The Business Of Books: Writing In Balance

Posted on March 8, 2017 by Jane Cable

Author Nikki Moore tells Jane Cable why she never quite wants to give up her day job.

How much of your working life does the business of books take up?

The honest answer is, quite a bit, but not as much as I’d like. I have a full-time HR day job, so writing has to slot around that, as well as my children. Of course there’s also seeing my boyfriend, friends and family, housework, food shopping etc. I have the same commitments as everybody else. I’ve had to be very disciplined and maketime to write. I set several evenings a week aside and also write on weekends; I watch a lot less TV than I used to (although my boyfriend and I are newly addicted to The Walking Dead). When I’m working under deadline – 2015 was a busy year as I delivered five novellas and a 100,000 word novel for the #LoveLondon series – I write any spare moment I can, whether it’s during lunch breaks or into the early hours of the morning. As well as working on manuscripts, I also have to promote my books so I blog when I can, as well as tweeting and Facebook posting regularly.

I used to want to give up the day job to write full-time, but I’ve realised I need to be around people in order to write believable characters and compelling storylines, so now the dream is to scale back the day job to 1-2 days a week and write the rest of the time.

What’s your business model to earn a living from writing?

I’m not a best-selling author – I hope to be one day – although I’ve sold more books than I ever imagined I would when I started out. However, like many authors, I don’t earn enough to give up the day job yet; my HR career pays the bills. So my business model is to stay passionate and keep working hard to write the best books I can for my readers, get them published, earn good reviews, promote my books through as many forms of media as possible, interact with my audience including bloggers, build networks… and cross my fingers for luck.

What do you write and what do you consider to be your major successes?

I write romantic fiction and am hoping to move into women’s commercial fiction. In terms of successes, before being published I was a finalist in several writing competitions including the RNA’s Elizabeth Goudge trophy (judged by the fabulous Katie Fforde) and Novelicious Undiscovered. Some of the #LoveLondon novellas have been in the Top 100 short story charts on Kobo and Top 20 in the Amazon UK bestsellers Holiday chart. Having a short story in the bestselling RNA/Mills & Boon anthology Truly, Madly, Deeply alongside best-sellers like Adele Parks, Miranda Dickinson and Carole Matthews was amazing. My debut novel Crazy, Undercover, Love was shortlisted for the RNA Joan Hessayon Award and Valentine’s on Primrose Hillshortlisted for a Love Stories award. But there are other measures of success too; the thrill of a message from a reader telling me they stayed up until 2.00 a.m. to read my book and cried when it was over; being interviewed by my local paper; being asked to co-tutor a workshop with my aunt Sue Moorcroft at Purbeck Literary Festival last year. And sometimes, just finishing a book is a success.

Tell me about your latest project.

I’m currently finishing revisions on a women’s commercial fiction book I’ve been working on in the background for several years. I can’t say much, other than people who enjoyed Eat, Pray, Love or Me Before You, or The Fault in Our Stars may enjoy it. I’m also working on an outline for another exciting project. One thing is for sure; whether its revisions or writing something new, as long as I’m writing, I’m happy.

Nikki Moore is a Dorset girl and social media addict who loves reading and writing. Published mainly by HarperImpulse, she is the author of the #LoveLondon series. A member of the Romantic Novelists Association, she is a firm supporter of aspiring writers and is always happy to share her writing experiences. She encourages readers to get in touch too!

London Book & Screen Week 2017 unveils programme that goes from Hogwarts to Hygge in celebration of books

Posted on March 6, 2017 by Frostie

David Nicholls, Roddy Doyle and Michael Morpurgo headline the seven-day festival

A Soho awards night with David Nicholls, a very special Harry Potter screening at the St. Pancras Renaissance Hotel London and conversations with Michael Morpurgo and Roddy Doyle lead the eclectic line-up of this year’s London Book & Screen Week (13-19 March 2017).

Produced by The London Book Fair, the seven-day, citywide festival celebrates books – and the films, games, plays and TV programmes they inspire – shining the spotlight on the critical role books play in our creative industries. This year’s programme celebrates the 20^th anniversary of the publication of Harry Potter and the Philosopher’s Stone and 200 years since the death of Jane Austen.

David Nicholls, one of the UK’s leading figures in literature, TV and film, will champion the specially curated programme of events as the Ambassador of this year’s London Book & Screen Week. Roddy Doyle will be in conversation at House of St Barnabas – thirty years after the publication of his novel The Commitments.

St. Pancras Renaissance Hotel London will be the spellbinding setting for a very special Harry Potter film screening. All-star comedy troupe Austentatious will return to Leicester Square Theatre to perform an improvised show based on audience suggestions. The show will be preceded by a panel of special guests from the literary world, who will divulge and share their own love for Jane Austen’s work.

Acclaimed children’s author Michael Morpurgo will be in conversation with Owen Sheers, and Deborah Moggach will introduce a screening of The Best Exotic Marigold Hotel, which was adapted from her novel These Foolish Things.

