in at that particular moment. The only genre I haven’t written is erotica and at the moment I have no plans to start that although if I did want to have a go, I think I’d use a pen name!

Of all the stories you’ve written, which is your favourite and why?

It would have to be one of those stories that are in my book ‘The Great War – 100 Stories of 100 Words Honuoring Those Who Lived and Died 100 Years Ago’ and I would probably pick a different one each day (well, at least for one hundred days!). I always describe that book as the one that contains my heart and soul. Writing a story in exactly 100 words necessarily means that it is a compact and concentrated story and of course the subject of the First World War is extremely emotive. But of all the stories I have written they are the ones which mean the most to me.

Have any of your characters ever decided to take things into their own hands and write themselves a bigger part or a different part than you’d intended? If so which one or ones?

Two of the characters in ‘The Macaroon Chronicles’ are ones who wrote themselves larger parts. The first is Eddie the Bald Eagle who’s really a chicken and he came about when I was planning a short story to read at my writers’ group. I’d been watching a clip of the British ski-jumper Mike Edwards or as everyone knew him, ‘Eddie the Eagle’, who captured everyone’s hearts in the Winter Olympics of 1988 in Calgary. I thought ‘Eddie the Eagle’ was a fine name and initially, the character was going to be human but I thought it might be fun if he was actually a bird. And then to give him a twist, I turned him into a Bald Eagle and even more bizarrely, I decided that his vanity would compel him to represent himself as a bald eagle whereas in fact, he was a bald chicken. The other character was Gideon who merely popped up to help Eddie out of one of the many spots of bother in which he finds himself, but Gideon was so endearing with his incompetence and inability to pass his exams to become a fully-qualified spy, he earned his place in the rest of the book. He is completely inept at using the espionage tools he’s been given and has an unfortunate knack of shooting any bystanders with his sleeping-dart-tipped pens. So, Gideon was allowed to stay and he ended up joining Eddie, Colin and Brian on their adventures on the Isle of Macaroon.

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Is there a specific word count to which you usually work either intentionally or unintentionally?

When I’m writing short stories, they tend to be between 2000 and 3000 words unless of course I am aiming for a Drabble which is exactly 100 words. However, I generally I end up with more words than I intend and then have to edit to cut back to the desired word count. But I think that’s good because it makes me think about the appropriate words and perhaps to cut out any waffle.

Does food feature greatly in your current release or work in progress?

It certainly does, as I’ve said before, the Isle of Macaroon is made of many food-related geographical features and even the names of the towns reflect this, in that at the beginning, Eddie, Brian and Colin are heading to Spudwell to the stadium, to perform in a music concert. The chums’ boat is moored in Hummus-on-Sea and just before Christmas, Colin finds himself in Treacletartand on his way back to Hummus-on-Sea, he’s nearly run down by the bus from Eggsenham!

Do you like macaroons? If so do you prefer coconut or almond?

Unfortunately, I have to stick to a strict diet which limits carbohydrates and therefore nowadays I don’t eat macaroons at all but I adore anything that’s coconut favoured, so I would probably say coconut macaroons although on the other hand I do love almonds…

In ‘The Macaroon Chronicles’, on the Isle of Macaroon, there are Meringue Mountains with chocolate waterfalls, cheese mines and a custard river. Imagine you were to visit the Isle of Macaroon which one of those sites would you visit first? And why?

Definitely the cheese mines would be my first port of call for the reason that I gave above, in that I have to limit the carbohydrates I eat. But perhaps a trip to the Bouillabaisse Sea might be quite tasty as well!

Thank you for joining me today, Dawn.

If you would like to find out more about Dawn and her books please click on the links here: https://dawnknox.com on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/DawnKnoxWriter

on Twitter: https://twitter.com/SunriseCalls and Amazon Author: http://mybook.to/DawnKnox

‘The Macaroon Chronicles’ can be purchased here mybook.to/TheMacaroonChronicles

If you want to find out more about Clubhouse Member’s Books, don’t forget to check out the Clubhouse Bookshops.

Clubhouse Chat Guest: Barry Lillie

Welcome to Clubhouse Chat page. Those of you who are not a member won’t be aware that the location of the Clubhouse is shrouded in mystery. The only way to visit it is via membership or an invite to the tearoom. Every few days, I’ll be sharing a conversation with all sort of writers and authors at different levels of their writing careers. Over tea and cakes, or maybe a glass of something stronger, I shall be chatting with my guest about their work in progress, or latest book release.

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Today I’m welcoming Barry to the tearoom. Welcome.

Thank you Paula for the invite. I loved the blacked out windows in the limousine, was that just so that I cannot divulge the clubhouse address?

Yes, we like to protect our member’s privacy especially as the drink flows freely here.

