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anna
cheska
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Jan Henley writes popular women’s fiction under her pseudonym, Anna Cheska. Here, she talks about fiction writing from her perspective as both a novelist and a creative writing tutor.
What
inspires you to write?
Ideas appear from a variety of sources - conversations/ media/ personal
experiences and things that have happened to other people. They start
tumbling around in my head until I'm itching to write about them. I love
being able to put things down in words and to assemble a whole cast of
characters that I can play with and hopefully say something through.
How
long does it take you to write a novel?
From initial idea to the completion of a draft that I feel I can show
my agent is usually about 9-10 months. That leaves me another month or
so for final changes, and that way I can hopefully produce a book a year.
It does also depend on my other commitments.
Do
you have a writing routine? If so, what is it?
No! I hate routine and my life is too chaotic to have a regular writing
slot. I have to fit writing around my family (I have 3 children) and my
teaching commitments (I teach 3 weekly creative writing groups and also
do Saturday workshops and residentials) and my writing appraisal service.
However I do try to do a little every day. It doesn't matter what time
of day though I have found I think best in the bath (difficult because
the paper gets soggy and the ink runs) and early evening is also good,
preferably armed with a glass of wine. I find I write better when I am
busy - I don't get much done when i have too much time.
Has
your life changed since you became a novelist?
Since getting published I feel that I can justify my writing time, whereas
unpublished writers have to deal with that awful 'it's only her little
hobby' thing. My life would have changed if I'd made a lot of money out
of writing, but sadly that is not the case. I get no more respect from
my children and no-one takes any more notice of me than they did before...
But I feel a wonderful sense of achievement and am thrilled to have a
job that I enjoy so much!
How
do you cure writer's block?
I've never had it - touch wood. I suggest to students that they have a
long thoughtful bath, listen to other peoples conversations, get out more,
listen to Radio 4, brainstorm from visual images/ headlines/ words, join
a creative writing class, do a bit of 'wild mind' writing or have a drink
and try to forget about it. Everyone gets blocked from time to time -
maybe it only becomes a problem if you make it into a big deal.
Who
is your all-time favourite author?
This is a tricky one - I like so many. And different things from different
authors. And different books from different authors. From the past probably
DH Lawrence who was so wonderfully intense and Jane Austen who is the
mistress of subtle irony. From now, I like Mary Wesley, Joanna Trollope,
Raffaella Barker, Sarah Harrison, Anna Tyler, Mavis Cheek , Frances Fyfield,
Helen Dunmore, Minnette Walters, Claire Chambers, Kate Atkinson, Madeleine
Wickham and loads of others.
Why
do you use a pseudonym?
I wrote my first published short stories under the name of Jan Page but
then re-married and wrote for Hodder as Jan Henley. When I left Hodder
I wanted to change genre and I also changed my agent so it was considered
a good idea to change my name too. Anna Cheska was what my youngest daughter
used to call herself (she is Anna Francesca) so I stole it. Heartlessly.
What's
the biggest myth about being a writer?
That once you've been published you've made it.
What
advice would you give budding authors?
Keep writing. Be determined. Have faith in yourself but listen to advice
from those you trust. Be prepared to edit your work. Keep trying until
you can no longer hold a pen in your hand.
What
can readers expect from Anna Cheska in the future?
I have finished a new novel but it is rather different and I am working
on another that is also different. I am not sure if they will be Anna
Cheska novels at this stage. I am also writing a non-fiction book entitled
The Secret Structure of Fiction.
