Novelicious.com | The Women's Fiction Blog for Readers and Writers

My Writing Room by Liz Fenwick

I dream of having a writing shed, a place that is all my own, lined with books and a stunning view of the Cornish countryside. But that reality is a long way off as I would need to be in one place for a decent length of time. What’s a decent length of time? More than a month!

So in truth the most important part of my writing is my little Mac Air, which means I can and do write anywhere. However, I do have three established writing places in my three homes (I know it sounds grand, but believe me the reality is far from – just think of the three sets of bills and the cleaning!). In our home in the heart of Cornwall, I write in the kitchen in the morning before the family descends. At this little table the sun streams in and I can turn and see my beloved garden. Sometimes this is a problem because I will find the weeds calling to me and not the beauty of the flowers. Of course, this usually happens when the story is stalling and a session of weed pulling works wonders for my brain to set the writing rolling again.

 

The Secret Dreamworld of An Aspiring Author – Blurred Lines

By Anna Bell

By definition a novel is fiction. Made up. Not real. I’m pretty sure that most readers accept this, yet there seem to be blurred lines when it comes to what’s acceptable between fact or fiction? I’m talking about little details that authors get wrong.

This week I got one of those emails that, as an author, you kind of dread. It was from a reader and it was pointing out an error. Not an error of the typo/bad grammar variety (phew), but a factual inaccuracy. You see, in the novel my protagonist's fiancé had gone to Scotland to shoot pheasant on a stag do in May. Only, the writer of the email pointed out that May is far from the season to shoot pheasant. Now, I should have picked that up having stayed on a pheasant farm in May myself, where the only thing to shoot at was clay pigeons. My editors (editors plural from both when it was self-published and published traditionally) could have picked it up – it’s the kind of detail they usually do, but they missed it too.

This isn’t the first of these emails I’ve received. Last year I had one, which told me I’d written ‘Italian Chablais’ when Chablais is a French region and, like champagne, only wine made in that area can be given the name. About the same time it was picked up by a copyeditor while the novel was going through the traditional publishing process. This year when I went on a holiday near Chablais, I had a little chuckle to myself in embarrassment.

The Book That Changed My Life: Gabrielle Zevin Picks Charlotte’s Web by E.B. White

From the age of six until the age of ten, I moved three times, which meant I changed schools three times. Consequently, my education had gaps and overlaps in it that it might not have otherwise had. One such overlap was that I ended up reading the children’s book, Charlotte’s Web, with three different classes.  For those who haven’t read it, Charlotte’s Web by E.B. White is about a pig named Wilbur who learns that his fate, like the fate of most pigs, is to become next year’s bacon. It’s about a spider, the titular Charlotte, who comes up with a plan to save Wilbur. The story opens in media res with one of the best first sentences of any book I have ever read: “Where’s Papa going with that ax?”

The first time I read Charlotte’s Web, I enjoyed it. The second time I read the book, I resented it. I resented my parents for moving and inadvertently forcing me to have to retread the same material. I was eight years old and even then, life seemed too short to waste time on repeat readings. The third time I read the book, I loved Charlotte’s Web, and as I wept, I knew I’d be reading it for the rest of my life. Charlotte’s Web is the book that made me want to be a writer.

Novelicious Picks...Books with a Novella Attached

A fortnight ago we highlighted five books that have been published as ebook serials. This week we bring you novellas available as an ebook that are linked to a traditionally published novel. A bonus story, if you like, of familiar characters you have come to love and want to have that little bit more of. Often they are published as a Christmas short story, but this isn't always the case. Here are five of our favourites:

1. The Beach Cafe followed by the novella Christmas at the Beach Cafe by Lucy Diamond. 

Evie Flynn, dreamer and drifter, is working as a temp and has a sensible boyfriend. Then she is given a beach cafe in her Aunt Jo's will, so Evie heads down to Cornwall to sort out the cafe – and herself.

In the novella, after a busy summer, Evie is really looking forward to Christmas, but her dreams of cosy evenings with log fires and mince pies are shattered when unexpected guests arrive. Also includes recipes from readers, including one from our very own Susan.

