# Susan Elliot Wright

> Susan Elliot Wright Author Website


## Posts

- [The Unforgettable Dame Jilly Cooper - warning – long post!](https://susanelliotwright.co.uk/2025/10/07/the-unforgettable-dame-jilly-cooper-warning-long-post/): I was so sad to hear of the death of Dame Jilly Cooper. It’s a slight exaggeration to say that one of her books saved my life, but it certainly felt like that at the time. No, it wasn’t one of the ‘bonkbusters’, although I still think Riders was one of the most affecting novels I’ve ever read. Yes, there was a fair bit of sex, but it was well-written sex, not remotely cringey. And as Jilly pointed out at the time, her characters didn’t really “do it” any more often or more enthusiastically than the rest of us. THE … Continue reading THE WRITING LIFE – YORKSHIRE POST LITERARY LUNCH
- [THE THINGS WE NEVER SAID – 10th anniversary!](https://susanelliotwright.co.uk/2023/05/15/the-things-we-never-said-10th-anniversary/): Ten years ago next week, my debut novel, The Things We Never Said, was published. To my utter astonishment it instantly became a bestseller, so I’m doing a little blog post to celebrate. I guess I’m celebrating ten years as a published novelist, but I also want to celebrate the book itself. It still sells well on Kindle and in audiobook, and is much-borrowed in libraries, but the paperback is now print on demand,  so it’s more expensive! However, I do get an author discount, so I’ve splashed out and bought some copies to give away on my  Facebook page  … Continue reading THE WRITING LIFE – YORKSHIRE POST LITERARY LUNCH
- [WHAT MAKES A GOOD BOOK CLUB READ?](https://susanelliotwright.co.uk/2020/06/04/what-makes-a-good-book-club-read/): I was thrilled to see The Flight of Cornelia Blackwood on this list of best book club reads which appears in today’s Woman and Home magazine. There are some cracking books on this list – I’ve read 12 of them. Oddly enough, only two of were for my book club, although there are others on the list that we’ve all read independently and so we’ve talked about them anyway. So what makes a good book club read? This is what Woman and Home has to say:  ‘A great book club book is one That you don’t simply read and then … Continue reading THE WRITING LIFE – YORKSHIRE POST LITERARY LUNCH
- [Why I write about maternal mental health in my novels - part 4](https://susanelliotwright.co.uk/2020/05/07/why-i-write-about-maternal-mental-health-in-my-novels-part-4/): In Maternal Mental Health Awareness Week, I’m re-posting the 4-part piece I wrote leading up to publication of The Flight of Cornelia Blackwood   last year. It’s about my own mental health in the first days and weeks of motherhood, and why I frequently address this topic in my fiction. It’s too long for one post, so I’ve split it into four, and this is the fourth and final post . To read from the start, just scroll down for parts one, two and three. Moving from psychosis to depression After breaking down in front of the health visitor, I … Continue reading THE WRITING LIFE – YORKSHIRE POST LITERARY LUNCH
- [Why I write about maternal mental health in my novels – part 3](https://susanelliotwright.co.uk/2020/05/06/why-i-write-about-maternal-mental-health-in-my-novels-part-3/): In Maternal Mental Health Awareness Week, I’m re-posting the 4-part piece I wrote leading up to publication of The Flight of Cornelia Blackwood  last year. It’s about my own mental health in the first days and weeks of motherhood, and why I frequently address this topic in my fiction. It’s too long for one post, so I’ve split it into four, and this is the third post (scroll down for parts one and two)  Lack of sleep I wasn’t prepared for the level of sleep deprivation that comes with a new baby. When people talked about ‘sleepless nights’ it was … Continue reading THE WRITING LIFE – YORKSHIRE POST LITERARY LUNCH
- [Why I write about maternal mental health in my novels - part 2](https://susanelliotwright.co.uk/2020/05/05/why-i-write-about-maternal-mental-health-in-my-novels-part-2/): In Maternal Mental Health Awareness Week, I’m re-posting this 4-part blog, which I wrote last year leading up to publication of The Flight of Cornelia Blackwood  I’m talking here about my own mental health in the first days and weeks of motherhood, and why I frequently address this topic in my fiction. It’s too long for one post, so I’ve split it into four, and this is the second post (scroll down for part one)  the birth The birth wasn’t especially traumatic, but nor was it easy. My pregnancy had been fairly straightforward, and the baby was planned and wanted … Continue reading THE WRITING LIFE – YORKSHIRE POST LITERARY LUNCH
- [Why I write about maternal mental health in my novels - part 1](https://susanelliotwright.co.uk/2020/05/05/why-i-write-about-maternal-mental-health-in-my-novels/):   This week, 3rd-9th May is Maternal Mental Health Awareness Week, so I’m reposting this piece, which I wrote in 2019. If you’ve read my latest novel, The Flight of Cornelia Blackwood, you’ll know that I have a special interest in maternal mental health. My kids are in their 30s now, but I went through a tough time during those first weeks of motherhood, especially after my first child was born. I was so terrified that my baby would be taken away if anyone suspected I wasn’t coping that I didn’t tell anyone how I felt. It was only when … Continue reading THE WRITING LIFE – YORKSHIRE POST LITERARY LUNCH
- [THE WRITING LIFE – authors in lockdown](https://susanelliotwright.co.uk/2020/04/30/the-writing-life-authors-in-lockdown/): What I'm reading, what I'm writing and how I'm coping with lockdown
- [The Writing Life - the 'ups'](https://susanelliotwright.co.uk/2019/02/14/the-writing-life-the-ups/): I often talk about the ups and downs of the writing life, and I’m guilty sometimes of lingering on the ‘downs’, especially after a horrible period of real, full-on ‘writers block’ in the first half of last year. But being an author is a mix of highs and lows, and while the lows can be very low, the highs can be very high. And I’m lucky enough to be going through a pretty high phase at the moment. My new book, The Flight of Cornelia Blackwood, is being published in hardback next week. I was nervous about this book because … Continue reading THE WRITING LIFE – YORKSHIRE POST LITERARY LUNCH
- [THE WRITING LIFE – NaNoWriMo V #100daysofwriting](https://susanelliotwright.co.uk/2018/12/05/the-writing-life-nanowrimo-v-100daysofwriting/): I thought I’d give NaNoWriMo ( National Novel Writing Month. ) If you’ve not heard of this, it’s where you write 50,000 words during November – 1667 a day, which is quite a challenge. You can sign up to the website, track your progress, get little prompts and pep talks, and join the NaNo community for moral support. It’s a great thing to do, and I highly recommend it. But sometimes life gets in the way, big time. I started enthusiastically on 1st November, aiming to generate 50,000 words of material towards my new novel. I hoped that by simply pushing on to … Continue reading THE WRITING LIFE – YORKSHIRE POST LITERARY LUNCH
- [REMEMBERING HENRY – A DOG'S LIFE](https://susanelliotwright.co.uk/2018/08/29/remembering-henry-a-dogs-life/): Instead of THE WRITING LIFE, this is a long-ish one-off post about my dog, Henry, so if you’re not a dog person, it might not be your cup of tea. At just nine years old, Henry went to that great doggy kennel in the sky late on Monday night. He became ill suddenly on Friday morning and deteriorated rapidly. We’re devastated. Losing a pet is not the same as losing a human family member – of course it isn’t  – but if you’re one of those “it was only a dog” people, I’d suggest you move along. I’m writing this … Continue reading THE WRITING LIFE – YORKSHIRE POST LITERARY LUNCH
- [THE WRITING LIFE – some thoughts on Arvon at 50](https://susanelliotwright.co.uk/2018/08/12/the-writing-life-some-thoughts-on-arvon/): Most writers are familiar with the Arvon foundation,  that wonderful organization that runs five-day residential writing courses and retreats in its four ‘writing houses’ across the country. For those five days, you live and work alongside 15 other course members and two published writers who lead the course. Arvon celebrates its 50th birthday this year, and I’ve been thinking about  my experience with them and how it’s changed since I first went on a course at Lumb Bank, near Hebden bridge, in 2002. I love Arvon SO much! I’ve been to two of the other Writing Houses (Devon and Shropshire) but … Continue reading THE WRITING LIFE – YORKSHIRE POST LITERARY LUNCH
- [THE WRITING LIFE - why do writers find it so hard to take a break?](https://susanelliotwright.co.uk/2018/07/16/the-writing-life-why-do-writers-find-it-so-hard-to-take-a-break/): I love writing, and I feel privileged to be a full-time author, but it’s still a job. This year, for the first time in 12 years, I went on holiday and didn’t take my laptop! And do you know what? The sky didn’t fall in! Odd, isn’t it, that we complain about writers not being taken seriously, about people thinking it’s easy, it’s self-indulgent, it’s not ‘real work’, and then we find ourselves not treating it as real work, not taking a break from our working lives like any normal person would.  This may of course be different for writers … Continue reading THE WRITING LIFE – YORKSHIRE POST LITERARY LUNCH
