Looking back through my research

A couple of years ago, I lost a book.

Not an actual physical book – I take very good care of those – but rather, I lost a book I was writing.

I’d written about 30,000 words  (31,486 to be exact) and I stopped writing it.

It wasn’t the book’s fault – life just got in the way and for a year or more I didn’t write anything.

When I came back to my writing desk, I started something new…

That ‘something new’ blossomed into a really exciting book (Flight to Coorah Creek) – which I hope you will enjoy when it’s published next year.

Then I sat down to ask the question – what will I write next. I have a couple of ideas bubbling away…  but then the unfinished book came up in conversation. I decided to take another look at it.

Suddenly, I was back in that story again. It’s a good story. Bits of it made me laugh. Bits of it threatened to bring a tear to my eye. And now I am writing it again, because I want to finish telling that story.

It wasn’t an easy decision to do make. There are a few bad personal memories associated with this book. But having decided to do it… here’s how I went about it.

First – I read the manuscript – right from page one to the rather abrupt halt in the middle of chapter 13. I read it as a reader – not as a writer.  I wanted to see if there really was a good book in there… and the answer was a resounding yes!

So – I read it again – this time armed with a red pencil and some coloured post-it notes (coloured stationary is important to my writing). With these I started editing it. I’ve written another book since I last touched this, which means I have learned just a little bit more about being a good writer. I had improvements to make.

No spoilers - but here's just a hint about the book

Then – I looked at my notes and my research to remind myself of the time and place where the book is set.

Then I re-read my character sketches.

When I am writing a book, I always make notes about each character. The amount detail in those notes depends on how important the character is. For my hero and heroine – reading those notes was like getting back together with an old friend after a long absence.

Then – I started writing. The words are flowing pretty well, which is a good sign.

And this time I’m not going to stop until the story is told.

You need a good selection of coloured pencils and some graph paper

The people in my books are pretty pushy. Each one likes to make sure they get their story told the way they want it. That’s why I write books with multiple points of view.

I saw a review of Farmer Needs A Wife which said something like.. “there are about 6 POV characters, but it’s well handled and I didn’t find it confusing”. That was nice to know – but there were actually eight POV characters in that book.

Eight! In my first book. What was I thinking?

A few fellow writers have asked how I managed them all. The answer is via a brilliant little graph.

Please note – I take no credit at all for this method.

It was passed on to me by the fabulous Annie Burgh – who writes complex, fascinating novels – with lots of characters and plots and sub-plots. She is also a fabulous teacher. This is what she taught me to do…

When I start a new book, I take a page of graph paper – and coloured pencils… one colour for each POV character.

As I finish each chapter – I draw a bar on the graph – just like back at school. The colour/s of the bar represent the POV character or characters – and the height of the bar represents the number of words in the chapter.

The secondary characters – those who don’t get a POV – are the little bits of colour above the chapter.

Thus – I can make sure each of my main characters gets enough room in the book to tell their story well. I can also keep track of the secondary characters – so I don’t lose them.

If I suddenly realise that there has been too much of one colour, or not enough of another, I know I am letting one character get far too pushy – and I can slap them down a bit and put them back in their place.

It also gives me the added reward of a few minutes playing with coloured pencils when I finish a chapter.

I write the chapter number under the bar every 5 chapters – so when I am editing and referring back to something I’ve written, I know where to go. I will also sometimes write a word or two to remind myself what is in the chapter – but just for the key turning points in the novel.

The POV chart for Flight to Coorah Creek - I have blurred a couple of important hints - no spoilers here!

I’ve tried to get the number of POV characters down – my second book only had five. My third only three – but as two of them had two POV sections – one as a teenager and one as an adult – that sort of puts it back to five.

I’m being tougher with myself now. I swear I only have four in the new book. Honestly!

Four…

But then again – there’s that girl sitting over by the window… I think she wants to tell me her story.

In Chook Lit, the feathers are on fowls, not frocks

I wrote two Chook Lit books before I even knew it existed. In fact, when I wrote my first two books, it probably didn’t exist as such.