2. Cupcakes at Carrington's followed by the novella Me and Mr Carrington by Alexandra Brown.

Georgie Hart runs the luxury handbag concession at Carrington's Department Store. When Carrington's undertakes a recession busting makeover, everything is thrown into disarray. Soon, Georgia is fighting to keep her job.

In the novella, a short story to bridge the gap between Cupcakes at Carrington's and Christmas at Carrington's, everything is looking rosy for Georgie after a romantic Italian get-together, but she returns from her holiday and back to Carrington's with a bump.

3. A Seaside Affair and the novella The Stolen Weekend by Fern Britton. 

In a seaside town in Cornwall, a beloved local theatre is about to be taken over by a coffee chain. The residents are up in arms and it falls on Penny, hot shot producer, to open her contact book and call in some favours.

The Stolen Weekend brings us Penny once more. Exhausted with her day-to-day life she plans a weekend away with her friend to London. But will the stolen weekend go as planned?

Write Your Novel – Treat Yourself

If you're struggling to write and are starting to suspect that you might be (whisper it) 'blocked', I have a gentle suggestion ... be nice to yourself. Reward yourself for even trying.

Yes, sometimes tough love is the way forward; lots of chest beating (ouch!) and yelling motivational slogans at yourself in the mirror ('just do it' and 'you're a tiger, grrr'). Sometimes, however, this just doesn't work, and continuing to try and push yourself is only going to make your creative block worse.

If you're feeling anxious about your writing and, let's be honest, you probably are, then increasing your anxiety levels by berating yourself for not being productive is not going to help. I'm going to say that again: Berating yourself is Not Going To Help.

So, what's the alternative to using a stick to beat yourself with? Enticing yourself with a carrot, of course. (For 'carrot' please read 'wine'.)

Review – Undertaking Love by Kat French

Reviewed by Victoria Sutton

Marla Jacobs owns and runs The Little White Wedding chapel in the sleepy Shropshire countryside. Her business is her pride and joy and it is nationally acclaimed as the place to go for a wedding with a difference. So when she hears a funeral parlour is to open in the neighbouring building she is far less than impressed. Death and Weddings definitely do not go together! Out of fear of losing her beloved wedding business, she declares war on the funeral parlour and its, alarmingly charming, proprietor Gabriel Ryan.

Gabe is the youngest of the Ryan clan. After the death of his father he flees Ireland, where he finds the memory of his father too painful. He feels it is time to make his own name in the industry he has known his whole life, as a Funeral Director. He chooses the sleepy Shropshire village for his business as he believes there is a gap in the market there and he will be providing a much needed service to the inhabitants of the village in their hour of need. When he finds himself at war with the strikingly attractive Marla, he is determined to be the victor, but at what cost?

Gabe is the typical Irish charmer, and who can’t help but fall for one of those?! Marla is a feisty American red head who, in spite of her beloved wedding business, doesn’t actually believe in love and marriage! From the moment Gabe and Marla meet the sparks fly and, although they are sworn enemies, they can't help but be attracted to each other. I rooted for them from the outset, but had to wonder what the solution could be if the two businesses were so inherently incompatible?

My Book Deal Moment by Lisa Dickenson

About one month before my book deal moment there was hardly anyone in the world who knew that I liked to write. I expect it’s the same with a lot of you author-to-bes.  Admitting to the world, or even to your friends and family, that you’d like to, maybe, one day, if possible, be an author is mega-scary, and opens up a part of you to judgment and criticism (and praise, hopefully, but the threat of everyone you know thinking your story idea is bloody awful outweighs the potential positives).  It’s scary because it invites two incredibly hard questions every time people see you: “How’s your writing going?” (to which you often shamefully answer, “I haven’t really done anything about it yet, I’ve been so busy with work/the holiday/my cat”) and “What’s your book about?” (and no matter how awesome your idea is, when trying to sum it up in a few sentences, it sounds utterly crap, you wish you’d never told them and quite want to run away from this evil person and hide under a duvet and cry).

