I'd Like To Draw Your Attention To

Firstly, Madras Press.

I mentioned them here a little while ago and I love what they're doing. I love that (like the wonderful Roast Books) they make sure their books are as good on the outside as they are on the inside. I like that they donate some of  their proceeds to charity. And I like how they embrace the shorter form.

They're based in the US, but that didn't stop them getting Aimee Bender's, The Third Elevator to me in a couple of days. And they even hand wrote my name inside. Lovely.

And what a delightful short story it is too. As is usually the case with Aimee Bender's work, it's different, it's imaginative, it has oodles of heart and charm and humour. And it's moving. There's a reason why she's my favourite writer - and she makes it, the writing and telling of damn near perfect stories, seem effortless.

***

Secondly...

Anyone have any idea what this could be, over on Scott Pack's blog? It has me flummoxed.

Blogger Award

Well now, that was nice. The lovely Dolly has given me a Creative Writer Blogger Award. Thank you very much Dolly.

And now I have to list six fibs and one truth. Feel free to guess which is which.

1. I can't stand onions.
2. I have read a lot of Dickens.
3. I once wrote a story about a character called Dolly.
4. The weather's looking better up here today.
5. My handwriting is very, very neat.
6. I am good at being patient.
7. I am almost always smiling.


I'll not nominate anyone (there are SO many brilliant blogs that I read) but I'd love to see the results if anyone decides to have a go.

Baroque and Roll

Nothing to do with writing I'm afraid. Just something that's interested me that I thought I'd share.

I'm partial to a bit of Baroque music every so often, and while searching on youtube for what I've been listening to of late (Fux, Handel and Gallo mostly) I happened upon this.

And, I tell you, if I was every going to learn another instrument it would sooooo be the Viola D'amore. And that's not just because it has such a brilliant name.

Must confess, I also rather fancy a go on that great big banjo (a theorbo, apparently).

More on That Book About Publishing For the Kindle

What book would that be, you might ask?

This one, I would tell you.

It's not out for a little while yet but if you're interested in publishing for the Kindle or even just how the whole thing works I'd recommend getting a copy. It is thorough and informative and explains (in a way that even I understood) just about every aspect of electronic publishing you could think of.

And I've contributed to it.

And so have other good writers.

And so has John August. Yes, I'm in a book with John August. The chap who wrote the screenplays for Big Fish (one of my all time faves - see below), The Corpse Bride (another), Charlie and the Chocolate Factory. And others.

Didn't expect that, I can tell you!

***

And I've just (while I was having my hair cut) been thinking about writing and how much fun it should be. Because we all know how much bloody hard work it is. But it should be fun. We should enjoy it.

And I ended up comparing it to football. It's fun to kick a ball about with your mates in a park, and it's fun to write. But writing for publication (without meaning to sound like a big head) is more like playing professionally, I think.

Any thoughts?

More Short Story Advice

There's a pretty fantastic post up at the wonderful Nicola Morgan's blog (read me interviewing her here) about short stories. I'm in it. So is Sally Zigmond. And Vanessa Gebbie. Click here to read (and yes, I did feel like the odd one out - in a nice way; that was very lovely company to be in).

Congratulations

Congratulations to all of those on the Sunday Times Short Story Award long-list.

Kindle/ eReader Thoughts

I was asked by Cynthia Reeser, a little while ago, if I'd like to contribute to a book she's writing on how to publish for the Kindle. Of course I said yes, and I wrote a little something about what I thought about eBooks and, mostly, what I thought the publishers and manufacturers need to do to make the whole thing work.

I received the PDF of the whole book last week and decided to read it on my iPhone (getting into the spirit and all that - plus - it's a 150 page ms and I didn't want to carry it around with me).

Now, the book aside (which is EXCELLENT and I'm thrilled to be in it) it was a disappointing experience, and one that's reaffirmed my doubts about the iPad as an electronic reader.

My main problems were:

The screen.

People developed E-ink for a reason. Reading anything of any length on a backlit screen is a chore and it's painful.

