Tag: Life of a writer

A Life in a Day of a Writer: Author Kate Field @katehaswords shares a typical writing day #writing #books #reading

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Today it’s the turn of author Kate Field to give us a glimpse into her varied days as a writer. Kate writes wonderful contemporary women’s fiction. Her latest book is A Dozen Second Chances and you can find out more about it below. But first over to Kate to tell you about her writing life.

 Kate Field’s Writing Life in a Day

I love reading blogs about how other authors work, but admit that I’m often struck with a pang of envy over those brilliant writers who knock out several thousand words in one go – and that’s before breakfast. How on earth do they do it?

My writing days are very different. I don’t even have a typical day. I work part time in an office job, and rarely have the mental energy to write on those days. On my so-called ‘days off’, the hours whizz by in domestic activities, and, until recently, a 3 hour school run. Writing has to fit round real life in whatever spare hours I have. Sometimes I manage a few pages, sometimes a few lines. It all counts, and I don’t beat myself up if I have an unproductive day.

I don’t need much to be able to write: my only requirements are a pen (currently a Cross ballpoint pen given to me by a friend), an A4 notebook (I stockpile in the Paperchase sale) and peace and quiet. This last requirement has been hard to come by over the recent months of lockdown! My favourite place to write is the kitchen, as it’s bright and warm, and the hum of the fridge provides just the right pitch of background noise without being intrusive, but now the peace has been shattered by the sound of Zoom meetings echoing round the house and the constant boiling of the kettle. I haven’t had the house to myself since lockdown started, and I’ve found it hard to write at all.

I didn’t realise before I was published that there’s so much more to being a writer than putting words down on the page. On any particular day I might have to write a blog post, arrange a blog tour to promote a new book, design a graphic to use on social media, and keep my Twitter and Facebook profiles up to date. Multi-tasking is an essential skill. It’s quite normal to find that you’re writing one book, editing another and promoting a third, all at the same time. It can get very confusing!

The working day never ends for most writers; you can’t switch off the lights and close the door on your imagination. There are no weekends or holidays: I remember having to stop during a Swiss mountain hike a few years ago because I thought of the perfect words for Ethan’s declaration of love in The Man I Fell in Love With and had to write it down before I forgot. I love reading, but it’s hard to read a book without mentally dissecting the author’s skill in keeping the pages turning and playing with my emotions. I can’t watch television without being distracted by an interesting face that might inspire a character, a useful name in the credits, or by the thought, ‘what if X,Y and Z happened instead?’. Characters and conversations constantly run through my head, and they won’t go away!

In my most recent book, A Dozen Second Chances, I wrote the story of Eve, who takes the opportunity to change her life when her daughter leaves home. It’s a subject close to my heart, as I’ll have an empty nest soon too, and many more hours of my day to fill. Perhaps I can take the opportunity to change my writing life, and at last become one of those authors who write thousands of words before breakfast…

Anne: Thank you to Kate for this fascinating insight into the non-typical days of her writing life. You can read more about her and her latest book below.

A Dozen Second Chances

From the back cover:

What are the chances that twelve little tokens could change a life?

Seventeen years ago, Eve Roberts had the wonderful life she’d always dreamed of: a degree in archaeology, a gorgeous boyfriend, and exciting plans to travel the world with him, working on digs. But when her sister Faye died, the life Eve knew ended too. Faye’s daughter Caitlyn came to live with Eve, her boyfriend left, and she quickly gave up on her dreams.

Now approaching her fortieth birthday, Eve faces the prospect of an empty nest as Caitlyn is leaving home. Caitlyn gives Eve a set of twelve ‘Be Kind to Yourself’ vouchers, telling her that she has to start living for herself again, and that she should fill one in every time she does something to treat herself.

With her very first voucher, Eve’s life will change its course. But with eleven more vouchers to go, can Eve learn to put herself first and follow the dreams she’s kept secret for so long? Because life is for living – and as she well knows, it’s too short to waste even a moment…

Buy link: you can buy A Dozen Second Chances HERE

About Kate:

 Kate writes contemporary women’s fiction, mainly set in her favourite county of Lancashire,

where she lives with her husband, daughter and mischievous cat.

