Frequently Asked Questions

What is your writing process?

Up with the lark, or at least I try. I hate to sleep in on days when I am writing, which would be Monday to Friday. I only write in the mornings, which is why I am in a terrible mood if I ever sleep in by mistake as it throws off the entire day. I try to make it as easy as possible on myself because the idea of sitting down – as I have heard of some writers doing – from 9am until 5pm and not moving until 20,000 words are written fills me with panic, reminding me far too much of cramming for exams at school. So, I write for two hours with a 1,000 word minimum target.  Even if I cannot find a thing to write, I usually generate an idea or feel so frustrated that I am impelled to try even harder the next day. What I have found, however, is that I am always, to some degree, writing, because I never stop thinking about the book. Even when the computer is switched off and I’m officially “finished” for the day, the work goes on mentally.

Where do you write?

I agree with good old Virginia Woolf that everyone must have a room of one’s own in which to create.  I have our dining room, which will do for now…

Do you have any special rituals when it comes to writing?

No, no rituals. Just get it done, that’s the only ritual by which I abide.

How long did it take for you to write The Art of Devotion?

The Art of Devotion took five months to write, working an hour a day: I was so intimidated by the idea of trying to write a novel that I had to free myself from pressure, otherwise I knew that I would never succeed. The subsequent revision, far more intensive than the period of writing the first draft, took place over the course of two months and then the final editing process, in total, probably took about a month or two. I don’t think, however, that you can have a governing set of criteria in terms of time-lines. Every book has its own evolution. I don’t think it should ever be considered a competition.

Did you always imagine becoming a writer?

Never in a million years. Growing up, I was the actress and my sister the ballerina. I made no secret of my desire to tread the boards and I did pursue that ambition to some end, after completing my master’s degree in English Literature at the University of Edinburgh, by studying at the American Academy of Dramatic Art in New York for a time.  I found, however, that I was far more interested in how the plays were constructed; why the lines were written, what they meant, the motive of the piece, than in the actual performance. My passion, I realized, had always been and would remain, books. This led me into the world of publishing and my first job as an editorial assistant at Doubleday Broadway, where I came into first-hand contact with such authors as Gore Vidal and Dame Muriel Spark, who were being published there at the time. When you’re in the presence, however removed, from writers who have, justifiably, been lauded as geniuses, you learn an awful lot about how things should be done. I am so grateful for the experience: it subsequently informed everything I ever attempted as a writer.

What advice would you give to aspiring writers?

Be as objective as possible. Having worked as a literary editor at Random House, I have witnessed, first-hand, the possible pitfalls that an author can fall into throughout the editorial process and was determined to avoid falling into the trap myself. The most damaging pitfall is that of authorial “preciousness,” in that you don’t allow an editor to change a word of the text, to its detriment. The bottom line is that if you give a book to five different editors, they will, probably, come up with five different ways to edit it, so any author has to trust their instinct, but I think it crucial that you, at the very least, consider the editorial suggestions, even if you don’t agree with them.  Sometimes, you may find a way to fix a problem just by disagreeing with what has been proposed, but you can’t be a pushover either. Don’t just change something to please somebody. If you can’t justify doing it, don’t. Having said that, you must then be prepared to live and die by your own sword. At least if you have been true to yourself, then you can rest easily, regardless of what actually happens, once the book is published. The only exception to this rule is if the Editor-in-Chief tells you to do something: if the EIC is passionate enough about your book to make suggestions, you’re onto a great track – do exactly what he or she tells you to!

I think it was much easier for me in that I did not write myself into this book and, as a consequence, I was able to be ruthless with these characters, which is something that many authors fail to do when they have glorified themselves in fictional print, taking it as a personal affront when the editor, doing his or her job, critiques the character.  So, that would be my final piece of advice; try to distance yourself emotionally and be utterly ruthless with your characters, but most of all enjoy it. The creation of a first novel and its path to publication, as I have learned, is an unforgettable experience and one that should be savored.