Kickstart your inner author: How to write a novel by next new year

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By Tobsha Learner

Many of us dream of putting pen to paper and writing our first novel – so how can we make 2019 the year we actually do it? We asked bestselling historical novelist Tobsha Learner for her top tips…

  1. Study the masters: Before you begin writing, choose your favourite example of the genre you want to write and study it. Observe how the plot unwinds throughout the book. Make a graph noting how the subplots feed into the theme of the book and how they all build to the climax and conclusion. Look at how conflicts between characters and the obstacles they have to overcome creates tension. Note how specific characteristics make a protagonist believable… 
  2. Think about tenses and what they do psychologically to the reader before you begin writing: For example 1st person/present places them in the skin of your protagonist and moves them through the landscape right in the moment, the down side is that the description of other characters will always be through the protagonist’s eyes unless you jump tenses. Again look at your favourite books and note how the author is using tenses for different effects…
  3. Do your research – become a razor-sharp observer: For characterisation, interview and record for dialogue and specific characteristics (with permission of course). Get into the habit of eavesdropping and making notes, snippets of dialogue, psychological quirks etc. This will inspire and help build realistic and empathetic characters. For location, visit if possible, take photos, record sound, smell, and architecture. Everything to help create visceral landscape the reader can almost touch. If visiting a location is not possible, go on-line and collect images. On action/careers of characters – search out experts in that particular field and interview them. You’d be surprised how many will agree (with a promised thank you or reference at the back of the book). Just make sure you’re respectful and make it clear it’s for general atmosphere and not to use verbatim… 
  4. When you’re ready to start writing make your desk or writing place a sanctuary me-space. Make it somewhere you will end up yearning to sit and write at – define it with scented candles, fresh flowers, crystals…whatever triggers your creativity. Think about the colours and light around you that will help concentration – you don’t need a view, the view will be the world you’re creating on the page.
  5. Keep a notebook or recording device by your bed, office desk and in your handbag. Start collecting those amazing revelations or sentences that come to you first thing in the morning, in the middle of the night, a little drunk after a bad blind date…whenever it is, catch and immortalise that thought/phrase/idea. Inspiration strikes at the weirdest times, be prepared and get into the habit of collecting ideas, great phrases or snippets of dialogue you’ve overheard. You might not yet realise how you will use them in the future but a good part of writing is observation and you can do this anywhere.
  6. Be prepared to write many drafts: To over-write is better than under-writing. This allows you more choice as you hone down your narrative. Take time out between each draft to get a ‘clear eye’ on each re-write – this will give you more objectivity. I’m talking weeks not days. I call this fermentation time, and it’s important to resist the impulse to sit down and fix what you think is wrong with a draft immediately after finishing reading it… 

Tobsha Learner’s new historical thriller The Magick of Master Lilly is out now, published by Little, Brown Book Group, and priced at £8.99 in paperback and £7.99 in e-book. For more information visit tobsha.com

 

 

Quitting My £60k Job Was the Best Decision I Ever Made. Karen Holden Interview

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businesswomen , succeeding in businessKaren Holden is one impressive woman. She was a solicitor at an international practice but saw how female colleagues were ostracised during pregnancy. It made her fear for her career.  Karen also knew that the big corporate firm, would not support her need for a healthy work/life balance and Karen is a woman who wants it all.
Taking matters into her own hands, Karen launched A City Law Firm in 2008, when the UK economy was on its knees and lived off credit cards to survive.
Despite almost going bust in the first year, Karen is now celebrating 10 years in business, has an army of high profile clients and £1m plus turnover.

What was the catalyst that made you quit your job and start your own business?

Three things

  1. I wanted a family at some point in the future and I realised that a women in this sector , having a baby and family, would be difficult. I saw women passed over and treated differently and yet I knew I could still do everything as I have now proven
  2. Clients were becoming numbers and bottom line figures , whereas I still believed in delivering personal service and results
  3. So in short I was becoming disillusioned with the industry and wanted to see if I could do it differently

How do you make it a success?

