Interview - Sheila by Jim Palmer, editor, published in Writer's Muse Issue 57, October 2010
When did the writing bug first bite?
At primary school. I loved writing stories. After I had my first child, I started writing children’s books, but had no success being published and gave up writing. I was in my forties before I started writing again. I saw a Creative Writing course advertised – run by Jim – and never looked back.
How do you keep track of your writing / output?
In a ring-binder. I keep a printout of each short story in a plastic insert, with a list of places and dates sent. Behind each, I keep my rejections and acceptances. Novels are treated roughly the same, but without the printout.
How do you find the magazines you submit to / have been published in?
I originally used Writers and Artists Yearbook, then I heard of and used Lights List. Now I make a note of where other authors have been published, and also find openings in Mslexia, a magazine ‘for women who write’. As their listings for submissions, competitions, courses and literary events are almost all open to both sexes, even male readers may like to look at their website – www.mslexia.co.uk.
What excites you about writing – what keeps you interested?
When I get an idea for a story or character, it’s in the background niggling at me until I get something down on the computer. Writing my first novel gave me a tremendous sense of self-worth and joy, and I’d like to repeat that feeling. Also I keep getting asked how the next book is coming along…
-and what makes your heart sink?
I have to work full-time because I need the money, although I’d rather be writing. My heart sinks at the realisation that I don’t put aside enough time for writing.
Favourite writers and why?
One of the reasons I don’t make enough time to write is that I read a great deal. I belong to a book group and we read a different genre every month and are always swapping books too. My excuse is that it’s said that you need to read a lot to recognise (and hopefully write) good writing.
I enjoy Audrey Niffenegger for her invention, Colin Bateman for his witty crime novels and Catherine O’Flynn for her freshness. Books I’ve enjoyed recently – ‘The Outcast’ by Sadie Jones and ‘The Sweetness at the Bottom of the Pie’ by Alan Bradley – one a ‘literary’ book and the other a ‘good read’ crime novel.
Short story versus novel / novella?
I started writing short stories and enjoyed the fact that I could think of an idea, write it, edit it and send it out, but it is hard to make an impact whilst still portraying characters and unravelling a story. I think novels suit my style better - I love writing dialogue and expanding on a character. It took me a while to be brave enough to attempt to write the number of words needed for a novel. Once you get going it’s not so bad, but at the beginning it’s really daunting. I find that checking the wordcount at the end of each writing session is a constant source of encouragement.
Any advice for new writers?
If you are hoping to be published, only ask someone to read your work if you are sure they care about your writing success, and don’t just want to make you happy. Ideally you need someone who will tell you honestly what could make your work better, or what’s the best/worst thing about it, so you can play to your strengths/avoid your weaknesses. A writing course is a good idea for that reason, even if you already feel you can write.
Where / how do you get your ideas?
Youth brings freshness and innovation but as time passes, you have met more people, been to more places, done more things and experienced more emotional events. I draw on my own experiences but also on current events, things I hear in the workplace and tales related by family and friends.
How can people find out more about you, your work and / or your website?
My website address is www.bredburybooks.co.uk, and I am also happy to respond to emails sent to the website’s email address: postmaster@bredburybooks.co.uk.
Plans for the future?
I’ve got 13,000 words in the computer as a start on my next Rachel Hodges novel – tentatively entitled ‘Black Velvet’. I’ve also got the first page written of another novel that is developing in my head, which keeps threatening to push itself to centre stage, but then I think of how long it will take me to get to the same 10,000 word stage, and so I procrastinate instead of writing! I’ve booked a week in November in a cottage on the Yorkshire coast near
.