What's the story, Sam?

If you enjoy visiting Strictly Writing (other coffee break venues are available, but that's not important right now), you have Samantha Tonge to thank. She's like our very own James T Kirk, who first captained this Enterprise*

Sam and I traded emails recently and it seemed like a perfect opportunity to find out what she's been writing and where that writing has taken her.

Howdy, Sam. I have visited your new website -  http://www.samanthatonge.co.uk/ - and found out everything there is to know about you, so I plan to ask all sorts of pertinent questions.

Hi Derek, nice to be back on SW. And if the questions are too probing, I’ll just teleport myself off the ship!

Q1. What's the best thing about having an agent and what's the most challenging aspect of the relationship?

There are lots of best bits – having someone independent of your family believe in your work! Plus being able to hand over the submission process to a professional person who won’t nudge and alienate the publisher every five minutes – writing brings out the worst aspects of my personality, top-of-the-list impatience. Plus having a sounding board for the next project is very reassuring. No one wants to spend six months on a project that should never have been started in the first place.

As for the challenging aspects… Well, for me that comes back to my impatience. Whilst it’s great having someone else submit work for you, at the same time that means the process is out of your control – so you can’t nudge, off your own back. This is good and you know when the agent is right about just sitting tight for a while, but can still be highly frustrating!

Q2. What made you first submit stories for The People's Friend and other magazines?

I’d written novels for several years, without success, and everyone kept telling me I should write shorts - but I could never think of a beginning, middle and end. And then a chick lit writer ran a competition and for the first time I managed to come up with a complete story. It was dreadful, looking back, but I believe the brain is like any other muscle – the more you use certain areas of it, the better they get. Writing that one story helped me crack on with another. People ask me, now, how I come up with so many ideas, but the more short stories you write, the easier it becomes to find ideas and see inspiration in everyday life. The women’s magazine market always suited my writing style, so I joined a very helpful online writing group which pointed me in the right direction. Finally I started to sell and make money from my writing, which has always been an important goal of mine.

Q3. Congratulations on having your work selected for The People's Friend 2014 annual.  Have you ever considered producing your own anthology?

Thank you! Yes, I’m very excited to have two stories in the annual which is published today. And no, I’ve never considered self-publishing by myself – I am something of a technophobe. Recently, I bought a Kindle and what joy just to have a diagram for instructions! I wouldn’t know where to start with cover design, etc, and I’m in awe of authors who do put together their own collections.

I am thrilled about a collection of my feel-good stories that is being put together by up-and-coming publisher Alfie Dog Fiction. This anthology should be available in the autumn.

Q4. Did you set out to write Romantic Comedy novels and is there any other genre you feel drawn to writing?

No, my first novel was more serious. It was in my second that I introduced a comedic tone and through the process of writing this, and the next novel, really found my writing voice. In real life I am something of a jokey, one-liner kind of person and it took a while for my work to reflect that.

As for writing other genres, the great thing about writing stories for the Womag market is that you can indulge yourself. I’ve just sold a cowboy story and in the past, horror. Once or twice, though, I’ve had to rewrite stories for the People’s Friend because my chick lit tones have crept in. I still write humorous stories for them, but the comedy is gentler.

  

Q5. What's next on Sam's writing To-Do list?

Well, us womag writers always have to think three months ahead, so now I’m moving on to autumn stories. Also, a paranormal idea for a novel is flirting with my muse…

Q6. What's so special about the Poseidon Adventure - I'm assuming we're talking about the original version? (Check out Sam's website and you'll know what I mean.)

Ooh yes, the original, although the Kurt Russell remake is great, too. I love the drama and the romance; the visual contrast between the glitzy dinner dance at the beginning and the burnt, shredded clothes of the survivors… Like any reader, as a viewer I want to be moved in some way – made to laugh, shed a tear, get a lump in my throat… It’s all there in this film. Um, well, perhaps apart from the laughs…!

Q7. A hypothetical question. You can choose three literary people to be stuck in a lift with for an hour. Who would you choose and why?

Jane Austen – I’d like to be the one to tell her just how much her literature still means to women, decades on. Barbara Cartland. I think, fundamentally, she understood the importance of romance in people’s lives. I’d like to find out how she managed to “write” books by dictating them to her secretary. I could never imagine doing that. And as a huge fan of the Romance with Bite genre, Stephanie Meyer, of course!

Q8. Yes, given that, in your own words, you're a vampire geek girl, what spoils a vampire tale for you?

I’m a fan of the modern genre, where the vampires have redeeming qualities and don’t just see humans as prey. So the old school tales, where the vampire is more likely to be portrayed as an amoral predator, wouldn’t really do it for me. I need romance and poignant scenes where the vampire understands what he has become and misses his mortality. Ahem, yes, time to ‘fess up, I’m a diehard Twihard!** (fan of the Twilight Series).