She is a member of the Romantic Novelists’ Association.

Kate’s debut novel, The Magic of Ramblings, won the RNA’s Joan Hessayon Award for new writers.

Kate’s social media links:

Twitter: @katehaswords

Facebook:  Kate Field Author

A Life in a Day of a Writer: Author Darlene Foster @supermegawoman shares a typical writing day #writing #books #reading

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Today it’s the turn of author Darlene Foster to give us a glimpse into the unpredictable and variety-filled days that make up her life as a writer. Darlene writes enthralling children’s adventure fiction. She also writes short stories and a wonderful blog with lots of posts and photos about her travels.

Her latest book is Amanda in Holland – Missing in Action and you can read more about it and how to preorder a copy at the end of this post. In the meantime you could get any of the earlier Amanda books for the upper primary/middle graders in your life. So, over to Darlene.

 Darlene Foster’s Writing Life in a Day

I will start by saying there is no such thing as a typical day in my life anymore. I worked for 48 years and my life was very structured. During the latter part of my working life, I decided to follow my dream of becoming a writer and made a vow to write for two hours a day, no matter what. And I did, usually in the evening after dinner while others watched TV. As a result, I wrote and published four books and several short stories.

Now I’m retired and live for the most part in sunny Spain. I seem to have rebelled against structure in my day, so I write whenever I find some time. I no longer write every day either, although I write most days. In the past five years since I retired, I have written four more books. So much for structure!

So here is a sort of typical day. I wake up at 7:30 and take my dog for a walk, which is a great way to start the day. While she is busy playing in the park with her doggie friends, chasing squirrels and trying to climb trees, I often think about the next chapter in my WIP or a short story, blog or travel article I’m working on. Hubby goes for coffee with his buddies and takes the dog along, while I have breakfast, throw in a load of wash and check emails and social media.

When they come home, we all go to the beach so the dog can have a run. Later we stop for a coffee at a beach café, where we meet interesting people from all over the world and where I get ideas for my stories, characters, names, sayings etc. It’s all part of my research.

I work on the computer in the afternoon which includes writing, blogging, marketing, researching, social media and answering emails, taking a break for a cold drink or an ice cream and reading on the terrace. In the hot summer months, I usually go for a dip in the pool to cool off, taking a book and a note pad along. I get good ideas at the pool, especially if there are kids there. Last summer I met the father of a child who told me he had a very real fish phobia. A what?? I had to give that to one of my characters in the Amanda in Malta book. Going to the pool is also part of my research. I sometimes sell books at the pool so it is also part of marketing.

Dinner is on our terrace overlooking an abandoned lemon and orange grove. We take the dog for her evening walk together. (Our day is planned around the dog as you can see.) I might watch TV with hubby, notepad near as I get ideas from TV shows too. Then I work on the computer for an hour or two as that is when my family and friends in Canada are awake and we connect on Skype, Facebook and Zoom. It’s also when I connect with my publisher in Canada as we discuss my next book, do editing, marketing and create covers.

This is a sort of typical day, but other days I meet with writers where we critique each other’s work and share ideas. I belong to three such groups in Spain and one in Canada, which we meet digitally. Other days we may go for a drive in the country and visit Spanish villages, castles or churches full of history and stories. And of course we travel to other countries where I collect ideas for future stories, when we are not experiencing a world-wide pandemic.

Am I happy? You bet I am! Not having to follow a strict schedule, (other than the dog’s), not having to rush to work, meetings and other obligations is wonderful. Will I retire from writing? Never. Why would I? What would I do if I stopped writing?

I shudder at the thought.

Anne: Thank you to Darlene for this fascinating insight into her writing life. I agree – I can’t imagine my life without writing. You can read more about Darlene and her latest book below.