- [THE WRITING LIFE – when writers can't write, part five](https://susanelliotwright.co.uk/2018/06/15/the-writing-life-when-writers-cant-write-part-five/): Thank you for bearing with me over these five posts! I can’t believe that I set out to write a quick little blog post about writers’ block and it ended up at over 4000 words. The irony is not lost on me!   So picking up from from yesterday,  I’d got to a point where I felt mentally and physically paralysed, and even the mention of writing would have me fighting tears. I concluded that I had writers’ block. I wasn’t stuck on an idea or a plot point, it was that I couldn’t write anything more challenging than a … Continue reading THE WRITING LIFE – YORKSHIRE POST LITERARY LUNCH
- [THE WRITING LIFE – when writers can't write, part four](https://susanelliotwright.co.uk/2018/06/14/the-writing-life-when-writers-cant-write-part-four/): In this installment, I’m going to talk about how, after the wonderful experience of writing The Flight of Cornelia Blackwood, I developed what I think may be true writer’s block. (Click the links on the right to catch up with the first three posts in this mini-series) After delivering the final version of the MS, I gave myself three weeks off, then started work on a plan for the next novel. This is how I’ve always worked – finish a book, deliver it, start a new book. I had an idea based on my own family, a story going back … Continue reading THE WRITING LIFE – YORKSHIRE POST LITERARY LUNCH
- [THE WRITING LIFE – when writers can't write, part three](https://susanelliotwright.co.uk/2018/06/13/the-writing-life-when-writers-cant-write-part-three/): In the previous two posts, (scroll down the page to read them) I talked about getting stuck with each of my first three books and how I managed to get myself out of it. I started a fourth, but ended up putting it aside – my agent has since named that one ‘book three and half’. I’ll come back to it at some point, but I need to think it through a bit more, so it was the right decision. That decided, I started thinking of ideas for a new book four. Making a plan I’ve never planned a novel in … Continue reading THE WRITING LIFE – YORKSHIRE POST LITERARY LUNCH
- [THE WRITING LIFE – when writers can't write, part two](https://susanelliotwright.co.uk/2018/06/12/the-writing-life-when-writers-cant-write-part-two/): So, I’ve gone from not writing anything for months to splurging out a blog post that’s so long it needs to be split into parts!  In this second installment (read part one here) I’m going to talk about how I’ve previously managed to break through those horrible moments of  being stuck on a first draft. The Things We Never Said I was stuck on this for months. But it was my first novel and to a certain extent, I was stumbling in the dark. With (initially) three viewpoint characters whose stories had to intertwine, I’d written myself up a blind … Continue reading THE WRITING LIFE – YORKSHIRE POST LITERARY LUNCH
- [THE WRITING LIFE: When Writers Can't Write, part one](https://susanelliotwright.co.uk/2018/06/11/writing-life-when-writers-cant-write-part-1/): I just had to include this image of writer’s block, partly because it  sums up how long It seems to be taking me to come up with a new idea, but also because of the crow. Some of you will know that crows feature quite heavily in my new novel, and you may remember me introducing ‘Crow’ (below – he’s not real, by the way, apart from his feathers). He was a rather unusual present from my husband, who only yesterday suggested (tongue firmly in cheek, I should add) that maybe my writing problems had started when Crow arrived in … Continue reading THE WRITING LIFE – YORKSHIRE POST LITERARY LUNCH
- [THE WRITING LIFE – a room of one's own](https://susanelliotwright.co.uk/2018/02/12/writing-life-room-ones/): Virginia Wolfe famously told us, ‘A woman must have money and a room of her own if she is to write fiction.’ Well, the money bit is tricky – most of us have other jobs or at least rely on teaching and critiquing to keep the lights on. And I know that for many writers, men as well as women, having a room that’s exclusively for writing is a luxury they can only dream of. I know that I’m extremely lucky to have a lovely study-cum- office at the top of the house. I have an ergonomically designed desk and … Continue reading THE WRITING LIFE – YORKSHIRE POST LITERARY LUNCH
- [THE WRITING LIFE - end of year reflections](https://susanelliotwright.co.uk/2017/12/29/writing-life-reflecting-2017/): If I’m honest, I’m writing this post as a displacement activity – I’ve already spent so long on Twitter that my eyes are stinging.  I’ve filled the last couple of weeks with preparations for Christmas – shopping, cooking, decorating the house,  and fannying about making and decorating a vintage-style Christmas cake. (Made the Santa last year) I’ve also been running some giveaways on my Facebook page, which involved some lovely interaction with readers. If you don’t already follow my Facebook page, you can do so here. It’s all been incredibly enjoyable – a perfect excuse to not think about my next … Continue reading THE WRITING LIFE – YORKSHIRE POST LITERARY LUNCH
- [THE WRITING LIFE - a busy October](https://susanelliotwright.co.uk/2017/10/26/writing-life-busy-october/): It’s been a busy couple of weeks in terms of the writing life (even though I’ve done very little actual writing – more of which in a bit). Party time On the 16th, it was the Simon & Schuster 30th birthday bash.  What fun!  The occasional publishing party is one of the few things about being an author that is genuinely glamorous. For once, we get the chance to put on a posh frock and slap on some make-up instead of spending the whole day slobbing about in our PJs. It’s also lovely to have the chance to catch up … Continue reading THE WRITING LIFE – YORKSHIRE POST LITERARY LUNCH
- [THE WRITING LIFE – searching for inspiration](https://susanelliotwright.co.uk/2017/10/07/writing-life-searching-inspiration/): As many of you will know, my third novel, What She Lost ,was published in March, and I finished editing the fourth, If I Should Fall, over the summer. It was a great feeling to finish the copy-edits for If I Should Fall just before we went away for a week’s holiday in the Peak District. It was a low-key holiday, partly because I was plagued by sciatica, but I did lots of reading, and although the weather wasn’t great, it was warm enough to sit outside with my pre-lunch glass of wine (lunchtime drinking is The Law when you’re … Continue reading THE WRITING LIFE – YORKSHIRE POST LITERARY LUNCH
- [THE WRITING LIFE – productive procrastination for writers](https://susanelliotwright.co.uk/2017/07/25/writing-life-productive-procrastination-writers/): Does anyone else suffer from ‘between-books paralysis’? When you know you should be planning your next novel, but every time you try and think an idea through, you either hit a brick wall very quickly, or you’re daunted by the sheer size of the mountain you’re about to climb. I’m in that situation right now. Book 4 (STILL untitled) is all but finished apart from the copy edits, but book 5 remains elusive. I have four or five bits of ideas bubbling around in my head, some overlapping, but none clear and solid enough yet. I keep reminding myself that … Continue reading THE WRITING LIFE – YORKSHIRE POST LITERARY LUNCH
- [THE WRITING LIFE - new website, new novel, new ideas...](https://susanelliotwright.co.uk/2017/07/13/writing-life-new-website-new-novel-new-ideas/): Hello! This is the first blog post via my brand-new website. I’m pleased to have a ‘proper’ website at last, and I’m enormously indebted to my clever son for building it for me, and for being patient with my dithering over how it should look and work in terms of links, pages etc. I think I’m finally getting to grips with how to update it and add content now, so hopefully it’ll have stuff to interest both readers and writers. So, the first thing to report is that the e-book version of my debut novel, The Things We Never Said … Continue reading THE WRITING LIFE – YORKSHIRE POST LITERARY LUNCH
- [THE WRITING LIFE: Endings - happy? hopeful? sad? A dilemma...](https://susanelliotwright.co.uk/2017/07/06/writing-life-endings-happy-hopeful-sad-dilemma/): Another long gap between posts. My excuse is that my new baby - in other words, my new book - just recently made its way into the world, so I'm still quite busy promoting it. (Click here to buy on Amazon)
- [THE WRITING LIFE - Sheffield launch of What She Lost](https://susanelliotwright.co.uk/2017/03/19/the-writing-life-sheffield-launch-of-what-she-lost/): A very quick blog post this time, because I'm packing to go to London as we speak. So it was the Sheffield launch of What She Lost at Waterstones on Thursday last week, and I think it went rather well. It was a pretty good turnout of somewhere between 50 and 60 people. Lots of friends, obviously, but also some 'real' readers, as in people I hadn't met before, or who I only knew through Twitter or Facebook – it was lovely to be able to put faces to the names.
