This post was originally published at Novelicious.com and is now at WritingTipsOasis.com. WritingTipsOasis.com acquired Novelicious.com in June 2022.
Stephanie's first novel, The Accidental Socialite, is published by Piatkus on 15 April. Recently she answered a few questions for Novelicious about her journey to becoming a published author, her writing process and her forthcoming novels.
Where do you find inspiration for your books?
Mostly from my own life and my friends. It’s all fictionalized, but I usually find that writing based on real situations is not only more believable, but also funny.
Can you tell us a little about your average writing day?
I can honestly say I don’t have one. The majority of The Accidental Socialite was written Monday nights between 9pm and 2am sitting on my bed in my room. I take my laptop everywhere with me, so sometimes I’ll be writing on a plane and others it’s in the changing room at my gym during the half hour wait before my 80s aerobics class starts. I also use my lunch hours at work to write, plot or catch up on writing related emails. The beauty of having it with me all the time is that I’m ready when inspiration strikes.
When you are writing, do you use any famous people or people you know as inspiration?I do base some of my characters on people I know. Lucinda, Paige’s best friend in the book, is inspired by my two best South African friends. I love their sense of fun and how direct they are.
What is your favourite Women’s Fiction book of all time and why?
Easily Bridget Jones’ Diary. I read it when I was 16 and I thought Bridget’s life was absolutely amazing, especially compared to my boring life in the middle of nowhere Canada. I wanted to be her, as bad as her man troubles were, because she seemed like a real woman with an amazing sense of humour. I wanted to have a ‘flat’ and dinner parties and get invited to a Turkey Curry Buffet. It was probably the first book I’d ever read where I genuinely laughed out loud and still do every time I think of her comparing being a woman to being a farmer.
What female writer has inspired you?
A lot of female writers have inspired me. Actually, a lot of writers full stop, mostly because once I started writing I realized how hard it was. But I think the biggest inspiration has to be Helen Fielding. She writes honestly and is hilarious at the same time, which is something I aspire to.
Can you give us three book recommendations?
Only three? I love to read anything and everything so my recommendations are all over the map. I’m also going to assume everyone has read Bridget Jones’ Diary. If you haven’t, stop what you are doing right now and get that book.
Skinny Legs and All by Tom Robbins. This book is hilarious and examines the world through the eyes of a Can O’ Beans, Dirty Sock, Spoon, Painted Stick and a Conch Shell. I love it.
Bossypants by Tina Fey. She is the funniest woman alive and does it without constant vagina jokes.
Breakfast at Tiffany’s by Truman Capote. I have always been a huge fan of the movie (it shaped my love for New York), but the book is even better because doesn’t have the Hollywood gloss over treatment.
What is your writing process? Do you plan first or dive in? How many drafts do you do?
I usually plan and then throw that plan out the window when I start to write. I do one full draft, but that usually requires going over chapters several times. Then I leave it for a bit, give it to my betas and collate feedback. I'll then go through again and delete pretty much everything. I deleted the first two chapters of The Accidental Socialite and the book is so much better for it.
What was your journey to being a published author?
It was almost exactly like a rollercoaster. It took a while at first and I was ready to give up because it was a bit boring (and very depressing) to get rejection after rejection. Then I got one yes from a publisher that turned into three publisher yeses and an agent. Stephanie Thwaites from Curtis Brown signed me and asked Lyndsay Hemphill from ICM to be co-agent in New York. They worked out my North American deal with Swoon Romance and then brought the book to Little, Brown where I was signed by their imprint Piaktus Entice. It was so crazy! In July 2013, I was ready to self-publish after over six months of rejections. Fast-forward to December 2013 and I have two agents and two publishers with a book due out April 2014.
What do you think is the biggest myth about being a novelist?
That once you’ve written one book, it’s easier to write the next ones.
What advice can you give to our readers who want to write a novel of their own?
Open up a work document and start typing. I talked about writing a book for a good two years before I actually started typing. Then it only took six months. That’s when I realized that talking about writing a book doesn’t actually write the book. The only thing that does is typing. I also made a pact with a friend who also wanted to write a novel to send each other five pages every Monday. That gave me a deadline and put writing at the top of my to do list. We never missed a date and that discipline is the only reason the book was ever finished.
What are you working on at the moment?
I’m working on book two of the series called The Accidental Immigrant, where Paige is made redundant in London and decides not to get on her connecting flight home to Canada during her stop over in New York. Hilarity (hopefully) ensues.
Thanks Stephanie!