I Challenge You . . . to Call Yourself a Writer

 

 

Easy definition: if you write you are a writer.

 

But do other people take you seriously and do you even take yourself seriously?

 

Sometimes if you say 'I am a writer' you get one of two reactions:

 'Are you rich or famous?' Give over.  If I were famous you'd have heard of me and you clearly haven't.  If I were rich would I be here?

'I've a novel inside me.'  Really? So why haven't you written it?

Some may think you have to be already published to call yourself a writer. One of my creative writing group members told me today about a script he'd had rejected sixteen times. Keep going. You've got at least another forty-two to go. But I would still say he was a writer.  

 

But think of rejections as invitations to rewrite.

 

Some people who are published think they can't call themselves a writer because they're not earning enough money through it. But are they doing other writerly things that are earning money. And even if they have another day job that may be a means to an end; it pays the bills until the writing gains momentum.

These tricks may help:

·     Get a dedicated writing space and if you can, make it sacrosanct.  It took a while but I did manage to train my husband and my father not to disturb me if the study door was firmly shut; if it was a little ajar it was okay to come in – as long as they knocked first. Home too small for a dedicated room? Still find a dedicated space – one particular corner of the kitchen table, the dressing table, the dining table that otherwise is only used on Sundays or when you have guests.

·     Turn up at the keyboard or notebook. Don't wait for inspiration.  

·     See it as a business – you can even let the taxman know what you’re spending.

·     Get informed – read a writers' magazine, join a few forums, find out about your genre, read your genre.

·     Get out to literature events. Find out what other writers are up to.

·     Network

·     Write, write, write, read, read, read  

Today I talk to Maxine Flam, whose story collection, 'Miller and Kelby', we have just published.

 

Why did you decide to set the stories in the 1970s?

I grew up in the 1960s and 70s. I loved the TV shows, the automobiles, and everything about it. I have always enjoyed writing retro stories. My first book was set during the Vietnam War. It was a love story. But I found that the kind of romance novel I wrote wasn’t a big seller. My story wasn’t a bodice ripper or erotica. I wrote a short story that took place during WWII. My father was in the Army and won the Silver Star among other medals. I wondered what it would be like to be on the other side: a German but with the resistance. It was published but it took me over 300 times to find a home for it. I am attempting to turn that story into a novella or novel and pitch it to you. I think it’s part of history that many people would like to forget and that is wrong. But back to the 1970s. Today, TV is very graphic. Showing autopsies, body parts all over the place, rapes. The 1970s didn’t have the forensics they have now with DNA so detectives had to work harder to solve a crime. Use their brains. Kind of like Columbo. In fact, at my first author signing, someone asked me if the book was like a Columbo and I hadn’t thought of it because there are two detectives but I gave it some more thought. Yes, you could compare Miller and Kelby to Columbo because both have to use their brains to solve the crimes.

You show the point of view of the perpetrator. How would you like readers to react to that? 

I was kind of interested in motives. Why does a person do what they do? Why do they kill? Were they a good person and suddenly something happened that turned them bad or were they mentally ill. Were they a victim of a bad homelife? I want the readers to find some pathos with the murderer if there is any to find. If they are psychopathic or sociopathic then no, there is no redemption but some of my murderers were victim of circumstances that you or I could have had happen to us.

Do you have a favourite story in this volume or among the other stories you have written about Miller and Kelby?

I have a three of favorite stories. Two in this book and one that has been published with CaféLit. In this book, I like 'The Alphabet Murders' and 'The Prostitute Murders' and the one on CaféLit is Murders in the Hospital Morgue. The Alphabet Murders was a prostitute taking revenge on her Johns for the way she was treated. 'The Prostitute Murders' was an unknown assailant killing prostitutes and their Johns for some unknown reason. The story on CaféLit was 'Murders in the Hospital Morgue'. This one is special because I was hospitalized last year and was treated so poorly by one of the nurses that all I could do was think about how I wanted to kill her if given the chance. A good friend encouraged me to write the story and submit it to CaféLit. That goes back to what I said earlier about being a good person but having something happen that pushes you over the edge and then you turn into a murderer. Would I have done it if given the chance? I’ll never know because it never happened. I believe for me, no, but that little voice inside me said she needed to pay for being a mean, rotten person. Writing a letter to the hospital wasn’t enough but had she done to another person what she did to me, well, let’s say one day she might not be around. But it did give me enormous satisfaction killing her in my story. Her and the nurse’s aide.

