The Literary Sofa
Features
Write What You Know?
There are many sayings about writing and almost as many clichés, the number one surely being ‘There’s a novel in everyone.’ I’m not getting into that. This is about that other old chestnut ‘Write What You Know’ (WWYK), usually attributed to Mark Twain (although I’m happy to hear he didn’t particularly follow it). I’ve always instinctively … Continue reading
Literary Taste – Who’s to Judge?
Last week, while the Chair of the 2012 Man Booker Prize judges Peter Stothard was claiming that book bloggers are ‘harming literature’, I was busy sifting through the incredibly diverse and original ‘Best Book I’ve Read This Year’ entries in the competition to celebrate my first year doing just that. Blogging about books, that is. … Continue reading
Online Book Reviews – The Good, the Bad and the Downright Nasty
I’m writing this piece from a slightly uncomfortable position on the fence that separates readers and writers. I am most definitely a reader, of 32 novels in the first half of this year to be precise, so if I keep it up I’ll easily smash last year’s record. I also think of myself as a … Continue reading
Taking No Prisoners – My View of Fifty Shades of Grey
Warning: This article makes reference to sexually explicit material. By the time I finished the first chapter of E L James’s Fifty Shades of Grey, two things were clear: everything I’d heard about the writing was true, and it wasn’t going to be a long read. One of these was regrettable, the other a blessed relief. I’m not … Continue reading
A World Away – Geographical Settings in Fiction
Every time I write a new piece for my blog I end up with ideas for two or three more! I’m now compiling my Top 10 Summer Reads listing (coming 18 May) and I’m aiming to include a wide variety of settings from Australia to England; coastal, city, country. This got me thinking about how important … Continue reading
Lucky 7 – Seven Lines from New Works
I returned from my lovely trip to the South of France to find I’d been tagged by Jane Rusbridge in the Lucky 7 – Seven Lines from New Works. Here are the rules if you’re not familiar with it: Go to page 7 or 77 in your current manuscript · Go to line 7 · … Continue reading
A Real Character – Or in this Case, Me
Spring is here and it’s almost time to make a start on my second novel – if nothing else it will take my mind off what’s going to become of the first one, which is currently ‘out there’ in search of its destiny. For me, writing a book starts with character: this time the main one came first … Continue reading
Book Titles – (Don’t) Call It What You Like
Since writing about the importance of titles in Being Selective – How do you choose which books to read? I’ve given this subject a lot more thought and I’m delighted that bestselling crime writer Sophie Hannah has shared her experience of creating great titles with me for this piece. What makes a good book title? A good … Continue reading
Book Groups – What’s Your Story?
It’s amazing to think that something so important in my life came about because of a casual comment to someone I didn’t know very well, just four little words: ‘I want to write’. It was probably the first time I’d said it out loud and I felt like a pretentious idiot, but the lovely smiley lady … Continue reading
Being Selective – How do you choose which books to read?
Those who follow my blog won’t be surprised to hear that my favourite kind of conversation goes something like this: Friend: Read anything good lately, Isabel? Me: Oh, I’ve just read this amazing book set in……about…. What have you been reading? Repeat ad infinitum. I’ve read so many excellent novels in the last few months … Continue reading
My new novel SCENT – out in paperback on 19 May 2022
The Literary Sofa 