All posts in category Writing

Dealing with reader expectations

This week the final book in the Sookie Stackhouse vampire series by Charlaine Harris (adapted as True Blood for TV) is being released. I’ve enjoyed this series from book one and am looking forward to reading the last one but the author has discovered that some fans can be a little over zealous when it comes to a successful books series. In this interview she describes the pressure that she’s feeling, the threats she’s had from ‘fans’ over her ending the series and how they expect the series to end, especially who Sookie will end up with. It has caused Ms Harris to decide not to do any promotion for the last book, which is a huge shame for readers who would have loved her to sign the final book regardless of how the book ends.

The books series is a long one – the final book is number thirteen and as a writer I can’t begin to imagine how hard it is to write that many books about the same characters, to juggle the number of characters and plot lines the series has and to still make each book it’s own story. It’s a real achievement and it’s a shame that some readers can’t enjoy the books there are and realise it’s time for the author to move on. I’d rather the series ends than read sub-par books that make it obvious the author just doesn’t care anymore. After reading the last book, I have my own ideas who I want Sookie to end up with BUT I’m well aware this is Ms Harris’ story to tell and it’s up to her to end it how she want to.

It’s kind of a double edge sword – you’d love your series to be popular and to have passionate fans but it must be so scary to receive death threats and abuse from them. On her Facebook page the author revealed that someone has posted the series ending and asked fans not to spoil it for others. I stopped reading the comments because people were even posting the ending on there after such a polite request not to. I just don’t understand why you would want to do that. I want to read the book for myself – it’s the only way you’ll understand why an ending was chosen and you might find you like it after all.

I hope Ms Harris can be proud of her series and that she will continue to take pleasure in writing. And I hope the fans will understand why she wanted to end the series on a high and why she chose the ending did. And above all remember that it’s only fiction after all

How do you think you’d deal with reader expectations on how a series should end?

Victoria

xoxo

10 Comments

by Victoria-writes on May 6, 2013 • Permalink

Posted in Books, Musings, Writing

Tagged book, Charlaine Harris, musings, Sookie Stackhouse, writing

Posted by Victoria-writes on May 6, 2013

http://victoria-writes.com/2013/05/06/dealing-with-reader-expectations/

Sharing your dream

This photo was on Facebook the other day and it struck me how true a statement it is. I remember how scared I was about telling people I had written a book, it felt like I was revealing a part of my soul and I was nervous they’d laugh or sneer. Luckily that didn’t happen but even now I’ve got over the sharing part, having your dream out in the open still produces insecurity and anxiety.

The problem with sharing your dream is that everyone starts waiting for that dream to come true.

Now that people know I want to be a published author, I am sometimes struck with panic about it not coming true. Having a secret dream is easier, if you fail no one knows and you can act like nothing happened but when everyone knows what you’re aiming for, they will also know if you don’t achieve it.

The only way I’ve been able to talk myself out of this fear is remembering that not everyone tries to make their dreams come true. And this is so important. Because you can’t fail if you try, you only fail if you don’t or you give up. It’s often said that you should never regret the things you do, only those you don’t and it’s better to say ‘oh well’ than ‘what if?’ What if is a scary concept and I’m glad that I decided to chase my dream. Yes, I worry about having to tell people my dream isn’t coming true but I know I’d be worse off if I wasn’t trying to make it come true.

Fear is a huge thing. Somehow writers seem to end up with self-doubt circling our heads on a daily basis but we write because we love to do it and the dream that someone will read our words and be moved or inspired by them makes the dark days worth it.

I don’t know if my dream will come true and yes I am scared that it won’t but I’m glad I’m trying to make it happen.

Were your scared to share your dream with people?

Victoria

xoxo

11 Comments

by Victoria-writes on April 12, 2013 • Permalink

Posted in inspiration, Musings, Writing

Tagged inspiration, musings, writing

Posted by Victoria-writes on April 12, 2013

http://victoria-writes.com/2013/04/12/sharing-your-dream/

Have YA writers never grown up?

Last weekend I finally got around to watching the film Young Adult. The title of this post is a quote from the film, the context is this:

Mavis: “You can come to the city with me like we always planned.”
Buddy: “Mavis, I’m a married man.”
Mavis: “I know we can beat this thing, together.”