- [THE WRITING LIFE – publication week and what it's really like](https://susanelliotwright.co.uk/2017/03/15/the-writing-life-publication-week-and-what-its-really-like/): The long-awaited (by me, anyway) publication of What She Lost was a week ago, so I thought this might be a good time to reflect on what publication day (and week) actually means for an author.   A mother whose memory is ravaged by Alzheimer’s, a daughter desperate to discover the truth, a terrible secret that has haunted them both. Can Eleanor reconnect with her mother before it’s too late?
- [THE WRITING LIFE - book 3 out in less than two weeks, redrafting book 4](https://susanelliotwright.co.uk/2017/02/24/the-writing-life-book-3-out-in-less-than-two-weeks-redrafting-book-4/): Whenever I start a new blog post after a bit of a gap, I feel like I should begin with: it has been eight weeks since my last confession… Yes, I was quite shocked to see that I haven’t blogged since just before Christmas. My only excuse is that there’s a lot going on in my writing life at the moment. In my last post, I talked about the experience of writing the first draft of my fourth book surprisingly quickly and receiving positive feedback. A few weeks ago, on a cold and drizzly day at the end of January, … Continue reading THE WRITING LIFE – YORKSHIRE POST LITERARY LUNCH
- [THE WRITING LIFE – hurrah! Great feedback on the zero draft!](https://susanelliotwright.co.uk/2016/12/20/the-writing-life-hurrah-great-feedback-on-the-zero-draft/): I haven’t blogged since I finished the ‘zero draft’ of my 4th novel at the end of October because everything went a bit crazy (in a good way). Clare, my lovely editor at Simon & Schuster who I’ve worked with since 2012 told me she was leaving to go to Orion.  I was pleased to hear she was making such an exciting career move, but obviously gutted to lose her as an editor. Anyway, when she knew I’d finished this draft, she asked if there was any possibility it might be ready for her to read before she left Simon … Continue reading THE WRITING LIFE – YORKSHIRE POST LITERARY LUNCH
- [THE WRITING LIFE – book 4, zero draft – complete!](https://susanelliotwright.co.uk/2016/10/31/the-writing-life-book-4-zero-draft-complete/): Newsflash! The Things We Never Said is on a Kindle Monthly deal at just 99p throughout November Buy it here Well, I did it, I hit my deadline!  I have written a very rough, very basic draft of my fourth novel in a little under four months. To be honest, I could have finished this on Saturday, but I really wanted to put that last cross on the calendar today. Ok, so maybe there’s a touch of OCD involved… If you’ve seen my recent blog posts or if you’ve been following my Facebook page, you’ll know that I’ve been using some incentives … Continue reading THE WRITING LIFE – YORKSHIRE POST LITERARY LUNCH
- [THE WRITING LIFE - book 3 cover, book 4 progress](https://susanelliotwright.co.uk/2016/10/12/the-writing-life-book-3-cover-book-4-progress/): A quick-ish one today, because I’m under pressure from my self-imposed deadline of the end of this month to finish the ‘zero draft’ of book 4, working title When the Bough Breaks. More of this in a moment, but I’ve just realised I haven’t yet shared with you the cover of my new book, What She Lost, which is out on 9th March, so here it is: Gorgeous, isn’t it? Well done Simon & Schuster – I absolutely love it! Here’s the blurb: Eleanor and her mother Marjorie have always had a difficult relationship and although they’ve tried, they have … Continue reading THE WRITING LIFE – YORKSHIRE POST LITERARY LUNCH
- [THE WRITING LIFE – half a draft in eight weeks](https://susanelliotwright.co.uk/2016/09/05/the-writing-life-half-a-draft-in-eight-weeks/): Last time, I talked about the value of the visual stimulus in helping to get to the end of the first draft, or ‘zero’ draft as I prefer to call it – this is the draft where there are superfluous characters, scenes that simply tread water, plot holes as big as a house, and page upon page of tell-y back story which will eventually (hopefully) form the basis of some useful scenes. The main visual aid that’s keeping me going is an idea I picked up from the Mslexia Facebook page. Their suggestion was that you print out a calendar … Continue reading THE WRITING LIFE – YORKSHIRE POST LITERARY LUNCH
- [THE WRITING LIFE – how a visual stimulus can spur you on](https://susanelliotwright.co.uk/2016/08/15/the-writing-life-how-a-visual-stimulus-can-spur-you-on/): My last post was about how I had finally managed to write a detailed outline for my fourth novel. Planning doesn’t come easily to me, in fact, I’ve tried several times in the past to plan my story and failed miserably. This time however, I promised my agent ,who’d been gently nagging me about the advantages of a detailed outline, that I’d try really, really hard. At first, I was convinced I couldn’t do it, then I had something of a breakthrough when I realised I should only be telling the story from one point of view, not two. My agent and … Continue reading THE WRITING LIFE – YORKSHIRE POST LITERARY LUNCH
- [THE WRITING LIFE – attempting a detailed outline](https://susanelliotwright.co.uk/2016/07/18/the-writing-life-attempting-a-detailed-outline/): In my last post, I talked about the huge decision to put the novel I was working on aside. I’ve recovered from the trauma now, although I’m still missing my lovely character whose company I’d been enjoying. I’ll go back to her, though, and in the meantime, I’m hoping the deepest parts of my subconscious will be playing around with ideas for her story. In the meantime, I have a book to write. As I said last time, my agent has long been trying to persuade me to become more of a planner than a pantster. She suggested I write … Continue reading THE WRITING LIFE – YORKSHIRE POST LITERARY LUNCH
- [THE WRITING LIFE - a great big scary decision!](https://susanelliotwright.co.uk/2016/06/21/the-writing-life-a-great-big-scary-decision/): So, major decision since my last post. After weeks of being stuck, hours upon hours upon hours of thinking so hard I thought my brain might explode, and more importantly, in-depth discussions with my agent, I have decided to put aside the novel I was working on (my fourth) and start something completely new. Arghhhhhhh! I feel the need for a calming image here… That’s better. Now, a few deep breaths… Okay, so yes, that’s what I’ve decided. Altogether, I’d written about 70,000 words, 45,000 of which I really liked, although after chatting with my agent, I can see now … Continue reading THE WRITING LIFE – YORKSHIRE POST LITERARY LUNCH
- [The Writing Life - working hard but ...](https://susanelliotwright.co.uk/2016/06/05/the-writing-life-working-hard-but/): I have to start with a newsflash because both my books are on a special e-book promotion for the whole of June. The Things We Never Said Amazon UK  is just 99p, andThe Secrets We Left Behind Amazon UK is just 1.99. They’ll be back to full whack on 1st of July. Right, that’s that out of the way. Now, I see that it’s over six weeks since I last blogged. This is because I’ve been thinking of the blog as being about my progress on the current novel (number four, as yet untitled), and as there has been no progress – … Continue reading THE WRITING LIFE – YORKSHIRE POST LITERARY LUNCH
- [THE WRITING LIFE – the dual narrative](https://susanelliotwright.co.uk/2016/04/12/the-writing-life-the-dual-narrative/): Shock horror, I’ve just realised it’s over a month since my last post! This is probably because there hasn’t been much progress since last time. Up until a few weeks ago, book 4 was going well – now I’ve hit a wall. This novel, like the first three, is set partly in the past, and so I have to work out a way of finding my way into that story from the present. After thinking hard enough to make my eyes bleed and my brain explode, and even after chatting with my lovely editor, I still don’t have an answer. … Continue reading THE WRITING LIFE – YORKSHIRE POST LITERARY LUNCH
- [THE WRITING LIFE - I THINK WE HAVE A TITLE...](https://susanelliotwright.co.uk/2016/03/08/the-writing-life-i-think-we-have-a-title/): The title is often the first thing the author writes – it goes at the top of the page, just before ‘Chapter One’. In my case, however, it’s almost the last thing, coming somewhere between ‘The End’ and ‘Aknowledgements’. I am so rubbish at titles, certainly where my own work is concerned, and I think that may be because I’m so focused on what happens in the story that I’m less able to look at it in terms of what’s going to make the reader pick the book up. Anyway, after many lists of suggestions and emails back and forth … Continue reading THE WRITING LIFE – YORKSHIRE POST LITERARY LUNCH
- [THE WRITING LIFE - UPDATE ON NOVELS 3 & 4, REISSUE OF BOOKS ON EMOTIONAL ABUSE & DEMENTIA](https://susanelliotwright.co.uk/2016/02/18/the-writing-life-update-on-novels-3-4-reissue-of-books-on-emotional-abuse-dementia/): I’m a little behind with blogging at the moment. There’s no good reason, no excuses, I just haven’t made myself sit down and get on with it. It’s certainly not that I don’t have anything to say, and when I leave it this long I end up having too much to say, so I’ll try not to waffle… My ‘Writing Life’ since my last post has been quite good fun. I’ve given a talk to the Creative Writing MA students at Leeds Trinity, I ran a Planning and Plotting workshop with fellow writer Russell Thomas which, if the evaluation sheets are … Continue reading THE WRITING LIFE – YORKSHIRE POST LITERARY LUNCH
