Ask the Author: Janet Colson
Answered Questions (3)
Janet Colson
I'm working on a novel set in London in 1989: Thatcher on her way out, men unreconstructed, buses not running on time. Two young women fresh out of university share a dingy south London flat. When one goes out and doesn't come back, the other has to deal with the consequences. Some characters we've met before and a cast of new ones have tumbled onto the page. Art, crime and big, dirty, creative chaos.
Janet Colson
Keep writing anyway! I find sticking to my routines with writing like many other things gets results. If I get blocked, I do a free writing exercise and then walk the dog. This usually sparks something again. I also like Margaret Atwood's advice - change the the tense or the point of view.
Janet Colson
I was interested in exploring the nature of power relationships, primarily between women and men. I wanted to describe a situation where the woman was active in pursuing her desires. This theme developed with my research into the subject of creativity, which in 'The Shark Party' becomes itself a threat to the established order. I am interested in art for its own sake as well as the different ways in which people value it. The artist Damien Hirst plays with similar ideas in his art, so I pursued this.
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