I deliver what I genuinely believe in and aim to ensure all my team are on board and do the same. We are personal, supportive, specialist and experienced, but friendly and approachable service

I embrace change, disrupt the old fashion traditions, work hard and at the same time enjoy my family time

What have you learned along the way?

To never let anyone or anything stand in your way, learn from your mistakes and be proud of your battle scars.  Having good advisors, mentors and people around you is essential to success – you can never do it alone.

What advice can you give other women?

If you work hard and pick yourself up if a door closes in your face, you can have it all and succeed.  You can earn far more, have quality family life, a nice team to work with and achievable goals if you persist.

How important do you think work/life balance is?

This is fundamental and for me there is no point doing what I do if I cant have quality time with my family and friends.

I work late some week nights, so those nights I can get home early, I spend reading to my son and weekends are precious for us spending time together. Running my own business means I am fortunate to work the hours that suit my family.  If I leave early I can always pick up the work when my son is in bed as flexible working enables me to have it all

Do you think women who want families are still discriminated against? How could we fix this?

Its actually just as bad for men, trying to take paternity leave or time off for their families – we need as a society to embrace family life far more than we currently do in the UK. Likewise though, those with children do need to prove they can work just as well as those without so they don’t put on their colleagues or disillusion employers making it harder for others next in line. Working together employer and employees can often find a good balance that energises both of you which in turn is good for business.

What is your biggest tip for becoming successful?

Never take no for an answer , find another route to where you want to get and fight onwards – BUT always know you will make mistakes and learning from them is essential

5 things that make Spain a paradise for tourists

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The beautiful European country of Spain is famous for its beaches in places like Ibiza, art and architecture in cities like Madrid and Barcelona as well as food in towns like Seville. An interesting mix of art and culture make Spain a bucket list item for so many explorers around the world. You can easily book Spain Tour Packages from USA in case you want to check out the Spanish magic for yourself.

Read on to know about five things that make Spain a heaven for tourists from all over the world. 

  1. Flamenco and other such gracious dance forms can only be witnessed in Spanish streets

One of the most sensuous and beautiful dance forms in the world – Flamenco, although known to be of Romani origin,  its sound remains authentically Spanish. A hit in the Andalusia region, this exotic dance form can be enjoyed in cafes and bars in cities like Seville. If you are a tourist, watching Flamenco artists live is one of those things that should feature on your bucket list for sure.

  1. Mouth watering food, especially tapas, does not get better than this!

Tapas originated from the country and took its place in cafes, restaurants and bars all over the world. Spread over a vast variety of food, popular tapas ingredients are Jamon iberico ham, cheese and bread. Available both in vegetarian and non vegetarian forms, tapas makes Spanish food significantly different. You can also try traditional Valencian dishes like Paella which contribute to the essence of Spain. 

  1. Art of Picasso, Dali and architecture of Gaudi

Spain is famous for its architecture and artists. Picasso, the famed artist, was born in Malaga and spent his childhood in Barcelona. Similarly, the popular surrealist painter Salvador Dali grew up in Spain. You can find both of their works in museums around Spain.

While discussing art in Spain, the most popular name is that of Gaudi, the architect whose distinct work style can be seen in numerous pieces and projects spread across Barcelona. Gaudi and his work is so iconic that some time back seven of his projects were declared UNESCO World Heritage Sites. 

  1. Some of the best Football clubs in the world

If you are a fan of football, the European version, Spain is one of the best places in the world for you. Home to international clubs like Real Madrid and Barcelona, the country is full of football fanatics. During the Spanish football league, La Liga, visiting the country and watching a match is an experience you should not miss out on. Apart from football, bullfighting too is one of the popular, but controversial, sports in the country.  

  1. Wines and Sangria make for exquisite dinners

Spain is the third largest producer of wines in the world. The vineyards here are some of the biggest in the world. The local wines are tasty and iconic. And in case, you love a glass of sangria with food, Spain is the country of origin for that as well. So don’t hold back and enjoy some of the best drinks in the world here. 

A vacation in Spain can be all these things and much more. So plan your trip soon and enjoy the Spanish culture and food to the hilt!