* Yes, I do know that it was Captain Pike first, and one could argue that, chronologically, it would really be Captain Archer. But nobody likes a sci-fi show-off... 

** Here at Strictly Writing we like to be informative. That's a new word for the spellchecker!

Books to Film; discuss

Excuse the un-padded-out-ness of this post; but didn't somebody once say that brevity is the most compelling form of depth?*

HIGH FIDELITY

Saw the film. Loved it. Saw it again. Loved it even more although Jack Black character annoyed me.  Saw Jack Black in another film.  Realised he’s just annoying and watched High Fidelity again.  Realised I was in love with John Cusack.  And Joan.  Saw it again.  Insisted friends watched.  Bought it for friends.  Realised there was a book.  Didn’t want to read it.  Set in London.  Couldn’t poss do film justice.  Realised I was wrong.  Film was brilliant.  Book was better (cos book was British?) and was delighted to read scenes in book not in film. Read book again.  And again.  And again.  Stop me if I’m boring you.

Tried to read some other Nick Hornby but didn’t quite hit the mark.

HARRY POTTER(s)
Great idea.  Great first book.  Great first film.  There's a saying about stopping while you're ahead, isn't there?

THE TIME TRAVELER’S WIFE

Loved the book.  Lent book to daughter.  Loved.  Book lent to others.  Loved.  Couldn’t quite believe how film would work.  Went to watch it.  Didn’t work.  Biggest flaw was Henry the drippy, chinless wonder.  He had a chin in MY book. And a spine.

Didn’t stop me reading Audrey Niffenegger’s ‘Her Fearful Symmetry’ and delighting in that too.  Will still see the film when it’s out. I’m like that.

TWILIGHT
Oh please, just don't even get me started. The book was fine back when Vampires were new an' all. The movie was just mayhem (in the auditorium) with screaming and gasps and lots of tweens taking unauthorised photographs NEXT to the screen before being politely asked to move away.  Just silly.

CONFESSIONS OF A SHOPAHOLIC

(or something, were the first 2 books combined in the movie?)

Liked book. Was bright, breezy and easy to read. But Becky Bloomwood started to annoy me during 2^nd in series (are there 12 now?  is she a grandmother yet?) so stopped at 2. Had fond memories of ditsy airhead MC so watched film.  90 mins of my life I won’t get back. Was dire.

SOMETHING BORROWED

Loved book.  Loved book so much bought all books by Emily Giffin and became HUGE fan.  She can’t write fast enough for me.  However, thought film shallow and schmoozy although did love Ethan character, which came to life in the film. Even bigger shame is that sequel; SOMETHING BLUE is being filmed right now. Shall be giving that a miss.

WE NEED TO TALK ABOUT KEVIN

Just finished reading this in the week it’s released in UK.  Am assuming movie will be cross between The Omen and the Texas Chainsaw Massacre.  Can see it being a hit.  At least with the film, there won’t be unnecessary wordage getting in the way and slowing down the pace.

THE HELP

This book took my breath away.  If the film is half as good (which it couldn’t possibly be) then it’ll run away with awards. 

The thing with books-to-film is that you don’t get the internal dialogue. Hence I always feel a bit cheated.  I wonder ‘but where was that scene where…’ or ‘yeah but, give him/her a break… THIS STUFF is going on in her head’. You have to rely on the actor’s skilful use of eyebrows to convey inner turmoil.  

 

 *No, they didn't.  I made that up.  What? it's called fiction!

Envy? Dream on!

Should anybody mention online that they’re not particularly keen on Twilight, they face the prospect of die-hard fans popping up to say ‘OMG ur soooo stupid how can u hate my edward ur just jelus!!!’

I’ve noticed, however, that assumptions of literary jealousy aren’t confined to the inarticulate. They're a standard way of comforting an author who has received a bad Amazon review.

‘Ignore him,’ the author’s friends say. ‘He's obviously jealous because you're a better writer than he is.’

Whether or not they technically mean 'envious', comforting a distressed author is a nice thing to do, so I’m not going to suggest people tell their writing chums to stop whining. I don’t believe, however, that bad reviews are automatically the result of jealousy or envy. Books are commodities purchased by readers, who have no obligation to see the author as anything other than a name on the cover. It's a bit conceited to imagine they give you a second thought, let alone be so awestruck by your talent that they're seething in resentment about it.

No doubt there are some occasions when a reader has a personal grudge against a writer who once refused to help with their English homework in 1989. But the average book-lover is an intelligent individual choosing a product that they hope to enjoy, not a supervillain on a mission to destroy the mental state of the person who produced it.