Now everyone from the Australian Broadcasting Corporation to Time Magazine is heralding Chook Lit as the newest literary craze down under.

So just what is it.

It’s uniquely Australian… the name gives that away.

Not that the word ‘Chook’ isn’t heard elsewhere – in parts of England it’s a term of endearment or possibly an insult, depending on the tone. I’ve also seen it defined by an American as a knitted cap worn by men  (not by my heroes though).

In Australian, chook simply means chicken.

Growing up, we had chooks in the yard. They gave us eggs and most eventually ended up on the dinner table.

Chick lit (as portrayed by Bridget Jones and the girls of Sex and the City) is defined as “genre fiction that addresses issues of modern womanhood, often humorously and lightheartedly”.

Chook Lit is Chick Lit gone country. Replace the Manolo Blahniks with riding boots. Swap a cocktail for a can of beer, and those be-suited corporate hunks with slightly sweaty, suntanned stockmen.

Chook Lit heroes ride horses and will be found around campfires rather than in bars

Actually – like most genre fiction – there’s more to Chook Lit than meets the eye.

It has history – Colleen McCulloch’s epic The Thorn Birds, written in 1977, could be described as a fore-runner to Chook Lit. Lucy Walker wrote dozens of outback romances in the late forties and onwards. But no-one called it Chook Lit back then. Nor did they apply the label to Crocodile Dundee – but that’s what it was.

Chook Lit is romantic and it is set in rural Australia. But life is tough in rural Australia and the Outback, and the issues faced by the characters in these books can be serious and thought provoking. They can also be fun.

For the most part, Chook Lit books are about strong women… and even stronger heroes. What’s not to like about that?

If Hugh Jackman is involved - that's good enough for me.

Regular readers will know that it’s not unusual for this blog to somehow drift across to Hugh Jackman – with even the slightest encouragement. But in this case, not only is he the quintessential  Chook Lit man, but in his first film, Paperback Hero, he played a Chook Lit writer.

When the term Chick Lit was first coined, some writers hated it while others embraced it. Some thought it disparaging. Some found it funny. The same could be said of Chook Lit…

With my first book called “The Farmer Needs A Wife” and my second set around “The Bachelor and Spinster Ball”; I certainly can be accused of committing Chook Lit.

In every one of my books to date, the hero is at some point seen around or on a horse – and the forthcoming Flight To Coorah Creek is no exception.

So I will don my Akubra hat and happily accept the label…

Except – the new book I’ve just started writing  is set on a cruise ship… I’m not sure how I’m going to work the horse into this one…

A very old photo - taken with film no less - on an early visit to central Australia

I’m very excited to announce that my new novel Flight To Coorah Creek is to be published next year by Choc Lit.

There’s really no prize for guessing where it is set.

I love writing books about the Outback. In this one – I go even further out back than ever before – right to the edge of the central Australian Desert.

Life is tough in the outback – and the men and women who make homes there have to be pretty tough too. But that doesn’t mean they can’t be touched by love.

I’ve had a wonderful time writing this book – and getting to know the people who live in the small town of Coorah Creek.

I am also really pleased to have found the perfect home for the book with Choc Lit.

The team there have been responsible for some of my favourite reads during the past couple of years… and it will be great to have my books sitting alongside those of such talented writers.

Top reads - and aren't the covers gorgeous!

Sunset at Coorah Creek would look a lot like this.

There’s a little bit of a wait though – Flight To Coorah Creek will go on sale in the middle of next year.

But…shhh … there may be a small treat in store before then. No promises… you will have to wait and see.

In the meantime – it’s time to start dreaming about flaming outback sunsets and tall, tanned Aussie heroes.

While wandering around Paris last week ( raining and 10 degrees ) I began to wonder why. What is it about Paris that is so romantic?

Paris has much to recommend it…

To start with – there is that tower where Tom Cruise famously proposed to Katie Holmes .. ooops. They are divorced now.  And other cities have pretty impressive towers too…

The Eiffel Tower is fab - but so is the Empire State Building ... and Tom Cruise crawled all over that amazing tower in Dubai..