Clubhouse Chat Guest: Peter Foote

Welcome to Clubhouse Chat page. Those of you who are not a member won’t be aware that the location of the Clubhouse is shrouded in mystery. The only way to visit it is via membership or an invite to the tearoom. Every few days, I’ll be sharing a conversation with all sort of writers and authors at different levels of their writing careers. Over tea and cakes, or maybe a glass of something stronger, I shall be chatting with my guest about their work in progress, or latest book release.

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Today I’m chatting to Peter Foote. Welcome to the tearoom Peter.

Many thanks for the invite Paula, I got turned around on my way here, I really should have listened to your directions better. Thankfully I came across a young child walking a cow to the market who pointed in the right direction, a strange child though, head in the clouds…

I’m just so pleased you managed to find your way here, Peter. The village on the outskirts can be rather tricky when it comes to strangers in the area. Now we have our drinks let’s start by asking you, what is your work schedule like when you’re writing?
– Well Paula that really depends on the day. You see my real life job is in the trades with rotating night and day shifts, finding a set time to write is impossible for me. So when I do get to write, I try and fit it into the morning. My old brain is a bit sharper then and the house is usually quiet. Saying that, some of my best story brainstorming has happened late at night when I’m tired.

Do you write a synopsis first? Do you plan your story or write it out in full letting the characters lead you?
– The vast majority of my output is short fiction and that mostly has to do with the limits on my free time, but I’m sure you understand that better than most. So when I do sit down to “properly” write, I usually have a barebones plot. I like to think of it as signposts, I need to get from A to B, but how I do that can be left up to the moment. bumps and all.

[image error] The Amazing Peter Foote

Is there anything about you your readers might be surprised to find out?
– “Don’t say you’re an open book, don’t say you’re…” Sorry, my mind wandered for a second. While I studied archaeology in university, I ended up in the trades which did surprise some people, myself included. To some, if you work with your hands that means you can’t create with your words, I like to challenge that outlook.

Tell us a little about latest writing project. Is it a new idea, or one you have been mulling over for some time?
– Latest project… There are so many. I’m known for my short fiction, so my output is different from a novelist, saying that there are something I’d like to mention. My very first novella was published in October 2020 called “Boulders over the Bermuda Triangle” and it’s part three in the first season of Engen Books “Slipstreamers”. Equal parts Doctor Who and Tomb Raider for a Young Adult audience, this shared universe follows the dimension hopping adventures of archaeologist Cassidy Cane. I was a bit timid when I saw the casting call for Slipstreamers, writing in a shared universe with other established authors, but I’m glad I threw my hat into the ring

How long on average does it take you to write a story?
– How long is a piece of string would be easier to answer. I can write a drabble (100 word story) in an hour or three days depending on how much I need to cut. Short stories can take anywhere from 1-3 weeks, the confidence level in my idea being the deciding factor

When you first begun your writing journey what drew you to your chosen genre?
– My writing grew out of my passion for playing Dungeons & Dragons as a teenager. I loved imagining living in a fantasy realm where good struggled against evil, that “might wasn’t right”, and how simple people could make a difference. A lot of those themes came with me when I started writing stories

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Did you ever consider writing under a pseudonym?

 – I have the rough outline for a romantic mystery set in the 1930’s featuring a female Protagonist struggling against male stubbornness. This is well outside of my normal “Holy Trinity” (Horror, Science Fiction, & Fantasy), so if it ever does see the light of day, I’d consider a pen name.

What was your hardest scene to write?
– The second to last scene in my first ever published short story. I had just ended a seven year toxic relationship and due to my nature I didn’t feel like I could talk to anyone about my feelings about it, so I started writing. “The silence between moons” chronicled a lonely woodsman who entered into a relationship with a shifter. For three nights around the full moon a enchanted she-wolf took human form and stayed with the woodsman, and for a while that was enough, until he wanted more. As you might have guessed, things didn’t end well, but I found a way to begin healing and I realized my stories might have an audience

When reading your work through do you ever find that your daily mood swings are reflected in your writing?
– Very much so. I’m a brooder by nature so I have to be very mindful of my mental energy before I start working on a project that requires something more light-hearted. I tried to trick myself by using music to change my mood, but after a lifetime of solitude trying to write with noise just distracts me. So, if I’m not in the right frame of mind for my WIP, I either wait or putter on another project until the winds change.

[image error] Included in the anthology is Peter’s story My Fair Minstrel

What writing elements do you think is your strongest points, and what would you like to do better?
– A lot of my stories revolve around loss of some kind, either physical, emotional, or spiritual and my readers have mentioned that these themes always grab them. So I guess, theme would be my strong point, it’s the technical side of writing that is my struggle. I have a learning disability, I can see words out of order, that has been a challenge since elementary school. Combined with no formal writing training, my grammar and tenses leave a lot to be desired. 

