How I Write

Anna Blundy, author of the thrilling Faith Zanetti adventure series, tells us what gets her writing. Look out for her explosive novels Neat Vodka and Double Shot, both published by Sphere.

I’ve always written. I can’t help it.

I write a diary, I write notes to myself, I write incessant crazed emails to people who, I’m sure, wish I’d fuck off. I’ve written little stories since I was about five and when I’m in a bad mood (most of the time) I write it all down in a, usually unsuccessful, effort at auto-analysis. It doesn’t mean the writing is any good, but it does mean it comes easily. It might be an only child thing. When there’s nobody to talk to, I write. If there is someone to talk to I can’t shut up. But, mostly, there isn’t.

Mostly I do nothing, but when the deadline for delivery gets really close and I know I won’t get the money until it’s done, I start writing without looking up or eating or anything. I mean, I say that, but I’m the cook, nanny, cleaner, secretary and runner in this organisation so a lot of the time I work from 9pm to 3am. I can write 5000 words a day but I prefer to write 3,000. I work on my lap top at the gym, sitting on the sofa while the children watch telly, or, more glamorously, in the study of my beautiful house in Italy looking out at the pear trees and over the valley above the clouds to the village on the opposite mountain.

What I’m good at is describing something I can see, or have seen, which means it’s all heavily autobiographical. I put fictional characters in real rooms or real characters in fictional rooms, but I have to be able to see it in my mind and then write down what it’s like.

In Double Shot the characters are nearly all people I know. I think Walter will recognise himself instantly if he reads it (which he should because I’ll send him a copy). Eden, my male lead, is very fictional. He’s a dream man and I’ve never met a man as nice as him. Faith, reasonably clearly, is me. I had an editor who said that the books that do well are fantasy autobiographies. I don’t know if that’s true but the Faith books definitely are that.

Often I find the characters run away with the plot and get into situations that it’s hard to get them out of.  It’s a bit Winnie The Pooh-ish. You know, he’ll be composing a song and say; ‘That bit just wanted to be there.’ Sometimes the plots get too complicated and an editor will read through and say, confused; ‘But didn’t that person die on page 234?’ 
Then I have to resurrect them.

All my books end at exactly 69,000 words. Then I have to bring them up to the contractual word count – around 100,000. I add adjectives and dream sequences. An editor once showed me with her fingers exactly how fat a book that sells well has to be.

Sometimes it helps to drink wine.

First published in Time Out London

Posted 04/04/2008 11:13:46 by Anna Blundy with 0 comments.