The film is about a ghostwriter of a previously popular YA series that’s now being cancelled (I imagined Sweet Valley High obv) called Mavis who heads back to her hometown convinced she belongs with her high school sweetheart Buddy despite the fact he’s married with a new baby. It’s a dark comedy and I really enjoyed it but be warned Mavis is not a likeable character – selfish and insensitive and likely an alcoholic. She also can’t get high school out of her head.

It got me thinking about us YA writers – we are writing about teenagers for teenagers and I can see how you can get stuck in your past as you remember things that happened to you at that age or write a book about things you wish had happened to you. Mavis as a character is of course extreme and I’m sure no YA writer is that mean (well, I hope not) but watching her lying on the sofa with the Kardashian’s on in the background and her writing not going anywhere, I did catch a little glimpse of myself She also has a little dog that I want …

But for me writing YA is fun. I love reading it. I like writing and reading about the thrill of a first kiss, falling in love for the first time, overcoming bad situations, finding yourself. There are no limits. Thinking about my book I don’t think there is much of my teenage years in there (although it is set in the part of the world I live) but maybe I write the kind of book I would have wanted to read when I was a teenager. And the kind of one I want to read now as an “adult”. More adults read YA than teenagers and maybe it’s because we are all nostalgic for our earlier years, maybe we don’t want to grow up or maybe whatever age you are, you want to fall in love with stories and characters whatever shape and age they come.

And even though us YA writers spend a lot of time in the world of YA, I doubt many of us would actually want to go back to our teen years. For one thing we know what we like now and most importantly we can afford to buy our own books

So I’ll leave you with another quote from the film when someone from Mavis’ high school spots her in a local bar:

Matt: You move back?

Mavis: Of course not… gross.

Do you think YA writers haven’t grown up?

Victoria

xoxo

8 Comments

by Victoria-writes on April 11, 2013 • Permalink

Posted in Films, Musings, Writing

Tagged films, musings, writing, young adult

Posted by Victoria-writes on April 11, 2013

http://victoria-writes.com/2013/04/11/i-know-we-can-beat-this-thing-together/

When a series ends

I’ve never written a books series but I might one day and it kind of terrifies me. When a series becomes popular, the expectations from readers are key high and so many become disappointed when the author ends things in a way they didn’t expect or like. I just finished the final book in Lauren Oliver’s Delirium series, which got me thinking on this subject. I loved the first two books (see here) and was desperate to read the third.

This series is a YA dystopian story about a society where love is treated as a disease and everyone is cured when they reach a certain age of the ability to love. The main character Lena is desperate to avoid getting sick before her cure date until she meets Alex and learns exactly what love is and then begins her fight to save it. The second book ended with a big cliffhanger and this book picks up three days later – Lena is on the run with the resistance, torn between two boys and unsure whether they can survive against the Government and rough life in the Wilds.

What’s interesting about this series is that each book has a different structure – the first book is told from Lena’s point of view and includes extracts from Government propaganda about love; the second is told from Lena again but flits between the past and present, and the final book is spilt between Lena and her ex best friend Hana who has been cured. I think the different structures work and help keep us hooked – you never know what’s coming next and Requiem shows us what it’s like for someone in society fighting for love to be banned and someone who’s desperate to change things. I’ve read some disappointed reviews about how the book ends with some loose ends for you to interpret but what I enjoyed was the focus on the individual and their story. Yes they take place in the wider fight against the Government but we stay focused on the characters we know.

Ultimately, this story is about love and when love is banned, the choices and risks people take to fight for it. I think it’s clever that it doesn’t paint society as completely wrong or the resistance as completely right – it’s hard in the Wilds, people turn on each other and die from the elements, starvation or fighting with the authorities and in society, some are doing really well but others are poor, some find the cure has made then calmer and more focused, some find it didn’t work. There’s no black and white – the characters have to make their choices again and again.

Overall I’d highly recommend this series. I like how it broke rules and ended in a way us readers can debate. I feel for the author and how some are pleased and others not as she write a brilliant first book and expectations were high. I don’t know whether I’ll ever write a series but I definitely learned some things from this one and it kept me entertained right to the end, which I guess is all you can really ask for from a book series.

Has a books series ever disappointed you?

Victoria

xoxo

8 Comments

by Victoria-writes on April 2, 2013 • Permalink

Posted in Books, Reviews, Writing

Tagged book reviews, Lauren Oliver, writing

Posted by Victoria-writes on April 2, 2013

http://victoria-writes.com/2013/04/02/when-a-series-ends/

Writing rules

This picture has been floating around Facebook and made me laugh out loud (yep LOL for real):

There are so many “rules” writers are supposed to follow, it becomes exhausting to try to read and follow them all. Especially for new writers it can be so easy to look up all the writing rules and try desperately not to make a mistake. Sometimes though your creativity can be stumped and let’s be honest, rules are made to be broken right?