With Britain in the grip of Hygge fever, Waterstones Piccadilly are putting on a Scandi crime screening, and bringing together Hygge experts Bronte Aurell (The Scandi Kitchen), Signe Johansen (How to Hygge), Louisa Thomsen Brits(The Book of Hygge) and Trine Hahnemann (Scandinavian Comfort Food) to provide wisdom on how to live more Danishly.

The fitness stars of Instagram – who have become publishing sensations – come together for a talk about fitness in the digital age: Faya Nilsson (Fitness on Toast), James Exton (LDN Muscle) and Alice Living (Clean Living Alice).

London’s award-winning LGBT literary salon Polari returns once again to The Light Lounge in Soho for a night of chat and cocktails hosted by Paul Burston, with joyous readings from Sophia Blackwell, Christopher Fowler and VG Lee. The Irish Literary Society are hosting a bumper series of events to showcase some of Ireland’s finest writers.

Jacks Thomas, Director of The London Book Fair and London Book & Screen Week, said:

“It’s wonderful to be working with partners across London to celebrate writers and their work in all its different formats. The line-up of this year’s London Book & Screen Week once again demonstrates the range and depth of London’s creative talent, and how vital books are for all our creative industries.

In 2017, we are particularly proud to present the CAMEO awards in their inaugural year. The Creativity Across Media: Excellence and Originality Awards will identify the individuals who create some of the most successful film, stage, TV and game adaptations, telling inspiring, gripping, life-transforming stories here and across the globe.”

London Book & Screen Week is run in partnership with some of the capital’s highest-profile brands, including London & Partners, the Mayor’s official promotional company for London, which attracts businesses and visitors to the capital and operates VisitLondon.com, the official city guide for London.

The launch night at Soho House, central London (13 March), will also see the awards ceremony for the inauguralCreativity Across Media: Entertainment & Originality Awards (CAMEO).

The festival combines specially curated events with an open sourced strand that anyone can submit to online at www.londonbookandscreenweek.co.uk. To find out more, and book event tickets, visit www.londonbookandscreenweek.co.uk.

LONDON BOOK & SCREEN WEEK 2017

Programme Highlights

Monday 13 March

AUSTENTATIOUS: A SPECIAL EDITION

At Leicester Square Theatre – 7 pm

Austentatious returns to its London home in resplendent fashion. In this special edition, powered by London Book & Screen Week, enjoy a pre-show ample with some special guests from the literary world as they divulge and share their own love for Austen’s work. Panellists include Oxford professor and Jane Austen expert Kathryn Sutherland (Teenage Writings), a member of the Austentatious cast, and more.

Tickets: £12.50: https://leicestersquaretheatre.ticketsolve.com/#/shows/873569690

POLARI LITERARY SALON

At The Light Lounge, Soho – 6.30 pm

London’s award-winning LGBT literary salon returns once again to The Light Lounge in Soho for London Book & Screen Week. Polari began in November 2007 in the upstairs room of a pub in Soho. It is now based at the Southbank Centre, where events are held every month. It tours regularly across the country, and hosts Polari Prize for Fiction, an award handed annually to the best first book by an LGBT author in the UK.

Tickets £5: https://www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/polari-soho-special-tickets-31751988051

Tuesday 14 March

LIVING DANISHLY: AN EVENING OF COSINESS AND SCANDI CRIME

At Waterstones Piccadilly – 6 pm

London Book & Screen Week is collaborating with Waterstones Piccadilly to put on a special film screening, followed by a How to Hygge discussion with Hygge experts Louisa Thomsen Brits (The Book of Hygge), Bronte Aurell (The Scandi Kitchen), Signe Johansen (How to Hygge) and Trine Hahnemann (Scandinavian Comfort Food). Light refreshments will be provided.

Tickets £5: https://www.waterstones.com/events/living-danishly-an-evening-of-cosiness-and-scandi-crime/london-piccadilly

AN EVENING WITH RODDY DOYLE

At The House of St Barnabas – 7 pm

Roddy Doyle is the author of eleven novels, two collections of stories, two books of dialogues and Rory & Ita, a memoir of his parents. He has written seven books for children and has contributed to a variety of publications including The New Yorker, McSweeney’s, Metro Eireann and several anthologies. He won the Booker Prize in 1993, for Paddy Clarke Ha Ha Ha.

Tickets £15: https://www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/an-evening-with-roddy-doyle-tickets-31889474276

THE BEST EXOTIC MARIGOLD HOTEL: A VERY SPECIAL SCREENING

At The Charlotte Street Hotel – 6.30 pm

This screening of The Best Exotic Marigold Hotel will be preceded by a special interview with Deborah Moggach, whose novel These Foolish Things, was adapted into the hit film. Deborah’s latest novel, Something to Hide, is set in Beijing, Texas, a fictitious African country and Pimlico. She will be talking about the meaning of settings and the writer’s view behind adaptations with the biographer, lecturer, and journalist Anne Sebba, author of nine critically acclaimed books of non-fiction, most recently Les Parisiennes, about Paris from 1939-49 through women’s eyes.

