An Interview with Nicola Slade - January 2010

By Fiona Jamieson

Q: When did you first start writing fiction?

A: When I was about 6! First submission (at age 22) was to the Children’s page of People’s Friend (the Scottish magazine for women). They bought three children’s stories, about a mermaid, and paid me £2 each story.

Q: Did you ever get rejection slips? If so, how did you deal with the negative aspects of this?

A: I could paper an entire house with rejection slips if I’d kept them! Dealing with rejection never gets easier and my usual reaction is: disbelief, anger, tears, glass of whisky or cup of tea according to how important the submission was to me. Eventually I pick myself up and if there were comments along with the rejection I’ll take note of them and try again. Sometimes though, it’s time to shove the work in a deep, dark drawer.

Q: What are you working on at the moment?

A: I’m a little way into my third Victorian mystery featuring young widow, Charlotte Richmond.

Q: How do you approach the writing of a new novel? What research is involved and does it take long to decide on the plot?

A: Because I’m currently writing a series I have a few main characters established and it’s a question of wondering what Charlotte is up to next. The research always starts with a rereading of my collection of Victorian novels to get myself in the mood and to tune in to the rhythms of speech.

Q: Do you struggle sometimes to find ideas? If so, what do you do to get past that point?

A: Often!  Sometimes I’ll do what I call ‘putting one word in front of another’, in other words forcing myself to write something – anything – just to fill the page. This usually works eventually and if I’m lucky the characters take over and tell the story.

Q: As a professional writer how do you set about planning your time? How much time do you spend actually writing? What other related tasks apart from the writing do you have to do?

A: I’m a very undisciplined writer, I procrastinate all the time. My best time for writing is in the middle of the day up to about tea time and I write in bursts of energy when the spirit moves me. Or when I’m forcing myself to write!

Q: What made you decide to write period murder stories after your first novel was published?

A: I’d already written two murder stories set in Hampshire but they had failed to find a publisher so I was interested in crime writing. I also have a passionate interest in history and love the combination of the two disciplines.

Q: What inspires you?

A: It varies. The book I’m working on at the moment was inspired by a mediaeval garden attached to the Great Hall in Winchester http://www.cityofwinchester.co.uk/parks/eleanor/eleanor.html

Q: Do you find it difficult to buckle down and get writing or do the words flow easily as soon as you get going

A: I’ve said earlier that I’m a procrastinator but sometimes the words just pour out; other times they plod one at a time and very slowly.

Q: Who would you like to include in an Oscars list of those who have been your help and support to get to where you are?

A: In chronological order: my mother, my grandmother, my husband, my best friend, my younger daughter, both my publishers and my agent – and the tiny online writing group (Scribblers Inc) that I belong to.

Q: Do you have any favourite authors?

A: Dozens! 19 century:  Jane Austen, Charlotte Yonge, Mrs Henry Wood. 20thC: school story authors ie what are called Old Girls books, Angela Thirkell, Georgette Heyer, Margery Allingham, Patricia Wentworth, Barbara Michaels, Charlotte Macleod, Ellis Peters, Lindsey Davis, Terry Pratchett – I could go on and on!

Q: Do you envy any other published writers?

A: I’ve been published by reputable but small and independent publishers which has been great – but that means small budgets. It would be fun to be splashed all over the media!

Q: Do you find inspiration in those around you or do you go farther afield for your ideas?

A: Bit of both.

Q: Do you think enough attention is paid in education to the craft of creative writing?

A: I think it’s more important to concentrate on the basics of English grammar and sentence construction at school level. Learning the techniques of creative writing is something that can come later.

Q: Do you think that the ability to write stories is within all of us? Do you think that by learning the tools of the trade anyone can become a better writer and finally maybe get published?

A: I think all aspiring writers can benefit enormously from learning writing techniques but no, I don’t think everyone is born with the ability to write stories.  And to be honest, there are plenty of people who have no desire to do so!

Q: What do you think makes a good writer?

A: I don’t know but finding your own particular voice is a big part of it.

Q: How would you encourage other aspiring writers?

A: Just sit down and write something! Don’t worry about it, just write and when you’re ready to show someone what you’ve written find an honest critic (not a friend who will lavish praise on you) but someone who will tell you truthfully what they think.  Try submitting to an editor (competition, magazine or publisher) and most important of all, take note of what they say about your work and act on the criticisms. Perseverance and determination are the attributes a writer needs most of all.

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Our thanks to Nicola for her participation in this article. To find out more about Nicola or if you have any questions for her she would be happy to reply - just visit her website.

If you wouldlike to attend one of Nicola's workshops check our courses to see when Nicola will be doing her next one.

Please also check our competitions page - entering competitions is one of the best ways of improving your writing and getting recognition.