Some rules are necessary like showing not telling although from my own experience this can be tough to get right or word counts – don’t send an agent a 200,000 word novel and some are there because some things have become cliches like beginning your novel with your main character waking up. But even so, there are exceptions out there. Divergent by Veronica Roth, for example, is a book I loved and has been really successful – look out for the film version soon – and it opens with the main character looking at herself in the mirror – one of the no-no’s if you read the “rules”. It works in Divergent though because the character is only allowed to look at her reflection when her mum cuts her hair once a year – straight away we know she’s in a different world and we’re intrigued about it. Technically, Ms Roth broke a rule though.

In my own book, I have broken one of these “rules” by using flashbacks. A lot of writing tips sites and books say not to use this device but it’s in there and my agent even encouraged me to add more of them. If I’d listened to and followed the rules out there, I may not have written the same book.

A recent article in the Guardian made me really angry by criticising writers on how they use Twitter – again giving us more rules to follow. You can read the article here. Writers find Twitter useful because generally we’re working alone and it allows us to communicate with other writers and when we’re published, with our readers. And let’s face it, we’re often full to the brim with self-doubt so if someone on there says something nice about our books, we are going to be flattered and hell, even retweet it. So, what? I think you should be yourself on social networking and run your Twitter how you way to – obviously, if you’re kind of mean you’re not going to get anywhere but you should be free to interact with your fans. If I ever get a 5* review, you can be sure I’ll shout about it

I suppose this post is a rather long-winded way of saying that your writing (and social networking) needs to be your creation, you need to find and express your voice in the only way you can and this might mean breaking some of those writing “rules”. I don’t think any truly successful book has ever got to that point by being quiet – they’ve got there by being different and shouting about those differences. Even if you think they’re badly written (naming no names here but you can guess) they’ve made a splash and I think if you want to, you need to follow your own path.

What do you think about writing rules? Have you ever broken them?

Victoria

xoxo

25 Comments

by Victoria-writes on March 26, 2013 • Permalink

Posted in inspiration, Writing

Tagged inspiration, writing

Posted by Victoria-writes on March 26, 2013

http://victoria-writes.com/2013/03/26/writing-rules/

Meet the author: Elizabeth Arroyo – The Second Sign

Elizabeth and I connected through our blogs and sent each other stories to critique. She was the first person to read the story that landed me an agent I gave Liz feedback on another story but it was her book The Second Sign that landed her a publishing deal. I finally read the book after waiting ages for it to come out and I thought it was fab. I’d describe it as a YA supernatural thriller about a girl and boy who find themselves caught up in the war between angels and demons. It’s fast paced, full of action and romance and well worth reading.

The Goodreads summary of The Second Sign: Bred to believe in the war between angels and demons, Gabby has come to the conclusion that love is responsible for war, jealousy, and all the other deadly sins she can think of. So when she’s exiled to the middle of nowhere for getting kicked out of her fifth school for fighting, she doesn’t expect to meet Jake. Much less fall in love. But Jake is quickly drawn to the eerie beauty of her violet eyes while Gabby is unsettled by their undeniable connection.

When a demon guardian comes to collect her soul, she refuses to give it up. She’s not a demon. She can’t be. Her father and twin brother are angels. The demon gives Gabby twenty-four hours to decide her allegiance, and then starts killing her short list of friends, leaving a message behind: She is the Second Sign.

As Gabby and Jake begin to unravel the mystery behind the Second Sign, she learns Jake may be the key to saving her soul. But it means a sacrifice has to be made that will change their lives forever.

How did you come up with the idea for The Second Sign?

The idea came to me in a dream. Weird, I know. During construction of my basement, I dreamt one of the workers, dressed in red coveralls, entered my bathroom without a word. After a few minutes, he came out, stepped into the light, and exploded. But before he exploded he mentioned the second something. Second coming, second sign…something that I needed to get a grasp on. And after doing some research I found the biblical reference of the Second Sign. And a story was born.

The book creates a world where angels and demons are at war – did you have to do any research for the book and what interested you about these creatures?

I’ve always been afraid of demons. As a kid my dad would tell us stories about how the devil roamed the countryside taking a form of a man with a goats hoof. Kinda explains why I came out the way I did…lol.

