Finding Inspiration

Once news of my book became public I was immediately bombarded with questions from friends, including the inevitable ‘are we in it?’ Of course I would never base any characters on people I’ve met in real life, that’s far too risky – one of the main reasons I’ve never turned my exploits as the only sane woman into LA into a book is because I don’t want to get sued. Seriously, you just can’t lift characters out of the real world and drop them into fiction.

I think most writers are great eavesdroppers, subconsciously soaking up anecdotes and snippets of information for later use. It's a hazard of the job, and therefore inevitable that certain characteristics or personal mannerisms may well get transferred into the pages of a novel.

My two main protagonists in the Theatre of Dreams, Kitty and Tara, are both theatrical performers.  Kitty is probably very loosely based on my grandmother, a gregarious show off who was singing and entertaining well into her seventies - much to the embarrassment of  her teenage granddaughters! Although my grandmother didn't have the ‘professional’ stage career she would have loved, she came from the era of the musical hall, part of our British cultural heritage which has gradually been lost (some might say not necessarily a bad thing!), and part of the entertainment industry in which my character Kitty would have thrived. 

The common link between Kitty and her younger counterpart Tara, is course their desire to pass on their knowledge and love of performing. Although I never appreciated my grandmother's talents, my own daughter has inherited her genes; she started dance lessons at the age of four and loved nothing more than putting on a show. She later went on to study at the Royal Academy of Dance and qualified as ballet teacher. They always tell you to write about what you know!

As for the rest of the motley crew who grace the pages of The Theatre of Dreams, well hopefully none of my friends well recognise themselves. The love interest and there has to be one after all, is an architect. Despite what my family tell me, he isn’t deliberately based on the gorgeous George Clarke, he simply evolved from my imagination, but he does share George’s enthusiasm and passion for restoring old buildings - but there the resemblance ends. 

One of the underlying themes in The Theatre of Dreams is how repercussions of past trangressions can come back to haunt us and inevitably impact on our future. I'm a panster, as they say in the writing business, not a plotter. I fly by the seat of my pants and let the characters dictate the story. Any similarities to real life events is purely coincidental!

The Year of No Resolutions

The first post of the new year is inevitably full of resolutions – I’ve done it all before, drink less, exercise more, give up cake and chocolate. This year, no lifestyle resolutions.  Setting unachievable goals only leads to disappointment. I know my weaknesses.   There’s no way I’m going to reach into the fridge to snack on a carrot stick when the Christmas box of Thorntons is sat on the sideboard.

As for the exercise, well that has already been curtailed. My running route is currently flooded thanks to exceptional high tides and Storm Eleanor - although I suppose that's not really a valid excuse - I do have a gym membership and there is always sea-water swimming....

However, when it comes to setting writing goals, 2017 was a bumper year.  I am living proof of the old adage in the publishing world that you should never give up.

So what challenges is 2018 about to bring?  I'd like to say finishing another novel, but with an extended holiday to Australia and New Zealand fast approaching, I'm nowhere near the stage of starting another novel, let alone finishing one. Travel arrangements require meticulous research; I don't book anything until I've read nearly every single review on Trip Advisor. And as for the packing dilemma of how many clothes to take for six weeks on a weight restriction of 20 kilos....several layers to be worn on the plane is my current thinking. After all, it's the case that gets weighed, not me.

However, I am at the age when it’s a good idea to generate additional brain cells by learning new things. I've just had my first meeting with my publisher to outline what will be required in the coming months and it certainly feels like there will be plenty of opportunities in 2018  to acquire new social media and marketing skills - a slightly daunting prospect for a shy retiring techno-phobe like me, but probably far more achievable than giving up cake...

Ending the Year with a Bang

I am delighted to announce that my novel The Theatre of Dreams will be published by Crooked Cat Books in the summer of 2018.

Summer 2018 seems a very long way off, yet already I am already in a state of panic. I only submitted to Crooked Cat a couple of weeks ago. My Facebook Author page is still in its infancy, my writer website not even born. I was unprepared for everything to happen so quickly.... I thought these things took time, but in fact The Crooked Cat team confirmed my theory that despite what agents/publishers tell you on their websites, if they like your work, they don’t sit on it for two months before making a decision, they pounce straight away.  The Crooked Cat liked my first three chapters and they wanted to see more, and then they wanted a skype interview. A skype interview? That was a first for me. Eager to impress, I got up especially early, put on my best outfit, did my hair, make-up and struck a professional pose in front of my PC. No need for cameras, said the shy Crooked Cat. I could have stayed in my PJ's.

