When I'm writing a novel, I always like to have an image in my mind of what the two lead characters look like. Often, this can be a composite of two or three people - for example, in my debut novel, The Second Chance Tea Shop, Matthew Carter, the leading man, was a kind of… Continue reading How ‘Horrible Histories’ gave me Harry Sinclair.
Category: Writing
Welcome to my writing place!
For the first four novels of my career, I wrote in the living room. The computer was in the corner, and I’d type while keeping a vague eye on my young daughters, just to make sure no major mishaps occurred. When the first, and then the second, went to school, I stayed put because it… Continue reading Welcome to my writing place!
10 reasons why being an author is the best job in the world…
I've been a bit remiss in updating this blog lately, so I thought I'd break the deadlock by doing a quick list of the reasons why I love being a writer. Now, there are plenty of reasons why being a writer is not the ideal profession; it's a struggle to live on the income from… Continue reading 10 reasons why being an author is the best job in the world…
Letting go…
I find myself, for the fourth time, in a state of what Gwyneth and Chris would call 'conscious uncoupling'. Not from the ever devoted Husband, I hasten to add, but from a novel. It's a funny old feeling. You live with characters in your head for so long as a novelist; even when you're away… Continue reading Letting go…
The (Dare) Devil is in the details…
I'm currently on the home stretch of the first draft of my fourth novel, and I thought it would be a good point to share with you some of the things I focus on when I'm writing about the relationships that drive my work. I also want to think about how something I've been watching… Continue reading The (Dare) Devil is in the details…
How Alex Fraser got his name…
Naming a character can be tricky; like naming a baby, I've found, only MUCH harder! After all, I only had to find names for two children, whereas characters...eek! And there are only so many times you can slip in the names of people you know before they start noticing. I've put my daughters' names in… Continue reading How Alex Fraser got his name…
Welcome to my happy place…
Ever since I can remember, writing and reading have been my happy places. They are where I go when, if you'll excuse the vernacular, Shit Gets Too Real in real life. Now, before everyone gets out their tiny violins, can I just make clear that, actually, for most of the time, my life is exactly… Continue reading Welcome to my happy place…
This Cider House Rules: An Interview With Martin Thatcher.
First of all, apologies for the radio silence these past few weeks- I've been up to my ears in book 3, working on the manuscript ready to send to my agent, as well as the usual work, life and child related stuff, and one or two other unexpecteds that threw my groove a bit. However,… Continue reading This Cider House Rules: An Interview With Martin Thatcher.
Bookends and Cold Turkey
So this week is half term week, and I'm supposed to be stepping away from the computer, remembering I have a family and spending some time with The Husband and The Sprogs. As you can see, that's going well! I'm generally not very good at Cold Turkey, whether that's biscuits, booze or books... In all… Continue reading Bookends and Cold Turkey
The Last Jedi fanfic roundup
So, in between getting some good wordage done on Little Somerby book 3 (and having a cracking idea for the climactic scene of *gasp* book 5!) I've been writing Star Wars fanfic again, and I thought it might be a good idea to post list of links and fic summaries for those who might be inclined to… Continue reading The Last Jedi fanfic roundup
Fay Keenan 