- [THE WRITING LIFE - AUTHORS' INCOME AND THE VALUE OF PLR](https://susanelliotwright.co.uk/2016/01/21/the-writing-life-authors-income-and-the-value-of-plr/): A slightly different blog post this time, in that I want to talk about PLR and authors’ income in general rather than my own writing progress. Normal service will be resumed next time! Before I move on to more writerly matters, though, forgive the slightly indulgent photo of me with my newest grandchild, whose arrival I’m using as an excuse for not posting for the last couple of weeks. Anyway, here he is, my baby boy’s baby boy. Like my recently completed third novel, and my currently in progress fourth novel, he is as yet unnamed. I’ve just returned home … Continue reading THE WRITING LIFE – YORKSHIRE POST LITERARY LUNCH
- [THE WRITING LIFE - PRESENTS WRAPPED, EDITS DONE!](https://susanelliotwright.co.uk/2015/12/22/the-writing-life-presents-wrapped-edits-done/): So the Christmas cards have been posted, the tree is up, the presents are wrapped and I’VE SENT OFF NOVEL NUMBER 3!! Okay, so this isn’t the first time I’ve sent it off, but I think it’s virtually there now, properly finished all bar the copy edits. After completing the terrible first draft in January 2015, I rewrote 75 to 80% and with great trepidation submitted it again at the end of August. Of the three novels I’ve completed, this was without a doubt the most difficult to write. Regular readers of this blog will know the agonies I’ve been … Continue reading THE WRITING LIFE – YORKSHIRE POST LITERARY LUNCH
- [THE WRITING LIFE - 30 NOVEMBER 2015](https://susanelliotwright.co.uk/2015/11/30/the-writing-life-30-november-2015/): Since my last post two weeks ago, my ‘writing life’ has been something of a mix, because I’m still working on book three but I’m also trying to make some headway with book four. So this is where I’m up to as we speak: I’ve now had my editor’s feedback on the first round of edits and it was all generally positive. There were a few typos, repeated words, and little things along the lines of: ‘this chapter ends rather abruptly, add a sentence or two to round it off?’ All easy to deal with. There was just one thing … Continue reading THE WRITING LIFE – YORKSHIRE POST LITERARY LUNCH
- [THE WRITING LIFE - ARVON 16 NOVEMBER 2015](https://susanelliotwright.co.uk/2015/11/16/the-writing-life-arvon-16-november-2015/): I realise I’ve been repeating myself a lot when I introduce each blog post, so from now on, I’m just going to suggest that if you’re new to this blog, you might like to take a quick peek at my last post, which explains where I’m up to with my novels and how I got to this point. So, I last posted when I was just about to head off for a writing retreat at the Arvon foundation’s west Yorkshire writing house, Lumb Bank. I arrived in thick fog, which was wonderfully atmospheric and spooky. It boded well for a few … Continue reading THE WRITING LIFE – YORKSHIRE POST LITERARY LUNCH
- [THE WRITING LIFE - 2 NOVEMBER 2015](https://susanelliotwright.co.uk/2015/11/02/the-writing-life-2-november-2015/): I’m going to start this blog with a picture I took this morning while walking my dog in the General Cemetery: A leaf, apparently suspended in mid-air, twirling in the autumn sunlight. If my three-year-old granddaughter had been with me she would have thought it was magic, and it occurred to me that this makes quite a nice metaphor for the writing process. The leaf was of course suspended on a strand of spider silk, but because I couldn’t see that it was attached to something, it appeared beautiful, magical, and with a life of its own. In my opinion, … Continue reading THE WRITING LIFE – YORKSHIRE POST LITERARY LUNCH
- [THE WRITING LIFE - Off-The-Shelf Q&A OCTOBER 2015](https://susanelliotwright.co.uk/2015/10/19/the-writing-life-off-the-shelf-qa-october-2015/): It’s been a few weeks since my last blog, because I’ve been unable to tear myself away from editing the new book. I’ll do a post specifically about that in the next couple of weeks – I’m aiming to get this round of edits finished by the end of the month. And although I’m desperate to get back to it, I thought I’d take a little break to tell you about a talk I did last week as part of the Off-The-Shelf literary festival here in Sheffield. As you can see from the flyer, the talk was called A Slice … Continue reading THE WRITING LIFE – YORKSHIRE POST LITERARY LUNCH
- [THE WRITING LIFE - THEY LIKE IT!!! OCTOBER 2015](https://susanelliotwright.co.uk/2015/09/06/the-writing-life-they-like-it-october-2015/): Hello! If you’re new to this blog, I’ve been blogging about my experience of writing (and rewriting) my third novel for just over a year, although I blogged for quite a while before that on more general writing and book related matters. Last week, I submitted the draft I’ve been agonising over and already I have feedback from my brilliantly wonderful editor and fabulously marvellous agent. You may guess from my hyperbole that I am happy. Very, very happy. In fact, I’ve been doing the happy dance ever since I got the email, singing, they like it, they like it, … Continue reading THE WRITING LIFE – YORKSHIRE POST LITERARY LUNCH
- [THE WRITING LIFE - BOOK 3 DONE! AUGUST 2015](https://susanelliotwright.co.uk/2015/08/31/the-writing-life-book-3-done-august-2015/): Weeks to deadline 0Days to deadline 0 At the beginning of January this year, I submitted a first draft of my third novel. It was a pile of poo. I knew it was bad, but I hadn’t realised quite how bad.I was too close to it, I think.There were some parts that were good, and the heart of the story was in there somewhere, but I’d lost sight of it a bit, gone off at a tangent, and got myself in a hell of a state with the structure. Had I been a new, unpublished novelist trying to get an … Continue reading THE WRITING LIFE – YORKSHIRE POST LITERARY LUNCH
- [THE WRITING LIFE - A WEEK TO DEADLINE](https://susanelliotwright.co.uk/2015/08/25/the-writing-life-a-week-to-deadline/): One week to deadline! If you’re new to this blog, you’ve come at a good time! I’m feeling quite upbeat at the moment because I’m editing, and I LOVE editing! I’ve been blogging for just over a year about the experience of writing my third novel, and for the past seven months, I’ve been redrafting the not-very-good-at-all first draft I submitted in January. I have promised to deliver this draft by the end of August, and I’m on target. In fact, I hope to deliver it before the end of this week. I’ve been setting goals each week, and this … Continue reading THE WRITING LIFE – YORKSHIRE POST LITERARY LUNCH
- [THE WRITING LIFE - WRITING RETREAT – TWO WEEKS TO DEADLINE](https://susanelliotwright.co.uk/2015/08/19/the-writing-life-writing-retreat-two-weeks-to-deadline/): Countdown to deadline – two weeks to go! The blog’s a bit late this week because I only got back from my latest writing retreat (more below) yesterday evening. If you’re new to this blog, I’m sharing the experience of writing my third novel. It’s been a challenge! I submitted a crappy first draft in January – I’m calling that a ‘zero draft’, or draft 1.A so I’m referring to this one as draft 1.B. It’s now two weeks to my deadline… Anyway, it’s been a brilliantly productive week. This is what I said at the end of last week’s … Continue reading THE WRITING LIFE – YORKSHIRE POST LITERARY LUNCH
- [THE WRITING LIFE - THREE WEEKS TO DEADLINE](https://susanelliotwright.co.uk/2015/08/10/the-writing-life-three-weeks-to-deadline/): Countdown to deadline – three weeks to go! Very quick post this week. If you’re not familiar with this blog, I’m sharing the experience of writing my third novel. It’s been a challenge! I submitted a dreadful first draft in January, so bad it barely counted as a first draft – more a zero draft. I’m much happier with what I’m doing now, although with just three weeks to go, I’m too close to it to really be objective, so we’ll see! I’m setting myself targets each week, so looking back at last week’s post, this is the goal I … Continue reading THE WRITING LIFE – YORKSHIRE POST LITERARY LUNCH
- [THE WRITING LIFE - FOUR WEEKS TO DEADLINE](https://susanelliotwright.co.uk/2015/08/03/the-writing-life-four-weeks-to-deadline/): Countdown to deadline: 4 weeks to go! Regular readers will know that I’m blogging weekly now until my deadline on 31st of August. This is the deadline for submitting the current draft of my third novel (which I’m calling Draft 1.B because although i’s technically a second draft, so much has changed it’s more like a first draft) to my editor at Simon & Schuster, and my agent. This book has been something of a challenge – it still is – but I think it’s coming together now, and although I know there will be a lot more redrafting when … Continue reading THE WRITING LIFE – YORKSHIRE POST LITERARY LUNCH