But it didn't matter because I was offered a contract. It's not the first contract I've been offered in my writing career, but it's the first one I've signed - which makes a big difference!! I may have been overly cautious before, but this time everything felt right. The book - which I thoroughly enjoyed writing (and I hope everyone will thoroughly enjoy reading),  the publisher (it must be the cat thing), and of course, the terms and conditions of the contract. It all just seemed to fit.

2018 promises to be a very busy and exciting year.

You can find out more about me and The Crooked Cat at:   
https://www.crookedcatbooks.com/author-book/rosie-travers

A Little Less Conversation, A Little More (Social Media) Action

Unlike my daughters who are never located more than a couple of centimetres away from their mobile phones, I can remember life before social media. The good old days, the days when writers parcelled up their precious copy of a typewritten manuscript in brown paper and sent it off into the world via the post office, and then sat back and waited for somebody else to do all the hard work of publishing and publicising it.

Today, a writer doesn't just have to be able to create a good story, they have to have the necessary skills to market it too. With this in mind I signed up for a one-day course on Social Media for Writers run by Anita Chapman of Neetsmarketing. I’d discovered Anita through the Romantic Novelists Association and had already followed her useful beginners on-line guide for getting started on Twitter.

The course took place at the Bloomsbury Holiday Inn in London just a few minutes walk from Russell Square tube station. There were ten delegates in total, a mix of the published and unpublished, social media novices and those with a little more experience.

For me, navigating my way around social media is like learning a new language, but if I’m serious about my writing I have to face my fears. I always wondered how people had the time not just to  tweet, but to respond and re-tweet with such regularity, and now I know. Not only that, but as with every form of communication Twitter has its own etiquette –  knowing when to join a conversation and when to butt out, along with who, how and when not to, thank, is vital for on-line credibility.

As well as Twitter, the workshop covered Facebook, Instagram and blogging. I have an issue with Facebook. My ‘friends’ are genuine friends, some I’ve known for years, others I’ve picked up on my travels. I’m protective of my privacy and unsure whether I want my writing platform intruding into this personal space. Apparently its common dilemma for authors, and something I’ll have to think seriously about. In the meantime, I learned how to create a separate Author Page – vital for when that magical publication day arrives.

Anita stressed the importance social media has in establishing and promoting an author brand. The class size was manageable enough for her to answer individual queries and gripes.  Although there were worksheets and hand-outs, I never felt under pressure to complete tasks; it was very much a question of working at your own pace to gain confidence to apply the new skills. I've blogged for several years, but writing about life as an ex-pat came easy, albeit somewhat low-key; publicising my as yet unpublished work requires a very different mind-set.

Apart from the obvious educational benefits, Anita's course provided an enjoyable opportunity to network with fellow authors, make new friends, and eat cake. 

And finally, the two vital lessons I learned. First, it is perfectly ok to Tweet pictures of my cat; cats don't just bring comfort, they can bring connections. And secondly, in today’s literary market it’s no longer the importance of being earnest that counts, but the importance of using that hashtag.

When Life Gets In The Way

Right now, life is definitely getting in the way of my art – there’s just too much nitty gritty stuff going on to focus on penning the next best seller. It’s just as well book one has been set aside as something to come back to later, and book two, my WIP, is currently out with a friend-of-a-friend for critique. The natural impasse has been filled not with fresh ideas for the new cast of characters currently taking shape in my head (I'm a pantser not a plotter so the characters always come first) but by a daughter with a broken foot and a frantic life-laundry style clearance of the family home ready to receive an apartment’s worth of furniture and household belongings back from overseas.

 I’ve moved house more times than I care to remember over the last decade; to be brutal; eight house moves in as many years. So I should be a pro. When I’m in charge, it’s relatively simple. I pack, I label a box, it’s methodical and logical. With an international work sponsored re-location, such as our official return from the Netherlands which finally took place last week, an agency is put in charge.

