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Post by claire on Feb 13, 2006 21:08:06 GMT
If you can make a character likable and warm, how do you get another character to pick out the bad points in that chacater. Like Gray telling Lucy off,their big argument. I wanted to tell him myself where to get off
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Post by Shirley on Feb 13, 2006 21:09:18 GMT
Next up _ Shirley!! hi Shirley - thrilled you asked me a question. I actaully don't have a favourite character in my books. I think to write at all you need to fall in love with your characters and if you do, that makes them warm and likeable somehow to readers. I suppose it's like asking me which of my children I love the best - I couldn't pick a favourite either. And yes, I do believe that there is a market for good books in general whether they are chick-lit or not. It is true that the market is flooded at the moment but no publisher I know would turn down the chance to publish a good book. Hope this answers your question. It does indeed - thanks a lot!
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Post by charlene on Feb 13, 2006 21:09:51 GMT
I would like to say I love reading Tinas books I just don't know what it is about them mainly the style I loved "Is This Love" and " Flipside" just fantastic I'm not going to go on cause I will be here all night but Tina I hope you keep on writing for years to come, I look forward to your books and it was reading your book that got me interested in the Irish girls and from there on in I've been hooked and found this fab site
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tina
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Post by tina on Feb 13, 2006 21:16:13 GMT
ha! ha! yez are so funny - I saw the last few posts. Hi tracy - thanks - managed to find page one - and have now reached Megan's questions! Hi Megan - my writing careeer began at age 8 when I stared writing enid Blyton rip-off mystery books. The only problem with this was that I couldn't solve the mystery i'd created. When I was 11, i wrote a series of books called The Gang books and finished them when i was 14. They were about a girl called anne who moved to Dublin with her parents and made loads of cool friends. Then at 15, I wrote Livewire, which was my first published teen book - though it wasn't published until years later. I always wrote though never actually admitted to myself that I wanted to be a writer. In the beginning, there was no way I could have survived on the money I made but now it's getting better. I wrote because I loved it at the start and never wrote to make a living. I had a husband do that for me instead! It wasn't too bad getting a deal really at first - I sent it to Poolbeg, they sent it back with a suggestion that it be shortened, so I took a chance and shortened it and got a contract. I think a lot of published authors are lucky - there is someone in a company who happen to like what they do. Another editor might never have published my first book at all. It takes me about five months to complete a teen book and about nine for a women's fiction. This doesn't include the editing afterwards - though generally there isn't a whole lot of that. And as for research, yes, I did face to face interviews with adopted people and natural mothers. I also talked to adoptive parents. There is a huge lot of difference between reading research and actually talking to people on the coalface. A word or expression can make the difference betwteen something being authentic or not. And nope, there is no Ed - he does not exist except in my imagination. The accent he has is just an accent I find totally gorgeous and so I conjured him up from there! Thanks for your questions and for reading my books.
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Post by SarahW on Feb 13, 2006 21:19:58 GMT
Hi Tina, I have to head now, so I'll leave you flying solo. Thanks for giving up your time tonight to chat. Talk soon. Mind yourself, Sarah XX And Happy Valentine's Day tomorrow to everyone!
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Post by claire on Feb 13, 2006 21:20:22 GMT
Now I really can't wait to get started on Something Borrowed!
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Post by claire on Feb 13, 2006 21:21:26 GMT
Take care Sarah, hope you have a nice day too
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Post by SarahW on Feb 13, 2006 21:22:03 GMT
Sorry, Tina, I meant to say - you still have 7 people online chatting to you. Official 'end' time is 9.30 so as soon as you stop being asked questions feel free to leave! Safe home, Sarah
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tina
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Post by tina on Feb 13, 2006 21:22:32 GMT
Hi Emma -
Well lucky you being able to write stage plays. I would kill to have a full play staged. I definately find it harder to write plays. Though I like to write dialogue, I think I'm a natural novelist. Playing writing is a hard one to crack though i'm having a go at it! I've sent some scripts off thought I haven't heard anything back yet - I do hope you get your novel published - do send it off - as I said to shirley, publishers love good books. All the best. Tina
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tina
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Post by tina on Feb 13, 2006 21:26:42 GMT
Hi Tracy -
My immediate reaction to the Impac award was - hey, I'm a literary novelist, I never knew that! My second reactions was - how dare they call me a literary novelist - I'm commercial feel good chick lit and damn proud of it. How dare they say i don't sell any books! Ha. Ha. To be honest, it was great to know that my book travelled well - it was nominated by Tanasnia (I think thats how you spell it) so it was good to know it had resonance on the other side of the world. That to me is reward enough. By the way - you looked great in the paper yesterday you semi thriller writer you! I was going to e-mail you but as you know my computer is in bits and my e-mail is like the pied piper calling all the worms and bugs and trojan horses into to feast on my software.