About Darlene

Darlene Foster is a Canadian author who has written the popular Amanda Travels series, featuring a spunky twelve-year-old who loves to travel to unique places where she encounters mystery and adventure while learning about another culture. Readers of all ages enjoy travelling with Amanda as she unravels one mystery after another in various countries. Darlene has won prizes for her short stories and a number of them have been published in anthologies. She has also written a bi-lingual book for English/Spanish readers.

Darlene grew up on a ranch near Medicine Hat, Alberta, where her love of reading inspired her to travel the world and write stories. Over the years she held wonderful jobs such as an employment counsellor, ESL teacher, recruiter, and retail manager, and wrote whenever she had a few spare minutes. She is now retired and has a home in Spain where she writes full time. When not travelling, meeting interesting people, and collecting ideas for her books, she likes to spend time with her husband and entertaining dog, Dot.

Her books include: Amanda in Arabia: The Perfume Flask, Amanda in Spain: The Girl in The Painting, Amanda in England: The Missing Novel, Amanda in Alberta: The Writing on the Stone, Amanda on The Danube: The Sounds of Music, Amanda in New Mexico: Ghosts in the Wind, and Amanda in Holland: Missing in Action. Amanda in Malta: The Sleeping Lady will be released in the spring of 2021.

 Amanda in Holland-Missing in Action is Darlene’s latest book in the Amanda Travels series

From the back cover:

Alongside her best friend Leah, Amanda is in Holland to see all the sights: tulips, canals, Anne Frank House, windmills, and even a wooden shoe factory. She is also keen to find out what happened to her great uncle, who never returned from World War II. What she doesn’t expect is to find and fall in love with an abandoned puppy named Joey. While trying to find a home for him, she meets Jan, a Dutch boy who offers to help, a suspicious gardener, a strange woman on a bicycle, and an overprotective goose named Gerald. Follow intrepid traveler Amanda around Holland as she encounters danger and intrigue while trying to solve another mystery in a foreign country. 

Buy links

Amazon Canada here

Amazon UK here 

Amazon US here 

Barnes and Noble here

Waterstones here

Chapters/Indigo here

 

You can connect with Darlene on social media at the links below:

Facebook
Twitter
Pinterest
Instagram
LinkedIn
Goodreads

A Life in a Day of a Writer: Author Olga Wojtas @OlgaWojtas shares a typical writing day #writing #books #reading

writeanne12 Comments
Photo by Antonia Reeve

Today it’s the turn of author Olga Wojtas to give us a glimpse into her life as a writer. Olga writes highly entertaining, clever and witty fiction.

Her latest book is Miss Blaine’s Prefect and the Vampire Menace and you can read more about it and how to get a copy at the end of this post. So, over to Olga.

Olga Wojtas’s Writing Life in a Day

For years, I’ve gone to author events to discover the secret formula for a successful writing routine. And I’ve discovered there is no one-size-fits-all. We have different pressures and different commitments: whatever works for you is right, and don’t try to follow what other people do if it doesn’t suit you.

Anthony Trollope used to write from 5am till 8am before going to work as surveyor-general of the Post Office (where he invented the pillar box). Stephen King says you have to read and write for four to six hours every day (I’m guessing he has help with cooking, cleaning, shopping, childcare, etc). Ian McEwan says it’s a good day if he’s written several hundred words (which suggests he’s making reasonable money).

I first started writing seriously when I was working full time as a journalist. I joined an Edinburgh University evening class on short stories. We had to write a story a week as homework. I had a forty-five minute walk to and from the office and found myself making up the stories en route. I would try out bits of dialogue aloud, which led to other pedestrians giving me a very wide berth. And when I got home, I would work on developing what had been in my head, which could take me well into the night.

Now freelance, I’m spending much more time on my own writing, and have published two novels under my own name, as well as a series of cosy crime e-novellas under the name Helena Marchmont.  But my working pattern has been set. I can develop ideas on my laptop, but to get those ideas in the first place, I have to walk. The surroundings don’t matter, so I generally plod round the Edinburgh streets near my flat. I’ve occasionally gone up a hill on the basis that it’s good for me, but I’m back home before I realise I never looked at the view. And yes, I still talk to myself, and sometimes I cackle, and other pedestrians still give me a very wide berth.