 

Sponsored Post.

BUSINESS OF BOOKS: TAKE FOUR WRITERS – BALANCING, SHINING, HURDLING, REFLECTING

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The final word from our four writers and a heartfelt thank you to them all for sharing their writing years. Ladies – you’re an inspiration.

JACKIE BALDWIN: BALANCING

This month for me has been all about trying to balance the competing demands on my time between the day job, writing the first draft of my third crime novel and getting sorted for Christmas. My heart says write but my head says shop, clean and do the ironing! I have never been good at splitting my focus.

Tis the season to be jolly! I am a member of a wonderful crime writing community called Crime and Publishment in Gretna. Some of us are published whilst others are working on a first draft or at the submission stage.  After our Christmas meal we went round the table celebrating everyone’s writing wins, both big and small. It was heartening to hear how far we have come since our first year in 2014.

For me this time of year is always a time for reflection. To remember those people and animals who are no longer with us but lit up our lives, to be grateful for those who are still here and to think about where I want to direct my energies in the brand new shiny year to come.

It has been a pleasure to share my writing journey with you all this year. Wishing you all a very merry Christmas and a happy New Year.

ANGELA PETCH: SHINING

December Frost:  sparkly, ice-cold, sharp, and a fitting way to skate away from a year of monthly reports. I shall miss them: it’s been a way of focussing during quite a year.

December 1st, I launched my self-published “Mavis and Dot”, and, promoted by a Blog Tour, it’s going well. My shiny new banner helped pull in interested readers. On the following Saturday, I manned a successful book stall outside Arundel Cancer Research Shop. All profits from M and D are destined for this charity.  A sequel has been requested; I’m thinking up scenarios for the two ladies.

Edits for Bookouture are 99% done for the first Tuscan novel commissioned for Spring 2019, (no title yet), and I’ve written a couple of chapters for the second. The rest is in my head. This year I will pin to paper.

Thanks so much to Jane and my trio of friendly authors. New friendships made, new goals formed. Good luck to us all, happy Christmas and 2019.

 

CLAIRE DYER: HURDLING

So, another year has gone by and I’m definitely a year older, but no wiser I fear!

Some highlights have been (in no particular order): my kids are doing OK; Mr Dyer is well and busy; my cats are still my friends; my novel The Last Day was published and I’ve been working on another two books since which has been both a challenge and a joy; it looks like there may be a new poetry collection in 2021.

Some lowlights have been (in no particular order): my mother’s dementia; the state of the nation; I don’t seem to be ageing like Dame Judi Dench, more like Ena Sharples; Hollywood still hasn’t called to offer to make my book into a movie!

And, as ever, there have been hurdles as is the case of the writer’s life. No sooner are we over one, then another appears. Sometimes they trip us up; sometimes we sail over them, landing gracefully on the other side a bit like a gazelle. And, as ever, there’s no saying which the next one will be as I sit here at the year’s end with the echo of the starting pistol and the crowd’s roar in my ear.

LUCY COLEMAN: REFLECTING

As the year draws to a close it’s a time when I reflect upon the highlights and low points of my working year. But more importantly it’s when I set new goals for the year ahead.

It has been my second most successful year as an author to date, for which I’m incredibly grateful. Hitting the no. 5 spot in the UK Kindle chart with ‘Snowflakes Over Holly Cove’, my second novel writing as Lucy Coleman, was beyond any dream I ever had. The goals I set are never about the results, but about the work required to keep honing my skills.

My goal for 2018 was to write four new books. Tick. And the first novella in a new little project with a new pen name. Tick.

My goal for 2019? Four new books and the second novella.

I write because it’s my passion and I write from the heart. The happiness and fulfilment is in the creation, because it is a little like the lottery. In this case fate is in the hands of the legion of wonderful reviewers and readers who choose your book. And that’s humbling.

Wishing everyone a 2019 filled with happiness, love and good health. And to the incredible Jane Cable and my fellow writers, you are all an inspiration!

 

Exclusive Paddy Ashdown Interview ‘I Am Devoted To The Liberal Democrats’

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Here is part three of our exclusive Paddy Ashdown interview. Take a look at part one and two.