Tickets £18.43: https://www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/the-best-exotic-marigold-hotel-a-very-special-screening-tickets-31827938220

Wednesday 15 March

MICHAEL MORPURGO IN CONVERSATION

At Bush Hall, Shepherds Hall

Michael Morpurgo, OBE, is the former Children’s Laureate and best-selling author of over 140 books, including Private Peaceful, Kensuke’s Kingdom, The Butterfly Lion, and War Horse, which first performed at the National Theatre in 2007. In this exclusive London Book & Screen Week event, Michael will be joined by Owen Sheers, author, poet and playwright, as they delve into the world of adaptions. This intimate dialogue will see the prolific authors discuss what it means to see the words and world you so carefully composed being lifted from the page and onto the stage and beyond.
Tickets £17.05: https://www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/the-story-books-screen-stage-michael-morpurgo-talks-narrative-adaptation-with-owen-sheers-tickets-31991195527

FROM FIGHTING FANTASY TO THE WITCHER: HOW NARRATIVE DESIGN IN GAMING ENHANCES STORYTELLING
At BAFTA – 6.30 pm

In the world of storytelling, gaming is unique. Giving over control, it allows gamers to define their own journey within a malleable landscape. This inspires a new growing generation of storytellers in the 21st century across all media. With video game sales in the UK at an all-time high – what is the next chapter? And what is gaming’s mandate as a creative platform in the world of storytelling? Join us for a panel discussion featuring Ian Livingstone, co-creator of Fighting Fantasy gamebooks, Andrzej Sapkowski, the author of the Witcher novels, the writer and digital producer Meg Jayanth, and Chris Gardiner, Narrative Director at Failbetter Games.

Tickets available soon: http://www.londonbookandscreenweek.co.uk/events/

Thursday 16 March

OLGA TOKARCZUK AND DEBORAH LEVY

At London Review Bookshop – 7 pm

One of the most acclaimed Polish writers of her generation, Olga Tokarczuk has won multiple prizes, most recently for her novel The Books of Jacob, which explores an important moment in 18th-century Polish history. Two recent novels, The Books of Jacob and Flights, will shortly be published, for the first time in English, by Fitzcarraldo Editions. Tokarczuk will be in conversation with The Man Booker shortlisted novelist Deborah Levy.

Tickets available soon: http://www.londonbookandscreenweek.co.uk/events/

Friday 17 March

IRISH LITERARY SOCIETY

At Bloomsbury Hotel

The Irish Literary Society are putting on three events at the Bloomsbury Hotel specially for London Book & Screen Week. The Irish Literary Society was established in London in 1892. Among its founders were W B Yeats and Douglas Hyde and other leaders of the Irish Literary Revival.

The object of the Society is to promote the appreciation of Irish literature and culture and to provide a forum for intellectual and social activities in connection with these interests.
Tickets available soon: http://www.londonbookandscreenweek.co.uk/events/

Saturday 18 March

FITNESS IN THE DIGITAL AGE

At SF Studios, Hampstead – 10 am

Now that we’re all making a #fitspo to spread #motivation to our #fitfam, ‘Fitness in Our Digital Age’ will bring together some of the biggest stars in the fitness scene who have built dedicated followings on Instagram and blogs such as Fitness on Toast. In the tranquil setting of SF Studios, north London’s leading movement studio, we host a unique panel discussions featuring an amazing line-up including fitness expert Faya Nilsson and the co-founder of LDN Muscle, James Exton. Their discussion will be followed by an audience Q&A and book signings.

Tickets £13.25: https://www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/fitness-in-a-digital-age-tickets-31997576613

Sunday 19 March

CELEBRATE 20 YEARS OF HARRY POTTER: FILM SCREENING AT ST PANCRAS RENAISSANCE HOTEL LONDON

At St. Pancras Renaissance Hotel London– 6 pm

Grown up Potter fans, rejoice: London Book & Screen Week are putting on a Harry Potter film screening in the spellbinding St. Pancras Renaissance Hotel London. Celebrate the 20^th anniversary of the publication of Harry Potter and the Philosopher’s Stone in a setting straight out of Hogwarts. Expect free popcorn on arrival and themed cocktails at the bar. Wands, wizarding robes, hats and broomsticks are welcome.

Tickets: £18.43: https://www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/celebrate-20-years-of-harry-potter-film-screening-at-st-pancras-renaissance-hotel-london-tickets-31874274814

New Study Reveals Twenty-Somethings are ‘Generation Sensible’

Posted on March 2, 2017 by Frostie

For from being the superficial, social media-obsessed narcissists that so many publications, and people, try to pretend they are twenty-somethings are actuallyy sensible. The average twenty-something earns £19,186.40 a year, has savings of £2,543 and chooses NOT to go clubbing, according to new research.

The Nationwide Savings study of ‘Generation Sensible’ shows 65 per cent of young adults would rather party at a friend’s house than spend unnecessary money at the pub or club.

Unfortunately, six in 10 people in their twenties are saddled with debts in the region of £20,000 following their stint at University.

While those who didn’t further their education still struggle to pay off debts of £4,720.

As such, while popular twenty-somethings have 15 good friends, they choose not to lavish money on expensive nights out, and only holiday in the UK once a year.

