Paula R.C. Readman's Blog, page 67

Clubhouse Chat Guest: Sophia Anyanwu

Welcome to Clubhouse Chat page. For those of you not 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 chatting to Sophia about her writing in the clubhouse tearoom. Welcome. Please let’s order our drinks before we start. What would you like?

I’m not choosy, but the coffee smells lovely.

Now we have our refreshments I will start by asking you What writing elements do you think is your strongest points, and what would you like to do better? Writing elements?

Hmn. I find that writing the beginning, writing dialogues between characters, creating their events and situations and getting in to their heads to reveal their thoughts and their most intimate secrets are my strong points. However, I would like to improve on how I add colour to my writing by adding arresting details of their clothing, surroundings and the atmosphere. I usually get carried away with the story and may not give enough details or awareness to their clothing and the atmosphere.

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

I am always cautious about this I confess. I treat the question in the same way someone would ask me, ‘how many months are you pregnant?’ In other words – it is a private question. All I will say for now is that it belongs to the historical biblical genre and it is targeted at YA in style but anyone can enjoy it. It is a new idea because I haven’t read anything like it before – revisiting the life of Jesus from a fresh perspective.

How many unfinished projects do you have on your computer?

Ermmm that should be about 4? Let me count.  I memoir, I biblical romantic fiction, my latest project – the biblical historical thriller and erm… Oh, just three. [She laughs]

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

[She laughs] I have never written a synopsis first. I just start writing and allow my writing and ideas to flow together as God channels, like a river to any destination and pool up somewhere until it becomes a sea of rivers and then it all becomes one mighty ocean, The first time I have tried writing a synopsis seriously was when I began writing proposals for submissions to publishers. I have never taken the writing a synopsis formally unless asked to write one. By then, my story is long finished! So, the characters lead me and they must be obeyed.[She laughs]

Were any of your characters inspired by real people?

Ah definitely. Some of them but many are just pure imagination by God’s grace and when my characters are inspired by real people, I borrow body parts, mannerisms, personality traits and life style –  From family members.

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

 When writing my stories or any kind of writing, I am amazed at what God has stored up in me which I was never aware of. New vocabulary, ideas and information which when I google up will be spot on! Depending on the genre, I may have to google up facts about the lifestyle and information of the subject. Sometimes, I’ve had to read up the synopsis of other authors with similar themes to mine when writing proposals for publishers.

Did you uncover things about yourself while writing your books whether that be a long forgotten memory, a positive experience etc.

Oh yes ,yes! Definitely! I surprised myself to realise that I had talent, strength and that the grace of God is always available to do what I set my heart to do: the length of my novels, or the way certain vocabs pop out when I am writing fiction or poetry all amaze me!

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Do you set yourself a daily word count?

No, I don’t! I believe I am a Pantser – my writing simply just pours out of me, with no prior planning and whatever amount I produce, I always glorify God. If for days, I have not written, I believe God is letting me rest. When I get the prompt [even when I don’t feel up to it] I pray and ask for the grace to write at least a chapter or more. It always works for me this way!

Did you ever consider writing under a pseudonym?

No, why should I!! I want to be seen like a light on a table where there is darkness. Lord Jesus said we should not put out lamps under the bed!

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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?

If it is a biblical historical writing, I get the A to Z of both Jewish male and female names and use as I like. If it is another kind of writing, I use family names, names of people I knew in my past or in my present time.  Most pantsers like me don’t know about their characters before they write. All I know is the protagonist or the antagonist characters. To some extent though, I do plan out their family member’s names. All other things pour out as I write!

Thank you so much for joining me here today, Sophia.

If you want to find out more about Sophia’s writing and books please click on this link

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

Clubhouse Chat Guest: Deirdre Palmer

Welcome to Clubhouse Chat page. Those of you not 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 talking to Deirdre. Welcome to the tearoom, and what would you like to drink?

Thanks for inviting me. It’s very cosy in here!  I’d like a nice cup of tea, please, milk, no sugar. 

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

I like to think dialogue is my strongest point, because I find it easiest to write. What I find hardest about writing a novel is knowing when to reveal key parts of the plot to the reader.  That’s structure, isn’t it? I can do it, but it would be nice if it came more easily!