I’d been pretty much silently hoping for years that I could get a book deal without having to actually put myself out there, and one day I thought, bugger this, and entered a short story into Belinda Jones’ Sunlounger competition. It was shortlisted! I am a genius, I thought. I didn’t win; the incredibly lovely and deserving Holly Martin did, but shortly after, I was contacted by Manpreet Grewal at Little, Brown Book Group, who I was lucky enough to have known a few years back when we both worked at Random House.

Friday Book Giveaway! Thirteen Weddings by Paige Toon

Roll up, roll up – one copy of Thirteen Weddings by Paige Toon to give away for your summer reading pleasure!

Last year, Bronte left Sydney for a wedding in England, where she met newly single Alex. After a night of passion they parted ways, and Bronte returned to Australia. Now working on a picture desk for a magazine in London, Bronte is about to meet her new colleague, who turns out to be all too familiar. Although awkward at first, as Alex is now engaged to the girl he was on a break from when they met, they soon become friends. But as the two get closer, and the wedding day looms, it is clear that Alex and Bronte have unfinished business...

Review – What Milo Saw by Virginia Macgregor

Reviewed by Kelly Allen

Milo Moon is nine years old and, apart from caring for his elderly Gran and having a pet pig called Hamlet, he has retinitis pigmentosa, a disease that causes his vision to fail and that will one day leave Milo blind. Milo’s world is vision through a pinhole, and thanks to his Gran he has developed his other senses to cope with the loss of sight. He also has an eye for observational detail because of his lack of peripheral vision and he zooms in on the things that really do matter.

When it all gets too much in the household (his father has moved abroad with his new girlfriend and his Gran’s old age is causing her to forget certain things), his Gran decides to help Milo and his mother out by setting fire to the kitchen and therefore causing Milo’s mum Sandy to put her into an old people’s home.

Alongside trouble at school (Milo’s teacher is very concerned about his lack of progress) and trouble at home with his mum, Milo discovers there are even bigger problems at his Gran’s new home, which is run by a cruel and bitter woman called Nurse Thornhill. With the help of everyone at the home and his mother’s support, he uncovers the truth about how the old people are treated and becomes a local hero overnight.

Julie Myerson's Top Five Writing Tips

1. Just start! Write for five minutes every day.  Everyone can find five minutes. It’s not too daunting. I started writing Sleepwalking on fivve minutes a day and I soon found I really was writing a novel.

2. Read, read, read! You can never read too much. Reading is what turned me into a writer and reading is what inspires me and keeps me going. If I’m stuck, it doesn’t matter, I read. It seems like an obvious thing but you’d be amazed at the number of people I come across who tell me they want to be writers and then, when you ask them what they’re reading, say they ‘don’t really get much time to read at the moment’.

3. Don’t let anyone tell you what to write, don’t write because you think you’ll make a lot of money and don’t write for anyone but yourself. Having said that, turn yourself into your own sternest critic. I think my family would agree than I am a bit of a bodger in every single area of my life except for writing. As a writer I am a perfectionist. My standards are high. I like to think that nothing shoddy or dishonest or dull gets past me.

Review – Fallen by Lia Mills

Reviewed by Debs Carr

It's April 1914 in Dublin and Katie Crilly is horrified to discover that her twin brother, Liam, has joined up. She has nothing to take her mind off her dull life with days spent at home being 'improved' by her mother. Katie finds it hard to reconcile her parent’s refusal to let her take a Master’s Degree with Liam’s immediate acceptance into the family firm. To escape the interminable boredom, Katie accepts the offer of a known radical and suffragette, Dorothy Colcough, helping with the research for her book on Dublin’s city monuments. She loves her job and becomes close to Dolly and her friend May, looking forward to visits to their home. Once the book is complete Katie isn’t sure how she’ll fill her time, but then she is caught up in the terrifying conflict of the Easter Rising, becoming embroiled in danger as she tries to assist those she cares most about. She begins to realize how different Liam’s world must have been at the Front before his death and also has to face those who oppose everything her brother was fighting for before he died. During the uprising she meets Hubie Wilson, now disabled and haunted by his experiences. Hubie fought with Liam and tells her more about her brother’s death as they face the chaos of the city all around them.