A river helps – walking along the Seine can be romantic – but other waterside walks are pretty romantic too…

The Seine is very nice - but it's hard to beat Sydney Harbour at night or Niagara Falls

How about romantic dinners… and those open air café’s for which Paris is famous. The problem is, that most of those café’s stare right out into a busy street – and there’s nothing romantic about watching Paris traffic!

Instead of Paris traffic, how about a view of the Med.. or the old Medina in Marrakesh

The architecture in Paris is very impressive. As are the museums and galleries … but other cities have great architecture and museums too….

Paris seen from the Eiffel tower is lovely - but so is Athens seen from above... or an English village seen from ground level.

So what is it that Paris has that no other city has –  one thing that springs to mind are the catacombs beneath the city. The remains of about 6 million people are laid here, but it’s not really romantic – unless you are of a Gothic leaning..

Fascinating to visit - but not terribly romantic

I am lucky enough to have been to all these places.. and as I walked back to my hotel in the rain, I decided that what makes Paris so romantic is the romantics themselves. Despite the rain, the city in spring is full of young lovers and honeymoon couples who by their very presence make the city romantic – even in the rain.

After all – surely the most romantic place in the world is with the person you love.

….. but nice surroundings do help.

A fabulous French Chareau where we attended the wedding of some friends.. now that was romantic.

A fun read

I’m starting with the book I just finished – The Runaway Actress by my good friend Victoria Connelly.

This book was shortlisted for the RNA’s Romantic Comedy of the Year award and I can see why. It’s delightful.  I read it in about a day and a half, when I should have been doing useful things like housework. The characters really came to life for me right form page one – and Victoria managed to make the Scottish setting real, without resorting to over-use of dialect or descending into cliché.

This is a great escapist read – and would make a fabulous film. I see the delectable David Tennant ion the lead – after all, he already has the accent.

This month, at long last, I finally managed to sort out the books I had in storage while I was away. They are alphabetised and now I can find all these books that I own that I haven’t seen for a long time. Sorting them involved a lot of sitting on the carpet and flicking through old favourites.

A classic

I rediscovered that I have a fabulous collection of old pulp sci-fi. (I know – it’s a strange thing for a romance writer to say). All the masters are there – Asimov, Clarke, Silverberg…. And so are all those amazingly corny but wonderful covers.

I spent a lovely couple of days re-reading To Live Forever, by Jack Vance. It was his first published novel – and it’s easy to see why he went on to become a significant writer in the genre.

The book is nothing about the science – it’s all about the people. The title gives you a pretty good clue what his theme is, and it is still relevant today. That’s why it’s a classic.

I first read and loved this when I was about 16 years old

As part of my trip down memory lane, I re-read Penmarric, by Susan Howatch.

This is one of those big fat multi-generation family sagas. I read this years ago and loved it. Loved it again this time.

There’s a big gothic house and a family so dysfunctional that it makes Bart Simpson’s brood look positively normal. I always loved the big gothic house and brooding damaged hero books – Victoria Holt was another favourite. Daphne Du Maurier too.

Does anyone still write these books?  If so – let me know and I’m there…

While sorting books, I was stopped in my tracks when I discovered I had a Nora Roberts trilogy I had bought but not yet read.

This was the In The Garden series – which of course I immediately started reading.

Another great NR read

These NR trilogies are a tad formulaic in that there are three women whose stories are intertwined, and each book centres on one of the woman. I don’t care that it’s formulaic – with Nora at the keyboard the formula works.

I think I have said before that I really like her books – and I do.

I also discovered the Twilight books by Stephanie Meyer as I did my sort. I re-read the first one.

There was a reason these books (and the movies) made such a splash. This first book really is very good.

I only re-read the first one - too many books and not enough time

There is much about it that I would say is not really ‘my type of book’ – but the fact remains that I re-read it cover to cover in a couple of days. I guess that says it all…

Re-reading Twilight immediately sent me back to re-read my favourite vampire book of all time.

THE best vampire book of all time

George R R Martin has suddenly been shot to the top of the best-seller lists by the fabulous TV series based in his Game of Thrones novels. Long before GoT, George wrote a book called Fevre Dream – which was the first time I read a book where the vampire was a good guy – the hero.

