This post was originally published at Novelicious.com and is now at WritingTipsOasis.com. WritingTipsOasis.com acquired Novelicious.com in June 2022.
Georgina Troy is an author based on the beautiful island of Jersey. Her first novel, A Jersey Kiss, is on sale now.
Can you tell us a little about your average writing day?
I get up early and try to get any little jobs out of the way. I check emails and reply to them, maybe go on Twitter for a bit and Facebook, update my blog if I need to and visit other blogs. When all that’s done, I sit down at my computer, either inside, or out in the sun if it’s warm enough. Sometimes I’ll take a notepad to the Winston Churchill Memorial Park in St Brelade Bay and write, later typing up my notes. I aim to write at least 1,000 words every day. Occasionally, I manage to write up to 5,000 and sometimes only 500, but mostly I achieve the 1,000 I'm aiming for.
When you are writing, do you use any celebrities or people you know as inspiration?
I might see a picture of someone who fits my image of the hero/heroine in my book and pin it up on a noticeboard for inspiration, but mostly I only use the odd feature, or mannerism that I’ve noticed from someone else, maybe something funny I’ve heard and noted down.
What is your favourite Women’s Fiction book of all time and why?
Being an impossible romantic it has to be Pride and Prejudice. I’ve no idea how many times I’ve re-read that book and every time I’m completely absorbed into the story.
What is your writing process? Do you plan first or dive in? How many drafts do you do?
I have a general idea, a problem that the protagonist might have or dramatic issue they need to deal with, and then look at what job they do, where they live and very importantly – for me, at least – what name I want to call them. If I don’t have a fitting name it really holds me back for some reason. I write an outline, not detailed, but something that will keep me going should I waiver when writing the first draft. The outline changes as I write and the characters form in more depth. I’ll also keep a spread sheet to be able to see each chapter and what’s happening/backstory/issues are dealt with more clearly. I do as many drafts as necessary. Some books take more drafts than others…
What was your journey to being a published author?
A Jersey Kiss is the first of three romance novels I’m writing set in Jersey. The second one, A Jersey Affair, was almost taken up – with a different title – by a well-known publisher and reached the production meeting. Ultimately it wasn’t taken on as they thought they had enough romances from current authors and wanted to diversify into historical and paranormal novels. A Jersey Kiss was almost taken up by another imprint, but it didn’t quite fit, so they are now being published through a new, small imprint, Green Shutter Books.
What do you think is the biggest myth about being a novelist?
That they all earn huge amounts of money and that if you complete a novel you’ll instantly be published, and successful.
What advice can you give to our readers who want to write a novel of their own?
Sit down and write. It’s as simple as that. It’s a huge achievement to complete a novel and I believe that anyone thinking about writing one should do so, but that is where the hard work begins.
What are you working on at the moment?
I’m working on edits for A Jersey Affair, which is due to be published in Spring 2014.
What are your top five writing tips?
1. Write, rewrite, edit, rewrite again – repeat these steps as many times as necessary.
2. Find beta readers you trust to give you constructive criticism – mine have been invaluable.
3. Write the book you’d love to read.
4. Persevere
5. Enjoy it.
Thanks, Georgina!
Georgina Troy's Website