Katherine Johnson's Blog
September 30, 2016
Writing that second novel
There has been a lot said about writing a second novel, and I do agree the challenges are unique . There is more expectation - to be perhaps better than the first book, to be in the same vein but to go further, to be wiser, less self-conscious, more assured...
It's no surprise then, that the inner critic sits more firmly on your shoulder, the second time around. Sometimes, it morphs into the outer critic. It takes, I think, a bit more bravery to stick it out because you're committed to this writing thing now, and you have invested serious time. You want it to work.
But, in the end, it is always a leap of faith. An idea grabs hold of you and simply won't let go until you have attended to it, however long that takes. It might work out and it might not. You do it, too, because you love the process, you love writing and, above all, because you love connecting. To have characters form in your mind and then on the page, and then occupy someone else's mind, a reader's, so that you can talk about them as if they are real. That is the stuff of magic. That is why we write second books, and third...
After six years of research, writing and rewriting, and just a bit (okay, a lot) of obsession, my second novel, The Better Son, is being released today. It has taken me longer to write than my first novel, and has been through many iterations (first-person to third-person, a significant restructure or two), but I think, apart from the vagaries of second books, some novels just take a while to be born. And that's just the way of it.
Set in northern Tasmania, Australia, the novel tells the story of Kip and his brother, Tommy, who discover a hidden cave entrance close to their dairy farm. It seems the perfect escape from their abusive war-veteran father, until Tommy goes missing. Kip lies about what happened - it is a lie that follows him his whole life. This is a story about secrets and lies, love and family set against an amazing Tasmanian landscape. It also explores the long legacy of war, euthanasia and second chances.
http://www.venturapress.com.au/the-be...
It's no surprise then, that the inner critic sits more firmly on your shoulder, the second time around. Sometimes, it morphs into the outer critic. It takes, I think, a bit more bravery to stick it out because you're committed to this writing thing now, and you have invested serious time. You want it to work.
But, in the end, it is always a leap of faith. An idea grabs hold of you and simply won't let go until you have attended to it, however long that takes. It might work out and it might not. You do it, too, because you love the process, you love writing and, above all, because you love connecting. To have characters form in your mind and then on the page, and then occupy someone else's mind, a reader's, so that you can talk about them as if they are real. That is the stuff of magic. That is why we write second books, and third...
After six years of research, writing and rewriting, and just a bit (okay, a lot) of obsession, my second novel, The Better Son, is being released today. It has taken me longer to write than my first novel, and has been through many iterations (first-person to third-person, a significant restructure or two), but I think, apart from the vagaries of second books, some novels just take a while to be born. And that's just the way of it.
Set in northern Tasmania, Australia, the novel tells the story of Kip and his brother, Tommy, who discover a hidden cave entrance close to their dairy farm. It seems the perfect escape from their abusive war-veteran father, until Tommy goes missing. Kip lies about what happened - it is a lie that follows him his whole life. This is a story about secrets and lies, love and family set against an amazing Tasmanian landscape. It also explores the long legacy of war, euthanasia and second chances.
http://www.venturapress.com.au/the-be...
September 21, 2010
not finishing books!
I'm doing that thing again when you're writing yourself and are ever so slightly stuck about what happens next ... I'm reading other people's novels voraciously, starting another before I finish the first (as evidenced by my 'still reading' list), in an attempt to escape my own voice and listen to others for a while!
NB There are two books listed as mine on this site that Goodreads has placed there by mistake. I'm in the process of having them removed - just in case you wrote them and are wondering why I'm taking the credit! My published novel is Pescador's Wake, number two is still in the making.
NB There are two books listed as mine on this site that Goodreads has placed there by mistake. I'm in the process of having them removed - just in case you wrote them and are wondering why I'm taking the credit! My published novel is Pescador's Wake, number two is still in the making.
July 21, 2010
Pescador's Wake author aboard
I was recently invited to be the guest author on board a P&O cruise along Australia's north-east coastline for just over a week. The experience of talking to readers before, during and after they read my novel, Pescador's Wake, reminded me why I'm doing this writing thing. To connect with readers. To share stories. To find resonances. It was a timely reminder, as, now that I'm up to my eyeballs in writing my second book and again wrestling with what feels like an Everest of a project, it's sometimes easy to lose sight of the reason behind the hours spent in solitary confinement at our desks! The resonances, and the fact that (in all honesty) we love writing fiction and can't stop, even if we wanted to. While the international rights to my debut novel have not yet been sold, it can be ordered from Australian bookshops and quite large chunks of it can be read online on the HarperCollins Australia website. If you connect with the stories in the book, or just feel like connecting with a writer staring down the barrel of 'the second book', I'd love to hear from you.