- [THE WRITING LIFE - THE FINAL CHAPTERS](https://susanelliotwright.co.uk/2015/07/27/the-writing-life-the-final-chapters/): For quite a while now, I’ve been blogging about my experience of writing my third novel. It started as a series of ten posts, partly so I could chart my own progress but also because I thought it would be interesting for other writers to follow the ups and downs of the writing process. At first, I posted every week, then it drifted into every two weeks with a break after I submitted my first draft, which turned out to be around 75% crap! I dusted myself down, salvaged the little that was worth salvaging – the heart of the … Continue reading THE WRITING LIFE – YORKSHIRE POST LITERARY LUNCH
- [THE WRITING LIFE - THE VALUE OF WASTING TIME](https://susanelliotwright.co.uk/2015/07/19/the-writing-life-the-value-of-wasting-time/): I was feeling a bit fed up the other day and absentmindedly picked these a few bits and pieces (some are weeds, I think!) from my teeny garden. Just looking at their prettiness cheers me up enormously. Things are generally going much better with the novel now, and I’m up to 82,000 words of the new draft, and there are probably another 8,000-10,000 to write. Technically it’s a second draft, but if I’m honest, the rewriting has been so extensive that it’s more like a first draft. In fact, I worked out the other day that there are only about … Continue reading THE WRITING LIFE – YORKSHIRE POST LITERARY LUNCH
- [THE WRITING LIFE - CRAPPY FIRST DRAFTS](https://susanelliotwright.co.uk/2015/06/25/the-writing-life-crappy-first-drafts/): The blog is a little overdue again, partly because I’ve been working hard like a good novelist, and partly because, if I’m honest, I’ve been a bit stressed and nervous this last couple of weeks. As regular readers will know, I’m struggling massively with my third novel. Far more, I think, than I did with books one and two. I wrote a pretty disastrous first draft. Well, I suppose there were some things I could keep. In fact, it wasn’t too far away from this brilliant pie chart, which I printed off some time ago from  writingyablogspot.com and pinned to my … Continue reading THE WRITING LIFE – YORKSHIRE POST LITERARY LUNCH
- [THE WRITING LIFE - RETREAT, HOLIDAY, & AN ITALIAN TRANSLATION](https://susanelliotwright.co.uk/2015/06/04/the-writing-life-retreat-holiday-an-italian-translation/): A fairly short post this time. What do you mean, “good”? I’ll start with a picture of gorgeous early morning sunlight pouring down onto the sea at Scalby, which is near Scarborough, just because I find it so inspiring. This was at six in the morning, and it was worth getting up early for. After the doom and gloom of previous posts, I’m sounding a bit more cheerful this time, mainly because I’ve made good progress with the novel over the last couple of weeks. We had a week’s holiday in Scalby, where part of my new novel is set. … Continue reading THE WRITING LIFE – YORKSHIRE POST LITERARY LUNCH
- [THE WRITING LIFE - AMERICAN AND GERMAN EDITIONS](https://susanelliotwright.co.uk/2015/05/14/the-writing-life-american-and-german-editions/): Do click on this to see it in all its glory – the cherry trees in our road Thought I’d just start with a picture of what I see if I stick my head out of my study window and look to the right – never fails to cheer me up! Anyway, I’m ridiculously busy at the moment, not only in terms of the redrafting, of which more in a moment, but with teaching work. As you may know, I’m an associate lecturer with Sheffield Hallam University and have been supervising some students on the writing MA this year. It’s all … Continue reading THE WRITING LIFE – YORKSHIRE POST LITERARY LUNCH
- [THE WRITING LIFE - MORE REDRAFTING](https://susanelliotwright.co.uk/2015/04/27/the-writing-life-more-redrafting/): Oh dear, I thought it was three weeks since my last confession – I mean blog post – but it appears to be four. Health issues have held me up a bit, including a bout of debilitating back pain from which I still haven’t fully recovered. Back pain is an issue for many writers, so it’s possibly worth talking about for a moment before I move on to my writing progress. We all know we’re supposed to get up and move around every 20 to 30 minutes, but how many of us do? It can take me an hour to … Continue reading THE WRITING LIFE – YORKSHIRE POST LITERARY LUNCH
- [THE WRITING LIFE - YORKSHIRE POST LITERARY LUNCH](https://susanelliotwright.co.uk/2015/03/30/the-writing-life-yorkshire-post-literary-lunch/): I feel I should start this blog, ‘it has been three weeks since my last confession…’ You’ll see why. Anyway, a slightly late post this time, partly because if I’d kept to the fortnightly posts, the next one would fall on Easter Monday, when anyone with any sense will be eating chocolate, not sitting at a computer reading my blog. The other reason is that this time last week, I was at the point of despair with my current draft and I couldn’t quite bear to talk about it. I’m feeling a little more positive now, though, so here’s what’s … Continue reading THE WRITING LIFE – YORKSHIRE POST LITERARY LUNCH
- [THE WRITING LIFE - RETHINKING, REDRAFTING](https://susanelliotwright.co.uk/2015/03/09/the-writing-life-rethinking-redrafting/): For no other reason than I love this picture and don’t want to publish this blog without including something pretty to look at, here’s a snap I took in November while on an Arvon writing retreat at Lumb Bank By ‘eck, I’ve been working hard these last two weeks. Not that I don’t always work hard, you understand, but now I’m talking back-aching, neck and shoulder-aching, brain-hurting sort of hard. It’s structure, you see. I keep thinking I’ve got it nailed, then as I start to write, I realise, Oh, that can’t go there, because that hasn’t happened yet and … Continue reading THE WRITING LIFE – YORKSHIRE POST LITERARY LUNCH
- [THE WRITING LIFE - RETREAT, RETHINK, REDRAFT](https://susanelliotwright.co.uk/2015/02/23/the-writing-life-retreat-rethink-redraft/): When I last posted two weeks ago, I’d done lots of thinking and planning for this gargantuan re-draft. I hadn’t started the actual rewriting at that point, but was hopeful about the progress I’d make while on a writing retreat in the Forest of Dean. Here’s a picture of the balcony outside my room, bathed in golden afternoon sunlight. Part of my revision process has involved getting rid of a character who’d had quite a substantial part in the novel. What I’d realised, though, was that while he did have some important work to do, the storyline that sprang from him … Continue reading THE WRITING LIFE – YORKSHIRE POST LITERARY LUNCH
- [THE WRITING LIFE - A FEW STEPS FORWARD](https://susanelliotwright.co.uk/2015/02/09/the-writing-life-a-few-steps-forward/): As I write this, the sky outside my window is an unbroken blue and the sun is bouncing off rooftops and windowpanes. Snowdrops are out, and even daffodils are stretching their heads upwards. Everything is growing, everything is full of life. This is the perfect time to be ‘creating’, and I’m trying to harness all that wonderful creative energy so that I can pour it into my novel. In last week’s post, I talked about the feedback I’d received and the massive amounts of work I now realise I have to do on novel number three. I said that undertaking … Continue reading THE WRITING LIFE – YORKSHIRE POST LITERARY LUNCH
- [THE WRITING LIFE - FACING THE DIFFICULT TRUTH](https://susanelliotwright.co.uk/2015/02/02/the-writing-life-facing-the-difficult-truth/): Following on from my fun post The Home for Redundant Characters last week, I thought I’d tell you a bit about what I’ve been thinking/doing since the wonderfully useful editorial meeting with my editor and agent. Many of you will know that this novel, my third, has been a struggle from day one. I know there’s something really good in here, but I’m struggling to pin it down and I’d got myself in a bit of a mess. After discussing it in detail at the meeting, I have a clearer idea of what needs to be done. The downside is, it … Continue reading THE WRITING LIFE – YORKSHIRE POST LITERARY LUNCH
- [THE WRITING LIFE – THE HOME FOR REDUNDANT CHARACTERS](https://susanelliotwright.co.uk/2015/01/28/the-writing-life-the-home-for-redundant-characters/): This post is partly for fun, partly as a procrastination exercise. I had a wonderful meeting with my editor and agent yesterday and as a result of the thinking I’ve done since then, I’ve decided to get rid of one of my characters and I imagined the following exchange between myself and that character: Here is the scene: A man sits on a bench under a wooden sign saying ‘Characters’ waiting room‘. To the left, there is a door with the word Author etched on the glass. The door opens. Me: ‘Come in, Graham, and take a seat. I think … Continue reading THE WRITING LIFE – YORKSHIRE POST LITERARY LUNCH
- [THE WRITING LIFE - IT OFFICIAL, THE FIRST DRAFT IS CRAP!](https://susanelliotwright.co.uk/2015/01/19/the-writing-life-it-official-the-first-draft-is-crap/): Just a short post this week to keep you up-to-date. The last post was about me celebrating – drinking champagne, no less – because I’d finished and sent off the first draft of my 3rd novel. In that post, I made it clear that I was expecting to have to do a lot more work. I knew there were problems, particularly with the structure, but I’d got too close to be able to look at it objectively. My wonderful agent and editor both read it quickly – they knew I’d be biting my nails down to the knuckles. Also, I’ve … Continue reading THE WRITING LIFE – YORKSHIRE POST LITERARY LUNCH