Yep, I know the feeling, Peter about worrying about grammar and tenses. It’s the reason I’m not brave enough to self-published. Thank you for a wonderful chat. Now when you’re ready to leave, Brutus will run you home. It will save you a long walk through the deep dark woods late at night.

Clubhouse Chat Guest: Destiny Pifer

Welcome to Clubhouse Chat page. Those of you who are not a member won’t be aware that the location of the Clubhouse is shrouded in mystery. The only way to visit it is via membership or an invite to the tearoom. Every few days, I’ll be sharing a conversation with all sort of writers and authors at different levels of their writing careers. Over tea and cakes, or maybe a glass of something stronger, I shall be chatting with my guest about their work in progress, or latest book release.

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Today I’m welcoming Destiny to the tearoom. Welcome. I hope you enjoy your visit Destiny.

This is fun. Lots to see Paula around the clubhouse and the tearoom is amazing. I can’t live without my Iced Tea.

Now we have our refreshment I’ll start by asking you when you first begun your writing journey what drew you to your chosen genre?

I have always felt drawn to the horror genre. I had a few spooky things happen to me in my childhood that led me down the path of the unknown. One being that my grandparents house was haunted and I remember seeing my first ghost in that house. Another being that my mother and her friends were always playing with a ouija board, and I found it fascinating to watch.

Tell us a little about latest writing project. Is it a new idea, or one you have been mulling over for some time?

Well, right now I am trying to get my horror novel off an old laptop that crashed so I can send it in to a publisher. Another is something different then the horror genre and that’s writing a family memoir, but I am a little leery because I am afraid of upsetting certain people.

[image error] The lovely Destiny Pifer

When reading your work through do you ever find that your daily mood swings are reflected in your writing?

Yeah I find my frustration coming out through my character. When I am angry my character is angry. So yeah my moods often come out through my characters.

Were any of your characters inspired by real people?

No, they’re always made up characters in my head. I’ve always been a loner and spend so much time in my head. This allows me to just make up these random characters.

Is there anything about you your readers might be surprised to find out?

I guess one would be that I am a witch who has practiced wicca for many years. I love studying up on not only witchcraft but voodoo as well. However, I am not completely all about horror. I was a news reporter for five years for my local newspaper and really enjoyed tackling human interest stories. I still write human interest stories for sites like Medium.com. 

[image error] Includes: Letters from a Lover by Destiny Pifer

What is your work schedule like when you’re writing?

It depends on how I feel when I wake up but I often try to write when I first get up in the morning. When that doesn’t work then I write late at night. I wish I could have a better schedule like the great authors Stephen King and the late Jackie Collins but I work around two jobs and being a single parent so sometimes the only time I have to write is when I am sitting out in the parking lot waiting for my son to get out of school or on a lunch break at work.

Do you set yourself a daily word count?

I try to aim for a 100 words a day. 

Did you ever consider writing under a pseudonym?

No because I prefer that everyone know that I am the one who wrote the story. I grew up feeling like a nobody and being treated like I was invisible so I always swore that when I got published I would use my real name.

[image error] Includes: Burning in the Night by Destiny Pifer

How do you select the names of your characters? Do you know everything about them before you start writing their story?

Usually I try to give my characters a really unusual name that will stand out to the reader. I love unusual names. Before I write a character I always try to have them pictured in my mind and what type of character I want them to be.

How long on average does it take you to write a book or story?

It took me a year to write my novel. In the past I wrote three other’s that I sadly lost in moves and one took me two months, the other four months and the third one  lost was five months. Mind you those were written long before I had my son. It’s a bit harder when you have a kid or at least it is for me.

Thank you for joining me in the tearoom, Destiny. Our driver Brutus will run you home when you’re ready to leave.

To find out more about Destiny’s writing click on her blog link.

If you want to find out more about Clubhouse Member’s Books don’t forget to check out the Clubhouse Bookshops too.

Clubhouse Chat Guest: David Green

Welcome to Clubhouse Chat page. Those who are not a member won’t be aware the location of the Clubhouse is shrouded in mystery. The only way to visit it is via membership or an invite to the tearoom. Every few days, I’ll be sharing a conversation with all sort of writers and authors at different levels of their writing careers. Over tea and cakes, or maybe a glass of something stronger, I shall be chatting with my guest about their work in progress, or latest book release.

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Welcome to the clubhouse tearoom, David. My first question is what would you like to drink as our driver with be returning you to the airport later?

My favourite drink is red wine! Simple enough tastes. It was kind of you to set a car to the airport to pick me up after I flew in from Ireland. I must say the clubhouse is a long way from civilization.