Anyway…I always wanted to write something scary and since demons scare the crap out of me, and after the weird dream, I went with it. Now the angels are a different story. They were harder to grasp. But after seeing some images as to how angels are portrayed. I started to fill in the blanks using my creative license. The element of free-will and the theory that love, hate, and everything in between is inherent in ALL living beings was born. Yes, even demons.

You write the story from both Gabby and Jake’s point of view – how did you draw their characters and did you find it challenging to juggle two POV’s?

I have always been curious with the whole nature vs. nurture question. Are we a product of our experiences in the world, or our biology? Or both? I drew Gabby’s character with that thought in mind. She’s half angel, her biology dictates that. But she is also experiencing the world through a different view point than her angel brother. This internal conflict drives her.

I wanted Jake to be her complete opposite. While she is pessimistic, he sees hope. While she doesn’t trust anyone, he trusts her. He is her better half. And he experiences the most change in his character arc at the end.

Writing from both POV’s was a challenge because I wanted it to be alternating chapters and I needed to show certain things through the viewpoint that made more sense, so I structured the scenes around the chapters.

There will be a sequel to the book (yay!) – did you find it difficult deciding how many answers to give the reader and how much to hold back for the next book?

Yes! I wanted TSS to have a mysterious element. Who did it? I didn’t want the answers to be obvious. During the querying stage of book one, I only had the first three chapters of book two outlined with a broad overview of the theme. But after book one published I started connecting the dots and they fell in place a bit too perfectly. Let’s just say, I expect that most of what went unanswered in book one is touched on in book two, hopefully, seamlessly. I relied on my betas and crit partners for book one to let me know how confused they were

Who is your favourite character in the book and why?

I actually fell in love with Pat. I am drawn to dark, broken characters. I had a lot of questions for Pat. But I also had to keep it elusive because book one wasn’t about him and I didn’t want to move the focus away from Gabby and Jake.

There is a lot of death and destruction in the book – was it important to you to not to sugarcoat anything for your YA audience?

This is such a great question! The first murder scene I wrote was Marty’s possession, and it happened during the first draft with little thought on my part. If that makes sense. It just happened. After she does what she does and enters her brother’s room I stopped writing. I had to pull away and regroup. I asked myself what the eff is going on? How could she? Why is this scene important? Is it too dark?

I realized then the story I was writing was dark. I also realized this was a pivotal point in the story to show the dangerous situation Gabby faced that would ultimately lead her down a path I wanted her to follow. Yes. It was necessary. I brainstormed it with my son. He loved it. I kept it. It wasn’t until after the reviews came in that I realized the reason why it was so dark. I wrote it in the POV of Marty. The person doing the action. It wasn’t a bystander looking in, but us looking out. And I think that changed the level of intimacy with the scene and the level of fear.

The tone of the book and the battle between angels and demons reminded me of TV show Supernatural – did you have any inspirations that fed into The Second Sign?

Ha! I’m so happy you asked this. Actually, no. But I found Supernatural after I started submitting. I had posted the first 250 words for review during a contest on my blog and one of the bloggers mentioned that it sounded like Supernatural. I’m like…yeah, it is supernatural. Then I looked it up and I found Dean. **swoons** I did a whole week of catching up on netflix. My son is now urging me to add the car in book two. lol.

(VW -this means we can have a photo of Dean, right? Right!)

The Second Sign is your debut novel – did you know it would be The One when you were writing it?

No. I didn’t. I wrote TSS on a rebound from my first manuscript heartbreak. The one I wrote and submitted before TSS. I wrote this one to forget the other one. But I became optimistic when my crit partner said this was the one. She obviously knows more than me.

What advice do you have for aspiring authors out there?

I don’t want to discourage anyone. And there are some great success stories out there. Those are the ones we tend to hear and clutch on to. Publishing is hard work and you really need a thick skin to stay alive. It helped me to remind myself that publication is a perk, and not the reason I started writing in the first place. Even if I don’t publish anything any more I will continue to write because it is a part of me. So for advice…don’t lose the core reason of why you write. Do it because you love it and everything will fall into place.

Thanks for the interview! I do have a Q/A group up on Goodreads if anyone has any questions I’ll be happy to answer them.

Thanks Liz! If anyone has another question for Liz or me, feel free to ask it below!

