Ask the Author: Jean Gill
Answered Questions (5)
Jean Gill
My grandfather's identity. My mother never found out who he was as her mother refused to say.
Jean Gill
That is the best thank you any author can have! You are welcome, Laura.
Jean Gill
Sorry to take so long, Nola! This is a very very hard question because I shall miss him too! I didn't want to string readers along with an endless series so decided on a quartet. I think I shall have to see how Book 4 finishes before I can answer the question. I've written a third of it now and am so enjoying my time with Dragonetz and Estela - I don't want it to end!
Thank you so much for motivating me.
Thank you so much for motivating me.
Jean Gill
Bonjour from France, Heather.
Start writing. Stop after a chapter/10 pages and think about what you are writing and who for - if you intend publishing it, which bookshelf will it go on? We are all so different and you won't know what sort of writer you are until you write. Then the advice means something and it's good to seek enough advice to help but not enough to put you off writing. 'Don't get it right, get it written' works for me. Then, when it's written, I go back to that first draft until I get it right.
The first thing I did when an idea picked me to write it as a novel, was to pick a novel from my bookshelf and calculate how many words were in it. 80,000 words. So that's how big my book had to be. Then I wrote the first scene - 3,000 words. That gave me a feel for how big and complicated the story would have to be to make a book and I started making some notes about the plot and structure.
Good luck with your book!
Start writing. Stop after a chapter/10 pages and think about what you are writing and who for - if you intend publishing it, which bookshelf will it go on? We are all so different and you won't know what sort of writer you are until you write. Then the advice means something and it's good to seek enough advice to help but not enough to put you off writing. 'Don't get it right, get it written' works for me. Then, when it's written, I go back to that first draft until I get it right.
The first thing I did when an idea picked me to write it as a novel, was to pick a novel from my bookshelf and calculate how many words were in it. 80,000 words. So that's how big my book had to be. Then I wrote the first scene - 3,000 words. That gave me a feel for how big and complicated the story would have to be to make a book and I started making some notes about the plot and structure.
Good luck with your book!
Jean Gill
Thank you, Celia. I am so sorry that you are facing the loss of your friend and yes I do know how it feels. I wrote my heart into 'One Sixth of a Gill' and I am glad if what I wrote about Lou helps somebody else.
Lou's successor Sherlock is by my side at this very minute, an abandoned hunting dog who has settled into his home over the last 18 months with a joy and sweetness that make everybody smile who sees him. Blanche is here too and happy to have found a friend again but we never forget those we loved and lost.
Lou's successor Sherlock is by my side at this very minute, an abandoned hunting dog who has settled into his home over the last 18 months with a joy and sweetness that make everybody smile who sees him. Blanche is here too and happy to have found a friend again but we never forget those we loved and lost.
About Goodreads Q&A
Ask and answer questions about books!
You can pose questions to the Goodreads community with Reader Q&A, or ask your favorite author a question with Ask the Author.
See Featured Authors Answering Questions
Learn more