best!!
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Post by Judi Curtin on Feb 13, 2006 21:29:34 GMT
A good answer, thanks Tina. I like the bit about trying to remember your youth. For some reason I've recently been writing for 9-12 years olds, so I actually have to try and recall my childhood - virtually the dark ages. Interesting that you're in an Internet Cafe. I wonder if all the saddos around you surfing dodgy sites have any idea of what you are doing and how famous you are?
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Post by megan on Feb 13, 2006 21:30:25 GMT
Hi Tina,
Thank you very much for answering my questions in such detail. You have been writing for a long time! Did you get much encouragment from teachers at school or did you keep your writing a secret?
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tina
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Post by tina on Feb 13, 2006 21:32:41 GMT
Hiya Charlene -
Thanks for your question. My favourite authors are whoever I'm reading at the time to be honest. I read everything. I suppose the ones whose books I would gravitate towards most would be Gerald seymour (thriller writer) and Anne Tyler. I love her gentle way of writing which is so different ot my own, I think. I also like Roald Dahl - his humour is just so black. I know I'll think of a million more later on. And of course it goest without saying that I love the irish writers too! My next book is. believe it or not, coming out in october. I am totally shocked that it is as I find the whole book releasing thing very stressful. But it's written and as yet has no title. It's about a spoilt little rich wife who loses everything when her husbands partner runs off with all his money. They have to downsize, relocate from thier posh house in dublin to suburbia. And it's great fun altogether. I based a lot of the surbubia on my own estate and my own neighbours (who are lovely). And that's it. I have written nothing since and am idealess. But hopefully there'll be more. Thanks.
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Post by claire on Feb 13, 2006 21:34:23 GMT
Now that sounds like a great book, looking forward to that
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tina
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Post by tina on Feb 13, 2006 21:43:58 GMT
Aw thanks sarah - well guys my time is nearly up here. I'll end up getting thrown out. I will promise that as soon as my computer is up and running again that I'll answer everything and chat to you all. Just to say thanks to Claire and Oonagh for their comments and thanks for liking my book covers - I quite like them too though I'm not sure if the bookshops do. You're all so welcoming and it's been fun. I used to have a cb in the 80's and was totally addicted to talking on it so this will be the same for me now. And Karen - just to say that I never really base my characters on people i know - I tend to base them on people I would like to know or on people I would like to know more about. I might also overhear a comment someone makes on a bus and build up a character sketch in my head from that one comment. And, in answer to your question on what it feels like to see your book on the shelf - as any writer will tell you it's the second best feeling in the world. The best feeling of course is if someone takes it off the shelf to buy it!
It's been great. Thanks a lot everyone and I will get back to you all. All the best. Tina.
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Post by Karen on Feb 13, 2006 21:45:44 GMT
Thanks for taking the time to answer our questions Tina especially with your computer problems.
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Post by claire on Feb 13, 2006 21:46:23 GMT
thanks for taking the time to drop by, even though you had computer problems. Look forward to chatting in the future.
I'm heading too girls, see you all tomorrow, goodnight
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Post by Shirley on Feb 13, 2006 21:57:06 GMT
Thanks Tina - take care, and please pop by the site again when you can. It's been great to hear from you.
