Kate Morrell
Honestly ... inspiration is not what makes me write.
Writing a novel is grindingly hard work - at least it is for me. The first 5,000-10,000 words tumble out of me - all those lovely 'movie clips' in my head. The next 15,000 are harder. This is where the structure forms - the bones I need to flesh out. Then the next 80-100,000 words are like having my entrails drawn ... ok, an exaggeration, I admit. But it means every weekend, evening and holiday spent grafting at a laptop, and when that's how you spend your working day too, it's not much fun. It's hours and hours of research and labouring over crafting pages that you later decide didn't quite work ... so into your 'spare words' doc they go ... another lost weekend with nothing to show for it. Family and friends are neglected, along with the garden, house and all the other hobbies you begin to pine for. Finally, you emerge blinking into the light and expose your labour of love to the public ... and their feedback. Believe me ... you have to have the hide of an elephant not to be hurt by the mean ones! The financial rewards equate to less than minimum wage ... so that's no incentive.
So what DOES inspire me to write despite all of this ... two things.
Firstly, the desire to get the characters in my head (and now readers' heads) down on paper.
But secondly, and by far most importantly, positive feedback from like-minded folks who like the stories and the characters, and who want to read more. When I want to give up, or I hit a wall, or am at a low ebb ... I read a nice review or comment on my Amazon profile page. They pick me up, dust me off and say: 'Come on, Kate. You can do it ... and by the way, we're waiting :-)'
Writing a novel is grindingly hard work - at least it is for me. The first 5,000-10,000 words tumble out of me - all those lovely 'movie clips' in my head. The next 15,000 are harder. This is where the structure forms - the bones I need to flesh out. Then the next 80-100,000 words are like having my entrails drawn ... ok, an exaggeration, I admit. But it means every weekend, evening and holiday spent grafting at a laptop, and when that's how you spend your working day too, it's not much fun. It's hours and hours of research and labouring over crafting pages that you later decide didn't quite work ... so into your 'spare words' doc they go ... another lost weekend with nothing to show for it. Family and friends are neglected, along with the garden, house and all the other hobbies you begin to pine for. Finally, you emerge blinking into the light and expose your labour of love to the public ... and their feedback. Believe me ... you have to have the hide of an elephant not to be hurt by the mean ones! The financial rewards equate to less than minimum wage ... so that's no incentive.
So what DOES inspire me to write despite all of this ... two things.
Firstly, the desire to get the characters in my head (and now readers' heads) down on paper.
But secondly, and by far most importantly, positive feedback from like-minded folks who like the stories and the characters, and who want to read more. When I want to give up, or I hit a wall, or am at a low ebb ... I read a nice review or comment on my Amazon profile page. They pick me up, dust me off and say: 'Come on, Kate. You can do it ... and by the way, we're waiting :-)'
More Answered Questions
Lynn Pollard
asked
Kate Morrell:
I have asked before but is there a chance that you will write a book about Cleve Beresforde? He is like an unfinished portrait at the end of Charity case. I hope you see this as there us no other way of contacting you.I Your books are some of the best regency romances I have ever read. Lyyn Pollard
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