Often we don't notice the stringent rules to which our culture subjects us.
I know a lot of writers, and everyone works differently, but this is something that we truly have in common across all genres - the fiction has to be real inside your head.
Books have a vital place in our culture. They are the source of ideas, of stories that engage and stretch the imagination and most importantly, inspire.
I'm very aware we are the first generation ever to have such incredible opportunities to express ourselves publicly to a worldwide audience.
An eerie atmosphere leeched from the soot-damaged walls. It was as if the house had died, and yet she felt she belonged here. It was as if the old place wanted to claim her from the grave.
Researching books gets you into nothing but trouble.
I am completely unflustered by whichever medium people choose to read my words. I'm just delighted they're reading them at all!
You spill a lot of beans in historical fiction. Crime fiction is about spilling no beans at all. You spill the least beans you possibly can. So because I had already written historical fiction before...
Historical fiction of course is particularly research-heavy. The details of everyday life are there to trip you up. Things that we take for granted, indeed, hardly think about, can lead to tremendous...
In the industry, trying out new genres is not always encouraged but what I've discovered is that as a writer, a jaunt outside my comfort zone generally brings new skills to the main body of my work.
A paucity of material can open up just as many possibilities.
I'm a library user and I just don't hoard books. To me, they're for sharing.
It may take a village to raise a baby, but hell! it takes an army to produce a book.
I'd never be where I am if more successful writers hadn't taken an interest in me and done me a good turn.
Having instant feedback on twitter to research material I'm considering is an enormous help.
It's entirely possible to base an entire book on a long-forgotten letter.
I jealously guard my research time and I love fully immersing myself in those dusty old books and papers. It's one of the most enjoyable parts of my job.
A word out of place or an interesting choice of vocabulary can spawn a whole character.
Looking at my life through the lens of history has made me increasingly grateful to standout women who pushed those boundaries to make the changes from which I have benefited.
Aunts offer kids an opportunity to try out ideas that don't chime with their parents and they also demonstrate that people can get on, love each other and live together without necessarily being carbo...