That’s a good answer. In your diaries you are clear about how close you were to Labour before and after the ’97 election, and that PR was the price of coalition. Given that the Lib Dems eventually went into coalition with the Tories, with just a promise of a referendum on AV, how do you think events would have unfolded if you’d accepted a similar deal in ’97?”

I don’t know. I mean I can’t take you through the what would have happened parts of history. I suspect the circumstances would have been very different if we also had the referendum on a sensible system rather than a lesser sensible one. I don’t think you would have had the leading party in the country at the time deliberately doing what they could at the time to destroy the motion and the national newspapers at the time supporting them. That is the ‘what would have happened’ bits of history and we could all spend hours deciding how the world would be different  if Britain hadn’t won the battle of Waterloo; It’s very interesting but it doesn’t bear much relevance.

Paddy_Ashdown_3You also said in your diaries that you were worried that the party would start with Gladstone and end with Ashdown, what do you think was your greatest achievement as the Liberal Democrat Leader?

I have never ever believed that I am a good judge of my own achievements, I leave that to others to decide on what your achievements are. I was very proud to lead the Liberal Democrats for eleven years, I loved it, I am devoted to them. I was also very proud to be the International High Representative in Bosnia for the British Government.  No doubt I made mistakes in both of those jobs, probably quite a lot of them. When you have the privilege of doing jobs like that you can use it to your advantage and I quickly realised what I was good at and what I was bad at.

What do you think will happen with the Liberal Democrats in 2015?

I actually think all the polls now are wrong. I have to rely, as I always have done, on the good judgement of the british electorate, I think we have a good story to tell, we have been in government, everyone said we couldn’t do it. I think we have been more united than the Tories, tougher than the Tories, and played a really serious role in bringing our country through a crisis. If I know the British electorate at all well, when the moment comes, I think we’ll reap the dividends of that. I also think that the British electorate probably, having had the benefit of the coalition may not be very happy returning to absolute power in anybody’s hands. Also, having a coalition of some sort forces people to work together instead of spending all their time scratching each other’s eyes out. Maybe that is a much better system than what we had in the past. Those two things will help us I think.
Who Is Your Favourite Politician?

I think as someone said to me; ‘Who is my hero?’ and I said William Wilberforce who is as unlike me as you could possibly get, apart from Gladstone of course, who is the greatest Prime Minister this country has ever had both internationally and domestically, he was a man who said, “We did not march across the law of anti-slavery, we did not march towards a monument in the distance, we gathered friends like flowers along the way.” and I think he was an extraordinary politician.

Do you think we should have intervened in Syria?

No, I don’t. I’m against intervening in Syria while the opposition is so fractured and defused. Anyways, they’re being funded by extremist elements and encouraging extremist elements so, no, I thought that would lead us towards an engagement in what I think is a widening religious war. I did however think we should intervene in defense of one of the principles pillars of international law; a prohibition on the use of chemical weapons that has stood since 1926 and strained even Hitler and Stalin, and I thought that unless we were prepared to show strength to Assad, not by intervention because we wouldn’t have done, but there was a price to pay that was painful for breaking this principle of international law, then it would only have encouraged the wider spread of chemical weapons. So, no, I don’t think we should have intervened in Syria but I do think we should defend International Law and indeed one of the most important pillars of the international law that preserves some semblance of civilised behaviour in the prosecution of wars.

You testified against Slobodan Milosevic. Was that scary?

No, it wasn’t scary. It was more scary being bombarded by his troops. I mean, I testified about being in the middle of the Albanian villages when they were being bombarded by the main battle units of his army, that was much more scary.

I can understand that. You have done a lot of different things in your life. What is your favourite?

I think there is nothing I’ve done that will match my sense of pride of being a member of parliament for my own community of Yeovil. There is no thing you could ever do that matched being the representative in Westminster of the community you live in and love. So if somebody said you can have one line to put on your gravestone it would be ‘Member of Parliament for Yeovil’.

What was it like being an intelligence officer?

