Hi Deirdre! Welcome to my blog - I am looking forward to learning more about you and your writing! Let's kick off with my questions...
What is the strangest talent you have?
No strange talents, at
least none that I’m aware of… I do
have a mild form of synaesthesia, though, which I suppose is a little bit
strange. My days of the week have
colours, as do some names, and my letters and numbers have a physical
location. I get called up to
Sussex University occasionally where they test my brain function!
What is the best Halloween costume you’ve ever
worn?
Never worn one. Don’t do Halloween. I went to a few Halloween parties as a
child but I don’t think we dressed up.
It was all about the apple bobbing.
Are the titles of your books important?
Yes, I think all
titles are important. The title is
your first line of communication with a potential reader, along with the
cover. Luckily my titles so far
have been easy to come up with as they were readily suggested by the
story. I like to have the title
firmly in place before I start writing.
For me it anchors the book, somehow. That’s not to say I wouldn’t change a title once I’d
started, though, if the book takes an unexpected turn as it goes along. In fact, I might change the title of
the one I’m working on now.
If you’re struggling with a scene or difficult
character, what methods help you through it?
My number one method
is to leave it alone, go away and do something else. As likely as not, the solution will pop into my mind while
I’m gone. Other than that, if I’m
having problems with a scene, I’ll try to stand back from it and ask myself what
the purpose of the scene is, then take it from there. If it has no useful purpose, I’ll cut it. If it needs to be there, I’ll think
about whether it would be better shown from a different character’s
viewpoint. I like to form my
characters fairly well early on in the story, if not on paper then at least in
my head, and that way they don’t tend to present many problems. If they do I’ll check their motivation,
in case I’m making them act in a way that’s inconsistent with that.
Do you prefer dogs, cats or none of the above?
Cats. I’m quite potty about them. We’ve had
cats for a number of years now, the current one being a tabby and white
six-year-old called Chester, and my goodness do we know we’ve got him; he’s
such a character. It seems
appropriate that I’m published by Crooked Cat!
Who’s your favourite author? Why?
Now there’s a question
and a half. I have a set of
favourite authors rather than just one, and it changes according to what I’ve
just read. Among my top favourites
are Isabel Ashdown, Lisa Jewell, Jo-Jo Moyes, David Nicholls, Hannah
Richell. For sheer quality of
writing and acute observation of human behaviour, William Nicholson is hard to
beat. If I have to pick one
favourite, then it would be Deborah Moggach, again for superb writing and pure
entertainment.
Do you have a pet peeve?
Depends what day it
is. There do seem to be more
peeves these days then there used to be, so obviously I’m turning into a Grumpy
Old Woman. What gets me at the
moment is not being able to find a comfortable seat on the bus. The tip-up ones you have to vacate as
soon as someone gets on with a baby buggy. I don’t feel qualified – yet! - for the elderly and disabled
seats, the ones at the back give out tremendous heat, and what’s left in the
middle are rock hard and I can’t get my legs in. Upstairs is all right, if I want to risk being thrown bodily
down the steps as the driver stamps on the brakes. OK, you get the idea about the buses…
Do you remember your dreams when you wake up in
the morning?
Sometimes I do, if
I’ve had a particularly vivid dream, but it will only stay with me for a moment
or two. Just as well, probably!
Thanks very much for
inviting me onto your blog, Rachel. I’ve enjoyed answering your questions.
Deirdre
BLURB
Blurb for Remarkable Things (Deirdre Palmer)
When Gus Albourne finds himself as sole
inheritor of Aunt Augusta’s cottage in the Sussex village of Hangburton, he has
more than just a property on his hands. Why him and not Robert, his more
deserving brother? Gus needs answers. As he searches for the truth behind the
legacy, the cottage begins to reveal its secrets and Gus realises he’s looking
at his own life story. Only it’s not the version he knows.
Millie Hope is searching for her missing
daughter, Karen. When Millie’s ex-husband dies, finding Karen becomes even more
urgent. But there’s more than one barrier to the search. For a start, there’s
Jack, Karen’s terrifying ex-boyfriend. And then there’s the reason Karen
disappeared in the first place, which seems less certain as time goes on.
Friendship between Gus and Millie deepens
into something more as they share confidences over endless cups of tea in the
back room of Millie’s shop. But how can they begin to think about the future
when the past is clamouring to be rewritten?
Author of ‘Remarkable
Things’ published by Crooked Cat Publishing:
Comments?? Questions??
Great post and really interesting how the title anchors the story for you, Deirdre. It's usually the last thing I think of, but I wonder if doing it your way would help ne deepen the themes... food for thought!
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