Linda Gillard - FAQs

The author of Star Gazing lets us in on a few secrets... 

Where do you get your ideas from? 

People. The characters always come first, then a sense of place. I don’t need a story, just a situation that gets me thinking, “What if…?” Star Gazing grew out of something my son said. He refers to my writing as playing with my “imaginary friends.” That got me thinking… Could you have an imaginary hero? It occurred to me that if you’re blind, someone’s existence can only be confirmed by touch or by the corroboration of others. If you just hear a voice, you could be imagining things. So I realised I could play around with the idea of an imaginary hero if I had a blind heroine. So that’s how I came to write from a blind heroine’s “point of view”.

Do you plan your books in advance? 

No, not much. I have a general idea of the story arc, but I don’t plan much, I just write and see what happens. I like the uncertainty. I think if I knew exactly what happened, I’d get bored.  I think I also write more bravely without the safety net of a synopsis. I have a theory that the un-put-downable quality of my books that readers have often referred to is because I don’t know what’s going to happen next, so the reader can’t possibly know. It comes as a surprise to all of us!

Longhand or word processor?

Always longhand first. (Disposable pencil on lined A4 if you want the techie details.) I can write straight on to the PC, but found I wrote better in pencil. I think it’s something to do with the physical movement and having contact with the paper. It’s also far too easy to hit the Delete button on the keyboard when you’re feeling negative about your work.

Do you ever suffer from writer’s block?

No. I do come up against problems with the story, by which I mean that I know what the book needs, but I don’t know how to do it. I just wait until the characters tell me how to resolve things. I find solutions usually come when I’m washing up or in the shower. They never hit you when you’re thinking about them. They ambush you.

Do you have a favourite character?

I’m very fond of all my heroes. (Well, let’s be frank here: I’m obsessively in love with them.) I also have a soft spot for Garth the Goth in Star Gazing. I’m embarrassed to admit he actually used to make me laugh when I was writing the book. He still does. Garth is a real tonic.

Are you working on another book at the moment?

Yes, my fourth novel, which has the working title Family Shadows. It's a complicated mystery about a family with secrets. It may owe something to my admiration for Daphne du Maurier. Piatkus will publish it in 2009.

What advice would you have for a would-be novelist?

Write for writing’s sake. Don’t expect publication or financial reward – statistically you’re unlikely to get either. Writing is its own reward anyway. When you feel angry about your unsolicited manuscript being rejected, remember this: nobody asked you to submit it!

Which writers do you admire?

In alphabetical order: Charlotte and Emily Bronte, Dickens, Daphne du Maurier, Dorothy Dunnett, Margaret Forster, Georgette Heyer, Patrick O’ Brian, Christopher Priest, Mary Renault, Shakespeare (the Boss), Mary Stewart, P G Wodehouse.

Is there a particular book or author that inspired you to be a writer?

I don’t remember a time when I didn’t write or make up stories in my head. I think the comic Bunty was probably a huge influence. The first time I dared to think, “Hey, maybe I could do this…” was as a teenager in the 60s when I read the romantic suspense novels of Mary Stewart. She made a big impression on me and I still re-read her with enjoyment. (If you’re not familiar with her books, start with Nine Coaches Waiting or The Gabriel Hounds.)

Which book would you most like to have written?

From a financial point of view, The Highway Code. From a literary point view, The Game of Kings by Dorothy Dunnett.

For more information on Linda and her books visit www.lindagillard.co.uk.

Posted 24/06/2008 14:58:06 by Linda Gillard with 0 comments.