Book Club

What are the biggest challenges you face as a writer? Some possible solutions…

by Alison Morton

This month and the next, I’m doing some quick-fire answers to the most commonly reported problems writers face.

Editing while writing

Problem: The temptation to go back to the previous day’s work and edit it until it’s perfect is overwhelming. But scenes will never be perfect because you can always think of new things to add or delete. Solution: Develop the habit of continuing where you left off when you sit down again to work. Once you become absorbed in what you’re currently writing, you’ll be able to leave the previous work alone. Editing comes when you’ve finished the whole thing.

Never-ending research

Problem: Research is crucial whatever your genre or subject. Extensive research is even better. But there is only so much time you can devote to research because you have a book to write. But becoming enthralled in the useless research tunnel is a huge problem and a major time suck. Solution: Concentrate on specific research topics and seek out reputable sources for your research so you can get it finished efficiently without spending all your time on it.

Distracted by the internet

Problem: You’re sitting at your laptop to write and you find yourself checking your email, then your social media accounts. Next, you start following links and before you know it, you’re frittering time away. Solution: You have a job to do, so work for a specific time, e.g. an hour, two hours before you even log on. Set a time, e.g. 12 noon for fifteen minutes when you could ‘reward’ yourself with a little time-waste. Put your phone in another room while writing.

Forgetting brilliant ideas

Problem: You’re out with friends or travelling to work and suddenly the perfect solution to a plot problem drops into your head. By the time you have finished whatever you are doing, the idea has faded away. Solution: A habit of carrying a notebook (or even a scrap of paper) and a pencil on you should solve this problem. Or you could use Notes on your phone and tap down your thoughts quickly.

Lack of partner support

Problem: Many writers face lack of understanding and support from their partners or spouses. Your partner might push you to get on with housework, decorating or gardening just when you want to write. Solution: This is a serious problem that can only be solved by having a heart-to-heart talk with your spouse. Claim your working hours but also be available for your partner’s needs. You should be able to work at your job just as they do!

Overwriting

Problem: You simply seem unable to stop writing even when the point of that particular piece has long been explained and finished. You are bursting not just with ideas, but also with words that seem to spill out.

Solution: Find an editor, preferably a ruthless editor who will cut down on the size of your work to a more readable level. You can be sure your readers don’t want to read a novel with superfluous padding!

Not enough time to write

Problem: With a full time job, a partner, children or just all the stuff of Real Life, you may find making the time to write seriously very difficult. Everything seems to eat into your writing time. Solution: While it is important to earn money, do routine life jobs and give time to your relationships, you must steel yourself to miss out on some relaxation activities such as bombing out in front of the television. Be disciplined and organize your schedule to fit in everything you need to do. Waking up half an hour earlier in the morning and using this for writing is a good way to start the day. More Q&A next month. In the meantime, happy writing!

Alison has compiled a selection of articles from this column into ‘The 500 Word Writing Buddy’, available on Amazon (click here). Her latest thriller, Double Pursuit, part set in Poitou, is now out.

This Month’s Book Reviews

Glass Half Full by Caro Feely

Review by Jacqui Brown

My local author review this month is for Glass Half Full, the third memoir about raising a family on an organic vineyard in Saussignac, Dordogne, by Caro Feely. Running a vineyard is not an easy life. Since day one, Caro and Sean have invested time, money and their hearts into the vineyard. Caro takes us through each stage of the organic wine making process - work that never ceases and that can be affected by many things, all year round, that they have no control over. To market their brand then takes more time, money and effort. In addition to this, Caro established herself as an expert wine tour guide of the region, something she enjoys and ultimately helps their wine sales, but also has to fit into her already busy schedule. At times it seemed Sean and Caro each had so much to do there was no time left for each other.

This book is Caro’s journey to take back control. She shares the dark times, and also the hope; that by getting in some help, learning to listen to her body and making time for each other, things will begin to move in the right direction. There are times when this is a difficult read, but there are also times when their enthusiasm is contagious. I really felt part of their daily life and thanks to Caro's beautifully worded descriptions I could visualise the vineyards and the views, and taste the meals (and wine), grown by Sean and served at the family table. This book has been out for a while, but I have it on good authority that book four in this series of memoirs is on its way and I can’t wait.

Date With Betrayal by Julia Chapman

Review by Jacqui Brown

I’ve been a huge fan of Julia’s writing since I first fell into Fogas, the community she created in the Pyrenees and the series of novels that brought this typical French mountain village to life. With the Dales Detective Series, the location may have changed to the wilds of the Yorkshire Dales, but Julia’s eye for detail and ability to bring a fictional community to life is still very much there. This is book seven in a series that just keeps on giving.

The danger that has been following Bruncliffe black sheep, Samson O’Brien since his return from London has just got closer to home and his business partner Delilah must work out who can be trusted as she attempts to protect him. In the time she has been around the disgraced Met detective, Delilah has picked up a few tips and by playing on the strengths of those around her, prepares the townsfolk to do their best against an invisible threat. What they lack in skills and experience, they make up for in grit, determination and enthusiasm.

I tried to take my time when reading this book, to savour every Yorkshire nuance and enjoy every twist and turn in the plot. I wanted to keep a clear head so I could draw my own conclusions and work out where it was taking me. However, from the first page, time took on a life of its own as I devoured chapter after chapter, barely having time to breathe.

As the events of an extraordinary day in Bruncliffe slowly play out, each minute ticking by only adding to the drama, the suspense was palpable. It is a cruel pen that makes the reader suffer alongside characters they have come to love. A small victory for the community is followed by another twist, and my heartrate rose once more, and then the next minute, I’m laughing - being in Bruncliffe has this effect on me. The combination of the attention to detail in the mannerisms of the characters and the complexity of the storyline make me believe I’m there, in the pub, at the allotment or over at the Dales Detective Agency, with Tolpuddle the dog carefully keeping watch.

This book is pure escapism from life, but be warned, if you read one book, you will want to read them all.

Smog by Isabelle llasera

Review by Jocelyn Simms

Isabelle llasera’s engaging style takes the reader, without preamble, straight to the heart of the story she is telling. Her empathy and compassion for her characters bring them vividly alive, laying bare their strengths, weaknesses, hopes and desires. There is an autobiographical element and in Smog, the title chapter, we learn to appreciate the impact of language and its structure on the developing psyche. The author was brought up in London but her family’s heritage is Provençal. The sense of not quite belonging will resonate with anyone who has lived in more than one country or who has experienced the contrast of rural versus urban living. The everyday is described in a sensuous manner with the sounds and smells of the environment enveloping the reader with dizzying delight. The deep rifts of history are examined: the wrongs that can never be righted, the hurts that fester and re-emerge. Three linked stories intriguingly explore lust and its consequences amongst a closely-knit community in the South of France. The sequence concludes with an account of the callous displacement of an ancient village. A richly satisfying collection which stays in the mind.