We would disturb the neighbour if we were in a built up area with all our celebrating, don’t you think? Let’s start by asking you when you first begun your writing journey what drew you to your chosen genre?

I do a few different genres, so I’m not sure. I think you can throw “dark” over all of them, though. I’m mainly a fantasy reader, and that’s a genre I love to work in but I was reticent at first. There’s so much worldbuilding involved, I didn’t think I had the skill to handle it. So, I worked myself up to it!

What writing elements do you think is your strongest points, and what would you like to do better?

I’m a massive critic of my own work! I know writing is about self-promotion quite a bit, and I can talk about how a thing has turned out, but I’ll never actually praise it, and take any praise my way grudgingly! So I’d like to do EVERYTHING better. I don’t think you can be the finished article – every bit of feedback and, if you get them, rejections can help. But also, just reading other peoples work – published or not – helps with the improvement.

[image error] David Green

Tell us a little about latest writing project. Is it a new idea, or one you have been mulling over for some time?
My latest release is my first standalone project, Dead Man Walking. It’s a short-read novelette, though the first of a series. The idea kind of came to me fully formed, really. Being a short-read (about 11k words) I wrote it fairly quickly; something like 4 days for the first draft, and a bit longer for the editing and beta-reading. I like the world I’ve created for it; it’s urban fantasy, and set in a city I created called New Haven, which is close to Portland, Oregon. There’s something about the Pacific Northwest I’ve always found fascinating!

Choosing only five of your favourite authors. Can you list them in order 1 begin the top of your list and say how have they influenced your writing?
JRR Tolkien – his worldbuilding.
Robert Jordan – how he makes every character their own person with goals and motivations. Joe Abercrombie – how he makes his settings breath and feel lived in. Stephen King – Purely his work rate and how he links all his stories. Robin Hobb – how she is able to work a character’s flaws into a story.

Were any of your characters inspired by real people?
Yeah, loads. Quite a few have aspects of my own character in them, but there are many that are other people. Sometimes caricatures of them, both good and bad. Usually they’re just side characters, though. The worst things that happen in my stories occur to the main characters, who are never based on real people if I can help it.

Is there anything about you your readers might be surprised to find out?
I’m ambidextrous. And a black belt in Judo!

What is your work schedule like when you’re writing?
I write 6 days a week. An hour so each morning, then a few hours after my son has gone to bed. Saturday’s I write all day, so I get Friday (my “day off”) and Saturday evening free. I need the schedule and deadlines I impose on myself, or I’d fall into Wikipedia and Buzzfeed rabbit holes all too easily, or sneak off to play on my Xbox.

Did you ever consider writing under a pseudonym?
I probably think I should have. My name is quite boring, and there’s a few of us at this writing lark. To be honest, I didn’t give it any thought, as I never thought I’d get published and it’s too late to change it now! It was a struggle getting Goodreads to let me claim my books!

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How do you select the names of your characters? Do you know everything about them before you start writing their story? 
I love names, and weird names in particular. And ones with a few syllables, they roll off the tongue better. So I just jot down names I come across and combine them to see what works. It’s a little harder for fantasy – you need something unusual, but nothing too outlandish that’s hard to remember or say. In terms of characters, yes I plan things with them, and write little character cards. I often have a start and end point for my stories, and certain aspects I need to hit, but I enjoy throwing random challenges in front of my characters and see how they overcome them. If they can

Clubhouse Chat Guest: Clare Weze

Welcome to Clubhouse Chat page. Those of you who are not a member won’t be aware that the location of the Clubhouse is shrouded in mystery. The only way to visit it is via membership or an invite to the tearoom. Every few days, I’ll be sharing a conversation with all sort of writers and authors at different levels of their writing careers. Over tea and cakes, or maybe a glass of something stronger, I shall be chatting with my guest about their work in progress, or latest book release.

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Today I’m chatting to Clare. Hello and welcome to the clubhouse tearoom.

Thank you for the invite to the tearoom, Paula. It’s lovely here and the landscape is amazing, but I mustn’t say too much about it, must I?

No, you mustn’t, Clare. Mum’s the word. Now we have our drinks let’s start by asking you when you first began your writing journey what drew you to your chosen genre?

I started writing as a child and stuck with that genre. I switched to writing for adults in my twenties, but continued to keep children’s projects on the go. I love writing for children because it gives you the ability to make new things out of old. Children’s curiosity opens up so many possibilities, and I’ve never quite lost my child’s mind. There’s a useful discipline about it too, because you can’t hang around or get bogged down. And this is a happy accident, but many people have told me how lovely those who work in children’s publishing are, and so far, it’s true.