Andrew Baddeley-Chappell, Nationwide’s Head of Policy for Mortgages and Savings said: “Our research has found a generation of twenty somethings under pressure and in transition. The good news is that as a demographic they seem to be planning their futures, whether that be saving for a deposit for their first home or a holiday. In some ways this is a far cry from the free-spirited youth of the 60s and 70s.”

The study shows that when it comes to attempting to save, 32 per cent are desperately trying to get a deposit together for a mortgage, while 30 per cent are saving up for a holiday.

A further 24 per cent of twenty-somethings are saving for a rainy day, and one in 10 are gathering cash together to pay for their wedding.

And although those in their twenties earn just under £20,000 a year – working 31 hours a week – at the end of every month they have just £210.07 to spend on enjoying themselves.

According to the poll, just 16 per cent of those under 30 are married, with 16 per cent of those in a relationship meeting through work and 13 per cent via dating apps. Just five per cent regularly go on dates.

One in five respondents already have children and a further 52 per cent have pets.

The research reveals that money dominates the list of common worries shared by many twenty-somethings, with people worrying both about being able to save money, as well as having enough money to last until the end of the month.

Getting on the housing ladder is a concern for 36 per cent of those in their twenties, while landing a job worries 27 per cent.

Other common anxieties include managing the bills, health and fitness, and that they don’t seem to be achieving much in life.

Body shape and size worries four in 10 people, and 25 per cent are rightly concerned about their parents’ health.

For those in this age bracket who do drive a car, a modest Vauxhall Corsa or Ford Fiesta are the most likely models of choice.

When it comes to keeping fit, the average twenty-something exercises for three hours a week, and prefers running and going to the gym above all other sports. Swimming and cycling are the next most popular activities.

For those in their twenties who prefer to entertain themselves by staying in, rather than spending money on going out, four in 10 love binge-watching television programmes and films.

Favourite television shows include The Big Bang Theory, the Great British Bake Off and Game of Thrones.

While movies put on repeat are the Harry Potter saga, Mean Girls and Bridget Jones’ Diary.

Other activities enjoyed during their spare time include spending time with the family, travelling and 27 per cent enjoying tending to their social networking sites.

Eight in 10 people in their twenties are regularly on Facebook, while 47 per cent use Instagram and 50 per cent are on WhatsApp.

The study found 37 per cent enjoy going out for dinner with friends, and only a third like going to the pub.

Similarly, meeting new people is only a priority for seven per cent of people, while 55 per cent prefer to socialise with existing friends.

Andrew Baddeley-Chappell continues “Our research found an age group under strain, working or studying hard, and mindful of the financial pressures they are likely to face in the future.

“It’s little wonder then that friendships and relationships, conducted both in person and online have become such a focus, along with a social life that doesn’t cost.”

AVERAGE 20-SOMETHING

1. Average income of £19,186.40 annually

2. Typically work 31 hours a week

3. Has £210.07 of disposable income each month

4. Has £2,543.82 in savings

5. 29 per cent have a mortgage

6. Takes one holiday in the UK each year

7. Six in 10 go to / went to University

8. Students / ex-students have a total debt of £20,514.86 excluding mortgages

9. Non-students have a total debt of £4,720.66 excluding mortgages

10. Most likely to drive a Vauxhall Corsa or Ford Fiesta

11. Has 15 friends

12 Gets six hours sleep a night

13. 22 per cent have children

TOP 10 WORRIES OF A 20-SOMETHING

1. Saving money

2. Having enough money

3. What body shape and size you are

4. Your health

5. Getting on the housing ladder

6. That you don’t seem to be achieving much in life

7. Bills

8. Eating too much rubbish food

9. How fit you are

10. Getting a job

FAVOURITE TV SHOWS:

1. The Big Bang Theory

2. Great British Bake Off

3. Game of Thrones

4. I’m a Celebrity, Get Me Out of Here!

5. Planet Earth

6. Orange is the New Black

7. Britain’s Got Talent

8. Breaking Bad

9. First Dates

10. The Walking Dead

FAVOURITE FILMS:

1. Harry Potter Saga

2. Mean Girls

3. Bridget Jones’ Diary

4. Love Actually

5. Bridesmaids

6. Forrest Gump

7. Deadpool

8. Pitch Perfect

9. Up

10. Lord of the Rings

FAVOURITE ARTISTS:

1. Ed Sheeran

2. Adele

3. Beyonce

4. Taylor Swift

5. Sia

6. Rihanna

7. Coldplay

8. Maroon 5

9. Little Mix

10. Calvin Harris

The Business of Books: Writer as Reader

Posted on March 1, 2017 by Jane Cable

Jane Cable admits to sometimes having a slightly uneasy relationship with other writers’ books

Writers are by our very nature readers. We tend to have fallen in love with stories at an early age and as children at least devoured every book we could lay our hands on or persuade someone to read to us. We disappeared into the magic of lives so very different to our own, travelling time and the globe with the carelessness of youth. Except that I was terrified of swings for a long time after reading What Katy Did.

