This post was originally published at Novelicious.com and is now at WritingTipsOasis.com. WritingTipsOasis.com acquired Novelicious.com in June 2022.
Jemma Forte is calling by today to talk about her latest novel, If You're Not The One, as well as the long walks, music, mountainous ironing piles and empty fridge that are all part of her writing process.
Where do you find inspiration for your books?
With the benefit of hindsight it’s easy to see that inspiration for my books comes largely from my own experience, to the point where I can almost chart my life through them. For instance, my first book, Me and Miss M, is about a single girl in her late twenties who ends up working as a PA to a nightmare actress. When I wrote it, I was in my twenties and working in television. I’d witnessed all sorts of strange behaviour and had also experienced what it was like to work for a tyrant boss. Then, my most recent book, If You’re Not the One, is about a woman in her late thirties who’s already got married, has had the kids and is now questioning what life is all about and wondering where she goes from here. It’s no coincidence that I wrote it when going through a similar time myself.
But that’s all on a subconscious level. On a conscious level, for each book my starting point is usually either a situation or dynamic, which has piqued my interest. For example, From London with Love, is about a girl whose dad played the part of James Bond. I can vividly remember flicking through a magazine, wondering what it would be like to be the child of someone really famous like Angelina Jolie. How would it feel to live in a goldfish bowl when you didn’t necessarily have the personality equipped to deal with it?
Sometimes I will also meet someone or hear an anecdote and wonder how I can weave them into a bigger story. Inspiration can come from the most surprising places.
Can you tell us a little about your average writing day?
It’s all about grabbing time where I can. The ideal is having a whole day stretched out before me, one where I don’t have to collect the kids from school at 3.15 and don’t have to be anywhere else so I can get totally immersed and not worry about the time. On those days I can do a good six hour stint. On other days, it’s about settling for a snatched hour here and there.You have to be immune to mess too. It’s true what they say ‘tidy house, tidy mind’, but I’ve got two kids and a busy life so sometimes the house looks like it’s been burgled; the ironing pile is basically all of our clothes and the fridge is empty, but I’ll still write. It’s a choice you have to learn to make. If I went for tidying every time I’d never finish a book. (I want you to know though that I do choose tidying sometimes, in case I’ve painted a picture of actual squalor, which no one wants.)
One thing I certainly do not do is write ridiculously early in the morning. I once read an interview with a very well known author about how she gets up at 5am and writes before everyone else is awake. I was so impressed because I could not physically do this. I would probably dry retch on my computer. Plus my brain doesn’t wake up until after the school run and eight cups of tea anyway. So I don’t do early, and I don’t do extremely late either or I end up not being able to get to sleep because my brain is too over stimulated. I am essentially similar to a toddler in this way, though have less tantrums and don’t need my food mashing.
When you are writing, do you use any famous people or people you know asinspiration?
Definitely! I love being able to picture every character I write and taking inspiration from people you know is often the easiest way to do this. I do find that certain celebrities worm their way in as well. In my next book, there’s a character who, in my mind, is very similar to the one Alison Steadman plays in Gavin and Stacey. It makes it so much easier to write the dialogue once you have someone in mind. Though, sometimes you can be too accurate. My friend has been reading If You’re Not the One recently and was a little startled to find that one of the characters bears more than a passing resemblance to her husband in terms of how he looks. He also shares the same surname. Oops. Often though, characters end up being an amalgamation of someone I know mixed with a dollop of imagination. Sometimes they’re pure fantasy.
What is your favourite Women’s Fiction book of all time and why?
I can’t pick one book in particular as it changes all the time. However, when I was a kid it was Enid Blyton's books all the way. I devoured them, had an entire bookshelf dedicated to them and would often read under the covers until the early hours. I loved them all. Malory Towers, The Famous Five, The Enchanted Wood series, The Secret Seven, St Clare’s. I bet I didn’t love her books as much as my mum did though. Imagine having something that would keep your child entertained and happy for that long that wasn’t the telly?
What is your writing process? Do you plan first or dive in? How many drafts do you do?
Once I’ve come up with my idea, which involves a lot of long walks, listening to music in the hope that inspiration will arrive, driving my kids mad by being distracted and weird, some despair, lots of insomnia and some panic, I dive in. I’m so bloody relieved to have an idea that, for a while, I write in a frenzied, mad way because I’m so relieved to be making a start. Then, once a sizeable chunk of words has been formed, I start to enjoy the process. I probably do about seven drafts in total. The first one will have been edited as I go along. Then I read it through and do an edit. Then I give it to my sister, boyfriend and dad to read and, depending on what they have to say, do another edit. Then I put it away for a while. Then I read it again, fiddle about, send to my agent and wait. My agent will give me notes and then finally it’s ready to show the publisher. They will inevitably have notes so it’s time for another rewrite or two.
What was your journey to being a published author?
It wasn’t the master plan and yet now it’s all I want to do! I’ve always been a voracious reader and loved creative writing at school. However, writing books started as a hobby. Sending it out to agents and publishers was an afterthought really, but only because I didn’t have enough confidence. Plus, I’ve always done acting and presenting for a living so didn’t fancy inviting yet more rejection into my life. Still, glutton for punishment, I did and proceeded to get so many rejections it was pretty soul destroying. Then, just as I was at the point of accepting that writing would always remain a hobby, a publisher rang six months after I’d sent my manuscript saying they wanted to see me. Once I had interest from a publisher, funnily enough it was a lot easier to get attention from the agents who had all initially turned me down. Finally getting published was incredibly exciting and one of the happiest moments of my life.
What do you think is the biggest myth about being a novelist?
That you have to be extremely well educated or intellectual. I’m neither. I’m just your average idiot.
What advice can you give to our readers who want to write a novel of their own?
Just do it. Don’t let anything stand in your way. I wrote If You’re Not the One with no deal in place, whilst going through a marriage break up and working, so it can be done no matter what your circumstances. The thing is, if you want to write a book you will because you will almost need to. Writing is something writers are pretty much addicted to. Cheap therapy and all that. It might take a long time, but keep going and when you get to the end it will be one of the most satisfying feelings you’ll ever experience. Think finding out that a top you were planning on buying anyway has just been reduced in the sale and then times the feeling by a thousand. That satisfying.
What are you working on at the moment?
I’ve finished the book after If You’re Not the One so am thinking about the one after that. I’m at the listening to music, long walks, being distracted stage at the moment so a way to go, though I do have a kernel of an idea.
Thanks, Jemma!