Novelicious Chats To... Mary Balogh

Mary Balogh’s book, The Escape, is out now. Today, Mary is telling us a little about her writing process and her unusual journey to publication…

Can you tell us a little about your average writing day?

I like to start writing as early in the morning as possible after I have dealt with breakfast, email, and Facebook. As far as the weather will allow, I like to work out on our screened sun porch, using a lap desk. I aim for 2,000 words a day or about half a chapter, though I do a lot of going back and rewriting. On average, a book takes four months to write – and I write seven days a week when there is a book on the go. I have usually finished my quota by about noon and then catch up with other work-related things, like this interview, during the afternoons. If I can't work outside, I write in my study surrounded by perfumed candles.

When you are writing, do you use any celebrities or people you know as inspiration?

No, I don't. I don't watch films made from books and I really don't believe I I would want to see any of my books made into films (well, maybe the BBC). I write purely from the imagination and I read from it too. I don't see real people when I create characters.

What is your favourite Women’s Fiction book of all time and why?

Oh, goodness, this is difficult. No matter what answer I give, I know that for the next few days I am going to be thinking of something else and wishing I had named that instead. I'll stick with the conventional, I think, and say Pride and Prejudice and Jane Eyre, if they qualify as women's fiction. I choose them for the same reason. The heroines are women of their time, but both manage to take charge of their lives even if doing so is going to lead to unhappiness and deprivation – as it does for both for a while. The fact that each manages to have her cake and eat it too is a very nice touch, but the happy endings are not the real point of either book.

What is your writing process? Do you plan first or dive in? How many drafts do you do?

Well, I try to plan. I have a vague idea of the plot before I start and what I always think is a firm knowledge of the hero and heroine. But I might as well save myself the bother, because once I set the plot in motion and release the two main characters into it, they take over and they are never the people I think they were going to be. Fortunately, they always have much more complexity. It is only through dealing with the events of the story and, more important, with each other, that these complexities are revealed.

Review – Daughter of Catalonia by Jane MacKenzie

Reviewed by Jennifer Joyce

Madeleine Garriga doesn’t know much about her past. She has vague memories of escaping from France during the war with her mother and her younger brother, leaving her father behind. The plan was to reunite the family after the war, but Luis Garriga was killed before that could happen. Devastated, Luis’ wife Elise retreated into herself, becoming nothing more than a shadow of the passionate woman she once was. Madeleine and her brother Robert grew up with their mother in England in the restrictive household of their grandparents, never knowing who their father really was or what role he played in the war. When Elise dies, Madeleine decides it is time to seek the answers to their questions and sets off for France. There, she discovers the truth about her heritage and unearths the buried secrets of her parents' past.

Daughter of Catalonia sounded so interesting when I read the blurb and I hoped that the secrets within the book would live up to the intrigue, and on the whole they did. Some points became obvious before the big reveal, but it didn’t impede my enjoyment of the book. I thought the story played out well, with more facts resurfacing bit by bit to maintain the interest in the book. The settings of the book are told quite vividly, particularly when Madeleine travels to the small French village of Vermeilla, and although this gave a real sense of Madeleine’s surroundings, I did feel that the pace of the story could be bogged down with too many descriptions at times.

News – The 2014 Man Booker Prize Longlist Announced

Today marked a historic moment for the Man Booker Prize, as it announced its first global longlist. For the first time in its 46 year history, the £50,000 prize has been opened up to writers of any nationality, writing originally in English and published in the UK, as opposed to limiting entries to writers from the Commonwealth and Ireland.

Thirteen novels were named on the longlist for the global prize with Howard Jacobson, David Mitchell and Ali Smith among the British authors, alongside David Nicholls, writer of the bestselling One Day.

Ian McEwan, Martin Amis and Donna Tartt, whose novel The Goldfinch recently earned her a Pulitzer Prize, are among the list's notable exclusions.

Additionally, only three of the nominees are women. Karen Joy Fowler has been listed for We Are All Completely Beside Ourselves, Siri Hustvedt for The Blazing World and Ali Smith for How to Be Both.