I loved it. Still do. So, I guess this is my book of the month award.  But a word of caution – it’s pretty gruesome.

And finally – on the subject of books… I hope to be able to announce some very good news about one of my books on this blog in the next week or two. Stay tuned!!!!

This is me at my day job - where teaching involves lot of computers and cables and stuff - and in this case, was done in a warehouse.

This week I had the pleasure of travelling to Southampton to talk to the local RNA chapter about working with the media.

I had a lovely time – thank you ladies and gentlemen. Many of you were kind enough to say that workshop had been very helpful.

If you want to check out my media tips – they are in a previous blog – here

On the train back from Southampton, I starting thinking about workshops and what makes a good workshop – good for both the teacher and the audience.

I have taught, in one way or another, most of my adult life –  kids at pony club, or fellow writers, university students and IT support teams (in my day job). As authors, we are often asked to speak in front of groups – and that can be difficult because authors do tend to be solitary souls.

So here are my top ten tips for making a good workshop or lecture..

1)      Pay attention to the audience…

When we are standing on front of an audience, we expect them to pay attention to us. But first we need to pay attention to them. Whenever I agree to a workshop, I always find out a bit about who will be in the audience. Every group is different and the make-up of the audience will determine both the content and how I present it. The subject may be the same – but the style and presentation of a workshop will vary if the group is college students vs first time writers or experienced writers.  Modify your material for the audience.

It’s all about respect – respect your audience and they will respect you. Present yourself and your material in a way which is appropriate.

2)      Timing is everything.

Well – not everything – but it’s pretty important so make sure you are wearing a watch or can see a clock. I usually take my watch off and put it on the desk/podium in front of me, so I am not obviously checking the time.

Always find out how long the session is to be – and plan your material accordingly. This is an example of how I do that…. The session is to be, for example, one hour.

Deduct five minutes at the beginning for everyone to get settled and for introductions.

Deduct 5 minutes at the end for final points or questions – summation, goodbye and (hopefully) thank you and applause.

This leave 50s minutes for content.

I usually allow five minutes per point/topic or for a substantial exercise – thus – ten topics. (Yes – you got it – these ten top tips may yet morph into workshop on workshops.)

I have sheet in front of me with a list of the topics I am going to cover – and the time each one should start –in very large letters! I keep track of how I am going and drop or add material accordingly. And yes – I always have one spare topic as standby in case I need to fill extra time.

3)      Exercise is good for you.

Exercises are always a great way to learn. For each of your points, prepare an exercise (or two). Exercises should reinforce the point you have just made. To make them worthwhile, you need to make sure you give your people enough time for them to do it. Sometimes I mark off a whole five minute section as an exercise. If you intend to do a lot of exercises – make sure the people coming know in advance and come prepared with notebook and pen. You should also bring some paper and pens to hand out – just in case anyone forgets.

Depending on the exercise, I like to have someone read out what they have written to the class – for discussion. But never, never force anyone to do anything in front of the audience if they don’t want to and never embarrass anyone in front of the others.

Exercises are your timing wriggle room – you can add or remove them to keep yourself on time.

A group workshop - with my writer chums Victoria Connelly, Juliet Archer and Jean Fullerton

4)      Silence is golden

Don’t be afraid of silence. The brain needs some down time to process new information and a few seconds of silence can be a great breather. Don’t be afraid of silence during exercises. They often need to be done in silence to give people a chance to think.

If you are doing a long workshop, think about putting a break in the middle. I never do more than two hours (and hour and a half is better) without a short break. It’s not just for the bathroom trips. It gives the brain that down time to process the information. But be tough about people coming back on time!

5)      Don’t be afraid to not know.

