Ask the Author: Sarah Ménage
Answered Questions (3)
Sarah Ménage
Trying to get readers.
My next writing projects are: reinvigorating and releasing in some form the 1812 backstory to How To Make Life Nice which was stripped out of the published book; editing and publishing my previous two novels - Love In A Wet Climate and The Glass Girl; and exploring narcissism and possibly hypnosis in a future novel. I'm thinking of writing about a love affair with an extremely narcissistic character, and because of my interest in the late Georgian period, I'd like to include references to Byron.
My next writing projects are: reinvigorating and releasing in some form the 1812 backstory to How To Make Life Nice which was stripped out of the published book; editing and publishing my previous two novels - Love In A Wet Climate and The Glass Girl; and exploring narcissism and possibly hypnosis in a future novel. I'm thinking of writing about a love affair with an extremely narcissistic character, and because of my interest in the late Georgian period, I'd like to include references to Byron.
Sarah Ménage
You can work in bed. Like Proust!
Sarah Ménage
There were several ideas which came together for 'How To Make Life Nice''. I was thinking about family dynamics and especially about families with two parents and two children - a boy and girl. I thought it might be an inherently emotionally incestuous set-up and wondered what would happen if you threw an all-round charismatic and desirable person into the mix - someone who might want to seduce every member.
The next inspiration came from dealing with my parents' belongings after they'd died. I realised that through the hoarding inclinations of both parents, a grandparent, and a great aunt, I and my siblings had material coming down to us that covered two hundred years' worth of history. I was intrigued by the oldest things which included a miniature portrait of a woman but no clue as to her identity. I longed to find out who she was and became quite haunted by the idea that she had been real and was probably one of my ancestors.
I was interested in hoarding itself. I realised that writing might be a kind of hoarding behaviour.
If I give too much more away, there'll be no point in reading the book.
The next inspiration came from dealing with my parents' belongings after they'd died. I realised that through the hoarding inclinations of both parents, a grandparent, and a great aunt, I and my siblings had material coming down to us that covered two hundred years' worth of history. I was intrigued by the oldest things which included a miniature portrait of a woman but no clue as to her identity. I longed to find out who she was and became quite haunted by the idea that she had been real and was probably one of my ancestors.
I was interested in hoarding itself. I realised that writing might be a kind of hoarding behaviour.
If I give too much more away, there'll be no point in reading the book.
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