In my work for adults I write both long and short-form, and for the past eight years I’ve also done a lot of flash fiction. My genre here is literary, for want of a better box, but as I’m a scientist, my themes will often be biological, ecological or concerned with physiology.

What writing elements do you think are your strongest points, and what would you like to do better?

Every project goes back to ground zero. I always flounder with how to write it, as if I’ve never written before. Wheels have to be reinvented, which is irritating. This is a common problem, but I’d like to get over it faster, if possible! I’d also like to learn how to find the tone that works for each particular project with more certainty, less messing about.   

I think my strongest point is a page-turning quality. I’m often quite good at pacing, and I don’t give up.

Tell us a little about your latest writing project. Is it a new idea, or one you have been mulling over for some time?
My dreams came true last July (2019) when my fantastic agents (The Good Literary Agency) got me a 2-book deal with Bloomsbury Children’s! Book 1 is called The Lightning Catcher and it’s out in May 2021. I’m now working on Book 2, which is something I’ve been mulling over for about two years. It started life as a short story, but it quickly became clear that the themes and characters were crying out to get into a children’s book. It’s about a London girl who has always spent the summer holidays with her grandparents by the sea, but now finds she has to live there full-time, and is traumatised to have lost her family home via eviction. There are compensations on the horizon, though. She sees somebody in the sea – in the shallows right by the shore – who looks very much at home there. Too much at home. When he disappears, it isn’t to come ashore.

[image error] The Amazing Clare Weze

How many unfinished projects do you have on your computer?
Over thirty, and this is intentional. It means that any ideas that come into my head have a fitting home to go to, and won’t just be shoe-horned into my main work-in-progress. My writing took off when I had this brainwave! Before that I was working on one big novel, which limped on for years and didn’t have a very good structure because it kept getting side-tracked down various rabbit holes. Lots of my other projects are short stories, two are adult novels and six are children’s books. It means I’m never stuck or blocked, because if my main work-in-progress hits a problem I can skive off into one of my side projects! My brain often fixes the original problem for me once I stop looking at it directly. (And I’d agree with many others who have found that going for a walk works well for this, too.)

Do you write a synopsis first or write the first chapter, or let the characters lead you?

I write as much as I have in my head, which is usually characters, setting and main plot points in rough notes first. As soon as I have a page or two I begin writing opening chapters, and use those rough notes to write an outline. I carry on like that, adding to the three main areas as I go along: Chapters, Outline, Notes. In those early months my brain gives me things fairly randomly, so I just go with it. I might come away from my desk after a writing day with scenes for a chapter or character notes or plot points – it takes a while for things to settle down. Once I have clear problems or inconsistencies to solve, I’ll sit down and work out a formal outline, or a character arc. So the answer is that I write the outline and the first chapter at the same time. I write a short synopsis when the book is finished. The outline is a working one that grows and changes with the book. The formal synopsis is tighter and more final.

Choosing only five of your favourite authors. Can you list them in order 1 begin the top of your list and say how have they influenced your writing?

1) John Gordon wrote The Giant Under the Snow, which I read as a child. He taught me how to show personality through dialogue, and how to pace a breath-taking adventure so that you get quieter moments interspersed with high tension. His plot is fantastic, but so believable on the page because of the ordinary setting and characters you relate to. He doesn’t dumb his prose down at all. His characters speak and act intelligently, yet match their ages perfectly.

2) David Almond’s Skellig taught me so much – it’s hard to know where to begin! I think the best takeaway from this book is how to take a simple premise – finding a strange man holed up in a shed – and store within it whole new possibilities for evolutionary biology. It’s influenced me enormously.

3) I’ve been reading Rachel Cusk since the start of her career – we’re a similar age – and she often seems to articulate what’s in my head. I think her main influence on my writing has been the joy of watching her weave some pretty erudite and philosophical themes and characters’ thoughts into novels that stay pacey and never get bogged down.

4) Philippa Pearce’s beautiful book A Dog so Small, which I also read as a child, probably influenced me in life as much as in my writing. The theme – to make the most of what you have in front of you – has stayed with me. I’m sure the story came before the theme when she was writing it, but it’s taught me how to work with love and strong emotions in my books without letting things get mushy. It’s a very clever book.

5) Malorie Blackman, especially her Noughts & Crosses novels. She taught me to run with an amazing theme and build a world around it. I admire her tenacity.

What did you learn when writing your book? In writing it, how much research did you do?

I researched a lot around weather, thunderstorms, electricity, the solar wind, things that happen around the outskirts of the sun, and between the sun and Earth. Magnetic portals link Earth to the sun, which is something I didn’t know before writing The Lightning Catcher.

[image error] Creme Anglaise’ by Clare Weze is in  The Real Jazz Baby , published by Reflex Press, 2019

Do you set yourself a daily word count?