I suppose it is no surprise that one of the first characters I can remember really relating to was Jo in Little Women. When Amy burnt her story I felt real anger and cried bitter tears. I guess I was already sucking my own pencil and waiting for the words to come.

From teenage years onwards real life started to intervene in my bookish world. In sixth form I still bought a paperback every week with the money I earned from my Saturday job at BHS and wherever I moved to for college and in early working years the first thing I did was join the local library. But as life became busier time to read became increasingly rare and I relished holidays where in pre-Kindle days my husband and I would almost literally pack a case full of books.

In my forties I started writing my first story which turned into a full length novel and here the dilemmas began. First, there was time: I really didn’t have enough to read and to write. Secondly was the fact that my head was so full of my characters there just wasn’t room for anyone else’s.

Now most writers read voraciously (apparently) and certainly everyone tells you that as a writer you should, but I have to admit to struggling. While I am living and breathing my story, how can I do anyone else’s justice? I suppose I never could read more than one book at once and it used to completely do my head in that my mother always used to have two on the go; one upstairs for light relief and nodding off to sleep with and another, normally something a little more demanding, by her chair in the living room.

So reading has been pushed to the margins of my life, to the rare times when I’m not working on anything new. An advantage of this is that the great books, such as The Time Traveler’s Wife, really stand out. This one in particular opened new doors creatively speaking because it showed me that if your characters were strong enough you could take your readers anywhere. As a writer, it made me brave and I do wonder what else I would learn if I had more bandwidth to read.

I’m also aware of the need to read successful authors in my genre and books which break out of the ordinary and get talked about. Then there’s the guilt-induced consumption of books by authors you know and feel you should review. So is reading purely for pleasure a thing of the past for me?

Thankfully, no. I have learnt to be incredibly selective and not to finish a book if I’m not enjoying it. There is a difference between books I read for research and books I read for pure joy. And in the last few weeks I actually became very excited about the launch of a new novel for the first time in years. But more about that anon, because Su Bristow’s Sealskin deserves an article all of its own.

Interview with Sharon Horgan and Rob Delaney for Catastrophe series 3

Posted on February 24, 2017 by Catherine Balavage

We left series two on something of a cliffhanger, with Rob about to speak following his discovery of Sharon’s receipt. Where do we pick it up from?

Rob: Right then. Exactly then.

Sharon: Yeah, it’s from exactly that moment.

Did you know what Rob was about to say, when you shot the end of series one, or did you still have to work that out?

Rob: We didn’t know. We love to leave the series with a big question mark, and figure out the answer afterwards. It’s more fun for us that way, and hopefully there is real and palpable mystery for the viewer as they reach that question mark. If we know what’s going to happen, then they might too, and then why bother?

S: There were a few different routes we could’ve gone, so we kind of had vague ideas, but nothing concrete.

Series three and four were commissioned together. You’ve now shot series three. Do you know where it’s going to go in series four? How far ahead have you planned?

R: No. We did one and two back-to-back, and we really benefitted from taking a little break between two and three, so I think we’re happy to not know what’s going to happen for a little while.

S: We had ideas of stuff that could go in series three when we were writing series two, things like that, but we never knew what the big arc was going to be, or narratively where it was going to take us. We just had a bunch of little ideas, and it worked out okay. So hopefully that’ll happen this time.

Did you write season 3 differently because you knew there would be a season 4? Does that help you creatively, because you know you have more space to tell the story?

R: It’s a stunning act of generosity and a vote of confidence from the network to have them do that, so yes, it does give you a feeling of peace.

S: There were definitely moments where we would say “I think that’s more of a series four idea.”

R: Yeah, so we can figure out what’s going to fit in each episode. You can say “I am curious about that, but no way are we going to be able to squeeze that in,” whereas if we didn’t know there were an additional season commissioned, we might try to shoehorn it in, to everyone’s detriment.

S: I guess the smart thing to do would have been to plan out both series so we knew exactly where it was going over twelve episodes, but we just didn’t have the time to do that. We had to concentrate on getting series three made in the four or five months we had.

Catastrophe is unapologetically crude. Do you enjoy coming up with some of the more creative and colourful bits of dialogue? Do you ever worry about elderly family members watching?

R: Well, I mean elderly people, I have found, when they’re being honest, are also scumbags, and enjoy a little prurient humour as well. So no, I don’t really worry.

S: I used to worry about that sort of thing. But I watched Pulling with my auntie, who’s a nun. I gave my dad the pilot of Catastrophe, because we had it for about a year before it got picked up, and he showed it to so many people. There was some pretty crass stuff in there, there was plenty of sex in it and rude goings on. If he’s happy to show his 70-year-old mates, then I think there’s nothing to worry about really. Although, I’m a little bit worried about episode one of this series.

R: Oh, I know what you’re talking about!

The show is far from sentimental, but it still manages to be strangely romantic. Is that a tough trick to pull off? Do you have to go through it making it less saccharine?

S: We just keep an eye on it.

