We've loved both of Hester Browne's books, The Little Lady Agency and Little Lady, Big Apple here at Trashionista, so we were very excited when she agreed to be our second interview victim. I mean, subject.
Please describe your latest book in 15 words or fewer: Supernanny-for-singletons Melissa tackles Manhattan’s men and manners – but will alter-ego Honey stay in London?
Argh. That’s very hard with this book! It’s a good exercise, though, for pitching an idea – you should be able to sum up your novel in one tantalising line. Most novels are pitched to the sales department as [popular Richard Curtis film] meets [latest internet blogging sensation] starring [current Hollywood hot actress] in [New York/London/wherever Kate Moss has just bought a house]. I’m a chronic overwriter, even for magazine copy which is even more word-count specific than novels, so I’ve got into the habit of hyphenating everything and claiming it as one word. I know. It’s cheating.
Continue over the cut for the rest of the interview.
Where do you like to write your books (in bed, a coffee shop, an office)? I generally go out in the mornings and write or plan out scenes in a café, then come back and try to turn that buzz of ideas in to proper writing in the afternoons. What usually happens, though, is that I distract myself with eBay or email most of the day, then write 1500 words in an hour before I go to bed at midnight. Do not get Sim City or any sort of strategy game if you’re trying to write a book, is my advice.
Your favourite chick-lit book? Rachel's Holiday by Marian Keyes - sexy hero, hilarious heroine, brilliant supporting cast and although it seems light-as-a-feather, it's cleverly plotted, and very moving. And you can read it and re-read it and it’s still funny, which is the mark of a great book.
Your favourite female heroine (if different from above!), and why? Becky Bloomwood. Isn't she everyone's favourite heroine? I even forgave her when her mean long-lost sister turned out to be from the Lake District like me – Bank of West Cumbria, indeed...
What tips would you give to any of our readers who want to become writers? You have to write what you enjoy reading - don't try to be anyone other than yourself. The more you write, the more you'll develop your own distinctive style, and that's what publishers love to discover. Read, read, read too, and analyse why you loved a book, or why you didn't quite feel it worked. It's tricky to put your finger on why someone's style draws you in, but you can see when the plot doesn't hang together, or when the pacing's off.
Though writing’s a wonderful job, to the point of not feeling like a job sometimes, it’s more usually very hard work. You have to develop a pretty thick skin to put up with constant editing, ‘suggestions’ about characters you feel you know best, and the inevitable set-backs and changes of plan that occur to every publication process. Deadlines are tough. So are snarky Amazon reviews. But having said that, there’s always room for fresh talent! Don’t feel you have to revise your work to absolute perfection before you send it out to an agent; there comes a point where you should just take the plunge and see what they think. Good agents will spot potential and help you work with it; good editors will often lift it up another level still – and though it can be painful it’s worth it, in the same way a personal trainer wrings the best out of you in the gym. (Or, um, so I am reliably informed.)
And, in short: always try to get an agent rather than sending direct to publishers; never sign up with an agent who charges you money before they’ve sold anything; phone books and local papers are great for ‘real sounding’ names; never use your novel to get your own back on the girl you hated at school because she won’t read it but everyone else you know will and will assume it’s them you’re getting at; and take a notebook with you because you will forget that brilliant idea between falling asleep and waking up again.
What are you reading at the moment? One Good Turn by Kate Atkinson; Fashion Victim by Sam Baker; Hollywood Babylon by Kenneth Anger; Rough Guide to Paris.
What are you working on now? (If you can give us a hint!) The third and final Honey book: there are princes, nightclubs, unexpected babies, sea sickness, Parisian apartments, Melissa’s barking family being even more monstrous than ever, but lots and lots of romance, and a super-happy ending!