When did you know writing was for you?
Hi Samantha, hi Samantha’s fans, *waves to everyone*. Thanks for having me on the blog today! For me, becoming an author started out as a practical decision… I wanted someone to pay me for what’s inside my head without having to go into an office (or, on some days, change out of my pyjamas). We’ll ignore the fact that, given how hard it is to write books, and get them published, this wasn’t actually a practical decision at all!
So since writing wasn’t a lifelong dream, I didn’t know that it was for me until after I’d written my first book. I still cringe at the conversation I had with a writer friend, who asked about my first book, “What will you do if you don’t publish this one?” Arrogantly, I responded, “Well if I don’t, I wouldn’t bother to write another one.” How wrong I was (both about the quality of that book, and my intentions). When I got to the end, it didn’t occur to me not to write another. So I guess that’s when I knew.
How would you describe your books?
They are solidly chick lit, funny and easy to read, with characters that I’d like to be best friends with (and hopefully readers will too).
What is the hardest part of the writing process for you?
I think it’s that difficult middle bit, where, after the initial elation of developing the characters and storylines, and starting the book, you think, “This book stinks.” Lots of other authors I’ve talked to assure me that this happens all the time. Of course the book doesn’t really stink. The problem is that it’s nearly impossible to write a book that’s as good as the idea in your head. So I always suffer a crisis of confidence around 40,000 words. I have to silence the uncertainty and write on.
What are your favorite genres to read?
I like lots of authors, from John Irving to Talli Roland, Maya Angelou to David Nichols, Haruki Murakami to Matt Rudd and Nick Hornby. I also like non-fiction when it involves a place or a time that I know little about. So I guess I don’t really have favourite genres – I like books in which I marvel at the writing and get immersed in the story. I also love well-written, subtle humour, often with a dark twist (hence my love of John Irving).
What do you want readers to take away from your story?
Warm fuzziness, a feeling that all’s right with the world, and a lot of laughter. As a chick lit writer, I don’t think I’ll ever write an unhappy ending. The story may not turn out the way you expect, but it will always make the characters happy.
How important do you think social media is for authors these days?
That’s an interesting question. I think that lots of authors misunderstand the point of social media, which is to be social. The “buy my book” tweeters, for instance, make me grind my teeth. Before they hit that send button, they should apply this little test. If your only followers were your friends and family, would you send those tweets? No? Then why would someone with no relationship with you at all be happy to get bombarded by your hard-sell?
Harrumph 🙂
Having said that, social media is a very fun procrastination tool for me. I love chatting with people on twitter and facebook and I’ve made several real-life friends with people who started out as facebook friends or twitter followers. If you’d like to help me procrastinate, do follow @expatdiaries or get in touch on www.facebook.com/MicheleGormanBooks
What would be your advice to aspiring writers?
I’d encourage anyone who wants to write to sit down and do it. I remember the very scary feeling when contemplating my first book (and still get a bit scared whenever I start a new one). It seems so daunting to think about writing 80,000+ words. And it IS daunting! So I break the process down into little chunks. First I come up with a one-sentence synopsis. For example, Bella Summer Takes a Chance is about a 30-something woman who is settled in her life, but realises she wants more, so she ends her decade-long relationship to follow her dreams. Then I flesh it out into a full paragraph, and that gives me the core of the story. Then I think about the characters and make sure I know how they’ll behave in different situations (because they do tend to have minds of their own and will go off in unexpected directions if I don’t know them well enough). Then I think about the main story line, then the minor storylines. Then I put it all together into a chapter by chapter synopsis. That gives me the framework to start writing. I think of completing each chapter as a goal in itself (complete with congratulatory baked goods), and since I have an outline I know I won’t get to the middle of the book and run out of ideas. Anyway, thinking about writing in little compartments like that keeps me from running screaming into the night J
What are you currently reading?
I almost always have a couple books on the go. Right now I’m reading Haruki Murakami’s book of short stories, The Elephant Vanishes, and Matt Dunn’s excellent A Day At The Office. It’s not that well-known yet in the US but is a best-seller (for very good reason!) in the UK.
Do you experience writers block? Any tips on overcoming it?
I don’t know if it’s writer’s block so much as writer’s malaise. There are days (okay, weeks) when I just don’t feel like writing. This is a problem since it is my full-time profession, so I have to make myself write. And I guess that’s my tip: you won’t always be inspired to write, but it’s important to get words on the page. You can always edit/delete them later as necessary, and often there’s at least a grain of goodness in what you’ve written. I also find that napping and jogging help me work through plot problems (not at the same time, obviously).
Where do you complete most of your writing? Any certain time of day that you prefer?
I tend to write on my sofa, so when you see photos of me in a few years, and I’m shaped like a question mark, you’ll know why.
I’ve tried lots of different writing schedules. The thing I’ve never been able to do is write in the evening. I’m a morning person, so when I’m completing a manuscript I try to write before lunch and leave the afternoon open for admin and marketing (there’s always a lot of admin and marketing). It doesn’t always work out this way, but it gives me a bit of a routine, which makes me feel better.
Are you currently working on another novel?
Bella Summer Takes a Chance just published in February so a lot of time is taken up right now with the marketing for that, but I’ve got a few ideas percolating. I’m incredibly excited about one, which might actually top Bella (and I didn’t think that could happen, since Bella is hands-down my favourite book). I’ll meet with my agent and favourite commissioning editor in a few weeks to talk through some ideas, and will then kick off a new book. I’ll also write a Christmas novella this year. I wrote my first one last year and absolutely loved doing it. It was so much fun getting to grips with the different writing style necessary for novellas, and lots of lovely author friends also write them, so we all get to be excited by their launches together. Hopefully everyone else will be as excited as we are!
Thanks so much, Samantha, for having me on the blog today, and if anyone fancies an inscribed eBook copy of Bella Summer Takes a Chance, I can sign it through http://www.authorgraph.com/authors/expatdiaries. The inscription can go straight to your eReader or email. Genius, eh?