Usability. The iPhone is intuitive and clever. It's excellent for web browsing and for emailing and whatnot. 

What it isn't good at (and to be fair, it wasn't designed as such) is being anything like a notebook. I thank all that's holy (and you all so know I don't go in for any of that malarkey) that I was able to find the GoodReader app - because it's the only one I did find that didn't take me back to the beginning of the ms every time I came out of it (to email, to use the phone etc).

Two little problems that made a really big difference. And, as I said earlier (and even earlier here) makes me really wonder how useful the iPad will be as something to read books on. If I was going to get one (an eReader) it would HAVE to have E-ink.

That's it for now. I'll talk about the book at some point soon.

Busy, Busy

It's been a busy week (or three) and to be honest I'm surprised I've found as much time to blog as I have. There's lots to tell you about, and tell you I will soon.

In the meantime. A couple of links.

The fab folk over at Flash Fiction Chronicles have reprinted my short story writing tips.

I love what Roast Books have in their fridge.

A reminder that the ever-lovely Kate Long is interviewed at Sally Quillford's blog - and there's a fab competition running with it.

I've been really enjoying Kelly Railton's blog of late - a splendid new addition to the blogosphere.

Err, and that's it. For now.

There will be more soon.

This is worth a look

The brill Sally Quillford interviews the utterly lovely Kate Long about her new book, A Mother's Guide to Cheating. You can read it here. And there's a rather fabulous competition with a signed copy as the prize. Go on, have a look.

Beautiful

Firstly...

This came in the post today. It is very beautiful. And someone from the publishers has written my name on the inside so it's clear who the copy belongs to. And while I'm talking about the publishers (Madras Press), you might want to check them out; individually bound short stories and novellas; proceeds going to author nominated charities, exceptionally beautiful books. Aimee Bender...

I should also say that I was alerted to the existence of the book by the wonderful Short Review.

, Th

***

Secondly.

I was reminded recently how much I liked the movie, Big Fish, and last night I sat down and watched bits of it (it was late so I didn't have time to watch it the whole way through).

I love it. Definitely. And I wonder just how much of an influence it's been on my writing - without me even noticing. Wonderful film. If you've not seen it - do.

This might be one of my favourite scenes from it. I love the imagery. And I think I secretly might want my life to be like that.

What I Have Been Doing

First up, a huge, huge thank you from me to each and every lovely person who's congratulated me on the short, short story collection news. I've received far more, emails, facebook comments, comments here, text messages, tweets and phone calls than I could have expected, and each one meant an awful lot.

Thank you.

***

This week's been mostly an editing week. I've been proofing a thing I've written for a thing (more details soon) and also reading through a thing I might be writing something about. Again, more details to follow.

And I've also been writing (I'm half way though) something for Flash Fiction Chronicles.

So I'm busy. And that's good.

***

And I'll tell you what else is good...

I've been trying to get hold of a very, very good friend this week to wish him a happy birthday. I managed it today only to discover I was two weeks early (not like me at all!). I also discovered he's getting married. So, I'd like to wish M and G huge congratulations and all the happiness in the world - you deserve it. Hurrah and hooray.

***

And lastly...

After Caroline (who's also had some wonderful eBook news) and Kelly reminded me how much I love Worzel Gummidge, here's a little ditty which may stick in your head for a long, long time.






(And if you're so inclined, you can watch the episode where Worzel gets a Handsome Head here. It is hilarious.)

My New Book

I am utterly thrilled, delighted and incredibly proud to be able to tell you that my collection of short, short stories will be published by the fabulous Roast Books in the summer.

More details, including title and release date to follow.

But for now let me just say that I couldn't be happier to be with the people who brought out two of my favourite books from last year, L. Schick's, Lizard and A.C. Tillyer's An A-Z of Possible Worlds.

I am a very happy man.

And really, really bloody excited.

Inkspill Magazine Interview

I've known Sophie Playle through the blogosphere for a fair old while now (her blog's great and one that I read often), so, when she told me she was launching a quarterly magazine I couldn't not talk to her about it, could I? Of course not. So I did.

