What kind of books do you write?
I adore history and simply love writing about the past, and trying to imagine what it must have been like to have been alive in the period I'm writing about. Maybe one day I'll write a contemporary story, but so far my books have always been inspired by something historical.
Do you research your books?
Yes! It's important to get your facts right, whatever sort of story you're writing. Fortunately, I love research which is just as well as I have to do a lot of it – I read as much as I can about the period and try to get all the little details right. If I can I will go to the place where my characters live and try and follow in their footsteps as far as possible.
Do you write a synopsis before you begin?
Yes, it's useful, but it's just a guide. I soon find myself wandering away from it. If you try to stick too rigidly to a synopsis your story risks becoming lifeless. It needs to be able to 'breathe.'
Do you write lots of drafts?
Sometimes. I learnt early on that a lot of hard work goes into writing a good story. It was when a great-aunt came to stay. She was a journalist and novelist and she asked to see something I'd written. To try and impress her, I said, I'll go and write you a story now. No! she said sternly. I'd like to see something you've worked on. It was a timely lesson!
The first draft I send to my editor is never my first draft. When I've finished my first draft I put it aside for a time. Then when I go back to it I can see much more clearly what I need to do to improve it. Reading what I've written aloud I also find very helpful.
Do you ever get stuck?
Yes! I often sit down and stare at my computer screen, my mind a blank. When that happens if I can I will go out for a walk. It's amazing how ideas pop into my head when I'm away from the computer. Or I will force myself to write something, anything. It may be rubbish but it will often get better.
Do you listen to music when you're writing?
Often. But it has to be the right piece. When I was writing Mill Girl there were two pieces of music which, as soon as I heard them, took me straight into the period and place I was writing about.
What's your favourite book among those you've written?
It's probably the one I'm working on. I loved Mill Girl and writing Langdown Manor was a lot of fun.
Who were your favourite authors when you were a child?
Rosemary Sutcliff, Geoffrey Trease and C. S. Lewis. The head of a children's publishing house once said to me after we'd had a long chat about history: 'Be Rosemary Sutcliff!' If only I could!
What advice would you give an aspiring writer?
Read lots. Sit down and write. Try and get into the habit of writing regularly. And keep at it. Writing's a craft - the more you work at it, the better you will get. And write about what interests and excites you. If you don't enjoy what you're writing, your readers won't either.
Are you working on a book now?
Yes, I am.
Can you say what it's about?
No! It's a secret. |