Tell us a little about your latest writing project. Is it a new idea, or one you have been mulling over for some time?
I’ve just started writing a new book under my own name. At the moment the title is The Storytellers, though that may change. I’ve had the theme in my mind for some time, which is the nature of time and memory, false memory in particular. I’ve also wanted to write about the abandoned Tube stations in London, so I have one of those as part of the setting.

How many unfinished projects do you have on your computer?

None apart from the work-in-progress.  My brain can’t cope with more than one at a time!

[image error] Deirdre Palmer

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

Every time I write a book tend to do it a bit differently from the one before, probably in the hope of making life easier for myself, though it never works out that way! This time I did write a synopsis first, and I’m finding it useful as a kind of road map. I also wrote the opening paragraphs early on, and then I wrote some of the middle chapters because they were vivid in my mind, then the last chapter/epilogue because the words were there.  So it’s a kind of patchwork job, really. I hope it works!

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?

Only five? This isn’t going to be easy!
1. Deborah Moggach: I’ve been reading her books forever, and they always made me want to write my own. Her stories have such truth, and her brand of subtle humour is enviable. Shameless namedropping alert!  Once I started writing seriously, I was lucky enough to have lunch with Deborah as part of a writing prize (I came fourth, twice, in the Mail on Sunday Novel Competition). Deborah was so encouraging, and made me believe I could do this.

2. Louise Douglas: Lovely stories, great writing – I aspire to those heights…  Louise gave me a wonderful endorsement for one of my books, for which I am ever grateful.

3. Kate Atkinson:  Top flight writer and quality storyteller. Enough said.

4. Louise Candlish:  A new discovery. She does suspense so well, and makes me appreciate the value of a good twist.

5. David Nicholls: Again, enviable writing style. He just gets on and tells the story, and I can learn from that. 

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Do you set yourself a daily word count?
Sometimes, but I don’t always meet the target, and that’s okay. 

How many hours in a day do you write?

Not many, is the answer to that! Having retired from the day job, I want time to do other things. But I do take this writing game seriously, and I try to write every day, even if it’s only a couple of hours.  If I want to get a book finished I will step it up.  The Pomodoro technique works well for me – that’s where you work in 25 minute bursts, take a break, then do another, and so on. I have the cute little tomato timer on my computer, which you can download from lots of different sites.

Did you ever consider writing under a pseudonym?

I do. As well as the five books out under my own name, I’ve published eight shorter women’s fiction novels and one book of short stories under the pseudonym Zara Thorne. So in effect I have two different brands going, which can make things tricky when it comes to marketing!

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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?

Names are so important, aren’t they? Sometimes the names just come to me, don’t ask me how.  Otherwise I might Google the popular names in the year my character was born. Another way is to look at the parents. If I know the character well, I will know their family background and what names their parents would have favoured.  It’s no good giving a character an outlandish name just because you like it, when their mum and dad were conventional folk. A minor character in the book I’m writing now is called Georgette – Georgie for short – because her mother was a Heyer fan. Georgie herself doesn’t have an ounce of the romantic in her character, so I thought it would be fun to give her that name.  I think about my characters a lot before I start writing, but I won’t know everything. That comes as the story unfolds and I get inside their heads.

 What was your hardest scene to write?

I don’t remember all of them, but I’m going to say one towards the end of The Wife’s Revenge, where the main characters congregate at High Heaven, the cliff above the chalk-pit. There are revelations, confrontations, the threat of death – maybe an actual death, no spoilers here!  The whole story comes to a head in this scene, which runs over two chapters, and I rewrote it many times to try and hike up the suspense.

Thank you so much for joining me, Deirdre. When you’re ready to go please let our driver Brutus know and he’ll run you home.

To find out more about Deirdre’s books click on this link her Amazon author pages: https://amzn.to/3cxx8bE & https://amzn.to/3cJvxAz

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

In Praise of the Lone Star⭐

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When I set out on my writing journey I had only one goal. To have a novel published by a publisher. A personal challenge I set myself even though I knew I had a lot to learn. Dyslexic and poorly educated meant I had a mountain before me, but I was ready for it. Added to this the lack of money for creative writing courses, I taught myself from second-hand books bought off eBay.

