Today, I am delighted to welcome fellow RNA New Writers' Scheme member, Chrissie Bradshaw, to my blog. Chrissie was winner of the Elizabeth Goudge Award at this year's conference with her debut novel A Jarful of Moondreams and I wanted to find out more about her road to publication.
How
long have you been writing and how did you start?
I
started writing fiction a few years ago when I was stranded in Chicago for an
extra week. Flights to Europe were being postponed due to volcanic ash and, after
I’d read all of my own books and my husband’s, I started making notes for a novel.
It was the start of an exciting new chapter in my life.
Did
you ever have self-doubts when writing your novel?
When
I’m writing, I’m happy and in the moment and time has no meaning. I love it!
When I’m reading over my efforts and planning what to change, I’m full of self
criticism and wonder whether anyone will want to read my work. I never feel
like giving up though.
Can
you tell me a little about your road to publication?
I
can be impatient, I had a good plan but didn’t stick to it. Once my novel was
finished, I intended sending a sample to three agents each month and staggering
the inevitable rejection slips. After two months, I started looking into self
publishing or ‘supported’ publishing because I wanted my contemporary novel out
there when it was fresh. I published with Octavo last July and had the
satisfaction of seeing my work published as an ebook and a paperback. I’m OK
about what I did but next time I’ll try to find a good agent.
‘A
Jarful of Moondreams’ is your debut novel. Can you describe it in one
sentence?
‘Dr Foster’ visits ‘Waterloo Road’ in A
Jarful of Moondreams as Cleo, Teri and Alex sort out their relationships with one other
and the men that they love through seven full moons.
Like
me, you are a member of the RNA NWS. How has this benefited you?
The
scheme is just brilliant for new writers. It gave me the confidence to go to
writing conferences where I could mingle with other new writers and learn from
established ones. The opportunity to hand in a manuscript and have an
experienced writer give constructive feedback is priceless.
This
year you won the Elizabeth Goudge award at the RNA conference. Well done! Can
you tell us what it felt like when your name was called?
Surreal
and so unexpected. I loved my story and it was written from the heart but I
didn’t know if anyone else would feel the same. I had to ask those around me if
I’d heard the winning title correctly. When I stood up and went to receive the
trophy from Eileen Ramsay, I felt like an Oscar winner! Everyone was so nice
afterwards too. The RNA members are a lovely bunch of people.
What
was the hardest part of writing A Jarful of Moondreams?
The
timeline of events. I made this hard for myself by planning the novel over
seven moon months. I had to make sure that I was always in sync with the 2015
moon calendar and that the ‘once in a blue moon’ moment happened at the right
time. I’m now quite an expert on the phases of the moon!
Any
plans for a second novel?
I’m
in the middle of ‘The one about Heather and Erin’ This is my working title and
any title suggestions would be welcome. Heather is Cleo’s best friend and,
after her minor part in ‘A Jarful of Moondreams’, she demanded her own story.
Erin, an aspiring actress, is Heather’s younger sister and wanted a leading
role too. Their lives are full of drama and they are finding the road to love a
rocky one.
Do
you have any tips to pass on to other writers?
There
is never an ideal time to write so grab the moments that you can spare. Meet
other writers by going to conferences or joining a writing association. My RNA
friends keep me going and they understand the ups and downs and the absolute
wonder of writing.
Chrissie Bradshaw lives by the Northumbrian coast with her
family and loves taking her dog for a daily run along the seashore. Her other
feel good essentials are tea, chocolate and a good book. A career in education,
as a teacher then as a literary consultant, has given her the chance to share
her passion for reading with young people. She believes that there are books to
suit every taste and loves match-making a book with a reader. While undergoing
treatment for cancer, Chrissie listed the things she wanted to do. (She is very
good at lists but not so good at carrying them out!) Top of this list was believe in your writing and make time for
it. She did. Three years later, she has one novel published, she has won the
Elizabeth Goudge award 2016 from the RNA and she is writing her second novel.
Blurb
for ‘ A Jarful of Moondreams
Sparring
sisters, deception, family secrets and reawakened love means that trouble and
change is in the air for Cleo Moon and her family. Cleo finds that losing
control of your life and losing out in love is tough when you have always
strived for success. Alex hates the crazy idea that she should be uprooted from
her home and friends to live with her selfish older sister for the whole summer.
Teri is desperate for her two daughters to bond but worries that she has left
it too late. The family ‘Moondream’ jar, an Egyptian urn that has held their
wishes for many years, provides links to the past and we discover which of the
many wishes that it holds can be fulfilled.
Author
links:
Visit Chrissie on www.newhenontheblog.com
For regular chatter, follow her on Facebook and Twitter:
Facebook: www.facebook.com/ChrissieBradshawAuthor/
Twitter: www.twitter.com/chrissiebeee
