Thursday 12 November 2015

My Writing Life... Kim Lain

Today I am delighted to welcome Kim Lain back to the blog to share with us the details of her writing life!


My writing life by Kim Elizabeth Lain



Working as a Business Support Officer three days a week in a university means that whilst I'm at the day job I have very little time to think about writing.  Dealing with both undergraduate and post-graduate students on a daily basis is great but also hard work.  By the time I get home on a Wednesday, Thursday and Friday, and we've eaten our tea (I’m northern), I'm usually ready for  bed.

When I was finishing Tethered by Twins - however - my story for the RNA NWS - I wrote on a daily basis.  I had to.  I'd got so behind with my manuscript it was all I thought of.  I even took it with me on a holiday to Corfu, much to my husband's disgruntlement (he’s forgiven me since).  Even then, I was so close to the wire I barely had time to sleep towards the end.  My edits and suggestions from the reader's report last year had turned into a total rewrite for me.  In essence, I'd written a whole new book.  I could have submitted a partial - I know - but I wasn't prepared to do that.

Tethered by Twins was submitted for SYTYCW15 on Wattpad.  Putting my book on there was a bit of a challenge as I'm not the best technically - but I did it in the end - and all by myself.  I must have done something right as I'm delighted to report that my story got short-listed to the final 55.  I didn’t progress further as getting through to the next stage was based on votes.  I don’t have a large following - in fact - uploading my entry was the first time I’d ever ventured on Wattpad.  Since then I’ve submitted it to Harlequin through the normal channels and feeling extremely nervous.  Getting shortlisted for the competition has boosted my confidence but I’m still not sure I’m good enough for this writing lark.



In the meantime, I’ve been busy interviewing my characters for my new book - as yet unnamed - but Lizzie and Lucas seem to be developing into two rather interesting people.  This technique of interviewing your characters was suggested to us by fellow writer Claire Walker whom I met on one of Kate Walker's retreats last year at Weetwood Hall, in Leeds.  I love doing this.  And even though it takes time, I think it really is worth doing as afterwards you feel you know your hero and heroine inside out.  With that done, I’ve started on NaNoWriMo.  I’m getting the words down but worrying about Lucas in a big way.  He’s not half as alpha as my last hero so may need a bit of tweaking when I’ve finished.

As a NWS member I'm determined next year to attend the RNA conference in Lancaster - I'm even arranging my holidays around this - so I need to be organised when we get the info through.  This will be my first conference and as a Lancashire lass living just down the road this means I've really no excuse.  Attending Kate's courses over the last couple of years means I now know quite a few other writers.  Kate, of course, who is one of the most supportive people I know - and quite a few of the other wonderful ladies I've met - should be there hopefully.  It's a chance to all get together again - as we will on Kate's Advanced Writing weekend in Fishguard in February.  Can't wait for that!  As an unpublished writer I was particularly star-struck at the September York afternoon tea get-together, where I came face to face with writers I had only previously met on Facebook.  It was a wonderful afternoon with delicious sandwiches, cakes and glasses of prosecco, and coupled with Milly Johnson's great speech, a great time was had by all. 

I would like to thank Heidi - who very kindly - for the third time - has allowed me to appear on her blog.  Heidi was one of the very first writers I met on Facebook and - after having just finished reading the Cherry Tree Cafe - definitely deserves all the success she has had over the last twelve months.  Well done Heidi!  What a super book!  And - aw - what a lovely ending.

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