Tell us a little about your writing routine.

I wish I had a routine to talk about. I write when I can. I have a pad and pen that I keep near me to write down ideas. I lie in bed for about an hour before I go to sleep trying to work out plot lines. I’ve gotten up at odd hours of the night to write down possible story lines and then the next day trying to work them out.

What other sort of material do you write?

As I mentioned historical fiction. I like to write darker short stories but not horror. I’ve written a western script. Had a bit of romance in it. I love the western genre but have not pursued it because that’s another genre nobody seems to want. I am in some fan groups from a British TV show from the 70s, The Professionals so I’ve written fan fiction. It’s just for fun. I wrote a short story about a woman having to commit her mother to a psychiatric floor and the hardship they both endured. That was based on a true story. I committed my mother six times before was I forced to put her into a nursing home. I was told a writer should write what they know. I certainly did.

Do you have a favourite crime writer?

I actually don’t have one as strange as that sounds.

Why do you think people enjoy reading crime stories?

The people I have talked to seem to like murders. Many people only want to read true crime and have asked me if my book is true crime, which it isn’t. They seem to want to see if the person is going to get away with it. What is the perfect crime?

Are you working on a project at the moment?

I’m actually working on the WWII albeit slowly. I am working on the sequel to my first fan fiction. And of course, I am constantly trying to think up new adventures for Miller and Kelby. I must keep my hard-working detectives solving crimes. And I have some short stories that have never been picked up that when I have spare time, I look for places to pitch them to.

Do you have any events planned?

Yes, I will be at The Last Bookstore, Studio City, California on Sunday, October 26 from 2-4. The Open Book, Northridge, California on Saturday November 8 from 12-3 and Camarillo Library, Camarillo, California on November 22 from 2-3.

See Maxine's web sit at: 

www.maxine-flam.com

 

 

 

Find a copy of her book here   

 

Today Patrica Striar Rohner talks to me about her novel 2, Poppins Lane - one of our Feisty Women books

 

1. Poppins Lane includes some difficult topics. How was that for you personally?

 Writing about child sexual abuse was challenging for me in a few ways. First, I had to contend with some personal issues, which made the topic sensitive. I didn't want to expose anyone, so I was careful. Second, it was challenging to discuss the stories I had heard over the years as a licensed clinical social worker. I wanted to accurately express the anguish and pain these people had to live with their whole lives. It was essential to do it right.

2. What sort of research did you have to do for the book?   

Some of you may be surprised by how social norms have changed regarding child sexual abuse over time. In Roman and Greek times sex with minors if not the norm, certainly wasn’t frowned upon… particularly with slaves. Emperor Tiberius had some especially horrible practices with children at his estate on Capri. It's important to consider that cultural norms in earlier periods were different. Children were married much younger, and often to older husbands. If the bride was underage, they may wait to consummate things once the girl was sexually able. We today consider a sexual act with a 13 year old as horrific, but it didn't have the same negative connotation then. They didn't necessarily consider it as sexual predation.

 It was the Statute of Westminster the First 1275 (3 Edw 1) during the reign of Edward I that set the legal consent age at 12. Still, historians found records that adults in elite households in 15th- and 16th-century Europe  sometimes treated young children as sexual playthings. According to a diary kept by the royal physician, members of the French royal court fondled Louis XIII (the future King of France) and ladies in waiting played sexual games with him.

 

Additionally, I learned a lot about the types of people who abuse children through my professional work and discussions with colleagues. Letters, diaries, memos, court records, depositions, and lawsuits provided information. Many victims have written memoirs. Here is the take-a-way. THERE IS NO TYPE! Also, sexual abusers are usually someone the victim knows.

 

3. How long did it take you to write it?

 I am a storyteller who writes fiction. It took me over a year to finish this book. Every morning, I wrote for a few hours, and whenever I had a thought, idea, or new revelation, I would jot it down. I had two editors before submitting this work to the publisher. I wanted to craft a fictional story supported by extensive research so it would feel real and believable. I focused on family and community, and my novel follows this family for 35 years. Making the characters believable took a lot of time.

