We bring together the first videos in Cesca Major's series offering insight into the writing process...
Over the past four weeks, debut novelist Cesca Major has been asking the questions you, as a writer, need to know the answers to. Currently writing her second novel, her series of vlogs encourages you to write alongside her; tacking the questions and problems that arise together and thinking about your writing in a wider context - a kind of what, why and where of writing.
Week 1: Genre - why are you writing and who are you writing for?
Week 2: Research - What do you need to research and how much time should you spend researching?
Week 3: Where - where do you write and how can it help you as a writer?
Week 4: What - what's your writing really about and how can you find your logline?
Fortunately, Cesca has many more tips and advice to share, and probably lots more questions to ask as she continues to write her second novel - so watch this space. And, in the meantime, happy writing!
After studying History at Bristol University, Cesca went on to work as a TV Presenter for four years on various pre-recorded and live shows. She taught History for seven years and became a Housemistress at a Secondary boarding School in Berkshire.
Since winning a writing competition for the best opening paragraph to a novel, Cesca has won or been placed in prestigious short story competitions for: Women and Home, Wells Festival of Literature, Grace Dieu and has also had short stories published in the Sentinel Champion and Sunday People Magazine.
She has written regular reviews and features for the popular women’s fiction website Novelicious and now films weekly vlogs to help wannabe writers for www.writersandartists.co.uk. She lives in Bradfield with her husband and their brood of ex-battery chickens.
The Silent Hours is her first novel.
Thanks for your insight Cesca. I think you are right about the Book Club read, but have never fully understood that concept - I feel more research coming up. The story involves music - he is an itinerant musician - and travel through Spain, France & Italy - she is a fashion model. The main obstacle is his day-to-day lifestyle as opposed to hers of glamour and pretentiousness. Their differences are brought to a head when she meets friends from work in Barcelona. Last time I submitted this work was over two years ago. Using the feedback I have received, I have just about rewritten the story. I am almost finished polishing the manuscript and will try my luck again after Xmas.
All the best
How tricky. It doesn't sound like it is 'literary fiction' - it sounds like a commercial read. Obviously it would be good to know more about what the characters go through etc to really get a sense of the book but maybe it could be a literary/commercial cross. I think if it is a good story - the stakes are high and we are turning the page for something - then you can get away with describing it as a 'Book Club' read which covers a multitude of stories!! Hmm lots of luck with what you do next and keep in touch...
Loved your article Cesca. I also viewed the video on Genre. This is one area that frustrates me. My story is one of those I felt needs to be told. It is about two children who befriend each other on the streets of Naples only to lose contact for two decades. When they meet again they are from two different lifestyles. It follows their travails as they learn about each other's new life and overcome obstacles thrown in their path. It is mainly about the male character. It follows his gamut of reactions to the female character's new life, and how he finds his solution when he returns to Naples. It was never meant to be a romance novel, but has a heavy romantic theme to it. I submitted to various agents and was directed toward agents for romance fiction. When I submitted to a Romance agency, I was told I write well but my work didn't follow the guidelines for a Romance novel, eg the protagonists don't fall into each other's arms at the beginning. I fell into the mistake of classifying it under multiple genres - Music, Travel, Romance, Adventure - but am not comfortable with that. This, and my other works, deal with people and their journeys toward an outcome, but I can't seem to place them into any specific genre. I have researched Genre to death. After many revisions of my work, the best thing I have come up with that fits is Entwicklungsroman, but I believe this refers to Literary Fiction. Should I be steering away from Commercial Fiction and submit under Literary Fiction, even though I think my work fits the commercial market?