- [THE WRITING LIFE - FIRST DRAFT SENT!](https://susanelliotwright.co.uk/2015/01/05/the-writing-life-first-draft-sent/): A big milestone for me today – I have submitted the draft of novel number three, the progress of which many years of you have been following on this blog. It’s a strange feeling, because on the one hand, it’s immensely satisfying to have juggled and plotted the lives of a number of characters and reached a point where I have a completed story. But on the other, I know that this is only a milestone; it’s by no means the end of the journey. I’m looking forward to receiving feedback from my agent and editor, both of whom have … Continue reading THE WRITING LIFE – YORKSHIRE POST LITERARY LUNCH
- [THE WRITING LIFE](https://susanelliotwright.co.uk/2014/12/15/the-writing-life/): So, another two weeks of working on my novel in a really focused way, often for quite long hours. I feel like a real, proper author, rather than someone who’s masquerading as a real author and is likely to get found out at any moment! I mentioned in my last post that I had one more decision to make about one of the characters before I could really move on and I’ve made that decision now, and written the necessary scene. I now have three more scenes to re-write, and out of an original 65 things on my novel ‘to … Continue reading THE WRITING LIFE – YORKSHIRE POST LITERARY LUNCH
- [THE WRITING LIFE](https://susanelliotwright.co.uk/2014/12/01/the-writing-life-2/): Usually, when I come to write this blog, I refer to the notebook in which I’ve been doing my ‘morning pages’ in the form of a sort of writing journal. Imagine my horror when I opened the notebook today to find that the last entry was on 19th November! So I’m going to have to rely on my very poor memory (ironic, given that this is one of the themes in the novel I’m writing at the moment!) The reason I’ve neglected the morning writing is that I’ve been completely caught up with working on the novel. I’m nearly there … Continue reading THE WRITING LIFE – YORKSHIRE POST LITERARY LUNCH
- [THE WRITING LIFE](https://susanelliotwright.co.uk/2014/11/17/the-writing-life-3/): Well, I hope the tone of this post conveys the excitement I’m feeling at the moment. Regular readers will know that I am one of those writers who finds the first draft (or “zero draft”, as I’ve been calling it) absolutely torturous to write. I am happy to report that the zero draft is more or less complete, and I feel I am now a good way into what I can confidently call the first draft. This is the bit I love! I can now see the shape of the whole thing. I know what happens, to whom, and when; … Continue reading THE WRITING LIFE – YORKSHIRE POST LITERARY LUNCH
- [THE WRITING LIFE](https://susanelliotwright.co.uk/2014/11/03/the-writing-life-4/): Another busy couple of weeks, but probably a bit more writerly activity than I reported last time – including actual writing! Reading back over my writing journal. I see that I didn’t touch the novel from 13th to the 25th of October. This is quite a long break when you’re working on a first draft, because you lose momentum and it becomes increasingly difficult to re-enter the ‘zone’. Fortunately, I’d booked a one day urban writing retreat for the 25th, so that forced me back into it. More of that in a moment. First, a quick roundup of my other … Continue reading THE WRITING LIFE – YORKSHIRE POST LITERARY LUNCH
- [THE WRITING LIFE](https://susanelliotwright.co.uk/2014/10/20/the-writing-life-5/): In my last post, I mentioned I was a bit stuck again. Well, two weeks on, I’m still a bit stuck, although I have made some progress. I’m sure this isn’t an insurmountable ‘stuck’, but there are so many distractions at the moment! The last couple of weeks have been quite busy with teaching-related work. I’m supervising some MA students, so there’s been a lot of reading before tutorials as well as the usual preparation for my weekly class, and some extra work preparing for a one-day class, which I taught alongside my friend and fellow author James Russell. I’m really … Continue reading THE WRITING LIFE – YORKSHIRE POST LITERARY LUNCH
- [THE WRITING LIFE](https://susanelliotwright.co.uk/2014/10/06/the-writing-life-6/): Since my last post on 22nd of September, progress on my novel has been painfully slow. I’m a bit stuck again. My character is at a turning point and I thought I knew what would happen next, but there’s a nagging voice telling me, ‘she wouldn’t do that, she’d do this instead’. If I follow that path (which I sort of know I’m going to) it’ll lead to even more work and planning/plotting. And it may mean more cuts, too. Sometimes it’s difficult to accept that you have to cut work that is perfectly good (“murder your darlings”) and it’s … Continue reading THE WRITING LIFE – YORKSHIRE POST LITERARY LUNCH
- [MY WRITING LIFE](https://susanelliotwright.co.uk/2014/09/22/my-writing-life/): As many of you will know, this blog series started as a series of 10 posts following my progress on what I’m now calling the ‘zero draft’ of my third novel. The 10 weeks were up two weeks ago and I published an extra summing up post a few days later. I’ve had such great feedback on the series that I’ve decided to continue posting, although with shorter and less frequent posts right up until this novel is published – hopefully some time in the summer of 2015. While I’m still working on the draft I’ll post fortnightly. So, what’s … Continue reading THE WRITING LIFE – YORKSHIRE POST LITERARY LUNCH
- [MY WRITING WEEK – THE FINAL ANALYSIS...](https://susanelliotwright.co.uk/2014/09/10/my-writing-week-the-final-analysis/): Well, not really final, but still. When I started this blog 10 weeks ago, my word count was 36,594. I ended up dividing the 10 weeks into a block of six, during which I was writing new material and discovering the story, and a block of four, during which I was focusing more on rewriting and looking at structure. So for the first six weeks, I kept track of the word count, and for the last four, I focused more on the time spent at my desk. So here’s how it added up: In the first six weeks, I wrote … Continue reading THE WRITING LIFE – YORKSHIRE POST LITERARY LUNCH
- [MY WRITING WEEK – WEEK 10](https://susanelliotwright.co.uk/2014/09/06/my-writing-week-week-10/): Been on holiday so posting rather later than usual. This is the last post that will include a daily look at my writing life, but the blog series has been so popular that I’ve decided to keep it going (although in a shorter form) right up until this novel is published – that’s assuming I don’t make a complete and utter cock-up of it, obviously! So for the foreseeable future, I’ll be posting every two weeks or so, and as we get nearer to final draft and publication, the posts will probably be less frequent. I was going to include … Continue reading THE WRITING LIFE – YORKSHIRE POST LITERARY LUNCH
- [MY WRITING WEEK - WEEK NINE OF 10](https://susanelliotwright.co.uk/2014/08/27/my-writing-week-week-nine-of-10/): I said at the end of last week’s post that I knew this would be a fairly light week work-wise, because my son has been up from London for a few days so obviously I wanted to spend time with him. However, that’s my excuse for the first part of the week – he went home on Thursday evening, so… Tuesday 20th, Wednesday 21st, Thursday 22nd August As above, not much work done on the novel during these three days, although I have been thinking about it a lot, particularly in terms of structure. At the moment, the story is … Continue reading THE WRITING LIFE – YORKSHIRE POST LITERARY LUNCH
- [MAY WRITING WEEK – WEEK EIGHT OF 10](https://susanelliotwright.co.uk/2014/08/19/may-writing-week-week-eight-of-10/): Tuesday 12th August As usual, most of Tuesday morning is taken up with knocking this journal into shape and turning it into a reasonably coherent blog post. I must admit, I spent rather too long on Facebook and Twitter today, reading about the wonderful Robin Williams who, it seems, has taken his own life. Even though we didn’t know him, something about that man seemed to reach out to us all. He was proof that depression can hit anyone, no matter how much talent, fame, money, intelligence, luck, love, or adoration they have. I hate it when people say ‘what … Continue reading THE WRITING LIFE – YORKSHIRE POST LITERARY LUNCH
- [MY WRITING WEEK - WEEK SEVEN OF 10](https://susanelliotwright.co.uk/2014/08/12/my-writing-week-week-seven-of-10/): If you’ve read last week’s post, you’ll know that my aim this week is for time spent on the novel rather than a word count, because there’s lots of editing/rewriting to do now. Tuesday 5th August Spent Tuesday wandering round York, could it be a setting? It’s great if you can make a place really work for your novel in terms of theme or plot, but what’s more important is that the reader can visualise or even, if it’s a real place, recognise it. It’s important to remember that what we as writers notice about a place may be different … Continue reading THE WRITING LIFE – YORKSHIRE POST LITERARY LUNCH