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Post by charlene on Feb 13, 2006 21:58:43 GMT
Thanks so much Tina for answering my question can't wait for October whoopie sounds like another great read. I'm of to girls night xx
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Post by Shirley on Feb 14, 2006 8:38:43 GMT
Just one more q from me for when you call back Tina - what is your average word count per book? Do you aim for a certain amount, e.g. 100,000? Thanks a mill!
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tina
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Post by tina on Feb 16, 2006 0:20:41 GMT
Hi Claire -
Just answering your question about characters being likeable and warm - I'm sure there is an easier way for me to do this only I don't seem able to master the whole reply thing . . . anyway, I suppose even though the characters are likeable it doesn't mean that they can't have faults - it makes them more human I suppose. I do think Gray had a point when he said that Lucy clung to them - and it only dawned on me when I actually wrote this arguement that that was what was wrong with Lucy - she was afraid to go out there and get new friends in case they let her down. And I'm glad you were angry with Gray when you read it - it showed that you did like Lucy!!! I do think that if the characters are too perfect, they won't be symoathetic.
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tina
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Post by tina on Feb 16, 2006 0:22:00 GMT
Thanks Charlene.
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tina
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Post by tina on Feb 16, 2006 0:23:51 GMT
HI Sarah and Tracy - I'm just using this forum to ask yez both a favour - basically I lost all my e-mail addresses in my virus trauma!! Can you e-mail me the list of writer addresses or ask the girls to e-mail me so I can add them to my mailbox?
Thanks in advance.
Talk soon. Night.
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Post by tatty on Feb 16, 2006 9:36:43 GMT
Sorry i couldnt make the interview night Tina..
My question is how much research goes into your books? Did you have to go and visit a vet's practice to see the general layout of it for you to be able to include it in your book?
I have to admit Wish Upon A Star is the only book i have read of yours but it certainly won't be the last its the best book i have read this year, loved it!!
Take Care
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Post by claire on Feb 16, 2006 12:18:13 GMT
Thanks for answering my question Tina. Very true what you said that having faults also made them more human but Grey was right and it gave her something to think about. Thanks again
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iulia
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Post by iulia on Feb 16, 2006 22:28:03 GMT
hey tina. sorry i couldn't make it on the night. just found some time to sit down and read through your interview. thanks for answering my question... im a long way from writing the next harry potter, but i am working hard on my novels.
thanks again, julia
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tina
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Post by tina on Feb 21, 2006 19:35:53 GMT
Hey Tatty - how's things.
I recently read a great book called Tatty - it's not you that wrote it is it? If not - you should get it, it's brill and sad etc. Anyway, to answer your question - it really depends on teh book how mych research goes into the book - for Wish Upon a Star I interviewed a vet (God, he was a fine thing) and he basically told me all about running a vets practise. I also did some internet research and read a few books. Though to me there is nothing quite like the one to one interview. Other than that, there was very little research in that book. Flipside - the first book for women I wrote needed a lot of research - it was the most I've ever done. Hope this answers your question. Tina.
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tina
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Post by tina on Feb 21, 2006 19:39:21 GMT
Hiya again megan - mainly I kept my writing a secret when I was younger. My promary school teacher was a horror and I reckon if I'd showed her anything at all she owuld have laughed at it (that's a book in itself). I did however used to wake my younger sister at night and read her the latest installment of my gang books - she still hasn;t forgiven me for it. After that, one of my friends found a book of mine lying around (we were about 12) and read it and said it was brilliant so I used to write for her then. We spent one summer inside typing a book of mine up on a typewriter to try to get it published - she provided the typewriter and was all set to take a 70 percent cut. Needless to say she's done well in life!
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Post by Oonagh on Feb 22, 2006 16:26:07 GMT
The research in flipside was about the female char4cter having cancer was nt it. i read it ages ago will have to re read it. I loved that book!!
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Post by tatty on Feb 22, 2006 18:02:05 GMT
Thanks Tina, No im not that write didnt even know there was a book with that name till i came on here..
Thanks for the reply to the answer, It must be really great doing the reserch for your books, i bet you have a million and one ideas running around your head with regards to the storyline!!
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