Hi Sophie, welcome to the blog. Lovely to have you here. So, you’re launching a new literary magazine, Inkspill. What can we expect? 

Thanks, Nik – great to be here.

Inkspill Magazine is not intended to be solely a lit mag. It’s going to be a host for all things creative. There’s going to be a lot of different material on show. In each issue I am aiming to include the best short stories, the most compelling poetry, an article or two (about anything in the creative industry), a debate (the first issue’s hot topic is about self-publishing), some artwork and photography, and other goodies. I’m open to suggestions for content, so please feel free to get in touch and pitch me something.

There will also be a few pages of readers' letters. I want the magazine to have a sense of community and interaction. I want to know your thoughts and ideas – not just about the magazine, but the creative world in general.

I want Inkspill Magazine to be a magnet for creativity. So what can you expect? What can you expect from creative minds? Even I can’t predict what might head this way.

The content’s going to be varied, with features and art alongside poems and short stories. Is there anything, or any theme, Inkspill will naturally lean towards? 

At the moment, I’m not looking out for any particular theme or style. As the magazine progresses, its identity may become clearer (to me and readers alike). I’m keeping an open mind at the moment. I don’t want to create any restrictions. Above all, I’m looking for quality.

Why did you decide to launch a magazine? 

It has been something I’ve been itching to do for a long time. I’ve been a reader, writer and critique of short fiction and poetry for years. I studied literature and creative writing to degree level, working with authors such as Giles Foden (The Last King of Scotland) and poets such as George Szirtes. My nose is always in a lit mag, or a book about writing, or a book about publishing... It really is my passion.

I did a unit on publishing at university. As my main project, I created my own magazine and got a high mark for it. It was hard work, but I enjoyed it and it gave me confidence that I could physically put a magazine together.

I now work in the publishing industry full time. However, I work for a company that makes educational books. It leaves me a little starved for creativity...

What formats can we expect it in?

I’ve always loved the tactile element of books and magazines - the feel of paper and the smell of ink. I enjoy the old-school portability of a magazine, folded into a handbag or stuck in a coat pocket, ready to be read on the train or in a coffee shop - as opposed to lugging around a laptop! So, naturally, Inkspill Magazine will be available in hardcopy.

If I’m honest, I haven’t quite finalised how I’m going to go about printing Inkspill Magazine. At the moment, it is a toss-up between finding a suitable local printer (and boy have I been looking!), using print-on-demand technology, or going really old school and buying my own laser printer and guillotine and printing it myself. I’m very tempted to do the latter – after all, the magazine is all about being creative – but I would worry about the quality and effort involved to print it this way. I have a couple of months before I have to decide.

The printed version of Inkspill Magazine will be A5 sized (this seems to be quite a popular format, according to my research). It will be stapled bound, and around 60-70 pages. The exterior will be in full colour, and the interior will be black and white.

The pages won’t simply be text-filled, like so many small press publications. I intend to give Inkspill Magazine a more creative design: a more tradition magazine-like layout.

I know that many people want to read magazines without having to pay for and wait for a printed version. Inkspill Magazine will also be available as a downloadable PDF, at a reduced price.

Where will it sit in the market?  

For the moment, it will sit in the swelling, overflowing market of fledgling literary magazines. It is going to be a struggle to pull Inkspill Magazine out of that pool. I know that the market for these kinds of magazines is hugely competitive.

However, I hope I’m providing something a bit different. Hopefully Inkspill Magazine will be able to make a name for itself. Hopefully lots of people will want to read it, as well as submit to it. (A lot of hoping!)

At the moment, Inkspill Magazine only pays in contributor copies (I’m very much of the philosophy that a writer should never have to pay to see his or her work in print). As you can understand, I’m running this on a very small budget. As soon as Inkspill Magazine starts to make a profit, I will pass those profits onto the contributors. At the moment, I’m relying on contributor’s sharing my vision of a quality, creative publication to make this work.