No – I’ve never understood why people do this. It might take a whole day to perfect a couple of paragraphs, but if they work, that’s time well spent. On the other hand, you can flow through and push out a couple of thousand happy words only to delete them all in an edit a month later. That edit was vital, but it puts your word count into negative equity. So I find it more useful to think of hours spent writing, editing or thinking about plot/character. If I’ve done more of that than anything else in a day, I’m happy.

What was your hardest scene to write?
One of the opening scenes in The Lightning Catcher took a lot of drafting. It involves a huge argument between two adults, which is fascinating and deliciously naughty for my child protagonists to listen in to, but there was far too much of it. I had to pare back drastically, because I’d enjoyed myself too much and got carried away. Choosing which sections to keep was tough.

Many thanks, Paula for the invite.

You’re very welcome. Congratulation on your debut novel The Lightning Catcher.

For more information about Clare’s writing and books check out her blog: clareweze.com Article in The Bookseller about Bloomsbury Scoops Clare Weze’s Middle-grade debut novel. The Lightning Catcher

If you want to find out more about Clubhouse Member’s Books don’t forget to check out the Clubhouse Bookshops

Clubhouse Chat Guest: Wendy Clarke

Welcome to Clubhouse Chat page. Those of you who are not a member won’t be aware that the location of the Clubhouse is shrouded in mystery. The only way to visit it is via membership or an invite to the tearoom. Every few days, I’ll be sharing a conversation with all sort of writers and authors at different levels of their writing careers. Over tea and cakes, or maybe a glass of something stronger, I shall be chatting with my guest about their work in progress, or latest book release.

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Today, I’m welcoming Wendy to the tearoom for a chat about her new book. Welcome. Lets order our drinks first.

Thank you for inviting me for a chat, Paula. I’d love a latte please.

Now our drinks have arrived, let’s start by asking you when you first began your writing journey what drew you to your chosen genre?

Although I am known for my psychological thrillers, my writing journey actually began with a different genre: Women’s Fiction. This was because for the first seven years of my career, I wrote short stories for women’s magazines (three hundred plus in all) and was a regular writer for The People’s Friend. My first novel, a romantic mystery, nabbed me an agent. It was she who suggested I write a psychological thriller and so I wrote What She Saw. Sadly, this agent dropped me before submitting my work, but this novel went on to win the Flash500 Novel Competition, was picked up by Bookouture and became an Amazon bestseller so I have a lot to thank her for!

What writing elements do you think are your strongest points, and what would you like to do better?

If reviews are anything to go by, I think I’m best known for my atmospheric settings, emotional themes and twists you (hopefully) don’t see coming.

[image error] The Lovely Wendy Clarke

Tell us a little about latest writing project. Is it a new idea, or one you have been mulling over for some time?

When you are contracted to a publisher, and are hoping to have your contract renewed, you don’t have a huge amount of time to mull over ideas as you need to have something ready to show (usually a synopsis) if you’re asked. Knowing this, any seeds of ideas I get while writing the current novel are jotted down and fleshed out once that novel has been submitted. The idea for my next novel, His Hidden Wife, which will be published on February 4th, came to me on a weekend break in Dorset. It was while walking the cliff top path and watching the crashing waves below me that I knew the area would play a significant role in my next project. Settings nearly always come first for me… plots later.

Do you write a synopsis first or write the first chapter?

If I had my way, I’d write the first chapter first but as I’m under contract, I can’t. My fabulous publisher, Bookouture, require their authors to write a synopsis to discuss with their editor before any writing begins. I used to hate it, but I’m used to it now. That synopsis is the only planning I do and although I often go off-piste, a quick glance at it will help me keep track of the end point.

Were any of your characters inspired by real people?

I was going to say no but that wouldn’t be strictly true. There will be elements of people I know in all of my characters: a hairstyle, a beard, the way someone walks or talks or how they’ve made me feel. Having said that, no one would ever recognise themselves in my novels.

Is there anything about you your readers might be surprised to find out?

Several. My readers probably don’t know that I suffer from claustrophobia, that I became a grandmother at 43, that I have rubbish facial memory, that I’m addicted to Australian MasterChef or that I can do over twenty styles of dance.

What is your work schedule like when you’re writing?

I’m lucky in that writing novels is my only job which means I don’t have to stick to a strict schedule. My novel writing fits it around whatever else I’m doing so you might find me writing at any time of the day or early evening. I try not to write at weekends though… that’s family time.

Do you set yourself a daily word count?

I actually set myself a weekly word count: a minimum of five thousand words a week. This can be done on any day and my daily word count could vary from 500 to 3,000. This way I know I can comfortably finish my novel by my contracted date.