Don’t be afraid to admit you don’t know something. When I’m doing my IT sessions, someone will occasionally ask ‘what happens if I do ….” I never lie. If I don’t know, I say I don’t know. My admission is usually followed by “Let’s find out” and we proceed do it (and have crashed some very expensive computer systems in the process). Often this experiment becomes the best part of the day’s lesson… and often leads to… tip 6)

6)      Learn from your students

No teacher or course leader knows everything. Especially when working with adults, you need to recognize that the people in the audience will have something of value to contribute. They might have a relevant experience to share with the group. They may have researched a topic for some reason. They might have been given guidance on how to do something by their editor. As long as it’s on topic, encourage them to them contribute. I have often learned new things myself from my audience. Don’t be afraid to borrow/use something that the audience contributes at another session – although if it’s a personal anecdote, it is polite to ask if you may.

7)      You don’t need a whip and a chair

I hate seeing cartoons where a teacher is controlling the group with a lion tamer’s whip and chair. I’ve never had a student bite me! But you do need to keep the class under control. The most dangerous thing you might encounter is someone who wants to talk too much and take over the session. We’ve all run across someone like that. You don’t want to be rude, but you have other students who deserve to get what they came for. Catch the talker’s eye and jump in with some comment on what they are saying. As you do, look away and turn the conversation somewhere else. To a different topic.  Don’t look back at them, or allow then to catch your attention, until the discussion has firmly moved on.  This usually works, if it doesn’t, you will have to be a bit firmer and say “let ask someone else now…”

On the subject of control – avoid distractions – I always carry spare pens so if someone is clicking a pen up and down, I can give them a non-clicking pen instead.

If you are going to be moving around the room, don’t wear heavy jewelry that will make a noise.

8)      Bring things for show and tell.

… and touch and taste – and whatever is appropriate for your course and audience. For example, when I do my ‘location’ workshop, I pass around picture of varies places and ask the audience to write about those places. In a ‘writing with the senses’ session.. all sorts of things can be passed around the class – chocolate is always well received. Passing things around can be distracting – but it can also develop friendships and ease in the class.

9)      Everyone loves a present.

I try to always have something the audience can take away with them. A document of key points. A list of useful websites. One of my bookmarks so they can check out my website. Some people keep these and use them as references. Others may toss tham away… but I like to think the odds are higher on the first option.

10)   Girls just want to have fun

Last – And possibly most important – the audience must enjoy the sessions. Everyone learns faster and better if they are engaged and participating. Watch your audience- you’ll know if they are getting bored or restless. You’ll know if they are engaging with a topic. When they leave the session you want them to walk away saying – wow – that was great. You want to tell their friends and perhaps come back to another of your sessions.

A very special moment from a library workshop - whoever said working with kids was hard got it wrong. Young readers are such an inspiration to me.

And one last tip – number 11 is free – if your audience is having fun, that probably means you are too.

The main courtyard with one of the small side pyramids

This week, I spent a lovely evening at the Louvre in Paris.

Spring in Paris is tourist season. (Let’s face it, every season in Paris is tourist season) Despite this, the midweek late evening opening was not as crowded as other times.

And yes – this is another one of those blogs with many , many photos!

Love it or hate it – you have to start at the glass pyramid.

Looking up at the evening sky through the point of the pyramid.

The pyramid was very controversial when it was built in the late 1980’s. Even walking through the courtyard, you can hear how divisive it still is.  More than one visitor was overheard to say they hated it – in more than one language.

I don’t hate it. I really like it. It provides a modern and efficient way of getting 15,000 visitors a day in and out of the building..  but more than that – I think it’s quite beautiful, especially on a clear spring even when people are milling around enjoying the weather and the beauty of the lights on the reflecting pools.

I think to have built a structure there that copied the style of the buildings around it would have been a mistake… why put a fake in the midst of this real architectural wonder?

And speaking of masterpieces – there’s THAT painting.

The room containing the Mona Lisa (or La Joconde as the French call her) is the most visited room in what claims to be the most visited museum in the world. I guess that’s fitting for the most famous painting on the planet…

One room which is always crowded

But… It didn’t do it for me.

Maybe it would be different if you didn’t have to fight through the crowds, or stand in a roped off area. Maybe if she wasn’t behind protective glass (which appeared to be tinted to keep light levels low).. But… no… sorry. Not my favourite painting in the world. Not even in that museum.

Maybe she’s been overexposed, in too many bad reproductions. But I found her bland. Pleasant enough, but not really outstanding. (Maybe that just proves I know nothing about art.)