I can walk at any time, but my laptop biorhythms only kick in late at night. I’m at my most productive after 11pm, often writing until around 4am, and when I’m on a deadline, I invariably end up pulling an all-nighter. Sadly, I never seem to get the chance to sleep until lunchtime – even under lockdown, there are things to do, people to see (either socially distanced or on Zoom) and I’m permanently sleep-deprived. I have a slight lower back problem which isn’t helped by sitting for lengthy periods, so I’ve invested in a standing desk (a fifty quid flat-pack, and hours of trauma as my husband and I struggled to put it together). At the beginning of a project, it looks great, with just the laptop on it. By the end, I can barely see the laptop for books, notebooks, scraps of paper with indecipherable scribbles, a coffee mug, and the occasional chocolate wrapper (I tend to need an energy boost around 2am).

I still write short stories, and during my walks, I’ll work out the shape that I want, the dialogue, that crucial first sentence, and that even more crucial last sentence. Sometimes by the time I get to the laptop, I’m effectively transcribing a complete story. But that’s impossible with a novella or novel, since my brain can’t cope with more than about two thousand words. So while I walk, I focus on a particular scene, and think that through. In my first novel, “Miss Blaine’s Prefect and the Golden Samovar,” I began with three key scenes. I wrote them all separately, and didn’t even know what order they would appear in. They sparked off ideas for other scenes; gradually I began to work out a logical order, and then the task was to join them all up.

And that’s the way I still work, in bite-sized chunks. The main problem I’ve found post-C19 is remembering that my characters aren’t in lockdown and are allowed to shake hands and even hug. I keep thinking they shouldn’t be doing that, and they definitely shouldn’t be going into pubs.

Weird though my working practice is, I’ve found it impossible to change. And I can’t imagine not writing. For as long as I’m able to toddle round the block, I hope the ideas will keep coming, and I’ll keep tapping away at the laptop in the middle of the night.

Anne: Thank you to Olga for this fascinating insight into her rather unusual writing life. You can read more about her and her latest book below.

Miss Blaine’s Prefect and the Vampire Menace

From the back cover:

The intrepid librarian Shona McMonagle, erstwhile Marcia Blaine Academy prefect and an accomplished linguist and martial artist, finds herself in an isolated French mountain village, Sans-Soleil, which has no sunlight because of its topography. It’s reeling from a spate of unexplained deaths, and Shona has once again travelled back in time to help out.

Forging an uneasy alliance with newly widowed Madeleine, Shona is soon drawn into a full-blown vampire hunt, involving several notable villagers, the world-renowned soprano Mary Garden – and even Count Dracula himself. Will Shona solve the mystery, secure justice for the murder victims and make it through a deathly denouement in the hall of mirrors to return to present-day Morningside Library?

Miss Blaine’s Prefect and the Vampire Menace is available through all good bookshops; via Amazon and Kobo; and direct from the publisher Saraband here

About Olga:

Olga Wojtas is half-Scottish and half-Polish. A journalist, she has spent most of her life in Edinburgh, where she was born and brought up, but has also lived and worked in Aberdeen, Grenoble, Newcastle and Washington DC. She went to James Gillespie’s High School – the model for Marcia Blaine School for Girls, which appears in Muriel Spark’s The Prime of Miss Jean Brodie. This inspired Olga’s first novel, Miss Blaine’s Prefect and the Golden Samovar, written thanks to a Scottish Book Trust New Writers Award, and published by Contraband. It was short-listed for the CrimeFest Last Laugh award and longlisted for the inaugural Comedy Women in Print award. Her second novel, Miss Blaine’s Prefect and the Vampire Menace, published in February this year, was also longlisted for the CWIP award. Olga writes the Bunburry series of e-novellas, published by Bastei-Luebbe, under the name Helena Marchmont – Helena is her middle name, and she grew up in Marchmont Road in Edinburgh.

You can follow Olga on Twitter here @OlgaWojtas

and Facebook here @olgawojtaswriter