I know from past experience that international packers are extra vigilant and over enthusiastic, but not necessarily logical.  Nothing escapes their grasp - we arrived in the Netherlands complete with the copy of the local council bin collection rota I'd stuck inside a kitchen cupboard for the tenants who were moving into our old house. And although I am very grateful for the care taken over my belongings, Tupperware is pretty sturdy.  I’ve wrapped pass-the-parcel presents for parties of twenty excited pre-schoolers in less layers.

Why wouldn't you pack the shelves from the kitchen dresser in with the bed? Lost a flower pot? Look in the linen basket, where else? Unpacking when you haven’t packed is like Christmas Day but nowhere near as exciting. Oh look, a cheese-grater, just what I always wanted. Actually, I already have one, which of  course leads to the dilemma of which cheese-grater to keep and which to let go. Maintaining the equivalent of two households over the last eight years has resulted in a great deal of duplication.

Ignoring the lack of cupboard space, I’ve only got a four ring hob. Even with my faltering mathematical skills I know that the maximum number of pans I can use at any one time is four. So I don’t really need fourteen. Likewise I only have three beds. Six duvets and twelve covers does seem somewhat excessive. I’m actually writing this post as I wait for the local charity shop to open.

I know I don't have to sort it all out now but I'm becoming impatient. When those new characters start shouting out their stories I don't want their voices swamped under a blanket of unwanted bedding. I'll need to get back to work, and a 'pan-demic' of cooking utensils won't aid the creative process at all.

Back in the Book Corner

I’ve been a big fan of Joanne Harris for some time; she’s another one of those authors who bring on a bout of wistful writer’s envy. If only I could write like that….

When I’ve moved across continents my Joanne Harris collection of well-thumbed paperbacks has travelled with me, like old friends.  If I'm honest, I do prefer her earlier books to the more recent works with their sinister undertones, but that may be just because I am so familiar with the locations, characters and stories, or simply I’m an old romantic at heart.

Chocolate is one of my favourite books of all time. I heard Joanne speak at the Winchester Writers Conference several years ago and her tale of persistence in getting Chocolate published was inspirational. She stuck to her guns and wrote the book she wanted. As for the film, the least said about that the better. Despite a cast of Judi Dench, Juliette Binoche, Johnny Depp and Alfred Molina, Hollywood didn’t do it justice.

I came across Different Class while on library duty – I’m going to have to give up volunteering soon because my reading pile is now reaching Mount Everest proportions.

Travelling with hand-baggage only over the last few years I’ve tended to read from my Kindle as opposed to buying physical books, and have used my time to investigate the competitive field of commercial women’s fiction, regularly downloading 99p offers in order to suss out the market. But now I have an entire library of hardbacks and paperbacks at my disposal, I can get stuck into the meatier stuff, and I’m making the most of the opportunity.

They do say the more you read the better writer you become, so that's encouraging, but right now, my writing has definitely taken a back seat while I catch up on some heavyweight reading.

Different Class is another story about the goings on at St Oswalds, the private boys’ school which featured in Players and Gentlemen (which I am now going to have to go back and re-read). The plot twists and turns between events of the past and present.  As always Joanne paints her characters with the perfect blend of black humour, menace and mystery. A proper page turner.

What more can I say other than I’m jealous.

500 Words

I’m not totally convinced hopping on the social media bandwagon is a good thing. Apart from the fact that I am by nature a reserved, private person who hates talking about herself – hardly a recipe for a prolific on-line presence – I’m now overwhelmed by a daily barrage of book reviews, success stories and literary advice.  

There is a lot to be said for peer pressure; I feel inadequate; I can’t keep up. I don’t do all the things a ‘proper’ writer should.

Write every day – this little gem of advice pops up on a regular basis. Of course I want to write 500 words every day, but sometimes real life gets in the way. I know it’s a lame excuse - I should make time; why not scribble away when sat on the loo? Why waste my life watching Pointless when I could be penning best sellers. I only have myself to blame.  Unfortunately, I’m one of those people who can only write when the spirit moves them. I also need an empty house, silence, and a frenzy of creative inspiration – none of which has recently been very forthcoming.

