Why I Write Romantic Fiction

It's Valentine's Day, so romance is in the air and I am, of course, a romantic novelist.  Except I'm not - at least, not in my head.  As far as I'm concerned I'm just a writer whose work happens to fit into the marketing category called romantic fiction, which is a much easier sell than the nebulous contemporary women's fiction, which in turn is a much easier sell than A Novel.  

I never set out to be a romantic novelist.  When I started I was writing short stories that appeared in obscure literary magazines and occasionally on Radio 4.  When I completed the first first draft of my novel and handed it as part of my MA, my tutor said, "And now you've got that out of your system, you can get down to writing a real novel."

I still haven't written a 'real novel'.  I'm just writing about what interests me. Generally it's about women, because I think they have less clear cut, and therefore more interesting, decisions to make about how they live their lives and balance work, children and relationships.  

I don't think people have a choice to make about what they write - and anyone who thinks they do have a choice has never tried writing a novel.  They write what they write, and usually that's what interests them.  If it interests them, the chances are it'll interest other people.  And if that means I go through life never writing a 'real novel' then so be it.  I'll just carry on muddling through and writing about what interests me.  

The Mathematics of Novel Writing

People often tell me that they'd like to write a novel but they don't have the time. Actually you don't need much time to write a novel, you just need a little basic maths. Ten to twenty minutes a day is about how long it takes most people to write 250 words*. Multiply 250 words by 365 days and you get 91,250 words. That's a reasonable length for a first draft. Now, all you need is ten or so minutes a day...

1. Do your novel thinking outside your writing time so when you get the chance you know roughly what you're going to write.

2. If you say something like, "I just want to do some writing, could you keep an eye on the children", you're in effect asking for permission. Sneak off without telling anyone and I bet it'll be ten minutes at least before anyone notices you've gone.

3. Leave your writing with a few notes about where you're going next. When you next get the chance they'll refresh your memory quickly so you use the time effectively.

4. If you get stuck on one section jump to the next bit you fancy writing; you can always go back later and fill in the gaps.

5. Give up watching television. Or Sudoku, the crossword, emails, Twitter - there are thousands of things that gulp down novel writing time. And if all else fails...

6. Cultivate a reputation for IBS. Why not? Who will ever question, other than sympathetically (or possibly cautiously), the time you're spending in the loo?

If you really, really want to write a novel you'll find those ten minutes. It's just about the maths. A x B = C. That's all you need to know.

* As a guideline, this post is 300 words.

HAPPY CHRISTMAS EVERYONE!

Careless Talk Costs Books

Heart sink moments are plenty in a writer’s life, but one of my least favourite has to be the dinner party where the bloke sitting next to me, on hearing I’m a novelist, launches into a detailed description of the novel he’s going to write.  I listen attentively, because my mother brought me up to be polite, but what I really want to do is screech and tell him to stop because a) I don’t want to know and b) he’s ruining his chances of ever getting the novel written.

Writing a novel requires a lot of energy. 100,000 words or so takes a lot of typing even without the concentration on the story telling. Somehow you have to sustain your energy and enthusiasm for at least several months, if not several years.  Story telling is in part a desire to communicate.  If you’re doing that communication to all and sundry at dinner parties you’re dissipating the energy you need to keep going with your story. Worse, with frequent telling, you may become bored with your own story before you’ve got it written down.

So don’t tell anyone what it’s about. Keep that desire to yourself, communicate with the page, not chance met strangers. Because I’ve recently had a book out (A Single to Rome, absolutely brilliant, do go out and buy a copy - pleeeeease) I’m frequently being asked about what I’m working on at the moment.  In response I mumble something about how I’ve started a novel.  And what is it about?  More mumbling and staring at the floor until they go away.  I’m not being rude (honest, Mum), I’m guarding an essential part of my writing life.