Do you want to read about Hull?

I don't know how many times I've tried to write this post - but I know that each time I've started it  - or even thought about it - something has happened to interrupt  me. These interruptions  have tended to be linked to two things.

1. Builders - we are having the kitchen revamped and extended   and the work started last week so  lots of questions, lots of noise, lots of dirt . . .the cats hate it, we can't get the car into the drive . . . .
I keep telling myself it's going to look wonderful when it's done - and it is - but right now it's chaos.

2. Interviews  - it seems that someone said - in a blog about settings for books :

The precise setting matters: Edinburgh and London will work well. Leicester and Hull less so. With apologies to Leicester and Hull. (And this does NOT mean you can't set books in Leicester and Hull, just that they won't of themselves be a draw to those who don't appreciate the romantic aspects of those cities.)

And as I live near Hull and have given several workshops and talks there,  the local radio - Radio Humberside - wanted  to interview me to know what I thought.

What do i think? Well that it you are writing a romance  then you are writing the story of the emoitonal journey of your hero and heroine - and they are what matter. Just as in real life when it isn't  wher you are but who you are with the makes a romantic time,  so in a romantic novel it's the people  whose story you are telling who matter.  
Of course there are more obviously 'romantic' settings that appeal to  a large number of people and so might make a book attractive  - Venice, Rome, Paris, all have that image - but it still depneds on who you are with or what the emotional story might be. Personally I spent one of the least romantic days of my life in Paris and as a city it has never appealed to me since - but my sister spent her honeymoon there - so obviously we'll disagree over that!  And I have had some very romantic days/evenings . . . nights   in some totally unromantic  seeming places. 

The trouble with the accepted 'romantic' images are that they tend to be the easy sell - the places where it's easy(easier) to create a romantic setting   that will quickly an effortlessly be picked up on by a reader.  But the 'easy sell' is that because it has been used so often that it can become a shortcut/shorthand - and unfortunately can be used so often it also become a cliché  - and so not inspiring or interesting at all.  And it's still matters that it's who you're with /who you are reading about. A gloriously romantic setting won't make a dull book exciting or a  slow story into a pacy best seller.

Which is basically what I said on the Radio Humberside interview. It must have sounded alll right because the next thing  was that I had a phone call  from the local news programme - Look North - who are also covering  this 'Hull won't work well as a setting'  subject - asking if I would do an interview for them too.
Which wasn't quite as  simple a request as it sounds - when I took the phone call I had a conditoning pack on my hair, was in the scruffiest jeans and tee shirt, no make up - and my work room was a tip!
I had an hour while the interviewer drove from Hull to here to sort that out - rinse hair, dry  hair, find some makeuo, do face - change clothes .  . .

The 'tidying'of the room was done by my patented method - pick up all the mess, piles of papers, assorted (and not sorted) bits and pieces and take them into another room. Dump them there and shut the door firmly. Return to office and wipe a duster hastily aroud all surfaces.  . .  finished just intime.

The interviewer was lovely, very relaxed and good at putting me at my ease. (Thank you Rowan!)  We did all the filming and I answered all the questions.  I think it went well - apart from the one moment when Flora decided to get into the action and jumped on the back of my chair, swishing her tail around and draping it across my face - we had to  redo that bit!

So now I'm sirtting here knowing the result will be on Look North in  a very short time - the programme is at 6.30. I expect that only a very little bit of what I said will ve shown in amongst lots of other comments but it was an experience - and I have a cleaner, tidier room to show for it!

You may be able to catch the programme on the play it again facility on the web site here.
And I'd like to know what you think. How important is the setting of a novel for you? Do you want to read about glamorous international  settings - one that have the romantic 'easy sell'? Or are you interested in trying new places  in books - or not bothered where the book is set so long as the characters are fascinating and the story intense and emotional?

I'd love to know - specially if you come from Hull.

Mills and Boon Romance Workshop in Hull

The first time I ever saw the city of Hull - or, to give it its full title Kingston Upon Hull, I was there for a job interview. This was in my other life and other existence as a Children's Librarian.

More years ago than I care to remember, I travelled to Hull for an interview in the huge Central Library on Albion Street. I got the job. And I also got my first sight od a city that has since become so familiar to me as a result of many shopping trips, visits to the Radio Humberside studios for interviews of a different sort, and as the site of one of my very first Writing Romance talks, way back before the 12 Point Guide to Writing Romance was even thought of.

Yesterday I went back again and held a workshop for aspiring romance writers in the wonderful old Local Studies library (now empty since the brilliant brand new History Centre opened on January 25th).

The workshop had been arranged for February because of Valentine's Day of course but even though it had only been announced in the middle of January, the workshop had quickly sold out and so the old, darkwood furnished room was crowded as everyone gathered round the long, old-fashioned library tables to learn and talk about writing romance.

I had a great time. Everyone was so enthusiastic and interested and the two hours just seemed to fly by. The working session that we did on character provoked, as always, lots of discussion, debate and laughter, sparked off by the images of one Mr H Jackman (who else?) and Alyson Hannigan as his heroine. It was wonderful to see people realise ways that they could use the quesrtions we were discussing to deepen their knowledge of their own story characters and I could swear that I could see lightbulbs going off over people's heads all through the session.

I'm only sorry that I couldn't stay any longer but the parking ticket on my car was due to run out any minute (I actually only made it back to it by the skin of my teeth) when I left 30 minutes after the workshop was officially supposed to have ended.

I owe special thanks to the librarians who helped organise this and made the afternoon so easy and enjoyable for me - for Jessica who did all the forward planning and then sadly had to be in Newcastle on the day of the actual event. Thank you too to Rebecca and Hattie who were there on the day to ensure that things run smoothly. They also provided tea and coffee and biscuits that I know were very much welcomed by everyone there. A special extra thank you to Rebecca who put all my handouts and the workshop sheets into a special bound collection that every workshop student could take home with them.

And of course a very warm thank you to everyone who came along and joined in. (If you're reading this blog after finding your way to my web site then please say Hello in the comments so I know you were here.) Your enthisiasm and interest made it a very lively afternoon and it will be remembered as one of my favourite workshops ever. I hope you all enjoyed it too - and don't forget that if you want to know about any more of the talks/workshops I do then you'll find the details over on my Events page.

Lastly, I want to mention two people who added to the pleasure of the day. First was the lovely gentleman who was part of the visually-impaired group who joined us and who came up to me at the tea break and told me that 'I came here today expecting to be bored - and I'm not! I'm loving it!'

And finally, a very special mention for Joanne Cleary who I first met at a one-to-one in one of the Calderdale Writers' Roadshow events last year. She is also one of the writers who was asked for a new submissin as a result of the Presents Writing Contest over on I Heart Presents last year.

Then Joanne had l-o-n-g hair more than halfway down her back. When she arrived at Hull she was sporting an elegant short, sleek bob that made her look wonderful and actually - as I told her - took years off her ! I'm mentioning this because Joanne's hair cut was done not for vanity but for charity. The hair she had cut (and when I mention that it had to be at least 10 -12 inches, you'll see how much hair Joanne lost) had been sent to the Little Princess Trust to help make a wig for a child who has lost their hair following cancer treatment. I think this is a fabulous thing to do and as Joanne is running a sponsorship for the hair cut on her blog I gave her my donation at the end of the workshop.

And if you'd like to sponsor her too you can find the details over on her personal blog where there is a sponsorship link you can use.

Congratulations Joanne - and thank you for coming to the workshop too. Now get writing on that submission and I'll hope to hear good news from you in the future.

PS The radio interview with sine fm radio should be broadcast today sometime between 11 - 12 am. After that it will be available on the internet.