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My guest today is Cesca Major. Cesca is a fascinating interviewee as she writes in two genres under different names. Cesca’s debut historical novel, The Silent Hours, was published last year by Corvus, to great acclaim. However, Cesca also writes romantic comedy under the name Rosie Blake. The first Rosie Blake book, How To Get A (Love) Life, was originally published by Novelicious Books and was then picked up by Corvus, as part of a three book deal.
Rosie Blake’s latest novel is How to Find Your (First) Husband
– out 2nd June, 2016!
The Silent Hours by Cesca Major
For more about Cesca Major or her alter ego, Rosie Blake, head to: cescamajor.com or rosieblake.co.uk or via
Twitter: @CescaWrites and @RosieBBooks
In the interview:
Writing during the holidays as a teacher and the value of chunks of time:
‘I do hour long chunks and I call them word races.’
On the difficulty of writing:
‘It’s hideous sometimes and the first five minutes can be awful…’
‘The hardest stage I find is that end of the first draft structural edit’.
On rejection and the journey to publication:
‘Frankly, being rejected is hideous and you have months at the start where you lost faith that it will ever happen.’
On bad writing days:
‘Don’t beat yourself up too much, have a cream egg.’
Recommendations:
Cesca very kindly recommends my ‘Write Your Novel’ column on Novelicious.
The Bookshop Café FB group: ‘It’s lovely to be part of a group where people are just constantly discussing novels.’
Cesca’s own vlogs on writing and editing on The Writers & Artists site.
The beat sheet described in Blake Snyder’s Save the Cat: The Last Book on Screenwriting You’ll Ever Need
The LOCK principle from James Scott Bell’s Write Great Fiction – Plot & Structure: Techniques and Exercises for Crafting and Plot That Grips Readers from Start to Finish
On the importance of using primary sources for historical research: Nella Last’s diaries (Housewife, 49 etc)
Also in the show:
I give a small update on my own writing and reveal my plan to get The Language of Spells made into an audiobook!
I’m very excited to dip my toe in hybrid publishing. If all goes well, I will get The Secrets of Ghosts and The Garden Of Magic made, too. I’m using ACX which is a platform which connects people who own audio rights to books such as publishers and authors, with narrators and audiobook production companies.
I first heard about ACX via the wonderful Joanna Penn at The Creative Penn and I’ve also read Simon Whistler’s excellent guide to the subject Audiobooks for Indies.
I will keep you informed on the process as I go along!
Listener Question:
This month’s question comes from Jeanna Kunce (windhillbooks.com).
Do you feel it is important to be a part of any writers/artists associations? Aside from any conferences or networking benefits there may be, do you think you think it makes a difference simply having on your resume/submissions? Would it actually help someone get their foot in the door? Some people seem to feel it’s only your story that will get you published; others seem to feel that having that “badge” helps to make you seem more serious or professional. Thoughts?
If you have a writing (or publishing) question that you’d like me to tackle in a future episode, please get in touch via email or Twitter.
I’ll answer it on the show and credit you (unless, of course, you ask to remain anonymous).
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Thank you for listening!