I'm always pleased to welcome back author friends who have previously been a guest on my blog. Today, it's the turn of Deirdre Palmer whose new novel, Moonshine, was published this week by Crooked Cat. I thought it would be a good time to find out a little more about Deirdre and her writing life so I took the opportunity to ask her a few questions.
Can
you tell my readers something about your new novel, Moonshine?
There are four main characters: young marrieds Terry
and Carol-Anne; Terry’s mate, Mark, and Mark’s girlfriend Vicki, all from
Deptford, South London. Also, there’s
Donna, Terry and Carol-Anne’s two-year-old daughter. Carol-Anne’s teenage sister, Beverly, plays a
big part in the story and she’s mostly seen through the other characters.
It’s the summer of 1969 and the group go to Paignton
for a caravan holiday. The Apollo 11
space mission is in progress, and the whole camp stays up all night to watch
the moon-walk on TV, but in the middle of the party, Beverly goes missing, and
creates a drama of her own when she makes a serious accusation. Chaos ensues when the others are forced to
take sides, nobody knowing who is telling the truth.It’s mostly left to
Carol-Anne to sort out the resulting mess, but when they return to London, each
of them has other problems to face.
It’s a fast-paced read, with a lot of humour and bit
of romance, too. The caravan park, by
the way, is based on one I stayed at with a friend around that time. It was all quite primitive then, and I had a
lot of fun with that! The clubhouse came
from another holiday camp somewhere else, though.
Was
it easier or harder to write a sequel and did you always know there would be a second book after Dirty Weekend?
Easier, because I knew the characters so well already
– three of the four main characters from Dirty Weekend return in
Moonshine. I thought it might be hard to
get the balance right between writing a book which would stand alone but have
some continuity too, but once I started writing I didn’t have any
problems. Again, I think that’s because
I knew the characters inside out, and although they threw me a few surprises, I
knew basically what their lives had been like in the ‘missing’ three years. After I’d written the next book, Never
Coming Back, I wanted a real change from that, and that’s when I decided on the
sequel to Dirty Weekend.
How
long did Moonshine take you to write?
I can’t remember now, but probably around six to eight
months. I only write for a few hours a
day. Some days I don’t write at all.
What
was the hardest scene to write?
It was a minor scene, with Carol-Anne and Vicki in a
coffee bar. Dialogue is my favourite
thing to write but this came at a point in the plot when I needed to show a
wariness between the two girls and it just wouldn’t flow. I did my best with it, then my editor picked
up on it – the only scene she asked me to look at again, luckily – and finally
I got it right.
Do
you think it’s important to have a ‘brand’?
Interesting question. Branding is something that’s being talked about a lot at the moment and I
do struggle a bit with the concept. If
it means getting yourself recognised as an author who writes books on certain
themes, in a certain style, which I think it does, it’s a whole lot easier if
your books all fit into the same tight genre; romantic comedy, for example. Then you can have matching covers, and carry
the design through to your website and all the rest of it. It’s when you start crossing the boundaries
and experimenting with different styles, which I am, it’s much harder to say
that you’re this or that kind of writer. So, to answer the question, it
probably is important to build a brand in that it helps to sell the books, but
achieving it isn’t always that straightforward.
Do
you believe in writers’ block?
No. I think if
you’re truly stuck for any length of time, something’s wrong with the piece
you’re trying to write and it needs a re-think, or it shouldn’t be there at
all.
Does
your family support your career as a writer?
Yes, they’re very proud of what I’m doing, and my sons
plug the books on Instagram and Facebook. Secretly though, they’re all wondering when I’m going to write that
massive best-seller!
If
you could tell your younger writing self anything, what would it be?
Start now, don’t wait as long as I did. Find the time somehow.
What
is the first book that made you cry?
Black Beauty.
What
next for Deirdre Palmer?
I’m writing some more short stories as I’ve had some
success with The People’s Friend, and I may also try a pocket novel. There will be another full-length book at some
point but what type of book that will be, I’ve yet to discover!
Wendy, thanks very much for inviting me onto your
blog. I’ve enjoyed answering your
questions.
Book link
Amazon page link
I agree, a sequel is fun and easy to write. Where it becomes harder, is when you discover you are writing a series. This has happened to me. Now on Book 6 ~ everybody says: Oh it must get easier as it goes. Nope. It gets harder. You are stuck with what you wrote in the first two! Good luck with the new book....and watch out if you decide to go for a trilogy!!
ReplyDeleteThat's a good insight into writing a series, Carol. I bet you're always thinking, 'if only I hadn't made them do that in book one'.
DeleteNo plans to turn those two into a series at the moment, but never say never ;-)
DeleteDeirdre
Thank you, Deidre and Wendy for a great post. Have to agree on Black Beauty, think that was one of the first books to make me cry. Sob buckets every time I read it still.
ReplyDeleteYes, but you cry st everything, Tracy! 😊
DeleteThat's funny ;-) Thanks for your comment Tracy.
DeleteDeirdre
It sounds as though you had fun writing a sequel, Deirdre. Are you planning a third? Writing a series? Lovely post, Wendy. : )
ReplyDeleteOoh, I should have asked these questions, Rae!
DeleteI always planned to write about the sixties - my time! - and as Moonshine is set in 1969 I'd have to move them on to the 70s which doesn't inspire. But you never know! thanks for your comment Rae.
DeleteDeirdre (replying as Anonymous as I can't get any of the other options to work!)
It's the balance between having a stand alone story without repeating too much stuff from the first book which I think I'd struggle most with. Perhaps I need to try it and see?
ReplyDeleteYes do Patsy. I didn't think too much about that part of it beforehand. I just started writing and the references to the earlier story seemed to arise naturally. I did have to read the first book again though to make sure I had remembered what happened correctly!
DeleteDeirdre
I've only ever tried it with my stories in the Woody's Cafe series which appear from time to time in The People's Friend. I think it must be much harder in a novel.
DeleteGreat post, Deirdre - good to read more about the background to your writing. Short stories are very good for the in between times - and they pay more quickly than novels. My husband is also living in hope of me having a big best-seller one day!
ReplyDeleteMy husband's the same, Rosemary! I'd best get on and write it!
DeleteThank you Wendy and Deidre for an excellent post. It's lovely to write both short stories and novels X
ReplyDeleteI agree, Mandy.
DeleteVery interesting Deidre, that has given us an incite into you and your new book.
ReplyDeleteAgree with you on the branding, important, but not that easy to do if you switch genre etc
I went to a writing conference recently, Maria, and branding was a hot topic.
DeleteInteresting post, Deirdre. I find it hard switching between writing short stories and novels. Good luck with the pocket novel and all your other projects.
ReplyDeleteI'm writing a novel at the moment, Keith, and I agree it's hard to switch between that and the short stories.
Delete