Victoria

xoxo

11 Comments

by Victoria-writes on March 15, 2013 • Permalink

Posted in Books, interviews, Writing

Tagged book reviews, interviews, writing

Posted by Victoria-writes on March 15, 2013

http://victoria-writes.com/2013/03/15/meet-the-author-elizabeth-arroyo-the-second-sign-2/

Limbo Land

I think the biggest obstacle with non-writers when talking to a writer is understanding how publishing works. And it’s completely fair enough – until I started looking into how to get published, I didn’t have a clue either. It’s difficult, yes and it’s also SLOW. I’ve heard several writers lately talk about being in limbo at one point or another – it could be waiting to hear back from an agent who has asked to read your book, which can take months, it could be waiting to see if your book will be brought by a publisher or waiting for your book to be edited by your agent or editor. It can also be the wait that comes after you sign a book deal – at least a year before your book is available to buy.

From the start of your publishing journey comes the waiting. You have to try to be patient. And wow I struggle with this. I have discovered by trying to get published that I am an impatient person and can often drive myself crazy refreshing my email inbox. It’s like waiting for a pot to boil So it’s hard when people ask you about your book and what’s happening – they assume things will move at the pace of normal things but hell no, publishing has it’s own pace. And yes it’s frustrating to have to say you’re waiting on something all the time. But it’s usually true!

I’ve discovered two Tumblr’s that attempt to describe life as an author through hilarious gifs. I’ve tried to embed ones that made me giggle because I’ve been there but I can’t work out how to do it so I’ll just send you to the sites and you can have a browse if you want an insight or to know you’re not alone out there. Title To Come and Life in Authoring.

Every time I talk to a writer who is waiting for something, I feel their pain. Because it is painful but we keep going because we love writing and we dream of our books being published and being read by tons of non-writer folks. So be patient all, our books will get out there one day it just takes time.

I think it’d best to represent our plight with images and it’s always a good idea to turn to Liz Lemon in any situation really so here she is to illustrate writers in limbo land:

If you ask a writer how getting their book published is going, they may reply like this:

But really they’re doing this:

So send us all the sympathy guys:

Thanks for reading and supporting us non-writers and to my writer friends in limbo land *group hug*

Victoria

xoxo

14 Comments

by Victoria-writes on March 5, 2013 • Permalink

Posted in Musings, Writing

Tagged getting published, musings, writing

Posted by Victoria-writes on March 5, 2013

http://victoria-writes.com/2013/03/05/limbo-land/

Writing habits part 2

Last week I posted about being stuck in my writing habit of writing indoors. Lots of you chipped in with your habits and there was an even-ish split of people writing at home and those venturing out – some can write anywhere and others have to stick to their preferred place.

As it appeared I might be stuck in a rut, I decided to venture out and try writing somewhere other than my house. I went to London and hit the National Gallery. I wandered round checking out the paintings (my favourites are the Impressionists though I don’t pretend to know much about art) then hit the cafe. Armed with a sandwich, cup of tea, notebook and pen I found an empty corner and sat down to write. Here’s the evidence:

I did feel self-conscious and couldn’t help looking around me a bit. Then my corner was invaded by people and it all got more noisy and distracting. A girl next to me had her laptop out but the rest of the cafe was filled with people just talking and eating. I did get some writing done though by shutting out the crowd and it was quite fun writing longhand again – I used to write longhand then type everything up but it felt laborious so now I just type it out straight away. Also my handwriting is hideous so I always feel like a bad writer when I see it

I wrote nine pages in my notebook of a new story that I’ve had the idea of for a while. I’m not sure if I’ll use any of what I wrote but any writing is fun and good practice. The cons were the price of food and drink (expensive!) and the distractions. I don’t think I’m fully sold on writing in a cafe. I guess I’m spoilt having a quiet house to myself to write in. I would try other places in the opportunity came up but I didn’t find a new writing habit that day.

After I finishing writing, I walked over Waterloo bridge and took this lovely photo of the sun over London. You can easily forget the sights that are near where you live so I took a minute to appreciate the scene. I then met some authors in the nearby Royal Festival Hall and had a cuppa with them before heading home. The day ended badly after I got FIVE blisters on my feet after wearing leather boots I hadn’t broken in so remember that leaving the house does have it’s perils guys

How did you choose the place you write in?

Victoria

xoxo

33 Comments

by Victoria-writes on February 8, 2013 • Permalink

Posted in Musings, Writing

Tagged musings, writing

Posted by Victoria-writes on February 8, 2013

http://victoria-writes.com/2013/02/08/writing-habits-part-2/

A journey of self discovery – guest post from Elizabeth Arroyo

Thanks for having me Vicky!