 

4. What can you tell us about the cover?

I took my first art lesson in 7th grade when I was 12 years old and have painted ever since. In Newburyport, Massachusetts, I saw a pink Victorian house on the corner of High and State Streets and wondered who lived there. We called it the "Pepto-Bismol" House because it was the exact pink color. Often, I would drive past this beautiful house. I decided that secrets could be hidden in a house like that; no one would suspect it. I wanted the cover to look pleasing, as if a perfectly normal family lived there, without hinting that anything was wrong. The idea was to make it look like nothing bad was happening in this pretty pink house, but eventually, the secrets revealed themselves. The cover is my oil painting.

 

5. Do you have a favorite character in the story?

My favorite character in the novel is Susan. She is the narrator of the book, the person who tells the story of what happened to her. She has to deal with the aftermath of the abuse, the torment of not speaking, the urges to do it herself. I think she is a gutsy and strong person, and I admire her courage.

 

The other favorite character was Lily, the mother. She took a bit of a beating in the story, having her husband leave her for the proverbial younger woman after devoting her life to helping the doctor. However, she was a resilient woman who partnered with Penny Long, went into business traveling Europe, and became rich and famous. I loved her spirit and her spunk. A modern woman right in my heart!

 

6. Can you tell us a little about your writing process

When I start to write a story, I do it every day. When I'm away from my desk and have a thought, I jot it down in my iPhone. I'm always thinking about the subject. Always reading newspapers, searching for books, exploring other ways to find information, the information I need.  It's like having a baby; when I write a book, I’m developing my story, creating dialogue, and until it’s finished, I keep it close. I try to make it perfect but of course it never is and it’s almost impossible for me to say I’m done. At least one of the stories I’ve written had to go in the fridge for a while as I sorted things out in my mind.

 

7. Do you have any other projects planned? 

I am already working on my next book. It is about a woman who grows up in a small town and makes choices that backfire on her. Still ironing out the plot. 

 

8. Do you have any events planned?

My book launch is scheduled for December 2, 2025, at the Broken Sound Club in Boca Raton, Florida 33496. I anticipate about 75 attendees. Developing dates now for other events in South Florida and Massachusetts. Stay tuned!

 

My Website:

https://www.patriciarohner.com/

 

Meet me on You-tube:

 

https://www.youtube.com/shorts/66CHtBLoyyY

 

Find a copy of the book here  

 

 

 

 

Offer on Schellberg books: Buy all three for £21.00

 

Käthe wants to be a scientist. She sees herself as more than a housewife and a mother. And she is in her own eyes definitely not Jewish.

Life in Nazi Germany sees it another way however. She has to give up a promising career and her national identity. She has to leave the home she has built up for her husband and daughter. But she is not afraid of challenges. She enlists the help of a respected professor to help her fulfil her ambition, she learns how to use a gun and how to drive a car. But what will she do when she finds herself fact to face with the Führer or, indeed, with the challenges of modern life?

Face to Face with the Führer is the fourth novel in Gill James’ Schellberg cycle.

 Buy individually 

 

 

Gisela adores her brother Bear, her gorgeous BDM uniform and her little half-brother Jens. She does her best to be a good German citizen and is keen to help restore Germany to its former glory. She becomes a competent and respected BDM leader.

But life begins to turn sour. Her oldest brother Kurt can be violent, she soon realises that she is different from other girls, she feels uncomfortable around her mother’s new lover and there is something not quite right about Jens.  It becomes more and more difficult to be the perfect German young woman.          

Girl in a Smart Uniform is the third book in the Schellberg Cycle, a collection of novels inspired by a bunch of photocopied letters that arrived at a small cottage in Wales in 1979.

The letters give us some insights into what life was like growing up in Germany in the 1930s and 1940s.

This novel explores what may have motivated young women growing up in Nazi Germany and offers an explanation as to how a school for disabled children was allowed to carry on functioning throughout World War II.    

Buy individually  

 

Clara will not be daunted. Her life will not end when her beloved husband dies too young.  She will become a second mother to the young children who live away from home in order to visit a rather special school. When life becomes desperate for a particular class of disabled children growing up in Nazi Germany she takes a few risks. Is her ultimate faith in the goodness of human beings a fatal flaw that leads to her tragedy, or is her story actually one of hope?

Buy individually  

 

Buy all three together  

 

Three 'The Best of CafeLit' Books for £15.00

 

 

 

Each story in these little volumes is the right length and quality for enjoying as you sip the assigned drink in your favourite Creative Café. You need never feel alone again in a café. So what's the mood today? Espresso? Earl Grey tea? Hot chocolate with marshmallows? You'll find most drinks in our drinks index.