[image error] His Hidden Wife, to be published by Bookouture on February 4th 2021.

How do you select the names of your characters? Do you know everything about them before you start writing their story?

Character names… don’t get me started on that! I am the world’s worst name giver. In fact, when I start a novel, you’d think there were only six male or female names on the planet. When I was writing short stories, so many of my characters were called Beth and it was also the name of one of my female leads in What She Saw. In the novel I’m editing now, the copy editor pointed out that I had two people called Pete… good job she noticed!

How long on average does it take you to write a book?It takes a year from starting a manuscript to publication. Seven months for writing and five months for editing.

Here’s my bio and links… hopefully I haven’t forgotten anything.

No, you haven’t Wendy. I shall post this all up on the tearoom noticeboard. Thank you for joining me today.

Wendy Clarke started her career writing short fiction and serials for national women’s magazines. With over three hundred stories published, she’s often asked to judge short story competitions. Wendy has had three psychological thrillers published by Bookouture – What She Saw, which won the Flash500 Novel Competition, We Were Sisters and The Bride which was published on May 20th. Her fourth, His Hidden Wife with be published next year. Wendy lives with her husband and step-dog in Sussex and when not writing is usually dancing, singing or watching any programme that involves food!

To find out more about Wendy check out: Twitter: https://twitter.com/wendyclarke99 Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/WendyClarkeAuthor/ Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/wendyclarke99/ and her website: http://www.wendyclarke.uk You can buy Wendy’s novels here: https://www.amazon.co.uk/Wendy-Clarke/e/B00OW7Z7UU

If you want to find out more about Clubhouse Members’ Books don’t forget to check out the Clubhouse Bookshops.

Another Happy Stone Angels Reader

After the comments I received from another writer about my novel I was left feeling rather deflated. Their comments, no matter how honest they felt they were being with me, were ungrounded. If they had taken their time to read my novel the issues they raised would have been answered, but still I was left convinced that I hadn’t tied the story threads up completely. I like to treat my readers as intelligent people and not feel the need to spell everything out in block capital letters, but still I had let doubt creep in.

It’s strange how all the good reviews dissolve from our minds and we just focus on the one star review. What is it in our psyche that doesn’t allow us to push aside bad reviews and tell ourselves that it is down to personal taste rather than the quality of our writing. Of course if the same issues kept appearing in other reviews then there might be a problem, rather than just down to a reviewer’s personal opinion.

The issues picked up by this single writer hasn’t appeared in any other review so from my point of view I’m just letting it go and moving on. After thirty-six reviews on Amazon and eighteen on Goodreads and only one review I’m focusing on the positive reviews. Today I received this one.

[image error]America Stone Angels.

If you’re interested in reading my novel’s review here’s the link to take you to your country’s Amazon sites and if you want to check out Goodreads here’s the link.

[image error] Stone Angels

Clubhouse Chat Guest: Debbie Viggiano

Welcome to Clubhouse Chat page. Those of you who are not a member won’t be aware that the location of the Clubhouse is shrouded in mystery. The only way to visit it is via membership or an invite to the tearoom. Every few days, I’ll be sharing a conversation with all sort of writers and authors at different levels of their writing careers. Over tea and cakes, or maybe a glass of something stronger, I shall be chatting with my guest about their work in progress, or latest book release.

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Today my guest in the clubhouse tearoom is Debbie Viggiano. Welcome.

Hello, Paula!  Thank you so much for the invitation to your homely tearoom for a lovely chat about one of our favourite subjects… writing!  I’ll pass on the cake (watching the waistline) but won’t say no to a large Americano, please.  That said, the caffeine will play havoc with my hot flushes.  I’m in my autumn and, just like the leaf fall, my hormones are on the floor!

It’s lovely to have you here. I have been following you writing career for many years now. Now our refreshments have arrived let’s start by asking you when you first began your writing journey, what drew you to your chosen genre?

I desperately tried to write something ‘literary’ with beautiful prose that left a reader clutching their heart and claiming they were in some way changed on a soul level, but unfortunately my characters had other ideas. They did madcap things, caused mayhem, behaved irresponsibly, and told appalling jokes that left me – never mind the reader – gasping. In the end I just went with it and the result was Stockings and Cellulite, the first of several romantic comedies, and it was this story that attracted the attention of the fabulous digital publisher Bookouture.

[image error] Debbie Viggiano

Tell us a little about latest writing project. Is it a new idea, or one you have been mulling over for some time?