The reading relationship surely isn't between the reader and the writer but between the reader and the book. Sometimes it doesn’t work out and the reader is disappointed. Maybe they feel misled by the cover or bewildered that the story doesn't live up to a friend's recommendation. Maybe they are amused at how far-fetched they found the plot, or maybe they're downright angry at having wasted their money. Expressing an opinion about this is natural, even if writers wail: 'What sort of miserable little person could put so much time and energy into writing a bad review?' Well, people are free to use their time and energy how they like – after all, you used yours writing an entire book for some reason.

If I had a disappointing meal in a restaurant, I might tell other people not to bother going there. This does not mean I was jealous of the chef and determined to crush his delicate feelings. If a recently fitted tap starts to leak, I might find this annoying - but I'm not therefore responsible for the plumber's depression and alcoholism. (Incidentally, why are plumbers the standard unit of measurement when comparing writing with other occupations?)

The difference with these situations is that one can get some money back or have the problem fixed. It's more difficult to return a book to the shop just because you didn't enjoy it. Negative reviews are perhaps a way of redressing a perceived imbalance of power and enabling the reader to get a refund on their emotional investment. This does not need to have anything to do with envy. Are we writers so awash with talent and all-round amazingness that everyone envies us? Yeah, right!

Feeling mortified and upset (in private) is a valid writerly response to a bad review. But that does not make the reviewer jealous, stupid, evil, lonely, bitter, twisted, untalented, or any of the other adjectives our well-meaning buddies might come up with.

A person just didn't like your book. That's about it, really.

Jack of all Trades...

Something’s happened to me over the last couple of months. I am no longer an aspiring Women’s Fiction novelist with simply four unpublished books under my bed. Now I’m an aspiring writer.

What’s changed? It started when I saw the movie Twilight and was captivated by the characters and plot. I scribbled down the first three chapters to a young teen book which eventually morphed into one for young adults. And yes, *chuckle*, there was a werewolf.

Then, suddenly, I thought of a story for a competition I’d been meaning to enter. 1000 words was the limit. Never, in five years of concentrated writing, have I been able to complete a short story as I always failed to come up with of a satisfactory ending. Since completing and entering that tale, however, I have submitted another to Fiction Feast. I am also about to take part in another competition with a limit of 1500 words.

On top of all this, I have an idea for a children’s book based on my current chick lit story, a time-slip novel set in Ancient Egypt. In fact I’m wondering if this chick lit novel is responsible for my recent diversification – I had never attempted historical fiction (albeit very light) before and the whole process made me question where my talents (such as they are) really lie.

So, is this a normal route for a writer? Do we start off focussing on one genre and then eventually find the confidence to trek down other routes? And is this a foolish quest? Is the risk that we become Jack of all trades and master of none?

Most published novelists I know started off writing short stories, so I guess that answers my question. I must be pretty unusual, coming to the whole process back to front. The problem now is that I’m overwhelmed with choices - how do I know I'll make the right one? Although whatever I write - even if it includes werewolves - there'll be something new to learn.

A balanced literary diet

I’m often baffled by heated discussions about reading preferences. When it comes to certain books…Dan Brown’s novels, say, or the Stephanie Meyer Twilight series, it seems like battle lines get drawn and people are determined not to move into enemy territory. And as Claire Allen discussed in an entertaining and thought-provoking post on Monday, chick lit can be another of those light-the-touch-paper-and-run topics when it comes to discussions among readers.
I’ve been thinking about all this a lot and have come to the conclusion [again… sigh] that I’m a bit strange.
Let me put it like this: am I the only person who views books like food?
Okay, I know this sounds like a huge leap in logic, but stay with me here. Reading nourishes and satisfies me on a daily basis, or it can leave me feeling empty and hollow if it isn’t very good. But my point is this: just as I wouldn’t dream of eating the same meal every day for a month, am I alone in craving variety in reading matter?
The tone of the discussions mentioned above is often ‘I only ever read XXXX genre’. It seems a bit like saying, ‘I only ever eat cheese.’
My desire for contrasts means that on a broad level, I might read a children’s or YA novel straight after reading an adult one. Or if I’ve just finished something literary and sombre, a lighter, frothy book feels like a palate cleanser. It goes further than that too. If I’ve just read something historical and English, I’ll probably fancy something US and zeitgeisty straight after.
It’s part of the joy of reading for me. Part of this may be the freakish speed at which I read. It’s not big or clever or designed to sound like a boast in any way [I sometimes secretly think it’s actually a bit weird] but I am such a voracious and obsessive consumer of books that I tend to chew them up a bit quickly. Maybe this is a failing and I should spend longer savouring the experience, but I can’t help devouring books just as I would a delicious meal.
Now don’t get the impression I’m just some sort of reading Hoover and don’t care about quality. I do, deeply. But sometimes I fancy reading something a bit trashy, just as the urge for a bag of Marmite crisps [or two] can be impossible to ignore.
I’m not pretending I’ll read any genre either. I generally don’t enjoy sci-fi or fantasy [although my two favourite YA books of last year: The Hunger Games by Suzanne Collins and The Knife of Never Letting Go by Patrick Ness both had sci-fi echoes] and I’m not a big fan of chick lit, apart from the few Marian Keyes I’ve read [sorry Claire]. I do have preferences, of course, but I can no more imagine only reading one kind of fiction than I could exist on a diet solely of cheese.
I’d love to know what others think about this.
Does anyone else feel the need for a balanced literary diet?