Do you think now’s a good time to be launching a magazine? 

No and yes. No because so many people are doing it at the moment. And why are people doing it? Because modern technology has made it easy. Which is why it is also a good time to be launching a magazine. The image of a snake eating its own tail comes to mind.

As I’ve mentioned before, I believe the key is to break free from the masses. Even if people are finding it easy to set upmagazines, it doesn’t mean those magazines are any good. If I can break away from the masses and create a quality publication, I think Inkspill Magazine will be on the way to success. Or at the very least, escape complete failure!

As editor, what are you looking for in submissions. How can we impress you? 

Submissions for Issue One have been open for a few weeks now. And I’ve been overwhelmed with responses. It has been very encouraging!

As mentioned, I’m not completely sure what exactly I’m looking for, other than quality, entertainment and creativity. But after reading so many submissions already, I can tell you what puts me off.

Short stories need to hook me right away. I’ve read a few well-written stories, but half why through I’ve found myself thinking ‘So what...?’ and put the story down.

Literary fiction doesn’t mean boring. Again, I’ve read a few well-written pieces where nothing much happens. Even if you write beautiful prose, you still need a captivating story.

I like poems that have meaning behind them – but I don’t want them to be indecipherable riddles. Sometimes I read poetry that feels excessively ‘poetic’ for the sake of it. I love poems that reveal more the more you read them, but not poems that are like hitting your head against a brick wall. (How’s that for subjective?)

And above all, please read the submission guidelines. I know they are long, but they are there for a reason.

I’ve got a few interesting articles lined up for the first issue, but I’ve not had any submissions for the rest of the non-fiction sections. I would love to read some!

Sum up Inkspill in no more than ten words. 

Inkspill Magazine: An inkwell of creativity.

When can we see the first edition? 

The first edition will be out in mid April. You can join the Facebook group or follow @inkspillmag on Twitter to keep updated.

Anything you’d like to add? 

Yes. Firstly, thanks so much for having me here on your blog. I’ve often read your interviews, Nik, but never thought I would be the one being interviewed. 

Secondly:

Readers and writers and anyone in between - keep in touch! Tell me what you want from Inkspill Magazine. Let me know your thoughts on my ideas and philosophies. Don’t be afraid to submit to the non-fiction part of the magazine. Creativity is interactive. YOU are all a part of Inkspill Magazine.

Don’t be afraid to spill some ink!

***

Inkspill's website is here. What are you waiting for? Go see it, go submit!

Carolyn Jess-Cooke Interview

Inroads, a poetry collection by the lovely and talented Carolyn Jess-Cooke has just been published and I was lucky enough to be able to ask her some questions earlier, and put to her some questions by some other lovely and talented people. 

I do love doing these interviews.

Welcome to the blog, Carolyn. Your debut poetry collection, Inroads, has just been published. Can you tell us about it?

Thanks Nik! Inroads emerged from a poem I wrote (titled Inroads) as an undergrad at Queen’s University, Belfast – I was doing a creative writing module and just beginning to take my writing seriously (as I’d already been writing poetry for about ten years by that point). Once my undergrad tutor, Carol Rumens, alerted me to the fact that a mere mortal like myself could one day rise to the dizzy heights of an entire poetry collection, I was off! The name of the poem stuck as the title – although the poem got scrapped and replaced ages ago – and during the next ten years I explored a variety of forms and themes, which is probably why the collection is about motherhood, travel, failed romance, oh, and astronomy.

What does the word ‘poem’ mean to you?

Oooh, what a good question. For me, a poem is something beyond music, photography, sculpture, etc. that takes me into a new realm of insight with endless textures. It’s an incredibly personal instance of revelation and art. It should be an experience of creativity for the reader.

What kinds of poems can we expect to read in Inroads?

Boisterous poems, reflective poems, formally subversive poems, formally obedient poems, political poems, poems that are intended to rouse audiences at a poetry reading from their armchair slumber and send them out into the streets like wild animals, ravenous for more poetry…

It’s notoriously difficult to have a poetry collection published – could you tell us a little about your road to success?