Due to my lack of confidence, I’ve never wanted to stand out in a crowd, to take centre stage, though I’ve always admired others who have the confidence to shine. Stepping outside my comfort zone and meeting my fears head on has been the making of me, to uses a well-worn cliché. Like all artists whether you’re a wordsmith, a painter or performer we all bear our souls. This leaves us open for criticism, but it must always be remembered, it is easy for others to criticise than it is for them to be creative. Reading is all down to personal taste, just like food and clothes. The hardest critics are some other writers. The trouble with being a writer/reader is not always ease to switch off the writing side of your brain and just reading for pleasure. I know when I first started writing, I found it difficult to just read a book.

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After years of rejections, editing and rewriting I found a publisher for my third unpublished novel. Though it was an exciting time it was scary too as it meant letting go of the manuscript. During the time I have been writing to be published I’ve grown a thick skin and have a huge collection of rejected work. This isn’t a bad thing for two reasons. 1) it shows you’ve been trying 2) You’ve a body of work that you can edit, and resubmit to writing competitions and submission call -outs.

The most terrifying thing for me has been waiting for the first reviews to come in. My head was full of questions. Would the readers fully understand the deeper layers of Stone Angels, or would they only scratch the surface. When writing James Ravencroft’s tale, I was constantly checking the many layers of the book. Up until yesterday, most of the readers understood the deeper story told within the pages of Stone Angels, but the inevitable happened. I had prepared myself for this occasion. After 28 reviews the lone star finally appeared, but to my disappointment, of course, with no explanation.

A lovely star so hated by all authors, but to me it ended my fears and worries. The waiting, maybe longing for it, is now over and it means I can now move forwards with my writing.

Remember to always be kind to yourself, and most importantly to others. Writing, to be published, isn’t a competitions. If a fellow writer asks for your honest opinion think carefully and step into their shoes before tearing their work apart. Ask yourself, are the best person to hand out advice. You might be a writer too, but you’re not an editor or copyeditor as you need training for this. I self-edit as all writers do, but we need an editor before our MS is ready to be published. As a reader when reviewing a published book, do it with a reader’s head and not a writer editing someone’s work. Give your honest opinion, but before posting your review ask yourself, is it the kind of review you would be happy to receive?

[image error]Poor lone unloved and unwanted by all.

There are two kinds of honesty in the world, Fair, and brutal if your review is brutal, maybe you should email the author and tell them. If you can’t do that then, don’t post it on the net. Unless you’re willing to put your name to it you should keep your opinions to yourself.

That’s my thoughts for today. I’m off to finish editing a story.

Facts versus Fiction

Good Morning/Afternoon/Evening, dear friends

I do hope you’ve all survived the night and have sent the ghosts

Clubhouse Chat Guest: Sharon C Williams

Welcome to Clubhouse Chat page. Those of you who are not 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.

[image error] Photo by @thiszun on Pexels.com

Today I’m chatting with with Sharon in the tearoom. Welcome. My first question is what would you like to drink.

Thank you so much for the invite, Paula. Could I have a sweet ice tea. It’s such a lovely day, and a lovely spot here looking out over the clubhouse garden.

Yes, we are so lucky to has such unspoiled surroundings. Ah, here come our refreshments. So let me start with when you first begun your writing journey what drew you to your chosen genre?

When I first entertained writing, I looked around the house looking for an idea. My eyes landed on Jasper, our Yellow Cheek Amazon. We rescued and adopted him in 1999 at the age of five. After being around him for years, I knew his personality and mannerisms. I thought, “Why not?” Thinking I could write a book around him, for any future grandchildren I might have in the future, I went that route. I figured I could read it to them as they grew. That is how I embarked on the genre of children’s chapter books.

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

I would have to say they are new ideas. The projects on my desk I did mull over in my head for a while. Fortunately, I was able to write them down. And while the ideas are new, they are part of two series that I have already written. At the moment, I am working on edits for volume four to my Jasper, Amazon Parrot series plus edits for volume two to my Squirrel Mafia series. So, two additional volumes for two series. The fourth volume includes a new animal and another issue that plagues the Amazon rainforest. The problem is the poaching in this region. The second volume finds me having more problems with the squirrels in my backyard in comparison to the last book. Readers will see new players, scenes, and adventures.