Why I Love Bella, Edward and Jacob

And if you don’t know who those characters are, stop reading now! Clearly, you aren’t well enough to be on-line as you must have been in a coma the last couple of years. Go take a pill! Go work on recovering your memory!

I am talking, of course, about the three stars of Stephanie Meyer’s Twilight Series. Today I am (rather bravely, I think), putting forward my case on the respected bibliophile’s site, Vulpes Libris, So, please, any of you who have loved the series as much as I have, take a look; back me up; I might need all the help I can get!

Why? Because, like so many commercially successful novelists, Meyer has been much maligned – regarding the quality of her writing, the quality of her characters, her motives for writing these stories. Even the Vatican has added its criticism. Yet, not for years, have I sped through such a serial, reading late into the night. Vampires? Werewolves? With a good dose of unrequited love? What more could a girl want? Ah yes, I know – Robert Pattinson cast as the hero when the book finally made it to film.

So, do take a look at the arguments in my article, and this one , posted by Eve Harvey on Vulpes, earlier in the year. In it, she explains why she "hates" Twilight.

Which side do you take? And haven’t we been here before with Dan Brown and JK Rowling?

Quickfire Questions with...Lee Weatherly

Lee Weatherly is an award-winning children’s author. Her acclaimed novels for young teenagers include Child X, Missing Abby and Kat Got Your Tongue. For younger readers, Lee is the author of the popular Glitterwings Academy fairy series (writing as Titania Woods), as well as the upcoming series Pocket Cats; she is also the author of two picture books. For adults, Lee is the co-author of Teach Yourself How to Write a Blockbuster, and is a gifted writing coach, teaching workshop courses across the southeast.

Which writer would you be for a day?

I’d have to say myself, just because I’m used to my own quirks and foibles, and wouldn’t want to try to work out someone else’s in only a day! (We’re all mad as snakes, you know.) But if I could be myself in the Bahamas, that would be nice.

Independent bookshop or Amazon?

Amazon, to my shame. I love the convenience of shopping from my computer – though this can be a Bad Thing late at night, after a few glasses of wine.

Left on a cliffhanger or told all?

Left on a cliffhanger at the proper moment in the story, and then told all when it’s time to reveal all. I really loathe being left on a cliffhanger at the end of a book – it just makes me want to throw it across the room.

You really must read…

Twilight by Stephenie Meyer. It’s not for everyone, but I couldn’t put it down.

The children’s book I wish I’d written most is …

Well, the obvious answer would have to be Harry Potter, for all those lovely royalty payments! However, if we’re talking about which book I most admire, I think I might say The New Policeman by Kate Thompson, which is just an amazing story.

I get most excited by…

A new story idea. I think all writers have this in common!

I know I have my story when…

I feel its different elements click together in a simple, logical way that can then be built on. I can craft a story arc easily enough once I have the characters in place, but I can’t do anything at all until I have that basic concept sorted out.

My biggest tip for a writer is…

Try to have a supportive other half. It makes a huge difference on all sorts of levels.

An author should never…

Take rejection too much to heart. It’s a business, and sometimes your work will click with an editor, and sometimes it won’t. Wallow a bit, and then pick yourself up and try, try again.

Favourite desktop snack

Lindt’s dark chocolate with hazelnuts.

Favourite work outfit

Jeans and a top, with my big comfy cardigan and cosy slippers. (And don’t tell anyone, but I sometimes work in my pyjamas.)

Best thing about my job is…

Doing what I love and getting paid for it. The next best thing is being self-employed and working from home – I love the freedom of deciding my own hours, and still get giddy with delight at the realisation that I’ll never have to work in an office again.

Email or phone?

Email. I can be ridiculously anti-social, and don’t like chatting unless I’m in the mood.

The hardest part of my job is…

Waiting for responses from publishers, particularly when you’re trying to sell new material. Nerve-wracking.

If I wasn’t a writer I’d be…

In real life, probably a teacher, but if we’re talking dream jobs then I’d love to work in film in some capacity – I think I’d be great in the editing room!

Thanks for some great answers, Lee - and for the questions, CarolineG!