This post was originally published at Novelicious.com and is now at WritingTipsOasis.com. WritingTipsOasis.com acquired Novelicious.com in June 2022.
Today we have an interview with Laura Ziepe, the author of Essex Girls, which is out now. Laura's next book, Made in Essex, is out next January.
Can you tell us a little about your average writing day?
My writing days completely vary. I also run My Celebrity Dress, a designer dress hiring website and some days I’m really busy and only have a spare thirty minutes. Whenever I get a free moment though I make sure I’m writing and I’m always thinking about my story and the characters. Some days I write early in the morning or some days I’ll be writing until ten at night. No two days are the same with me!
When you are writing, do you use any famous people or people you know as inspiration?
When I was writing my first and second novels, Essex Girls and Made in Essex, it was hard not to think of the TOWIE characters. However, as much as they inspired me, my friends did just as much. The novel I’m currently working on has a character that reminds me of Victoria Beckham. Whenever I’m writing about her clothes and outfits, I picture Victoria’s immaculate style.
What is your favourite Women’s Fiction book of all time and why?
This is such a tough one! So much so, that I’m not sure if I can answer this question! (sorry) I really love Lesley Pearce, Kimberley Chambers and Sophie Kinsella. They’re all completely different, from crime to chick-lit, but I know I’m always guaranteed to love their books.
What is your writing process? Do you plan first or dive in? How many drafts do you do?
I hardly ever plan and usually just dive right in. Sometimes though, when I think of good ideas and plots, I jot them down into bullet points in the order I think they should go. This helps me when I get a bit stuck. I usually change my ideas as I go along though. I don’t like planning too much as I enjoy just seeing where the story takes me!
What was your journey to being a published author?
I remember leaving sixth form and getting a job in a bank in London doing general admin which I hated. I was complaining to my friend one day and she suggested I went to university to get a degree in something that would help my career. I remember not knowing which courses to take and she asked me what my dream job would be. I told her I’d love to be an author more than anything and she then helped me apply to creative writing courses (I know, she’s a very good friend!) I loved uni, but when I left it was hard to just start writing a book. I always started, but never finished because I’d be too busy with work (I worked at a media company and then for a law firm). Once again, I’d found myself doing jobs that bored me. That’s when I decided to create my own business (mycelebritydress.com). I’ve always been entrepreneurial and was overwhelmed with how much interest I had in my website, which was featured in newspapers, magazines and even ITV’s This Morning a few times. I was soon busy enough with my business to leave my law firm job and it was through my business that I heard about a new programme about to start (TOWIE). I was originally supposed to be on the programme as a character, as I thought it would be a great way to promote my business, however, after filming a few scenes I just knew it wasn’t for me, so I called the producers and pulled out of filming. I knew the show was going to be really popular though, so that’s when the idea came to me about writing a fun book about Essex Girls. I did a bit of research and couldn’t find much out there, so I believed there was a gap in the market for my book.
What do you think is the biggest myth about being a novelist?
I once heard that novelists shouldn’t read other writers’ books in case they imitate them. I couldn’t disagree more! I think novelists need to read as much as possible. The more you read, the more you learn and the better your own work will be. Everyone has their own style which eventually emerges. I couldn’t imagine my life without reading!
What advice can you give to our readers who want to write a novel of their own?
I think it’s really important to find a gap in the market. I made sure there weren’t any books too similar to mine before I even started writing it. Your book needs to stand out from the rest in order for publishers to want to take a chance on it.
I bought two books when I finished my first novel, as like most people, I didn’t know how to go about getting it published. ‘The Insiders Guide to Getting Your Book Published’ by Rachael Stock was one and ‘The Writers and Artists Yearbook’ was the other. I found both really helpful and would recommend buying them. My other advice would be that if writing is really your passion and you enjoy it, never give up. Just think of getting published as a bonus! Don’t feel bad if you get rejected; it doesn’t mean your writing isn’t any good. I was very lucky to get published first time round, but I’ve met lots of authors since who have told me it took them years. When I received rejections from agents I remembering looking up well known authors who were also rejected to make myself feel better (JK Rowling, Stephen King and George Orwell to name a few!)
What are you working on at the moment?
I’m working on my third novel, which currently has no title. It’s another fun, light hearted easy read about friendship, love, betrayal and secrets with lots of drama. It has nothing to do with Essex this time as I needed a change, but it’s the same style as my first two books.
Thanks Laura