R: We’re pretty good about it. I remember in season two having to saccharine it up a bit. Our natural inclination is not usually to be too saccharine. If anything like that comes out of our mouth, the other will stop them pretty quickly. You’d rather have your audience come away saying “I think I just noticed that they’re in love” rather than hitting them over the head with it.

Catastrophe very definitely deals with flawed people making the best of a flawed relationship. Is that intentional – to show people that it’s possible to have problems and still be relatively happy?

S: I kind of don’t think their relationship is that flawed. I mean, I guess it is in that they fuck up sometimes, or might let themselves or each other down. But I think they were made for each other. They were born to be together. That’s the most fairy tale and romantic aspect of the whole thing. We’ve burst the bubble pretty quickly with all the bad things that happen. But it feels like a steady, sturdy relationship that shit happens to, and they deal with it. I don’t think they have to try and stay in love. They are in love, they just have to try and stop real life from tipping shit on that.

One of the cornerstones of their relationship seems to be that they make each other laugh. Do you see that as being key to them?

R: I think so, yeah. People say that the largest sexual organ is the brain, and I think the fact that they definitely amuse each other is probably the strongest glue in that relationship.

S: Yeah, definitely. Because I think it’s incredibly important in real life as well. You get on with the people who make you laugh. I love having conversations with smart people, but I don’t necessarily leave it going “I fucking love you!” whereas if I’ve spent an hour laughing with them…

Obviously this series was one of the last things that Carrie Fisher filmed. What was it like getting to know her and working with her?

S: It was a dream come true getting to work with her.

R: A giant privilege.

S: For both of us.

R: She didn’t get to where she is by mistake. She delivers. She’s just hilarious and brilliant. You get what you think you’re going to get, and more. She was just a wonderful, wonderful person.

S: Yeah, she was great to hang around with and great to work with. While you’re completely aware of her legacy and everything she’s done, and it’s completely overwhelming a first, then she’s just this woman who says rude things and cracks you up. And she was really kind as well, just a really kind, wonderful lady.

The show won a BAFTA in 2016. Who has custody of it?

S: We got one each! It was the most exciting bit of the night, realising that we got one each.

R: Some awards we’ve had to divvy up. But BAFTA make one for each named recipient, so thanks BAFTA!

What is it like working with the children on the show? Do you have to get to know them really well so they don’t recoil when you pick them up?

S: They like us!

R: Yeah they like us, and we like them. They’re lovely. Babies are an absolute pleasure. Sonny and Dexter, who are the twins who play Frankie, are a bit older. They’re wonderful, but they’re a little harder to work with, because it’s a super-unnatural situation to be in. Working on set is very artificial and bizarre, and for kids it’s like “Why would we do it again? That’s crazy!” And then you have to be like “Yes, it is crazy, but not only are we going to do it one more time, we’re going to do it 22 more times. “And they’re like “That’s INSANE!” So they’re having a tough time with it, but that’s only because they’re healthy, wonderful children.

S: But we both like the company of kids, we like hanging out with kids, so it makes it easier. When the cameras stop rolling, you can have a laugh with them. But you can’t get them too geed up, because then they’re all hyper. You find yourself going “Shit, why did I tickle him?” You have to know how to play it. But when they bring in a baby or one of the twins, we really enjoy it.

R: On a set filled with smelly adults it’s pretty nice to have a kid come in now and again.

You briefly reference Trump and Brexit in ep 1 of the new series. Will there be any more nods to the way the world is going?

R: Not too much.

S: A tiny bit more Brexit stuff.

R: We’re not trying to make any big comments about that stuff. If you’re alive right now, it’s affecting your life, so we couldn’t not mention it, but as ever, we’re just trying to do it in a way that will create more stress for Rob and Sharon. We’re not trying to fix it!

S: It just came up in that episode because I’m trying to find reasons to get away with behaving the way I did. In the original script it was Brexit and ISIS, and then suddenly that arsehole-buffoon got voted in and we thought “We can’t not mention him!” So we added that in our final read-through.

Rob, you’ve been pretty active of late on Twitter, even by your standards. Is it a relief to be over here and away from the whole shitstorm, or is it frustrating being so distanced and powerless to act?

R: It is weird being over here. And I can’t move back there right now. Not that I want to – we’re happy here, my children go to school here – but it’s weird to not have the option. But he’s got healthcare laws in his sights, and I’m part of a family of five people. And when you have five people, there will be some among them who have what are known as pre-existing conditions, so I can’t responsibly bring my children to a country where healthcare is in such upheaval. So that feels weird. And yeah, I’d like to be outside senators’ offices right now protesting, but I can’t right now. So I’m doing what I can from here.

I read somewhere that you two are planning to do a movie together. Is that a possibility?

S: It’s not in the pipeline. We talk about it A LOT!

R: We talk about it, and then somebody will be like “Hey, get back to set,” or “Where’s that script?”

S: We’d absolutely love to. It’s just a time thing.

Would it be a Catastrophe movie?

S: Not at this point. I think we’d like to try something else. It’d be interesting just to see if something else worked.

When you’re writing, do you guys have more ownership of your own character?

R: No, definitely not. Nothing makes me happier than writing dialogue for the character of Sharon, and have her write it for my character.

