Writing a novel is a terrible experience, during which the hair often falls out and the teeth decay.
FLANNERY O’CONNOR (1925 – 1964)
Be amusing, never tell unkind stories; above all, never tell long ones. BENJAMIN DISRAELI (1804 – 1888)
Writers, like teeth, are divided into incisors and grinders.
WALTER BAGEHOT (1826 – 1877)
A poet might pulverize his brains without earning enough to feed a cat. JOHN TAYLOR, THE WATER POET ( 1578 – 1653)
Every artist makes herself born. It is very much harder than the other time, and longer.
WILLA CATHER (1873 – 1947)
I have no talent. It’s just the question of working, of being willing to put in the time.
GRAHAME GREENE (1904 – 1991)
About my book (Wide Sargasso Sea). It is done in the way that patchwork would be done if you had all the colours and all the pieces cut but not yet arranged to make a quilt. JEAN RHYS (1894 -1979)
There are four great motives for writing:
- Sheer egotism (uh oh)
- Aesthetic enthusiasm
- Historical impulse
- Political purpose
GEORGE ORWELL (1903 – 1950)
Finishing a book is just like you took a child out in the yard and shot it.
TRUMAN CAPOTE 1924 – 1984
victoria blake 
Congratulations!
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Thanks Madame Bibi and for the retweet which is greatly appreciated. There is nothing quite like seeing your book in a bookshop because more often than not I am fielding questions which are more along the lines of ‘I went into XXX and couldn’t see your book anywhere.’ To which there is no answer but saying ‘Oh dear’ and then going and festering in a corner like Gollum!
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Oh, as an author I know how thrilling this is. Congrats! I’ve reviewed your excellent book on Amazon and Goodreads. And recommended it to many. Keep on writing…what’s your next book about? 🙂
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Hello Pam and thank you so much for your support here and on twitter. It means a huge amount. My next one is set during the the 1930s during the Spanish Civil War and has a female war correspondent at its heart. I’ve always been fascinated by war correspondents – the fact that they head straight into situations that most of us would run away from. My heroine is a cross between Rosalind Russell in the film His Girl Friday and Martha Gellhorn. That’s the idea anyway! After that I’ve got a book on the English Civil War 1643 set in Oxford which is my home town.
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Wow – I can’t wait to read about your female war correspondent. I’ll be one of your first book buyers! 🙂 By the way, my guy just had a business trip in Oxford – absolutely loved the area. If he goes again – I’m tagging along the next time!
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Next time you must definitely come!
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I forgot to tell you that a friend of mine so enjoyed “Titian’s Boatman” – she read it in the hardback guise, which I gave to her after she went on holiday to Venice for the first time ever – that she is now working her way through your bibliography!
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Thanks Susan I very much hope she enjoys them!
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So exciting!
I remember when my family and I all trooped into a bookshop to see your first ever novel on the shelf.
Really looking forward to the Spanish Civil War book – such a painful time in their history.
We are off to Greece on Monday, so I will scout the airport bookshop to see any thing familiar …
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Thank you Francesca. All those years ago! Hope you have a lovely time in Greece!
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Congratulations Vicky 🙂
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Thanks Andrea!
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