I love writing romance, but I enjoy much more about the subject than that. Reading Romance cheers me up when I’m feeling down. The research I do is a big part of my working life.
Better Than…
…writing Romance is discovering how many people enjoy reading it. Last week I wrote about the release of my first Pocket Novel, The Wishing Tree. Lots of people have written lovely things about my debut Pocket Novel, and I’ve been really touched.
I didn’t think things could get better than that. Then EsCeeGee responded to a request in my newsletter (you can sign up for that here). I asked for shelfie photos of my new book baby. They sent me this photo of an empty Pocket Novel hanger in W H Smith. Every copy of The Wishing Tree had been sold!
The story I originally wrote to cheer myself up has found a much bigger audience. Don’t worry, EsCeeGee, I’m sending you your very own copy of The Wishing Tree.
…Reading Romance?
When I was commissioned to write my first non-ficton book, Struggle and Suffrage in Bristol, I discovered the joy of research. I enjoyed diving deep into the archives of Bristol so much that I was disappointed when that research came to an end.
A visit to the University of Gloucestershire in 2018 took my mind off that. My son was considering a course in computing, and it was my turn to do the Uni Open Day Run with him.
Technology really isn’t my friend, so while he was busy at a computer keyboard, I got talking with a tutor from the Humanities department. I told him I’d always regretted leaving school at sixteen. He suggested I should become a mature student. You can read more about what happened after that on several of my blog posts, starting with this one.
The moral of that story, which ended with me achieving an MA (with Distinction!) in Creative and Critical Writing, is Say Yes to Every* Opportunity . Don’t give yourself a chance to have second thoughts. You never know what you can do until you try.
If you’ve read Struggle and Suffrage in Bristol, which of the real-life women’s stories included in it would you like to see expanded into a full-length book? I would love an excuse to spend a few more months in the Bristol Archive!
You can find out more about me here, and see some of my books here.
*Legal!
I have already read it and loved it! In fact, it got me off my backside and I’ve plotted and started a PN proposal myself. I haven’t written one since 2012! I had already started a serial proposal so my husband is like ‘what on earth are you doing now?!’ oops! There were no Wishing Trees left in Tesco and just one in ASDA. Annoyingly, I didn’t take a photo and now I’m going away to Malta for ten days from early tomorrow morning. Sorry about that! My PF subscription was a week late arriving so I didn’t know about the coupon.
I totally agree about the research by the way. It’s the best bit about writing hahaha. So easy!
Thanks, Julie; your kind words mean a lot to me. I hope you have a wonderful time in Malta. You’ll have to let us all know how you got on, complete with photos!
Saying ‘yes’ to every opportunity is such good advice! But not always easy to follow when we allow self-doubt to creep in . . .
Worrying about that held me back for so long, Sally. As I get older, I try to silence that little voice of doubt by thinking, “This time next year, I’ll wish I’d done that”. It usually works!