As I struggle with writing my second novel I find myself in a strange situation. I don’t exactly have writer’s block, but I’m finding that I have to dig deep for the inspiration to get on with it. I often join the Writers’ Hour on the London Writers’ Salon. It’s an online silent writing session where a few hundred writers (today it’s 245) sit in their own home, coffee shop wherever and just write for 50 mins. It is an inspirational space and I’m there right now writing this blog post. I hope that when time is up this morning, I will be able to carry on writing for the following hour at least and maybe pick up that WIP (work in progress) and get on with it.

Each morning they read out a quote and this morning (23/07/2024) it was this:
“[I don’t compare myself to other writers] I think it’s really important that you do your work. Sometimes there can be a little bruised feeling when you see others shooting ahead in sales or profile. But I’m doing the thing I need to do, and doing it as well as I can. It’s a vocation: I’m doing the thing I’m for in the world; and that is a great feeling, no matter what happens.” –  Melissa Harrison, in an interview with Dominic Dean

When I wrote Dear Tosh, Cathy Rentzenbrink was my mentor and she always said, ‘compare and despair’ which I think is an extremely good motto even though it’s difficult to stick to, and it doesn’t need to relate just to writing. It’s hard not to compare oneself with others but I think that’s half my problem. Instead of getting on with the writing, I’m spending too much time looking around at how ‘successful’ others are in this fickle world of publishing. Loose Ends has had some great reviews and I’m happy with the way it’s selling and getting out into the world. Of course, the promotion of it takes time and I have, for the time being, taken a short break from all that social media and ‘putting myself out there’. I will be back to that in September when, in fact, there will be a blog tour. More about that another time.

My next novel is called Frieden but that’s just a working title. I don’t think it will be released under that name because the story has changed so much since it was first conceived, the word frieden (freedom) is not relevant anymore. It’s set in Berlin Germany, from the outset to the aftermath of WW1. I have enjoyed the research for this book tremendously. I have read two contemporary diaries written by English women who were in Germany at the outbreak of the war. One is An English Wife in Berlin by Evelyn Princess Blucher and the other is Diary of Annie’s War by Annie Dröege. She too is English but married to a man of German heritage. Her story is particularly interesting because her husband Arthur was a British National living in England but when his uncle died, Arthur was the oldest living male relative and he inherited everything including a manor and vast estate in Lower Saxony Germany. He and Annie moved to the property, and were reasonably happy but when war broke out Arthur was interned because of course, he was a British National. Both of these diaries make very interesting reading and have been most helpful in my writing of the book.

Writing can be a lonely business. Another reason it’s often difficult to get going. But thank goodness most writers are gregarious and friendly. I belong to a couple of online groups who meet up every two weeks or once a month and I find these essential for sharing work, motivational conversations and just generally boosting confidence and getting rid of that inner self doubt, which we all have.

I also love joining the Writers’ Hour and I writing this blog post this morning whilst online with the LWS was the best thing I could have done. Just writing about my writing is enough to motivate me into a more proactive day and week going forward. In August we’re going to England for a couple of weeks and I must not let my writing slip into the back seat again. When I’m there I’ll be able to join the Writers’ Hour at 8am, which I must say I find a lot more convenient than the 9am – 10am in France!

I am aiming to publish my next novel in March 2025 which will be one year after I published Loose Ends if I can do it any faster I will but there’s no rush really. One book a year is enough I think. Although looking around I know others often do two or even three but . . . COMPARE AND DESPAIR — don’t do it!

My latest Substack: https://open.substack.com/pub/ninettehartley/p/tdf?r
Loose Ends buy HERE
Dear Tosh (2nd edition) Buy HERE