- [MY WRITING WEEK - WEEK SIX OF 10](https://susanelliotwright.co.uk/2014/08/06/my-writing-week-week-six-of-10/): Apologies for posting a day late this week – just got back from York (see entry for Monday 4th August!) If you’d like to see the first five posts in this series, just check out the archives. Tuesday 29th July As always, most of Tuesday morning is taken up with editing and publishing the blog post, then tweeting about it. Got some writing done as well, though, but I can feel things slowing down a little, not because I’m stuck again (thank God!) but because I’m reaching the stage where I need to make more decisions before I can decide which … Continue reading THE WRITING LIFE – YORKSHIRE POST LITERARY LUNCH
- [MY WRITING WEEK - WEEK FIVE OF 10](https://susanelliotwright.co.uk/2014/07/29/my-writing-week-week-five-of-10/): Tuesday 22nd July Came home from the writing retreat feeling excited and enthused about my novel, more so than I have done in a very long time. I’ve written just over 1500 words today. About 800 words before I left the retreat this morning, the rest on the train on the way back. Now I’m sitting at my desk, I feel slightly worried about the length of my ‘to do’ list, but I’m desperate to keep the momentum. I won’t be able to match last week’s word count (over 15,000) but I’m sure as hell going to meet the target … Continue reading THE WRITING LIFE – YORKSHIRE POST LITERARY LUNCH
- [MY WRITING WEEK – WEEK FOUR OF 10](https://susanelliotwright.co.uk/2014/07/22/my-writing-week-week-four-of-10/): If you’d like to catch up with this series, here are: WEEK 1 WEEK 2 and  WEEK 3 Tuesday 15th July Busy day. Finished reading and annotating students’ work for short story tutorials tonight. Finished working on the ‘week three’ post, which I published at lunchtime, then edited after spotting errors. Spent time on Twitter and Facebook, replied to emails. I knew I probably wouldn’t get any writing done today because I’m busy finishing things off before I go on a writing retreat tomorrow. Typed up summaries of scenes I’ve already written to take to the retreat with me. I thought having an overview … Continue reading THE WRITING LIFE – YORKSHIRE POST LITERARY LUNCH
- [MY WRITING WEEK, THREE OF 10](https://susanelliotwright.co.uk/2014/07/15/my-writing-week-three-of-10/): I’m writing a series of 10 blog posts in which I record my writing process and the progress I’m making on my third novel. This is week three. If you’d like to follow the whole thing, here’s week one and here’s week two  Tuesday 8th July Babysitting again this morning from 8 until 1.30, then off to a meeting until 3.30, then reading students’ work for tonight’s short story tutorials. My aim for this week is to do something on the novel every day, but today has just disappeared. However, desperate to meet that modest aim, I managed to scrawl 150 words of … Continue reading THE WRITING LIFE – YORKSHIRE POST LITERARY LUNCH
- [MY WRITING WEEK: TWO OF 10](https://susanelliotwright.co.uk/2014/07/07/my-writing-week-two-of-10/): Last week, I posted the first blog in a series of 10 in which I share my writing process over 10 weeks with anyone who’s interested. Here’s week 2: Tuesday, 1 July Tuesday is when I publish this blog, so I spent some time last night and this morning tidying up the first post. I’m making notes as I go along, keeping a record of what I’ve done each day, but I still needed to write the introduction and do some editing. Once I’d published the first in the series, I went off to meet a friend for a coffee shop writing … Continue reading THE WRITING LIFE – YORKSHIRE POST LITERARY LUNCH
- [MY WRITING WEEK: ONE OF 10](https://susanelliotwright.co.uk/2014/07/01/my-writing-week-one-of-10/): For me, writing the first draft of a novel is a difficult, sometimes tortuous process, and I find myself desperate to hear how other writers work. Do they find it as hard as I do? What are the bits they enjoy? How do they manage? I want to hoover up every morsel of advice and information I can find, leap on any little tip that’ll make things easier. I want to know what helps other writers keep their motivation, whether it’s little treats like a bar of chocolate or a glass of wine, or whether it’s a more visual, writing-focused … Continue reading THE WRITING LIFE – YORKSHIRE POST LITERARY LUNCH
- [Launch of The Secrets We Left Behind](https://susanelliotwright.co.uk/2014/05/27/launch-of-the-secrets-we-left-behind/): Well, what a lovely time I had at the launch of The Secrets We Left Behind last week! Although my second novel had already been out for almost two weeks, I was pretty excited about the launch event, which was hosted by Waterstones. My previous blog post is about Publication Day, and as I say in that post, even though it’s a day that feels special in many ways, there’s still a very slight feeling of anti-climax. The novel is out, it’s in the shops, and that’s it, there’s nothing more you can do except go home and wait (and … Continue reading THE WRITING LIFE – YORKSHIRE POST LITERARY LUNCH
- [](https://susanelliotwright.co.uk/2014/05/12/308/): PUBLICATION DAY AND THE JOYS OF THE SECOND NOVEL                                                                                                                                                                 My second novel, The Secrets We Left Behind was published last … Continue reading THE WRITING LIFE – YORKSHIRE POST LITERARY LUNCH
- [Writing a first draft 2 (and 1!)](https://susanelliotwright.co.uk/2014/04/22/writing-a-first-draft-2-and-1/): Back in June 2012, I was struggling terribly with the first draft of my second novel. In despair one day, partly as a displacement activity and partly in order to give myself a talking to, I wrote a blog post about writing a first draft (I’ve copied and pasted the original post below, exactly as it appeared at the time.) I had a lot of feedback from this post; it seemed to strike a chord with many writers who said they’d found it helpful and encouraging. Well, now I find myself struggling with a first draft yet again, so I … Continue reading THE WRITING LIFE – YORKSHIRE POST LITERARY LUNCH
- [](https://susanelliotwright.co.uk/2014/03/31/315/): #mywritingprocess – Blog Tour I was invited to take part in this fascinating blog tour by the wonderful, multi-talented Rosie Garland  What am I working on at the moment? I’m currently working on my third novel, which is a terrible mess at the moment. There are scenes, character sketches, bits of dialogue, scraps of description – nothing really structured or coherent. I used to say that writing a novel is like trying to do a 10,000 piece jigsaw puzzle with no picture to help you, but I’ve decided that a better analogy is that it’s like a giant Rubik’s cube, … Continue reading THE WRITING LIFE – YORKSHIRE POST LITERARY LUNCH
- [A thrilling first year...](https://susanelliotwright.co.uk/2014/03/07/a-thrilling-first-year/): When The Things We Never Said, was published last year, it was a long-held dream come true, but I prepared myself for the book to have a relatively short ‘shelf life’, because this is what so often happens to debut novels. However I have been extremely fortunate in that readers are continuing to buy it, partly due to good reviews on Amazon and Goodreads, but also, I think, because of the exquisite cover, which I fell in love with the moment I saw it.  Not long after the novel was published, I learned that it had been selected for the Read Regional … Continue reading THE WRITING LIFE – YORKSHIRE POST LITERARY LUNCH
- [Do we have a right to a happy ending?](https://susanelliotwright.co.uk/2013/09/16/do-we-have-a-right-to-a-happy-ending/): I finished reading a wonderful novel recently. I’m not going to name it because this blog post will be a spoiler in itself. The novel gripped me from the start. The two viewpoint characters were convincing and engaging, and although neither were perfect, I soon began to find one of them more sympathetic than the other. Both voices were strong and the writing was vivid and compelling. In fact, it was one of those books that creeps into your consciousness even when you’re doing other things. I’d find myself looking forward to the moment I could pick the book up … Continue reading THE WRITING LIFE – YORKSHIRE POST LITERARY LUNCH
- [Another post about writing retreats!](https://susanelliotwright.co.uk/2013/09/03/another-post-about-writing-retreats/): 03 September 2013 19:55 As some of you will know, I’ve been busy moving house and doing lots (and lots and lots) of decorating, so other things have suffered, including my second novel, which is at what I call the ‘serious editing’ stage; that is, after lots of editing as I went along, I finished the first draft, read it through and did a final (ha!) edit before sending it to my agent and editor. I’m now working my way through their insightful comments. They’ve picked up on some things that I sort of knew but was ignoring and other … Continue reading THE WRITING LIFE – YORKSHIRE POST LITERARY LUNCH
- [Does colour make a difference to your creative space?](https://susanelliotwright.co.uk/2013/07/23/does-colour-make-a-difference-to-your-creative-space/): So, new house, new study – hurrah! For the last six years, my study has been a box room, approximately eight-foot square. In the new house, I get to have a bigger room, right at the top of the house where I can shut myself away and write my novels. We’re moving in a couple of weeks, but are lucky enough to have the luxury of being able to decorate before we move in. So, this little cubby hole is at one end of my study, and it’s where my desk is going to go. Thing is, what colour shall … Continue reading THE WRITING LIFE – YORKSHIRE POST LITERARY LUNCH
