Everyone has a book in them...?

People often say to me either: "I've always thought I'd like to write a novel", or "everyone says I ought to write a book about my life/experiences/brilliant idea"(or whatever).

Why do so many people think they can write? And if they really believe they can, why don't they just sit down and do it? It's because that's the really hard part; that's why. The sitting down and doing it. That's what so many people don't seem to get. Ideas are easy. Everyone has ideas. Nearly everyone can string words together. Telling stories is relatively easy. But sitting in front of that blank sheet of paper (or worse, that blank screen) is the really hard part. How many potentially brilliant writers have never written a book because they never sat on that chair and got stuck in?

And yet...another part of me thinks, what makes you think this is so easy? What makes you think that anyone can write a book? A friend of mine, a successful actress, is infuriated because the cast of her present production includes a "celebrity" who has never acted in her life before. 'I think I'll go and spend a day as a brain surgeon' fumes my friend. 'If X thinks she can act, why shouldn't I have a go at digging away at somenone's grey cells? Do years of training and experience count for so little?'

To get back to writing, a great many people think they can write. But can they? Those of us who have been published are fortunate; I know this, and I'm very grateful. I could well have spent all my writing life keeping the slush piles of agents and/or publishers in business. But like most writers, I have served my apprenticeship. I have worked hard. Writing may be compulsive, but it's not easy. It's lonely, frustrating, and often heartbreaking, and unless you are very successful, it doesn't pay particularly well. As an occupation, it is not to be taken lightly.

There seem to be two reactions to people who write. One is: "Gosh! You write books! How wonderful!" The other is: "I could do that. I think one day I'll have a go."

Well, make up your minds, all you would-be writers. Either those of us who write are all geniuses, or writing is something you can do, too. So for goodness' sake, get on and just do it.

Thoughts on tense

David Isaac has posted an interesting question (on his blog, Tomorrowville) about the use of the word 'could', which put me in mind of another strange example of the use (or abuse) of tense which really bothers me. You go into a shop, and the assistant asks: 'what were you looking for?' or maybe 'did you have anything particular in mind?'

To take this at face value, it looks as though the assistant, in using the past tense, is assuming that you came into the shop wanting a particular item, but now no longer want it. Why do we do this? 'What do you want?' would perhaps sound too peremptory, but 'what did you want?' is plain ridiculous. Does anyone have any asnwers?

How do you tell them apart?

My daughter has triplets.

When their imminent arrival was announced, this seemed to arouse horror and fascination in equal measure. "Oh my God!" was the most common response; not "congratulations" or anything encouraging like that. Just shock/ horror. When they arrived, and throughout their babyhood, wherever they went, they were treated like some kind of freak show. People stared, pointed, and asked questions. The most frequently-asked (and the most intrusive) question was"did you have fertility treatment?"; this from perfect strangers, who would probably have been appalled if anyone had asked them about their own sex lives ( after all, however you make triplets, sex has to be involved somewhere along the line). "How do you tell them apart?" was another one, but as they looked completely different from day one, this was just a silly question.

They've got past that stage now, and the questions have pretty well dried up, but I still remember with mixed feelings heaving an industrial-sized pushchair through the streets of Kingston and being treated like a cross between a two-headed monster and a celebrity.

And why am I posting this? Because the WIP is proving a bit recalcitrant, that's why. And because I wanted to brighten up my blog with another photo .

Prizes and sales figures

I read today that one of the books long-listed for this year's Orange Prize has to date sold just 188 copies, so there's hope for us all yet!

Of life-changing novels

Just occasionally, I've come across a novel which I can describe as life-changing. I've just re-read one of mine: Brothers, by Bernice Rubens. I've tried to analyse what it is about this book that makes it so special, but it's hard to pin down. It's not the best-written book I've ever read, nor is its story the most riveting, but it comes from the (her) heart, and this is manifested in the novel.

Brothers is the epic narrative of four generations of Jewish brothers and the sufferings (and the celebrations) they go through. It gave me an insight into what it is to be a Jew to such an extent that the first time I read it, I felt that I almost was one, and reading it again, I felt the same. For the second time in my life, I simply couldn't put it down. A great friend of mine, who felt about the novel as I did, wrote to Rubens to tell her, and in her reply, she said that she didn't think it was her best novel, but it was the one she was most glad to have written. As a Jew herself, it is possibly Rubens's testimony to her race and its sufferings.

Has anyone else read Brothers? And what life-changing novels (if any) has anyone read? I would love to know.

Books and e-books

I am fascinated (and tempted) by the kindle and its friends, and maybe one day I'll succumb (if I can afford one). But as a writer, I feel very ambivalent about e-books. When I've written a book, one of the great pleasures for me is being able to stand back and look at it, or just hold it, handle it, feel its realness. I suppose it's a bit like doing a painting or making a sculpture (I'd be useless at either of these, so I can only guess), or even having a baby. It's the feeling of having created something which stands on its own; something apart from me. Something physical. It's not a pride thing; more a creative-satisfaction thing.

So while I'd be pleased if anyone wanted my books as e-books, it wouldn't be the same. And if my books could only be published as e-books, I'm not sure I'd feel the same about writing them.

Goodies and Baddies

Today, husband pointed out to me that there are no "nasty" characters in the WIP (he's read the first - and only - third). This was something which hadn't occurred to me at all, and now I wonder whether I ought to introduce some bad characters, or whether a novel can survive without. When I think about it, most novels have a bad character in there somewhere, from Peter Rabbit (Mr. McGregor) to P&P (Mr. Collins, Lady Catherine de Burgh etc). The WIP has plenty of conflict (the situation the characters find themselves in), but no really bad characters. Will that do? Or do I have to introduce a villain? What does anyone else think/do? Help!