It took me about ten years or more to get a publishing contract for the collection – I think I have letters dating back to 1996. Rejection letters, of course. It also took some publishers over a year to respond (with a no) so I got quite discouraged along the way. Finally, magazines started saying yes. At first, they’d offer to publish one poem, then two, then five, so I felt I was at last getting somewhere. In 2008 I received a letter from Seren, completely out of the blue, saying they’d like to consider my collection for publication… I think I choked on my hot chocolate at the time. I’d never expected someone to approach me.

What’s your writing process?

I write intensively, rather than often – although on the other hand, I would say I’m always writing, as I’m constantly rolling ideas and phrases and characters around my head, even during important meetings, which is probably annoying for everyone else… I simply don’t have time at the minute to do the typical 1000 words-a-day routine. Though when I wrote my novel, I wrote 12,000 words in one day – simply because I had only one day to write those words, not twelve. Pressure brings out the best in me when it comes to work.

I absolutely adore Inroads’ cover – how did that come about?

Thank you! I was scouring the earth for a surreally-type photograph and found Jamie Baldridge’s amazing collection of photos at his website, http://www.jamiebaldridge.com/. I had to have this one – something about the woman writing with strings was incredibly evocative of what I wanted to say with this collection. I emailed Jamie and begged him to let me use it and he very kindly said yes!

What advice would you give to someone wanting to be a published poet?

Put the writing before the publishing. It’s amazing how much writing time can be used up by trying to get published. It’s horse, then cart. I think that actually reading contemporary poetry helps – I’ve met a lot of aspiring poets who hadn’t even heard of some the major poetry magazines – and giving readings wherever possible. Some people don’t advocate poetry workshops (for fear of the dreaded ‘workshop poem’, whatever that is) but the few I’ve attended have helped me work to a deadline – there’s always a million reasons not to write, especially when one is being rejected left, right and centre… Persistence!

Why poetry?

I write in many genres, but poetry has a special place in my heart. There are things I can articulate and express in poetry that I simply can’t in any other genre.

Could you recommend some good contemporary poets to us?

Loads! I was lucky to study at Queen’s University alongside some of our finest contemporary poets: Sinéad Morrissey, Leontia Flynn, Alan Gillis. I also recommend Luke Kennard – the range of his wit astounds me – and, on another side of the spectrum, Sharon Olds. Her poems seem to reach out of the page and bash me over the head with a blunt object. I love Alice Oswald’s collection Woods Etc. and am inspired by the contemporary surrealism of Kathryn Simmonds and Valeria Melchioretto. 

Julia Bohanna asks: I have always felt that poets are simply more alive than most people, that they see the world in a more intense way. How far would you say that is true?

I think poetry requires an intensity in terms of how we view and experience the world: for me, a poem is most effective when it makes me see things in a way I’d never seen them before. There are many poets out there whose work is celebrated for its intellectual exploration of textuality and form, but if the work has no soul, no sense of honest human encounter, it’s dead to me.

And Vanessa Gebbie says: How does she know a poem is about to be born? What does it feel like?

It usually begins with a line that won’t leave my head, sometimes a title. One of the poems in Inroads is called A poem without any vegetables, and when that title came into my head I was so intrigued by it that I spent a good few weeks wondering what on earth it was meant to be about. Eventually, it became a poem about sibling rivalry in early childhood. Occasionally, I’ll set out to write a poem about something and eventually the lines will follow.

Vanessa would also like to know:

And how does she know when to stop tinkering, and walk away because the poem feel's 'cooked'?

When my gut says so. It’s a wonderful feeling. However, I’ve been known to return to a poem months after the ‘cooking’ and find that I want to shift something very minor, but the core of it is unalterable: I know that if I tried to fix what’s ‘cooked’, I’ll be severing an artery... 

And this from Michelle Teasedale: Has she ever thought of writing song lyrics? Is poetry for everyone or just the literary elite?