I’d like to share a little bit of my journey toward publication. What led me here.

It started with Oprah

Live your best life.

I use that Oprah motto as my mantra–no one can define it but me. My earliest memory of the need for change in my life began much in the same way Elizabeth Gilbert starts her book Eat, Pray, Love–on the bathroom floor balling. On that floor I desperately wanted answers. What was wrong with me? Why did I feel so empty inside? I have a great family. My kids are healthy. I have a home. Had a job. What could it be?

I realized then that it wasn’t about looking outside for my answers. I wasn’t empty on the outside. I was surrounded by people I loved and loved me. It was a journey I had to take on the inside. I had to take a moment to reflect on me, my missing parts.

I did and I found out that I was lacking in many aspects of my life. Which led me back to writing.

I always wanted to publish my books, to earn a living with it, to share a part of me with the world because that is what authors do. We share a part of our reality, our fears, our hopes, our dreams. We reach into our imagination and hope the reader follows. We share a piece of ourselves through the written word. Which is why the publication process–querying, receiving critiques and feedback, and finally getting out into the real world is so heart-wrenching. But necessary.

So in all my infinite wisdom (not), I offer these suggestions for transformation:

Be in constant change, always reinvent yourself because the possibilities are endless.
Find what is right for you and try it out. You don’t need to reinvent the wheel just adjust it.
Have a support group, someone in your corner. It helps.
And remember to live your best life.

About the author:
Elizabeth has worked in the community for the bulk of her professional career. She enjoys quiet moments, action flicks, and dancing with her four-year-old. THE SECOND SIGN is her debut novel. You can find more information about Elizabeth at:

Website: http://www.elizabetharroyo.com.
Blog: http://chandarawrites.blogspot.com
Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/elizabetharroyo.author
Twitter: https://twitter.com/EArroyo5

THE SECOND SIGN
Dark YA Paranormal Romance
Sapphire Star Publishing

When a demon guardian comes to collect seventeen-year-old Gabby’s soul, she refuses to give it up. She’s not demon. She can’t be. Her father and twin brother are angels. The demon gives Gabby twenty-four hours to decide her allegiance, and then starts killing her short list of friends, leaving a message behind: She is the Second Sign.

As Gabby and Jake—her almost boyfriend—begin to unravel the mystery behind the Second Sign, she learns Jake may be the key to saving her soul. But it means a sacrifice has to be made that will change their lives forever.

Watch Trailer http://youtu.be/omcmt6q8PIw

9 Comments

by Victoria-writes on February 7, 2013 • Permalink

Posted in guest posts, inspiration, Writing

Tagged Elizabeth Arroyo, guest post, inspiration, writing

Posted by Victoria-writes on February 7, 2013

http://victoria-writes.com/2013/02/07/a-journey-of-self-discovery-guest-post-from-elizabeth-arroyo/

Writing habits

I wondered yesterday whether it’s important to develop writing habits, whether you need to set up a routine to make writing work for you or whether you should go with the flow and write wherever and whenever you can. I realised that I have developed a writing routine without really meaning to – I write at the dinning room table on my laptop. I tend to do better early on with my attention waning by the afternoon. I don’t know if this has happened by accident or whether this is my writing habit – the optimum environment for me to write well. Would I struggle if I changed my environment?

I’m guessing that quite a few writers have a writing routine – a certain place or time that works the best for them. JK Rowling famously wrote Harry Potter in cafes in Edinburgh.

I’ve never written in public. Kind of feels like a confession. But it’s true – I’ve never felt the need to take my writing out into the big wide world. Some of this I’m sure is a slight fear or embarrassment about people noticing me writing but mostly I wonder if I would concentrate as I like to people watch plus I don’t drink coffee – yes another confession, I hope this hasn’t shocked my fellow writers – so I’m not that attracted to coffee shops. Plus I’d probably eat too many cupcakes!

But I’m intrigued about writers who have a place they like to go to write. Perhaps they are inspired by the people around them or are too distracted by other things at home. The internet I’m sure holds many a writer back so maybe getting out of the house means they can just focus on writing. Although if they end up somewhere with free Wi-Fi, it may not work. I wonder if I’ll ever find somewhere that feeds my inspiration and makes me want to write there or if I’ll always stick to writing at home. Perhaps my writing routine is too entrenched now and I’d fail if I changed it or maybe that’s just crazy and I could write anywhere.