 

Buy all three together for £15.00, no shipping fee.  

 

 

News 13 October

 

Late this month – apologies

We’ve been away on our holidays this month so I’m a little behind with everything – except my reading challenge with Good Reads. I am now seven books ahead!  Yes, one of the main points of a holiday for me is to get more reading done – and I didn’t stint this time. You’ll read about which book came out top further on.  

 

Writing news

I’m continuing with my work on the seventh Schellberg book. My protagonist has just started to get into Swing and a club that she frequents has just been raided.  

 

On My Blog

 

I have just one post on my blog this time: Henry Mitchell talks to me about the publication of his book, Telling the Dark

 

The Young Person’s Library 

 

I added just one book in September.  I Never Thought I’d End up Here is a teen Rom Com /   Chicklet-lit book. It’s maybe a little fluffy but good fun anyway. 

 

Recommended read 

 

This month I choose The Keeper of Lost Things by Ruth Hogan.  

Two engaging stories weave together and finally make sense of each other at the end.

It’s a story full of coincidences and improbabilities. There is even a ghost and a couple of love stories. There are mysteries aplenty too. Why was a biscuit tin containing someone’s ashes left on a train? Why is the ghost so angry? How will Laura ever be able to return all of the objects that her former boss found?

Yet it all works beautifully and makes for a very pleasant read.

Anthony Perdew, the original collector of the objects, was a short story writer and interwoven in the text are some of his stories about the objects - many of which actually come very close to the truth.

The characters are charming and in my view well-rounded and believable.

Ruth Hogan keeps you engaged as she outlines the tasks for The Keeper of Lost Things.  

Note, this is an affiliate link and a small portion of what you pay, at no extra cost to you,  may go to Bridge House Publishing.

 

 Giveaway

This month I’m giving away a copy of The Big Book of Prompts 

 

There are three prompts a day for the whole of the year. Some are short and pithy, others are inspired by obscure days e.g. 8 January Bubble Bath Day, and some go into more detail on an aspect of writing craft. There are series that go over a number of days. A few prompts are about works in progress and several give you the choice of working with a text you have already created, creating something new or even editing a completed piece of work. But every prompt gives you the opportunity to write something as well.

These prompts were put together by writers published by the Bridge House, CaféLit and Chapeltown imprints, and their friends.

Happy writing!

 

 

Grab your copy  here.  You’ll find an e-book file and a PDF plus a lot of other free materials here.

Please leave a review on Amazon, if you’re allowed to, on Good Reads and anywhere else you can.

 

Some notes about my newsletters and blogs

They do overlap a little but here is a summary of what they all do.

 

Bridge House Authors For all those published by Bridge House, CaféLit, Chapeltown or The Red Telephone or interested in being published by us. General news about the imprints. News for writers. Links to book performance. Sign up here.

 

The Bridgetown  Café Bookshop where you can buy my books and books published by Bridge House Publishing, CafeLit, Chapeltown Books and The Red Telephone.  Visit us here.     

 

Gill’s News: News about my writing, The Schellberg Project, School Visits and Events. Book recommendations and giveaways. Find it here.   

 

Pushing Boundaries, Flying Higher News about conferences and workshops to do with the young adult novel. (infrequent postings) Sign up here.  

 

Red Telephone Books News about our books and our authors. Sign up here.

 

A Publisher’s Perspective Here I and some other editors blog as a publisher. Access this here.   

 

The Creative Café Project Listings and reviews of creative cafés. See them here.   

 

CaféLit Stories Find these here

 

Gill James Writer All about writing and about my books. View this here.

 

Gill’s Recommended Reads Find information here about books that have taken me out of my editor’s head and a reminder of the ones I’ve highlighted in this newsletter.    

 

Gill’s Sample Fiction Read some of my fiction here.

 

The House on Schellberg Street All about my Schellberg project. Read it here.

 

Writing Teacher All about teaching creative writing.  Some creative writing exercises. Access this here.  I also invite other writers to provide prompts and work for critique.     

 

Books Books Books Weekly offers on our books and news of new books. Find them here. 

 

The Young Person’s Library The children’s book catalogue. Access it here.

 

Fair Submissions  Find it here.   

Opportunities for writers are added several times a day. Roughly once a month I send it out to a list. If you would like to be on that list, sign up here.  

Happy reading and writing.