The guides were talking about all the rules Leonardo broke, the new things he pioneered in the painting. But for me – it’s about what I enjoy looking at. What I think is beautiful. Sorry Leo, she’s not your best work.

The weeping statue has far more passion than Miss Lisa...

Having said that – the museum is full or amazing stuff… and many of it’s most beautiful and fascinating pieces are not the most famous ones.

She seemed almost alive - despite the missing arms.

However, the Venus de Milo is one famous treasure that does not disappoint – (webmaster John  thinks she has a cute behind… hmm).

My favourite room houses a collection of Assyrian treasures…

I wanted to touch him - but didn't think the museum guard or the lion himself would appreciate it.

Legend claims Napoleon shot off the nose of the Great Sphinx of Giza with a cannon… This is the largest sphinx outside Egypt… what it it with the French and the Sphinx’s nose?

Even without the nose - he's very handsome.

I don't think this would work with my jeans and t-shirt.

Speaking of gorgeous – there are still some traces of French royal splendour…

And…

Well the list goes on.

I spent more than four hours in the museum and did not see everything. Not even close to everything.

And there’s more to explore that just the collection … there’s the building itself.

I loved the crypt  – walking through the excavated foundations of the medieval fortress that occupied this site long before it was a museum – or even a palace.

Getting right back to the start of everything

It was so easy to get  lost in the history of the place.

And that, I think, is what makes the Louvre so special.

Not just it’s collection  – which is, by any standards, quite staggering – but the building itself. It’s so easy to image Catherine De Medici sweeping down the magnificent staircases.

I can see the Emperor Napoleon seated at the state dining table – drinking wine and talking of his conquests, rather than frozen in some painting on the walls.

The Palace became a museum in 1789. But being a museum is more than just housing art and artifacts. It’s about history. Preserving it and bringing it to life.

You could strip the Louvre of all its fabulous  contents – and it would, to me at least – still be one of the world’s great museums.

There should be a Queen walking down these stairs - not a staff member smoking a cigarette.

An intimate dinner for 40 of an Emperor's closest friends.

The Grand Mosque in Erbil, in the Kurdistan region of northern Iraq

I never thought I would go to Iraq.

The Middle East has always fascinated me – its history and its culture. I remember learning about the Tigris and Euphrates Rivers – the cradle of civilization – when I was at school. I’ve been to other parts of this region before, but the troubled and tragic recent history of Iraq seemed to put it out of my reach.

But I have spent the past week in Erbil – the main city of the Kurdish region of northern Iraq – and I had a wonderful time.

I warn you – there are a lot of photos in this blog – but I really wanted to share this experience with you.

This was a work trip, of course – but wasn’t going to let that stop me exploring this fascinating place.

It’s not all desert here – but it is pretty dry and dusty… and so warm compared to the terribly cold spell hitting the UK right now.

The Kurdish people have been scattered and their traditional homeland divided up among neighbouring countries – but here in Kurdistan they are working to regain their national identity. They have a national flag and a national language – their independence and culture are very important to them.

The ancient citadel seen through my very dirty hotel window

I have seldom been made more welcome in any country. In fact, a taxi driver refused to allow me to pay him for taking me to view the ancient citadel in the oldest part of the city. He said I was a guest and refused my money. That has never happened to me any other place I’ve visited.

A house in the citadel undergoing restoration. It was so cool inside compared to the heat outside.

As for the citadel – it is one of the oldest continually inhabited cities in the world – something like 6,000 years.

It’s been badly damaged by wars, and by weather as well as time – but a project is now underway to restore it.

It is an impressive walled city on an oval mound that rises above the plain where the modern city is steadily growing.

Because of the restoration, I was limited in what I could visit – but what I did see was fabulous.

The Grand Mosque really is grand

From there I went to the Grand Mosque – which was a glorious site as night fell.

I expected only to see the mosque from the outside, but as soon as the prayers were finished, I was invited inside to visit this spectacular example of Islamic architecture.

All they asked was that I remove my shoes, cover my head and show respect for their place of worship – something I was more than happy to do.