How many unfinished projects do you have on your computer?

I have too many. LOL I have A Woman of Color, Lost Faith, the fifth volume to my children series, Mona’s Revenge, and a few others that are only in note stages.

[image error] Jasper, from the Amazon Parrot series and Sharon

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

I am a pantser at heart. I am more apt to just write the manuscript and worry about the rest later. I worry about the title, synopsis, and the rest once the first draft of any manuscript is done.

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

I have a B.S. degree in Chemistry and two A.S. degrees. One being in Biology and the other in Math. Plus, I’ve been rescuing and adopting birds since 1998.

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

Even though I am a full-time author, I divide my day into two parts. In the morning, I attend to errands, doctor appointments, and chores at home. Once 1:00 pm comes around, it is all business as I work on my craft. I take time each week to work on my social platform, marketing, researching, editing, revising, making contacts, to name a few. I will work through until five to six in the evening. And even though I move from my office at that time, I will be working on the couch on various activities such as reviewing, answering emails, searching for guest posts to do, interviews, and other opportunities that I can have for my brand. One of the earliest things an author told me was that writing was the easiest of all to do. I did scoff. I was wrong, so very wrong. I do make time to write daily in some capacity.

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Do you set yourself a daily word count?

When I am doing NaNoWriMo, I do. I like to finish that yearly contest sooner than later. My best time had me finishing in two weeks and my longest three weeks. But daily word count I don’t do that anymore. I am of the mentality now that if I write a paragraph to half a page, I am content. It is when I have days that I don’t write at all that I get bummed out.

Did you ever consider writing under a pseudonym?

It never really occurred to me to do so. Thou in hindsight, if I had an inkling of potential books I am now working on, it would have come in handy. I am working on two manuscripts that can cause a fuss among readers. But now that I have a few books under my belt, I am not sure if I can get away with a pseudonym name.

What was your hardest scene to write?

In one volume of my children’s series, I addressed the death of a parent. It was one that I agonize over. I wanted to get it right. The target audience for this series is middle grade. I had to make sure I was sensitive enough in what would be a sad event for any child.

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

It varies on what genre I am writing in. At the moment, I write short stories, action and adventure, and for children. It takes about a month for me to get down on paper a volume to my children’s series. While that is not a lot of time, getting it in top shape takes much longer. My comedy takes a couple of months to complete. My action and adventure novels have taken me much longer. That genre can take from six months to a year if the word count adds up to 75k or more. It depends if my day is hectic or not, if I have interviews, guest posts to write up, promotions, and marketing to do, this takes me away from writing. It depends if my day is hectic or not.

This has been fun thing to do, Paula.  Thank you so much for the opportunity to join you in the tearoom.

It’s been lovely having you, Sharon. When you’re ready to our driver, Brutus will take you home.

Here’s a link to Sharon’s website and links to all of her books on Amazon:
If you want to find out more about Clubhouse Member’s Books don’t forget to check out the Clubhouse Bookshops too.

Days Pass Like A Shadow

Wow! I’ve only just found this article written about my single collection by its publisher, Gill James. Gill is a great supporter of new writers. She runs two small publishing companies. Bridge House Publishing and Chapel Town Books. Up until this year when Covid19 put an end to gathering Gill always organised a book launch in London where all her writers would gather to have a meal, before going on to the event while we did readings. These events helped me grow more confident and overcome my shyness as I was able to stand in front of an audience. We had become a large family of writers who have taken our writing to the next level.

[image error] Bridge House & Chapel Town Books Writers

Days Pass Like a Shadow was published by Bridge House in June this year. It’s a collection of thirteen dark stories which cover the theme loss and death from serial killers to mother’s undying love. Unfortunately, I haven’t been marketing my collection as much as I should have been so the sales have been low. This means Gill hasn’t been able to recoup the money she has invested in my collection. I would love more sales so Gill is able to support other writers as like myself at the beginning of their writing journey. Hopefully, I can focus on pushing my single collection soon.

