Ask the Author: Hilary Spiers
Answered Questions (5)
Hilary Spiers
I was shamelessly earwigging a conversation in a coffee shop and heard a woman say to her friend: 'so what are your plans for the future once all the dust settles?' That hooked me. Some life-changing event, I guessed. Divorce? Death? Without waiting for a reply, the woman launched into a barrage of advice about taking up activities, filling her spare time, resisting the temptation to sell up and move … I sneaked a look at the perfectly ordinary mature lady being bombarded with what I’m sure was well-meant but wholly unsolicited guidance and thought: what if she decided to do exactly what she wanted to do, not what others expected her to do? What if, for perhaps the first time in her life, she pleased herself? And I was off ...
Hilary Spiers
That's a hard one! Sometimes, literally one word (read, overheard, popping into my mind) will open up a world of possibilities. On occasions, a news story has prompted the thought: but what if they'd done THAT instead ... I get very unsettled if I don't have a project - be that a novel, a play or a short story - on the go so for everyone's sake, it's better if I'm writing!
Hilary Spiers
As usual I'm writing about older women. Not woman as burdens or bit-part players, not carers or grandmothers (although of course they may be that too) but as women who are front and centre of the action. My current novel is not about my sisters, Hester and Harriet, but a feisty and somewhat convention-defying widow. Although, the sisters are definitely waiting in the wings for another outing ...
Hilary Spiers
Just do it. Write every day - a little or a lot, it doesn't matter. The beauty of being a writer means you can ply your trade anywhere, any time. Read a lot. Read widely. Read critically but generously. If you encounter rejection, allow yourself one day to luxuriate in a sulk then get back to your desk or grab your notebook. Besides, with luck, your characters will be clamouring to be heard and won't let you rest until they've had their say.
Hilary Spiers
Take some exercise. Get out of the chair, away from the desk and out into the world - walking, swimming, meeting friends. A chance remark or a snippet of overheard conversation might be enough to spark a new idea to get past the logjam.
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