I cannot describe how lovely it was.

I was told to go ahead and take photographs – but my poor skills as a photographer just cannot do justice to the beauty that was all around me.

The patterns on the ceiling of the mosque were incredibly intricate

Patterns in the mosque tiles

Entering the park under a canopy of colour

After the mosque, it was on to a nearby park where a cultural festival was being held…

I was thrilled by the park entrance –a path under a canopy of umbrellas lit by fairy lights.

After music and dancing to celebrate the New Year, it was on to dinner.

The food in the Arab world is wonderful…  Here’s what I have been eating this week.

A mixed grill kurdish style - there were hot coals under the grill to keep the food hot

It looks like wine - but it was spiced turnip juice - an acquired taste....

The flaming pots held a really tasty stew - beef I think - but I'm not quite sure.

Of course, I shopped too… exploring the maze of narrow lanes in the marketplace of the old city… where several centuries of design and manufacture can be found on a single shelf.

Shopping in old Erbil

A dertermined knitter can find wool anywhere -although why anyone knits in this hot country is beyond me.

It’s been a good week – thank you to my new Kurdish friends for your hospitality. I hope I can come back again.

The mosque inside the citadel - which is still being used today.

I was interviewed on the lauch of my first novel. It felt very strange to be the subject, not the interviewer

So – the local TV station wants to come and interview you. But rumour has it, a TV camera adds ten pounds…

Is it really too late for a crash diet?

In this third and final instalment of my media workshop, we’re going to be talking about doing TV interviews.

The first thing to remember about television is the vision bit.  They will want pictures – moving pictures – to go with the story. This ‘overlay’ video will be used in those parts of the finished piece where the reporter’s voice is telling the story.

As a last resort (and you will see this sometimes) they will shoot video of you and the reporter walking along a lane, talking. They’ll need maybe 45 – 50 seconds of overlay to make their story – and two people walking and talking is pretty hard to stretch to that length.

So give them something to shoot.

Think about the book you are promoting. If it’s historical, ask the TV crew to meet you at the ruined castle that inspired the book. Or join you in the grounds of the manor house where your hero lives (make sure you get permission from the owners).

If the local pony club helped you research your book, get them involved in the story. Kids and ponies make great TV. Think about any way to make the interview more visual.

And speaking of visual – there is the vexing question of what to wear.

Yes - that is me back in my reporter days.

You know that shiny brilliant orange silk shirt you love so much …. leave it in the cupboard. I had one such shirt and was banned from wearing it to work in a TV newsroom – just because I was sometimes in the background of a shot. Shiny bright colours look terrible on TV. So do small checks and stripes. Subdued prints are fine – but there is a reason most female news presenters wear solid colours. They just look better. You might want to avoid white, although cream looks good. A solid colour with a small highlight – a scarf or a brooch – is fine too.

The TV crew may want you to wear a microphone – so a jacket or a top which provides a suitable place to clip on a mic is a plus.

Whatever you wear, make sure you feel comfortable in it. And also think about the ‘shot’. If you are going to be sitting on a sofa… with the camera at a low angle, don’t wear the shortest skirt in your wardrobe. You’ll spend half the interview pulling it down, and the other half wondering if you are …. Well, you get the idea.

As for as make-up, if you go to a studio for a long interview on say, a morning chat show, they will have someone to do your makeup. If the interview is coming to you – you are on your own. Don’t experiment. Wear whatever makeup you would normally wear – and don’t overdo it. Remember Barbara Cartland in her latter years.

And yes – the camera does give you a few extra pounds.  Maybe not ten… but there is a reason most TV presenters are slim. How to deal with it? Simple. Live with it. There’s nothing you can do about it. And don’t worry – you won’t look as bad as you think. We all hate looking at ourselves on TV.

What you can do is ask a friend to help you practice. Almost any phone or still camera will shoot video. Stand in front of one and answer imaginary questions. Then play it back. Get you friend – your good friend – to watch it with you and make sure they will be honest with you in looking for ways to improve your on camera presence.

You won’t be as bad as you think.

You might even discover the camera loves you…