I was a perfectly ordinary diplomat

What is the best advice you have ever received?

Never stop learning.

Thank you Paddy.

 What do you think?

Exclusive: Paddy Ashdown On Clegg, The Tories, The Liberal Democrats & The NHS

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Part two of our Interview with Paddy Ashdown. Here he talks about politics. Part three will be up tomorrow. Let us know what you think. Part one, where he talks about writing and his books,  is here.

Do you mind if I ask you some political questions as well?

No, go on.

Would you prefer the Liberal Democrats to side with Labour at the next election?

That is a matter not for me or my preference but it is a matter for the British electorate voting in the ballot box.

Do you think Nick Clegg has been true to liberal values?

Absolutely. I think he is remarkable. I think he is…I am devoted to the man, I think he is one of the most brilliant politicians in Britain today. Hugely, publicly, under-rated. He’s got very, very good judgement. He’s got extraordinary courage and he is a liberal down to the marrow of his bones. So I think he’d undoubtedly make the best Prime Minister that you could have today.

He has a very hard job. Doesn’t he? 

It’s a thankless job. I did it for eleven years and let me tell you it is the most thankless job  because you represent the only philosophy: liberalism, that makes any sense.

He has it tough because generally people don’t seem to like the Tories

No they don’t like the Tories and I don’t like them either. I spent my life fighting them. If the public elects a coalition where the only coalition that can have a majority in the House of Commons inherently, mathematically, adds up to ourselves and the Tories do they really want people that don’t listen to them?, the public democratic view. And you better ask yourself what they like best. Do they really like the complete and utter corrupt mess this country was left in by Labour, which would have bankrupted young people for the next twenty years or do they like two parties that put aside their differences for the national interest and work together to get us out of the worst recession we have had since the 1930s and back on the path of growth. Which of these two would you prefer?

I agree with that, Labour left the country in a very big mess.

Absolutely. People have likes and dislikes in politics and what I’m interested in is doing what’s right for my country. That is what I have always been interested in and if the Liberal Democrats pay an electoral price for that, and I think they will by the way, if they did, if I was doing what I believed to be right for my country and helping it out of a crisis then I am proud of that and that’s what politics is for.

Do you think the Liberal Democrats made an error over tuition fees?

Yes, they made an error by promising it when it couldn’t be delivered. We’ve been in opposition for a hundred years, we haven’t been in government, so of course from time to time decisions which were driven to a certain extent by opportunism. I said at the time that we were making a promise that I didn’t think in the economic climate could be delivered. If we had been in government by ourselves I think we might have decided to sacrifice other things in order to deliver what we promised but we weren’t in government, we were in coalition. So, no, neither parties manifesto has been in operation. Both parties have had to make some compromises. I don’t call that anti-democratic. I call that the operation of democracy.

Do you think the NHS is being privatised?

What concerns me more than anything else isn’t who owns the NHS but how the public is served. How the citizen is served. For instance, even under the last government, under Mr Blair’s government, I had to have some health checks done and I went to a private organisation run under contract from the health service as an alternative means of delivering health services, that is; free at the point of delivery health services, and they did a wonderful job. Now I could have gone to a health service hospital, it’s all paid out of our taxes, it’s all paid by the national health service. One of those organisations was privately run, one was publicly run. It doesn’t matter who runs it. I don’t believe in private health but if there is a private provider providing to the health service under health service conditions and they can do it better for the costumer, then that is surely what you want. I mean I don’t believe the argument that says private/public is the necessary argument. I am strongly in favour of public services being offered free at the point of delivery and paid for on taxation, but who actually runs the organisation that delivers it is far less important to me than how well the citizen is served.

I agree with that. That is a question we get asked a lot but I got an MRI on my back and it was done through the NHS via a private company and they did an amazing job. Very professional, very quick.

Yes, that’s right. If you had a monopoly public service I don’t even think it would be a better public service. It needs competition. It makes people live up to the mark. I bet you there were more people abused and receiving bad service and ignorant service when the NHS was a public monopoly. I don’t believe in public monopoly. I believe in things being paid for either by taxation, free at the point of delivery but then who does that?, providing it is subject to inspection and national control is a matter of irrelevance.