I wrote a musical about six years ago and loved the lyric-writing part. I have such strong objections to poetry being for some literary elite that I won’t even submit my work to a particular poetry magazine because the stuff they  publish is always by the same poets and never reaches me on a personal level (oh, and because they’ve rejected me a few times!). Poetry should reach everyone; if it’s enshrouded in intertextual references or cryptic messages, then it’s code, not poetry.

What’s next for you?

I’m currently editing my first novel, The Guardian Angel’s Journal, which is being published by the Piatkus imprint at Little, Brown in April 2011, and then I’ll be working on a second novel, A Very Human Thing, which Piatkus are publishing in April 2012. The launch for Inroads is March 11^th at the City Library here in Newcastle, and shortly after that I’ll be having a baby!

Anything you’d like to add?

I’m looking forward to reading some amazing new poetry collections: The Water Table by Philip Gross, A Scattering by Christopher Reid, and Through the Square Window by Sinéad Morrissey. And I’ve a bookcase full of novels I’m anxious to read, just trying to find the time… Thanks for the invite!

*

Carolyn Jess-Cooke was born in Belfast in 1978 and now lives, works and sometimes plays in bonny Newcastle upon Tyne, UK. Following several careers as a musician, photographer, filmmaker and academic, she has finally and conclusively opted to be a mother and a writer. She has published 4 non-fiction books as well as 'Inroads', a poetry collection, and has many pieces of public textual art dotted around England. Two novels, a children's story book, and a poem for an astronomy sculpture in Durham are forthcoming. 

Excellent Story Telling Advice

Well, this was too good to leave in the comments. Big thanks to Neil Baker for the link.

And it's so true. We DO have to wait for our talent/understanding of the craft/ability to catch up with our taste. It's all part of the process.

Cool Things, Old Things

First up: I think I might buy this book on the strength of its cover. Utterly love it. And seeing it very briefly a few weeks ago (it's taken two weeks of googling to find out I hadn't dreamed it up) inspired a little story. But more on that another time. Gorgeous though, isn't it?

***

I had two really nice blasts from the past yesterday. One was a phone call (thank you Mr P) and the other was bumping into someone I spent a fair amount of time with a few (seven or eight) years ago (hello, miss T). So, in the spirit of cool things from a while ago, and because Suede are re-forming briefly, here's something I listened to a lot as a much younger man than I am today. I think they've definitely stood the test of time.

Words From the Master

This Post Has Nothing To Do With Writing

It's true. This has nothing to do with writing at all. But it is funny.


I point you in the direction of The Sleep Talking Man. That's right. It's a blog about what a woman's husband says in his sleep. With occasional audio.


So, if you appreciate such gems as "Oompa loompas don't sing in heaven. They tidy up the clouds" or, my personal favourite, 'Don't leave the duck there. It's totally irresponsible. Put it on the swing, it'll have much more fun'  then have yourselves a look.

Ooohhhhh - Pretty T-shirts

I like what these people are doing.

Not only are they selling very cool literary T-shirts but, for every T-shirt they sell, they're donating a book to Africa.

Bet you can't guess which one I've ordered.

Clodagh Murphy Interview

I'm very happy to welcome romantic comedy author, Clodagh Murphy, to my blog today. So, on with it...

Welcome, Clodagh. So who are you? What do you write?

Thanks, Nik.  I'm a writer from Dublin.  My first novel The Disengagement Ring was published last year by Hachette Books Ireland, and my second, Girl in a Spin, will be out next May.  What I write could be categorised as commercial women's fiction or chick lit.  I don't have a problem with either of those labels, but they cover a multitude of different kinds of writing and stories, so I prefer to call what I write romantic comedy because it tells you more about what it is.  My books are light-hearted entertainment and I would like people to have fun reading them. 

Tell us a little about your first novel, The Disengagement Ring.

The Disengagement Ring is about a girl whose family decide to interfere when she gets engaged to someone they don't like.  They arrange for her to go off to Tuscany for the summer with this guy she's had a crush on forever to cook for the band he manages – the hope being that she will be seduced away from her horrible boyfriend.

