Amanda Hampson
How I Write...
I don't like to be under pressure to write and so would never accept a contract for a book that isn't already written. That said, last year I was asked to write the screenplay for my novel The Olive Sisters which, by necessity, I did in six weeks working every spare minute. I wouldn't make a habit of that! The last thing I want is the spectre of a deadline turning writing into a chore.
I don't have a routine. I just put first things first and force writing time into the schedule as a priority. I didn't have my first novel published until I was 50 - so time isn't of the essence. Generally my fingers itch to get on it.
Fragments of ideas and characters, come out of the blue. I write these on scraps immediately because, however vivid, they'll soon be forgotten. I might find a scribbled note in the bottom of the shopping bag that says "pale pink and grey clouds like tattered ballgowns in a drifting dance across the sky"; food for thought that will find its natural place in the work in progress - if filed appropriately!
For me, writing is an intuitive process and something you don't need to talk or read about, you just need to immerse yourself. You have to be tough on yourself and stubborn to an insane degree to write 70,000 words and with relentless revision make every word pull its weight - start with a machete and finish with tweezers. It's a thrilling realisation that your joy of writing can also bring joy to your readers.