[image error] Click on book link: Days Pass Like A Shadow

To Submit to Cafelit click on this Link

Clubhouse Chat Guest: Collette McCormick

Welcome to Clubhouse Chat page. Those who are not 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 chatting to Colette. Welcome to the clubhouse tearoom and let’s start by ordering our refreshments, what would you like?

Thank you so much for the chance to chat to you. My chosen tipple would be a cup of Yorkshire tea please. Black but not too strong.

Now we have our drinks can I begin by asking you what writing elements do you think is your strongest points, and what would you like to do better?

I think that my strength lies in character creation. It has been said that my characters feel ‘real’ and that people can identify with them. As my books are character driven, I’m pleased about that. The one thing that I would like to do better is plan my books. My system works pretty well for me but I am always envious of people that plan their books – they seem so much more professional. I might not do it but if I learned how to I could make the choice.

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

This is a tricky question because my latest writing project in terms of a new book is something that I started a couple of months ago and is only about 15,000 words long so far so just a baby. It is basically about a woman and the choices she makes. We all have a path through life and when we come to a crossroads, which path do we choose?

A writing project that I have running alongside this is the republication of the three books that I have had published by Accent Press and the fourth on published by Headline/Accent. I recently re- acquired the rights to these books and I am looking for a new home for them.

How many unfinished projects do you have on your computer?

Off the top of my head I am going to say three major ones. I have the one I am working on at the moment, another that I started for Accent before they were bought by Headline and a third that has sort of been on the back burner for a long time. I also have at least three ideas for books that I haven’t started and a raft of unfinished short stories

[image error] Collette McCormick

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

No. I start of with a character or two and a vague idea of where the journey will end. I see the story in my head and write what I see.

Were any of your characters inspired by real people?

Not intentionally although my mother was obsessively house-proud and made the best mashed potato in the world just like the mother in RIBBONS IN HER HAIR. That was where the similarity ended.

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

It’s ridiculous. I work full time so I don’t get as much time as I would like to write. Before my husband retired, he worked nights so I would write when he went to work but I don’t do that now. These days I fit it in whenever I can.

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How many hours in a day do you write?

I’m almost ashamed to say that I don’t write every day. My full-time job gets in the way of it I’m afraid. Sometimes, if I can get even 100 words down, I see that as an achievement. I do better on my days off when I will try to get at least a couple of hours writing time.

Did you ever consider writing under a pseudonym?
Yes. I have already done this for some short stories and its great because you can become a different person. I would one day like to publish some children’s stories that I have written and I would use a pseudonym for that as well.

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

I have to be honest and say that when I’m choosing names I usually look into space and call them the first thing that comes into my head. I use Thomas a lot (and I mean A LOT) and when I started to trace my family tree, I realised that there are literally dozens of Thomas’ there so maybe that has something to do with it. Oddly enough I have just named a character today and I chose it without thinking but then realised that it was perfect because the meaning of the name ties in with the character. A happy accident.

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

My first book took about three years from start to being accepted by Accent and when I was under contract, I had to write a book a year so if you had to average it out, I’d say something like a year and a half, maybe a little less. I like writing to a deadline because it focuses the mind. I started my current WIP in June so I would want to have it finished by the end of June 2021.

Thank you so much for joining me today, Collette and when you’re ready to leave Brutus our driver with take you home.
If you would like to find out more about Colette’s writing and books check out her blog.
Here’s a link to her book: Not My Brother’s Keeper

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

No words today

[image error]For me today it is a day to reflect

Happy Halloween

Over this Halloween weekend my publisher is having a book sale. If you’re looking for a great read check out this link, Darkstroke Books Then search Amazon to see if the book you’re interested in is included in their sale for only 99p/99c

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If you still haven’t bought a copy of my novel Stone Angels it is available for 99p/99c too. Click on this link. http://mybook.to/stoneangels

[image error]Stone Angels has 23 reviews across Amazon, please check them out.

Happy Halloween

Over this Halloween weekend my publisher is having a book sale. If you’re looking for a great read check out this link, Darkstroke Books Then search Amazon to see if the book you’re interested in is included in their sale for only 99p/99c

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If you still haven’t bought a copy of my novel Stone Angels it is available for 99p/99c too. Click on this link. http://mybook.to/stoneangels

[image error]Stone Angels has 23 reviews across Amazon, please check them out.