Today I have Tammy Cohen on my blog talking about how writer's block affects her working day. Tammy's latest book, When She Was Bad, was published by Black Swan (Penguin Random House UK) in April 2016.
The Killer Women Festival is taking place at Shoreditch Town Hall, London, on 15 October 2016 - more details at the end of this blog post and on Friday.
There’s always a blissful split second when I wake up
where my mind is a merciful blank and all’s well with the world. Then I remember the days
and weeks of false starts and empty pages that lie behind me and am flooded
with panic as I do my mental calculations. How many months until my next book
is due? How many weeks? Days?
After rattling off my last novel in almost
indecent haste, the new book is stubbornly refusing to get written. It seemed
like such an excellent idea when I scribbled down the two-page synopsis that my
agent and editor fell in love with. But stretching out those two pages into a
hundred thousand words is proving a challenge*. And my November deadline is
fast approaching.
It’s not through want of trying. Every day, after
walking the dog, I sit down to write. But so far I’m struggling to find a
way of getting into the story. And it’s precisely when you’re struggling that the
Internet suddenly becomes so irresistible. A YouTube clip of dogs acting
guilty? Don’t mind if I do. When work is going badly, social media is a black
hole that swallows me up and spits me up some hours later having come up with
several witty entries on the #BrexitMovies hashtag, but no usable words.
By evening, panic has usually given way to a
low level nausea that I try to assuage by watching something mindless and
ranting at the 10 o’clock news (and sometimes gin). After which, finally, fully-fledged
fear might prompt me to get out my laptop and get down some words. Any words.
In any order.
When I go to bed I remind myself that I’ve been here
before. Writing When She Was Bad, I was completely stalled until one evening,
in the bath, a voice came into my head that became a totally new thread and the
whole book instantly fell into place. That’s what I’m looking for – the
magical key that unlocks this new book and lets me in to write it. I know it’s there, it’s just a question
of finding it. And in the meantime, ooh look a clip of a fireman rescuing a
kitten…
* I’ve substituted ‘challenge’ for ‘total impossibility’, just in case my editor
is reading.
About Tammy Cohen
Tammy Cohen
is the author of seven novels. Her latest, When She Was Bad, came out in April
2016 and is a psychological thriller set in an office. She shares a birthday
with the Killer Women Festival and can't imagine a better way of spending it
than hanging out with all her favourite crime writers, not to mention seeing
all-time heroes like Val McDermid. And no, she's not saying which birthday it
is.
Find out
more about Tammy on her website and follow her on Twitter - @MsTamarCohen
The Killer Women Festival
The FIRST
EVER Killer Women Crime Writing Festival takes place on Saturday 15th October 2016 at Shoreditch Town
Hall, London EC1.
Founded in
2014, Killer Women is a collective of female crime writers from London and the
South East. As well as the Killer Women themselves, other high-profile authors
taking part in the Festival include Ann Cleeves, Martina Cole, Mark Billingham
and Val McDermid.
The day-long
programme includes readings and debates, masterclasses, an exclusive Murder
Mystery, Killer Women cocktails and much more.
Learn more through the Killer Women website and follow Killer Women on
Twitter - @killerwomenorg
Read my other Killer Women Festival Week blog posts:
Day One - DE Meredith
Day Three - Erin Kelly
Day Four - Sarah Hilary
Day Five - The Killer Women Crime Writing Festival
Read my other Killer Women Festival Week blog posts:
Day One - DE Meredith
Day Three - Erin Kelly
Day Four - Sarah Hilary
Day Five - The Killer Women Crime Writing Festival
No comments:
Post a Comment