Ah, well now!  Having written all those romantic comedies, I had a HUGE urge to bust out of the genre. Looking at the charts, psychological thrillers are always ‘right up there’. The idea of writing one too excited me.  Four years ago, while holidaying on the sun-drenched island of Kolocep, I settled down on the sand with notebook and pen and, in longhand, spent the entirety of the holiday scribbling 35,000 words.  I nearly lost the whole lot when a sudden deluge of rain had everyone charging off the beach for shelter and I failed to realise the notebook had fallen from my grasp.  A tourist later handed it to me and said, ‘I’ve seen you frantically writing day after day.  Is this notebook important?’  The pages were sodden.  If I’d attempted peeling one back, it would have disintegrated like papier-mâché.  I smiled and thanked her and said, ‘Yes, it is important to me.’  As the book had found its way back to me, I took it as a sign to continue. However, I didn’t have an opportunity to finish that particular story until the beginning of this year.  In the interim I was offered a contract to write three more romantic comedies.  Now I don’t know if it was due to the ‘C word’, or lockdown, or the general hysteria and fear of those early months, but 2020 has been a dark time for the entire world.  Maybe it was that tense energy that had me reaching for that abandoned notebook.  The pages had long dried out, indeed the whole notebook had ‘exploded’ to three times its original size in the process!  I re-read it and knew the time was now right to finish what had been started four years earlier.  The Watchful Neighbour is my debut psychological thriller and will be published on 7th December 2020.

[image error] The Watchful Neighbour a psychological thriller to be published on 7th December 2020.

Do you write a synopsis first or write the first chapter?

Always a synopsis.  This is because I always get ideas at the most inopportune moments and then have to write them down before the idea slides out of the memory never to be heard of again!  So, whether tapping out a note on my phone and then emailing it to myself, or scribbling on the back of a shopping list, the idea is firmly logged in black and white!  Once that happens, the brain switches on and at the earliest moment I’ll sit down at my computer and bash out a potted summary of an entire novel.

When reading your work through, do you ever find that your daily mood swings are reflected in your writing?

No, not really.  The great thing about a cast of characters is that they have their own mood swings to draw me out of any mood swings I might be experiencing, ha ha!

Were any of your characters inspired by real people?

Only one. But that’s a secret!

What did you learn when writing your latest book?

Hmm, I certainly learnt something about myself when writing The Watchful Neighbour and that was how GRAPHIC the imagination can be when it comes to a scene that is hovering on the threshold of murder!  My fingers were flying over the keys as my heart galloped in time to the victim’s, and my body was recoiling at mental imagery while my inner voice squealed ewwwwwww!  I did turn to the internet a few times for research.  If my computer had keeled over and gone to PC World’s repair team, they might have reported me to the police.  My browsing history included Where can I find Novichok and How to kill your husband and get away with it!

Is there anything about you that your readers might be surprised to find out?

Um… let me think.  Yes!  My Amazon bio says that I used to be a legal secretary, and that is absolutely true.  But I also took time out in my late twenties to start up my own wedding photography business.

What is your work schedule like when you’re writing?

Well, as an ex-legal secretary, I’m very disciplined!  So, just like all those years ago when I used to commute to London, I make sure that my writing is always in a Monday to Friday pattern and mimics efficiency.  That said, I walk my dog in the morning, and whilst that sounds like time out, I’m actually mulling over the latest plot, considering so-and-so doing such-and-such and whether it might add a delicious twisty bit, or a humorous moment, or even a red herring.  Once home, it’s into the study and at my desk until 5 o’clock. 

How do you select the names of your characters, and do you know everything about them before you start writing their story?

Characters are like real people in the sense that you must get to know them.  I outline them right at the start, but they can often surprise me with a secret side to their personality.  As for their names, I enjoy coming up with something that seems to resonate with their personality.  However, there is no guarantee that a name won’t change.  For example, the main character in my last novel for Bookouture was called Ella, but Marketing wanted alliteration and word play in the title they’d come up with.  So Ella became Lucy, and the book was published as Lucy’s Last Straw.

How long, on average, does it take you to write a book?

My target is to write one chapter a day and have a first working draft anywhere between twelve and sixteen weeks.  As I like to write two books a year it means strict adherence to my mottoimo in sedem, which basically means bum on the seat!

Thank you so much for joining us, Debbie, it’s been a real pleasure. When you’re ready Brutus our lovely driver will run you home.
If you would like to find out more about Debbie’s writing and books please check out her links below.

Website: www.debbieviggiano.co.uk

Twitter: @DebbieViggiano https://twitter.com/DebbieViggiano

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/debbie.viggiano.5

If you want to find out more about Clubhouse Member’s Books don’t forget to check out the Clubhouse Bookshops.

20/20 Paula R.C.Readman

Today on Barrie Lillie blog he’s interviewing me on his guest page. He emailed me 20 questions to answer. So for once I was on the other end of answering questions. Please check his blog out to find out more about me