S: I think that’s why there’s no stereotypical element to either of them.

When do you start on series 4? Do you need time away from the characters first?

R: It’s a good idea to have a break, to let your mind rest and so you can start to cultivate ideas. So we don’t have a start date, but we’re percolating ideas, I guess.

S: Bit of a break.

Can you ever have a bit of a break, or are you always thinking “Ooh, I might put that into the next series?”

S: You do do that a little bit, yeah.

R: You definitely file things away, I’ve got a ton of stuff in the notes section of my phone. Most of it is fucking insane, though. “Here’s a good idea. What if… Rob walked into a spider’s web!!!”

With thanks to Channel 4.

Helping Children Sleep By Dan Jones

Posted on February 23, 2017 by Frostie

Helping Children Sleep

Almost 20 years ago I began working in children’s homes. Many of the children had endured years of abuse and other traumatic experiences by the time they ended up in care, this impacted on their ability to feel safe, relax, and sleep at night. Due to having Asperger’s, a high-functioning form of autism I obsessed about learning communication skills. I used this knowledge with the children I was working with. The children were often happy to have stories read to them at bedtime. I used to read stories to them, but rather than putting on different voices for different characters, or reading the stories lively, I used to read them in a relaxed tone of voice in time with the child’s breathing. Any sentences with words which could be associated with relaxing or inward absorption I would say with extra calming emphasis. This slight shift in how the stories were being read often helped the children to feel calm and comfortable and fall asleep. I started teaching what I was doing to other children’s home staff and to parents to help them to be able to help children sleep comfortably at bedtime without arguments and conflict, and years later wrote two books of children’s stories based around this approach: Sleepy Bedtime Tales, and Relaxing Tales for Children.

How do you help children to fall asleep at night?

The first thing to be aware of is what actually happens for us to fall asleep. Obviously being tired helps, so not letting a child sleep during the day is a huge help, secondly the environment is important. As bedtime approaches parents can start ‘putting the house to sleep’. What I mean by this is that a few hours before bedtime parents close curtains, turn off main lights and put on small lamps to make the home dimmer, and begin to focus on doing calm, low stimulation things with the children. The focus is on slowing them down, and making the environment quieter. If children are running around until bedtime their heart will be racing and they will be excitable and harder to relax, likewise, if they have been watching emotionally stimulating TV programmes before bed this will reduce their chances of falling asleep. Parents ideally limit screen time in the hours before bed. Mobile phones, tablet PC’s, computers, and TV’s all give off a lot of blue light which triggers the ‘wake-up’ processes in our brain – not what you want when you are trying to help your children sleep.

Once bedtime is approaching parents can have structure around what happens, and let the children know bedtime is approaching. It is more effective to say that it is bedtime in half-an-hour, and then giving notice at fifteen minutes, and then finally saying it is now bedtime, than it is to wait until bedtime and then tell the children it is time to go to bed when perhaps they are in the middle of a game or something and now they have to cut the game short.

Different children like different things at bedtime to help them sleep. Some are happy to be read a story. Although it is fun to read stories and get all involved in portraying the characters, putting on voices, and actions, this isn’t conducive for sleep. The stories need to be read in a calm and relaxed manner ideally framed for the child that they can lie down with their eyes closed, listening and imagining the story as they fall asleep. Most children accept this and enjoy imagining the story play out in their mind. The parent can then read slowly and calmly, adding emphasis and time when giving descriptions to help the child become increasingly absorbed in the inner experience. Another approach children like is for the parent to sit with them stroking their arm, back or hair. If this is done in time with their breathing, so each up-stroke is with an in-breath, and each down-stroke is with the out-breath then the stroking will build rapport with the breathing, and once the breathing is matching the stroking the parent can stroke slower or longer strokes and the breathing will deepen and the child will fall asleep. If the child wakes up during the night they can be encouraged back to bed, then the parent can calmly repeat the same again until the child falls asleep once more.

Business of Books: Jane Cable talks to Lucy Williams of Honno

Posted on February 22, 2017 by Jane Cable

This week Jane Cable talks to Lucy Williams, a committee member of Honno, the independent co-operative run by women to publish the best of Welsh women’s writing. Honno has recently celebrated its thirtieth anniversary.

What is your book related job or business?

In my day job I am an in-house technical author and a freelance Italian translator and copywriter. I am also a published creative writer. As well as being on the committee for Honno, I volunteer with the National Autistic Society helping autistic children and adults with their written communication.

I have been a committee member of Honno Welsh Women’s Press since August 2014, and have been involved in a variety of work with them including, in 2016 alone, attending Tenby Book Fair, representing Honno at the New Welsh Review’s Travel Writing Awards at Hay Festival, and being at the very special Honno 30^th birthday celebrations in Aberystwyth.

As well as face to face promotion of the Press and getting to know other publishers and authors, I have had the chance to read a number of manuscripts to comment on their suitability for publication with Honno, and my fair share of proofreading.

What is the most rewarding part of it?