Your second novel, Girl In A Spin is due out in April. Could you tell us about that as well?

It's set in London and it's about a girl who's involved with the leader of the Conservative Party.  She has a few dodgy things in her past, and the Party's spin doctor has his work cut out keeping the door shut on the skeletons in her closet in the run-up to the election.  Coincidentally, it will be coming out in Ireland on 6^th May, which it seems will be the day of the UK election.

How do the two compare?

They're both written in the same style, but the stories and characters are very different.  Kate, the main character in The Disengagement Ring, has a very strong family background, so she has all the security that comes with that and she's very grounded.  Her family are a forceful presence in her life and family relationships play an important part in the book. 

Jenny, the main character in Girl in a Spin was fostered and is kind of rootless.  She's a real party girl, but what she really wants is to have a family of her own and settle down to a life of domestic bliss.  So relationships are very important to her – so much so that she can be blind to the fact that maybe a particular relationship isn't right for her and isn't worth the effort.

We first met on a writers forum. What role did that play in getting you to where you are now? (The forum, not me!)

It played a big part.  I'd finished The Disengagement Ring and had started to submit it to agents, but I realised as soon as I joined that forum that what I didn't know about the whole business of getting published was a lot!  I learned so much, and I was actually introduced to my agent by another writer I met on the forum.  So on a very practical level it definitely got me to where I am now a lot faster, I think, than if I'd continued flailing around in the dark on my own. 

I got a lot of support and encouragement there too, as well as practical help and advice – not least from yourself, Nik.  I've made lots of lovely writer friends through that site, which has made my writing life a lot more fun.  And of course if I hadn't met you there, I wouldn't be on your blog today!

What advice would you give to people hoping to be published?

It sounds so simplistic and obvious, but I'd say just write the best book you possibly can – which means working on it until you're sick of the sight of it.  And then persevere.  I think they're the two most important things that you can do - the rest is pretty much outside your control.  I'd also advise people to join writers' groups because it was so helpful to me.  The whole publishing business can be a bit mysterious at times, and it doesn't get much less so once you're published, so it can be very helpful to have other writers to compare notes with.

What’s the best piece of writing advice you’ve been given?

Early on in the editing process of The Disengagement Ring, my editor (while trying to convince me I could afford to lose some of my darlings) said that this wasn't the only book I would ever write – if I took something out I could use it in something else, and besides, I'd come up with other ideas, maybe even better ones.  I didn't really believe it at the time.  I was having my first book published and felt like this could be my one shot – if not the only book I'd ever write, possibly the only one that would ever see the light of publication day.  So the temptation was to throw everything into it - whether it fit or not.  Once I realised she was right, it was quite liberating.  It makes it easier to let go of things.  Whenever I find myself trying to shoehorn something into a book just because I think it's funny or whatever, I remind myself of that.

Is there anything about being an author that’s surprised you?

I'm surprised how little it's changed anything really.  I still go to work and dream about becoming a full-time writer.  On a more positive note, I'm constantly surprised by how kind and generous writers are to each other – regardless of their status.  The writing community is very democratic, I've found.

Which writers do you admire the most, and why?

They're too many and varied to mention really.  The most recent book that gave me that 'I wish I'd written this' feeling was One Day by David Nicholls.  It was so well observed, and the characters were so real and memorable.  I was still thinking about them long after I'd finished the book. 

I really admire J.K. Rowling, even though I've never read any of her books.  I think it's an amazing achievement to write something that resonates with so many people and touches people on an emotional level.  That's what we're all trying to do as writers – to move people in some way.

What’s next for you?

Next I'm going to do my tax return, programme my TV, catch up with some friends, declutter – all the stuff that's been on hold while I've been editing Girl in a Spin.  I'm going to have a short breather and then I'll start work on the next book.  I don’t know what it's going to be yet, but I have a few ideas floating around and I'm excited about starting something completely new.

Anything you’d like to add?

Just thanks for inviting me, Nik – you're a real mensch!