This post was originally published at Novelicious.com and is now at WritingTipsOasis.com. WritingTipsOasis.com acquired Novelicious.com in June 2022.
Vanessa Greene worked in publishing throughout her twenties, reading thousands of manuscripts along the way. At 30, she decided to put pen to paper and write her own novel and The Vintage Teacup Club was born. Today, Vanessa joins us to talk about her latest book, The Seafront Tearooms.
Can you tell us a little about your average writing day?
Hmmm… well, it all used to be very simple. When I started writing full-time two and a half years ago, I was up at seven, coffee, a morning of writing, then editing and admin in the afternoon.
Having a toddler put the kibosh on that though! Becoming a mum has been a lot of fun, and inspiring in ways I hadn’t even imagined, but it’s also meant I’ve had to learn to be more flexible about how and when I write. There’s no time for control freakery anymore, so I grab my laptop and write when I can. I aim for 2000 words a day, and on a good day more will come. Some days it flows, other day I have to force the words out and make the scenes happen, but each thousand words gives me more material to work with, so I don’t waste time trying to get perfection during that first draft – I need to make sure that storytelling is working first. The first draft helps me to see that. I concentrate on improving pace, tension and characterisation during the early editing and leave the continuity and polishing for the later stages.
Even though I have less time now, I always start my day with three pages of free writing, longhand in a notebook, even if I feel impatient to get straight to the laptop. It’s a tip I picked up from Julia Cameron’s book The Artists’ Way and it changed the way I write. It’s a decluttering exercise – so instead of bringing your own preoccupations or worries to the page, it gives you a chance to dump them in that notebook, and be more open, letting your characters tell you what they want to do next. It makes my writing lighter.
When you are writing, do you use any famous people or people you know as inspiration?
When I started writing Kat, one of the lead characters in The Seafront Tearooms, I knew I wanted her to be a strong single mother, talented, determined and intelligent, like some of the women who’ve inspired me in real life. Of course most of the depictions in the media of single parents are the exact opposite of this.
Then Jack Monroe came along. She was in the papers a lot at the time I started writing as her career was really taking off, and I pictured her in my mind as I wrote Kat. I was interested in her as a dedicated parent who didn’t let anything get in the way of her following her passions for food and writing.
Friends, family and people I have met over the years often make their way into my writing, but in a fragmented way – it might be a mannerism here, an outfit, or the echo of something they’ve said. Often I don’t realise I’m doing it, and it’s only later I see the similarities. I never consciously model a character on a real person, or retell a story I’ve heard. However, I think you are the sum total of your life experiences, and they include interactions with people – so as a writer you have to draw on those. It’s what makes your characters come off the page and seem real.What is your favourite Women’s Fiction book of all time and why?
Laura Esquivel – Like Water for Chocolate. This is one of my all-time favourite books – romantic and funny, beautifully written and pure deliciousness. Rebecca is a must-read too.
What female writer has inspired you?
Marian Keyes, for her bright and brilliant heroines, and brave plotlines tackled with a real lightness of touch– and also for the way she’s worked with the challenges in her own life and used them to make her writing even stronger.
Can you give us three book recommendations?
Karen Joy Fowler – We Are All Completely Beside Ourselves. I loved this book – it’s well-written, thought-provoking and poignant and things take a very interesting turn just when you’ve started to relax into it. A good one for a book club too, as she raises some really interesting issues.
Julie Cohen – Where Love Lies. I like that Julie Cohen pushes boundaries and challenges our expectations in order to break new ground. It’s original and moving.
Lucy Diamond – One Night in Italy. I remember my first trip to the hairdresser after my son was born – it was one of the first times I’d had time to myself and I really wanted an escapist, fun read I could dive into and meet some great characters. This book delivered on every level, I loved it.
What is your writing process? Do you plan first or dive in? How many drafts do you do?
I plan – putting together character outlines, a chapter plan and a two-page synopsis, it helps give me a sense of where everything’s going, and keeps me focused. I then deviate from that plan a lot when the characters have other ideas! Having their actions and behaviour seem ‘real’ is the biggest priority for me, and that’s something you can’t really plan until you get to know them on the page.
I do as many drafts as I have time for, usually three or four, then I get my editor’s feedback and redraft the manuscript to incorporate her suggestions. I love working with my editor, Manpreet, and her input helps me see things I’d been too close to the story to notice – the manuscript changes a lot at this stage.
What was your journey to being a published author?
I studied English at Sussex uni, then worked as an editor at publishing houses in London during my twenties. During that time I read hundreds, probably even thousands, of manuscripts during – some that went on to be published and others that didn’t – and they all taught me something about what makes a story work. It also taught me a lot about the market and how to make a story stand out.
At thirty I started writing myself, and began work on The Vintage Teacup Club. I received an offer from Sphere while I was unagented, but signed up with Caroline Hardman at Hardman & Swainson soon afterwards. Having an agent like Caroline has been invaluable – from contract negotiations to editorial guidance, she is there to offer advice and support.
What do you think is the biggest myth about being a novelist?
That getting a book contract is a ‘happily ever after’. It’s like getting any job offer – an opportunity, a beginning.
Growing as a writer means staying curious, and continually learning – making mistakes, getting blocked, picking yourself up again etc. If you sit back, someone else will whizz past you. When I came to write this, my second book, it was easier in some ways, because I knew I could do it – but it brought new challenges too, like meeting my own and other people’s expectations.
What advice can you give to our readers who want to write a novel of their own?
Create time and space for yourself to write – and then ringfence it. If you’ve set aside an evening to write, keep to that plan, don’t let anything disrupt it. If possible, make the sessions regular, and set realistic targets – be that five hundred or two thousand words, whatever you can manage – until you’ve got a completed first draft.
Try not to compare yourself to other writers, instead compare your work to earlier drafts instead and see the improvements there. Keep the faith! You’ll do it. And it will be SO worth it.
What are you working on at the moment?
A new novel for Sphere called The Beachside Guesthouse – it’s set on a Greek island. In their late twenties, two friends leave England’s rainy shores to convert a windmill into a B&B and relive the golden memories of their teenage holiday there. Among the chaos of the renovations, there will be plenty of romance, secrets and laughter.
Thanks, Vanessa!