I think it has to be seeing a published author’s face when they see their work in print and on the shelves. I met a couple of Honno’s authors at the Tenby Book Fair, and to be able to be involved in the behind-the-scenes process which helps authors get their stories out to the world is a real privilege. I have also found it fascinating to meet the other member of the committee who come from all different walks of life but who share the same passion for creating a platform for Welsh women writers.

What do you consider to be your major successes?

Honno has seen many successes: We celebrated our 30th anniversary last year and were interviewed on Woman’s Hour. Over that 30 years our success has been recognised in a number of literary awards from the Pandora Award to CWA dagger nominations, Wales Book of the Year and the Bread and Roses Award for Radical Publishing. Several of our books have been dramatised on Radio 4, and we recently sold the TV rights for Walking to Greenham. We are very proud of our investment of time and effort on behalf of beginning women writers who go on to achieve mainstream success. Writers such as Tessa Hadley – Booker nominated author – Julia Gregson and Kitty Sewell have moved from publication with Honno, to houses such as Vintage, Orion and Simon & Schuster. We may be small but we are determined!

Have you always loved books and what are you reading at the moment?

Books have been an important part of my professional and personal life for a long time. I have loved them since I finished my first book by myself as a child, and always knew I wanted a career which involved reading them, selling them, editing them, translating them, anything to do with literature really, and I always knew I wanted to work with others who feel the same way. I have worked for Elsevier in the Global Rights Department drawing up author contracts, and for Oxford University Press as an International Sales Rep selling their work to schools in Europe, and have proofread for the University of Wales Press. And in case I was in danger of not having enough books in my life I set up a book club called Reading Between the Wines who meet every month in South Wales.

I am currently reading The Hungry Tide by Amitav Ghosh, a wonderfully rich novel set in Bangladesh, and The White Camelliaby Juliet Greenwood, a Honno novel about the search for freedom and self-fulfilment, set in 1900s Cornwall.

About Lucy:

Lucy currently lives in Wales and spends her time as an Italian translator, technical author, and creative writer. She has had poetry published by The Emma Press, and Hysteria, and was recently a judge for the Hysteria Short Story competition.

As well as being on the committee for Honno, Lucy volunteers with the National Autistic Society as an e-befriender where she helps autistic children and adults with their written communication. When not in front of the computer with writer’s block Lucy can be found hosting her tipsy bookclub Reading Between the Wines.

www.lucyrosewilliams.com

The Business of Books: Back to Basics

Posted on February 15, 2017 by Jane Cable

Jane Cable reaches a scary moment with her next manuscript

More often than not my own blogs for The Business of Books focus on the process of being published and on marketing, marketing, and more marketing. For any writer, particularly one clinging onto a day job as well, it sometimes seems that the actual business of creating something new is relegated to the margins.

That doesn’t mean it isn’t important. In fact writing the next novel is the most important thing an author can do. If readers don’t love your book then no amount of marketing is going to put that right. And all the time I’m up to my neck in marketing Another You, my agent Felicity Trew has been waiting patiently for my next manuscript.

The working title has changed a few times so I’ve taken to calling it my Lincolnshire novel because it tells the story of an archaeologist who is sent to work in that wonderful county and discovers more about herself than she does about the site she’s digging. The settings came to me on a weekend away to celebrate our twentieth wedding anniversary when we stayed first in Lincoln itself (which oozes history from every brick) and then at the amazing Winteringham Fields restaurant and rooms on the banks of the Humber.

Getting the manuscript to a fit state to share with Felicity has taken about eighteen months. I desperately needed clear space in my diary and in my head to finish it and make sure that the plot hung together and the main characters at least were well drawn. The obvious answer was to do it on holiday.

Now I understand this wouldn’t suit everyone but it worked for me. I am blessed with an undemanding husband who is more than happy to do his own thing while I write. Even better we’d booked a two week chill break in St Lucia in preparation for what is going to be a hectic and potentially stressful year so suddenly the time I needed was there.

When the domestic and workaday issues are removed from your life (even temporarily) it is easy to feel creative. I’d been struggling with a final twist for the book (Felicity wasn’t keen on my initial idea) and something came along which while not perfect, is good enough for a draft and at least points in the right direction. Without this I hadn’t been able to finish the manuscript – I knew where I was heading but I was a few chapters short. But as I sat on my terrace overlooking the sea chapters kept falling off the ends of my fingertips and the story ended up about 10,000 words longer than I intended.

At this point, length doesn’t actually matter. This draft is so early that it will be unrecognisable by the time the book is ready to be presented to potential publishers. But nevertheless the manuscript had to be polished, the story had to be coherent, and the characters’ journeys real. I found myself almost living inside the mind of one of them, trying to see and feel the world through his eyes, and sure enough he came alive on my keyboard too.

It was almost the end of the holiday before I was ready to send the manuscript to Felicity. Much as she was dying to read it this is the scariest moment for me and I felt sick to my stomach as I pressed send. What will I do if she doesn’t like it, or doesn’t think it’s sufficiently commercial? I feel a little queasy thinking about it now, to be honest. But one thing’s for sure – whatever may be wrong with it I need to trust her judgment and work as hard as I can to put it right.

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