Glasshopper
Page 29
What was most challenging about the writing of the book?
Dealing with uncertainty and doubt was probably the most challenging aspect of the writing process. From the point at which you decide to commit to writing your first novel, you face a gaping chasm of work yet-to-be-done. It can be a lonely experience. But I found that once I’d imposed a strict, businesslike approach to my writing schedule, I was suddenly liberated in terms of creativity, and no longer worried about how much I should write, or about how long it might take me to complete the novel.
ABOUT WRITING:
When do you write?
My writing has to fit in with the rest of my life, with my family, my job and my MA. This could mean working at 5am or at 9pm, but I try to fit in a few decent stretches of writing every week.
Where do you write?
I have a basement office in our old Victorian semi, where I can shut myself away from the outside world. I need quiet to write, and the lack of view means I’m not easily distracted. The dog often comes down and sits with me as I work, so it’s not lonely.
Why do you write?
I used to think I need to work and want to write. But gradually I discovered that the truth is I need to write and I want to work. I like to work with others, earn regular money and enjoy financial stability. But the compulsion to write is greater, and if I’m not writing enough I become irritable and petulant! It’s an addiction in its own way, but, hopefully, a productive one.
What do you read if you need a prompt?
I read a great deal, but when I’m in a very active writing phase I tend to read less, as it clutters my thinking.
Do you listen to music as you write?
No, I need the quiet.
Do you revise and edit your work as you write?
Yes, as well as editing several times over at completion.
What tips would you give aspiring writers?
Carry a notebook at all times. You never know when an idea might strike you. Once or twice I’ve made the mistake of thinking, “Oh, this idea is so great – I don’t need to write it down as I’ll never forget it.” And then it’s gone. Now I don’t take any chances: I keep a notebook in my handbag, on my bedside table, in my glove box, in my rucksack …
Read. Read widely and read with a writer’s eye. Don’t be intimidated by brilliant writing – just try to be conscious of what makes it so good. Likewise, with bad writing, try to understand what doesn’t work, and why. It all feeds in to your own writing and helps you to judge your own work with a more critical eye.
Submit your work to competitions and publications. There’s no doubt that agents and publishers will read your work with more interest if you’ve got a handful of writing successes under your belt. It is time-consuming, and can be disheartening when you don’t win or get accepted. But it’s a great investment, and hugely encouraging when you do win a prize and see your work published.
Join or form a workshop group. A good workshop group will let you read and critique each other’s work in a trusted, friendly environment. Putting your writing through the workshopping process can transform pretty good writing into great writing. I couldn’t have completed my novel without the help, sharp eyes and encouragement of my workshop friends.
What single thing would improve your writing life?
More free time for long mind-clearing walks with my dog. Oh, and a daily Indian head massage.
What distracts you from writing?
My family. In a nice way.
How do you balance writing with work, study and family commitments?
It is difficult, but the only way to balance it is to get organised. I have a very supportive husband, who is not only an exceptionally talented carpenter, but also an amazing cook. I’m very lucky.
Are you working on a second novel?
I’m now working on my next novel. In the early stages of writing, I find I’m most interested in discovering the characters, in understanding their dilemmas and choices, and in watching the subsequent repercussions of those choices unfold before me. Whilst my second novel will have a very different theme to that of Glasshopper, it will appeal to a similar readership.
FIVE LOCATIONS:
Brighton & Hove
A few years ago, on a university trip to a poetry reading in Brighton, two friends and I had a couple of hours to kill. Before the reading began, we ate chips on the seafront and wandered along to the Palace Pier. As we stood on the pier, the sun started to go down, and the sky filled with a dark cloud of starlings. It swooped up, over and beneath the pier with spectacular ferocity and grace. I felt deeply moved, and I knew that the starlings would be part of this book, for both Mary and Jake.
Portsmouth
I find harbour towns fascinating. All those boats coming and going gives a place a sense of possibility; the promise of other places, other lives. I knew that Jake’s life had to have an urban quality about it, and somehow Portsmouth seemed right. From there, Jake and his family would travel to the Isle of Wight and France for some of the most pivotal moments of the novel, in which the contrast between these places could reveal more of the characters’ anxieties and desires.
Isle of Wight
I visited the Isle of Wight as a child and returned as an adult to research the book, on holiday with my family. We walked along the Tennyson trail, and stood at the monument, breathing in the clean air, surrounded by water at all sides. The sense of freedom became an important feature in Jake’s visits with his relaxed Aunt Rachel at Manningly Farm.
Dordogne
The French location is based on a real location in the Dordogne, where we holidayed for several years in the late 1970s. The barn we stayed at belonged to a good schoolfriend of my father’s, Paul Walshe, and for two weeks a year it was all ours. Dad would run in the field at the back of the barn, building up his lap count. My mother, a wonderful artist, would sunbathe on the lawn, shaded beneath her enormous straw hat, making pencil sketches of the scenery. And my brother, sister and I ran free. It was an enchanting, primitive, romantic location, and it seemed the fitting place for Jake and Mary’s story to end.
About the Author
Isabel Ashdown lives on the south coast of England, with her husband and two children. Her poem ‘Milk and Eggs’ was shortlisted for the Bridport Prize and her short story ‘Following Some Disgrace’ won the Johnston Press Author v Author regional awards. An extract from Glasshopper, her first novel, won the Mail on Sunday Novel Competition.
Acknowledgements
There are so many people who have spurred me on in the writing of this book – too many to name them all.
Special thanks to the creative writing staff at the University of Chichester for their inspiration and encouragement; in particular to Dave Swann, who helped me to spot the novel inside my short story; to my MA workshop friends for their generous and insightful readings; to Adrian Weston and Jemima Bamford at Raft PR for their invaluable advice and enthusiasm; to Candida Lacey, Vicky Blunden and Corinne Pearlman at Myriad Editions for their expertise, humour and tender care of Glasshopper; and to Paul Walshe, for sharing the magic of La Font de Pepicou with the Ashdown family.
Most importantly, thank you to my family and friends. Particular thanks to my warm and talented mother, for a rich childhood and unconditional love; and to my wonderful husband, Colin, and our two beautiful children, Alice and Samson, for their endless patience and belief.
Copyright
First published in 2009
This ebook edition published in 2011 by
Myriad Editions
59 Lansdowne Place
Brighton BN3 1FL
www.MyriadEditions.com
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Copyright © Isabel Ashdown 2009
The moral right of the author has been asserted.
All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted in any form or by any means without the written permission of the publisher, nor be o
therwise circulated in any form of binding or cover other than that in which it is published and without a similar condition being imposed on the subsequent purchaser.
A CIP catalogue record for this book is available from the British Library.
ISBN: 978–0–9567926–3–1