Be true to yourself –  another little gem currently getting me nowhere. Every writer has their own style; writing gurus always urge you to find your voice and stick to it. But what if that voice isn’t quite ‘commercial’ enough? Do I change? I know people like my style. I’ve won competitions writing in ‘my style’ so it must be good, yes? I recently turned down a publishing contract - it was nothing to do with money, I am definitely not holding out for big bucks, it was more about the binding longevity. Commitment-phobe? Quite possibly.  I’m a Virgo. I want everything to be perfect. Was I being too picky? Surely I could adjust my style to fit the format of that particular publishing house? The publisher obviously thought I could. But then my novels wouldn’t be the novels I’d written, I'd be losing control, I'd be losing my voice....

Everybody gets rejections – do they? Not according to my Twitter feed they don’t. It’s just one book launch after another. It’s hardly a morale booster, especially after my recent endeavours. I’d hate to be a teenager today.  At least I’m of the age where my phone isn’t permanently attached to my hand. I can switch it off. I can go for a day (or maybe even two) without touching base with social media to see who’s doing the equivalent of partying in Ibiza while I’m sat at home with tea and biscuits.

No! What am I doing? Sat at home drinking tea and eating biscuits? Off the sofa and onto the keyboard. Time to write those 500 words.

See! It works. I’ve just done them.

My kind of sofa - built out of books at the Keukenhof Gardens, The Netherlands

The Book Corner

I thought I would make a regular feature talking about some of my favourite books.

I volunteer at my local community library. I know there’s a bit of a fuss about community libraries. The argument is of course that shouldn’t all libraries be funded by the government as an essential service, and if volunteers step in to prevent local facilities like libraries being closed, then it only encourages the powers that be to think they can get away with more cuts.  What next, a community GP surgery? Rest assured I wouldn’t be volunteering at that…

Anyway, back to the library, the downside of which is discovering all those books I want to read as I tidy the shelves.

This is my current favourite – Life After Life by Kate Atkinson. I read A God In Ruins last year and really enjoyed it so when I saw this on the shelf, I grabbed it. If only I could write like Kate…..

Life After Life tells the story, or several stories in fact, of Ursula Todd. It’s a clever and unique concept (why didn’t I think of that?) answering all those what if’s; Ursula dies at birth, but what if she didn’t? What if she fell off the roof when she was 8, but then what if she didn’t? How different would her life have been? I find it hard enough to keep one plot and timeline consistent, yet Kate cleverly weaves one ‘life’ into another, locking all the different story threads and characters together. It’s funny, it’s sad, and definitely has that un-put-downable quality, which is how I judge a book. Five stars from me.

And talking of five stars, one thing I have learned since I joined this whole writing malarkey is never to judge a book by its Amazon reviews! Is it just me or does anyone else ever get that feeling you're reading a totally different book to the one everyone else has given a glowing review to?!

The New Page

Welcome to my new blog. After spending the majority of the last eight years living abroad, the time has come to settle back in the UK and begin a new chapter.

When you live overseas it’s very easy to fill a blog with posts about the peculiarities and peccadilloes of your adopted country, especially when still suffering culture shock and huge bouts of homesickness. After a while the bizarre becomes the norm. When we returned to the UK after 3 years in California I took great delight in the simple things such as being able to peg my washing outside to dry (because nobody airs their undies in LA); returning from the Netherlands and I’m just grateful for a dry day.

We've promised ourselves we will live our life here on the south coast of England as we lived it on those overseas assignments - making the most of our free time to explore. So far this has extended no further than a half day out in the New Forest and a blustery boat trip around Portsmouth Harbour, but it's early days.

However, the main purpose of this blog is to raise my social profile, and to let potential readers know more about me. The time has come to embrace the new age of self-promotion. I want my novels to be published, therefore I need a social platform. Every agent/publisher these days checks you out on social media.  In addition, I’m currently weighing up the pros and cons of self-publishing, in which case a prolific public profile is essential.

Self-promotion doesn’t sit easy with me, nor does talking to strangers. I’m a reluctant tweeter, and yet, from tweeting about very little, I’ve accumulated a following already in triple figures, which baffles me (although in the whole scheme of things I appreciate triple figures is nothing). However, ignoring the handful of US armed services personnel stationed in the wilderness, the majority of these new virtual acquaintances are other writers/book people, which can only be a good thing. The downside is now that I have followers, I have to give them something to follow.

I will hopefully find plenty of interesting topics to blog about, plus of course, there will be a regular ‘book corner’ when I’ll talk about what I’m currently reading, updates about my own writing, and hopefully some guest posts.

A few pics of the New Forest plus some of the locals