 

Exclusive Paddy Ashdown Interview: On His Books

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Paddy Ashdown has been a Royal Marine, the leader of the Liberal Democrats for eleven years, High Representative for Bosnia and Herzegovina, and is a life peer in the House of Lords. On top of that he has written 8 books, with the 8th coming out on the 5th of June. I can’t wait as I have loved all of his other books. I interviewed him about his books and politics. Here is part one.

Did you get the idea for A Brilliant Little Operation: The Cockleshell Heroes and the Most Courageous Raid of World War 2 while you were a member of the Royal Marines elite Special Boot Squadron?

No, my publisher approached me and said ‘it’s the 70th anniversary how about writing the book’. Which is my seventh book. I am just about to produce my 8th so it was a natural subject really.

What is your 8th book about?

The 8th book is about the largest resistance battle with the Germans in the Second World War. It is called A Terrible Victory, about the Vercors plateau on June 1944 and it was the biggest resistance German battle in Western Europe. [Learn more about the book here. It is about the chronicle of the French Resistance during World War Two]

That sounds fascinating. You have written quite a lot of books. Do you have a favourite?

I think the one I am working on now is always my favourite. I love writing books and whatever you’re working on consumes your mind so it is always the one you are most thinking about.

You’re books are very good. They are always very factual and have lots of history in them. How do you go about writing them. What is your writing schedule?

Writing The Brilliant Little Operation, and the one I am going to produce, Harper Collins will publish it on the 5th of June, takes me about three years of research. I mean, I start writing before then and overall I don’t like writing unless I have all of the research it is possible to get. Normally the whole process will take my three and a half to four years. Of which three years is spent on research. Going to the wonderful archive museum in Britain, the National Archives in Britain. In the case of both of my most recent books, to the Château de Vincennes in Paris, In France there are three key archives you have to go to. And also the Bauhaus-Archiv in Germany.

I spend a lot of time in archives. In writing my present book I have read sixty other books on the subject, all of them in French. In writing a Brilliant Little Operation I have read four books before and a lot of research. So research is very important.

You can really tell that when you read your books.

Thank you, that’s kind. That’s very generous.

Tomorrow: The Liberal Democrats, the Conservatives, Nick Clegg, Labour and the NHS: Exclusive interview.

 

Last Minute Gifts:

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So you’ve left it to the last minute but we still have time to get standard delivery on most websites so here’s what we picked out for you…

Vanilla Reindeer,

We simply loved their personalised gifts, with chocolate boxes or simply personalised gift wrap, give someone special something extra unique adorned with their face or yours or memories you share together. We picked out a personalised truffle set for someone this Christmas and we were totally impressed by the quality the speedy delivery and more importantly, they were delish! We also loved their bottle bags and range of personalised gift boxes which will impress all year round. They are currently running 30% off all Christmas Gifts and free delivery with a spend over £30.

www.vanillareindeer.com

Drinks in a Tube;

It is what it says on the… tube. As part of their Christmas collection, Drinks in a tube are providing customers with various spirits tubed as well as a selection of Vodka and Gin Christmas crackers. We tried the Premium Red Wine tasting set which comes with five premium French reds including St Emilion Grand Cru and Santenay Rouge to name a few. Each tube is 100 ml which makes it just the perfect size to travel with. 

http://www.drinksinatube.co.uk

 ScandiKitchen;

Their London bakery is serving up a host of Nordic goodies up until 23rd December and expect to find such things as, Beautiful Swedish and Norwegian Hampers filled with sweets, wines, beers, and chocolate. We recommend the Limoncello Mulled Wine. The Blossa has notes of rosemary, thyme and basil and evoke a typical Nordic Christmas. This year they recommend serving it with some sparkling wine as a delicious aperetif. We also need to mention the beautiful and unique bottle which would make a show-stopping gift and displaying the colours of the Mediterranean sea. 

ScandiKitchen is located at 

61 Great Titchfield Street, London, W1W 7PP