This post was originally published at Novelicious.com and is now at WritingTipsOasis.com. WritingTipsOasis.com acquired Novelicious.com in June 2022.
By Cesca Major
Last night I was lucky enough to be invited to the fabulous Grosvenor House off Hyde Park to listen to Santa Montefiore talk at a Literati Evening. Eloquent and amusing, Santa had her audience wrapped around her (very elegant) little finger as she whisked through some funny anecdotes.
First, Santa talked about the rules of writing real people into your books (essentially, if you want to be vile, but avoid being sued, make sure you include some horrific detail they would never want to own up to). She also spoke of her writing routine (she basically writes from 9-4, but doesn't see it as a discipline as she genuinely enjoys it). Her writing space sounds like heaven – all scented candles, tulips and classical music and she exudes energy and positivity when she speaks about anything.
Her next novel The Beekeeper's Daughter sounds intriguing and she spoke about the need to do more research now that she is on her 15th novel. Whereas, in the early days, Santa tended to create fictional places based on those that she knew in real life.All in all, a completely fabulous evening with a glass of champagne and a giggle afterwards with other bloggers and the delightful team at Simon & Schuster. Thank you so much for the invite and a toast to you, and the success of your next book, Santa.