- [An Arvon retreat and a book coming out – can life get any better?](https://susanelliotwright.co.uk/2013/05/22/an-arvon-retreat-and-a-book-coming-out-can-life-get-any-better/): On Saturday, I got back from an Arvon writing retreat at Lumb Bank, the beautiful Arvon writing house overlooking the Calder Valley near Hebden Bridge in West Yorkshire.  This is my fifth writing retreat, and for the first time ever, I didn’t go with a rigid goal in mind – finish a complete short story; write two new chapters; edit ten chapters.  I’m at a slightly odd stage at the moment, because  *drum roll* my debut novel, The Things We Never Said is being published tomorrow (whoop whoop!) and although I’ve completed a first draft of my second novel, I’m waiting for some feedback … Continue reading THE WRITING LIFE – YORKSHIRE POST LITERARY LUNCH
- [Urban Writers' Retreats](https://susanelliotwright.co.uk/2013/03/11/urban-writers-retreats/): I’ve long been a fan of writing retreats and have been on several run by the Arvon Foundation. These usually take place in a rambling old house, nestling in the heart of glorious countryside. They run from Monday evening until Saturday morning, so there are four clear days in which to write, and five evenings in which you can write if you wish, but which are often spent chatting with other writers  over a glass of wine or three. It’s an incredibly supportive and encouraging environment, and the total immersion in what you’re doing, together with the creative energy created … Continue reading THE WRITING LIFE – YORKSHIRE POST LITERARY LUNCH
- [The best laid plans...](https://susanelliotwright.co.uk/2013/01/03/the-best-laid-plans/): Oh dear. Oh dear oh dear oh dear. I just looked at my New Year blog post last year in which I resolved to: Write for at least two hours every morning Resume ‘morning pages’ Do all my teaching admin in the afternoons Restrict time spent on twitter to 2 half-hour sessions a day Take one or two days a week off Write a blog post about writing, reading or food once a week Reader, I failed. Miserably. In fact, the level of failure is so great that I’m surprised I’ve got the nerve to admit it to myself, never … Continue reading THE WRITING LIFE – YORKSHIRE POST LITERARY LUNCH
- [What I've read this year](https://susanelliotwright.co.uk/2012/12/22/what-ive-read-this-year/): I started by thinking I was going to do a top 10 of 2012 reads, but to be honest, it’s been such a good reading year that I’d struggle to pick my ten favourites. Perhaps the most surprising discovery of the year was the result of a book I picked up for 50p in a charity shop. I fondly remembered the first two Adrian Mole books, so when I saw Adrian Mole and the Weapons of Mass Destruction, I thought it might be a pleasant distraction. I enjoyed it so much that I ended up wanting to re-read the first … Continue reading THE WRITING LIFE – YORKSHIRE POST LITERARY LUNCH
- [Notebook, diary, journal - one book? Three? More?](https://susanelliotwright.co.uk/2012/12/10/notebook-diary-journal-one-book-three-more/): Just a few of my notebooks… I really need to sort this out. It occurs to me that I usually have at least, I mean at least three different books-that-I-write-in  on the go at any one time: an all-round notebook, a diary, and a journal. According to the Oxford English dictionary, a diary and a journal are one and the same thing, but I tend to use it differently, as I’ll explain below. So here’s what I’m using at the moment:  The all-round notebook:  I like to have this with me all the time, therefore there are currently four (yes, … Continue reading THE WRITING LIFE – YORKSHIRE POST LITERARY LUNCH
- [Should you read fiction while you're writing?](https://susanelliotwright.co.uk/2012/11/20/should-you-read-fiction-while-youre-writing/): We all know we mustn’t drink and drive, but is reading fiction while writing as risky for the well-being of our novels as drinking while driving is for the well-being of our fellow man? Some writers think so.  Some writers claim that they never pick up a novel while they’re writing for fear of being influenced by whoever it is they’re reading. What do they mean by ‘being influenced’? Does it mean there is a danger that we might start writing like those authors? If so, quick! Bring me a pile of books by authors I admire and respect and … Continue reading THE WRITING LIFE – YORKSHIRE POST LITERARY LUNCH
- [In Praise of Personal Shoppers](https://susanelliotwright.co.uk/2012/11/05/in-praise-of-personal-shoppers/): Writers need personal shoppers! We’re always short of time and money, not to mention inspiration, and whenever I go clothes shopping, I end up wasting a hell of a lot of the first two because I’m so lacking in the third. I’d always thought that you only used a personal shopper if you were wealthy and fashion conscious, or if your son, daughter or best friend was getting married. But I kept seeing those ads telling me that a personal shopper could help me with anything, whether it was a dress for a special occasion, a new work outfit or a … Continue reading THE WRITING LIFE – YORKSHIRE POST LITERARY LUNCH
- [Review of Archipelago, by Monique Roffey](https://susanelliotwright.co.uk/2012/10/04/review-of-archipelago-by-monique-roffey/): I knew I’d like this book, because it’s got a lot of sea and a lot of weather, and I like a bit of sea and weather. But I didn’t realise what a treat I was in for. This book is beautiful; one of the most beautiful books, in fact, that I have ever read. The writing is, in many places, exquisite, and characters so real they have taken up residence in my heart. After a devastating flood sweeps through their home in Trinidad, killing his baby son, Gavin takes his six-year-old daughter, Ocean, and their elderly dog, Suzy, and … Continue reading THE WRITING LIFE – YORKSHIRE POST LITERARY LUNCH
- [Review of Rook by Jane Rusbridge](https://susanelliotwright.co.uk/2012/09/06/review-of-rook-by-jane-rusbridge/): I absolutely loved Jane Rusbridge’s first novel, The Devil’s Music, so I was very much looking forward to Rook. And what a treat it turned out to be! It’s now some weeks since I read Rook; various things have conspired to stop me from reviewing it until now, so when I came to write this I was concerned that I may have forgotten large parts of the novel. I needn’t have worried; as soon as I began to flick through the pages, I was drawn in again to this strangely haunting and atmospheric story. Nora, an accomplished cellist, returns to … Continue reading THE WRITING LIFE – YORKSHIRE POST LITERARY LUNCH

## Pages

- [The Secrets We Left Behind](https://susanelliotwright.co.uk/the-secrets-we-left-behind/): She has built the perfect life: a husband who adores her, a daughter she is fiercely proud of and a home with warmth and love at its heart. But things were not always so good, and in order to get where she is today she has done things she can never admit.Then one winter’s evening a phone call comes out of the blue. It is a voice from long ago, from a past she has tried so hard to hide. Scott knows who she really is and what she has done. But now he is dying and he gives her an … Continue reading THE WRITING LIFE – YORKSHIRE POST LITERARY LUNCH
- [All You Ever Wanted](https://susanelliotwright.co.uk/all-you-ever-wanted/):     SOMEONE IS WATCHING YOU! Emily has a picture-perfect life: gorgeous husband and baby, good job, great house. But with caring for their daughter, running their home, and returning to work, life is hectic. When a kind stranger brings their missing cat home, It’s the start of a new friendship. Anna is a confidant who gives great advice. A person who brings supportive calm to Emily’s busy days. A friend who becomes part of the family. But there’s a reason Emily can’t shake the feeling that something isn’t right. Someone is keeping a life-changing secret from her. And they … Continue reading THE WRITING LIFE – YORKSHIRE POST LITERARY LUNCH
- [Sign up page](https://susanelliotwright.co.uk/homepage/sign-up-page/):   If you’d like to keep up to date with my workshops, events and occasional book news, you can subscribe here:
- [The Flight of Cornelia Blackwood](https://susanelliotwright.co.uk/the-flight-of-cornelia-blackwood/): What has happened to Cornelia Blackwood? She has a loving marriage. But she has no friends. Everyone knows her name. But no one speaks to her now. Why? The Flight of Cornelia Blackwood is the book I had to write. Here’s a little about what inspired the novel: (Scroll down for reviews) The inspiration behind the flight of Cornelia Blackwood This is the book I have wanted to write ever since I became a mother. It was inspired by my own experience and explores some difficult themes, including the temporary ‘madness’ that is postpartum psychosis.  I knew I wanted the … Continue reading THE WRITING LIFE – YORKSHIRE POST LITERARY LUNCH
- [Writing Style - Some Dos and Don'ts](https://susanelliotwright.co.uk/writing-style-dos-donts/): Do Use the active rather than passive voice. E.g. “his father hit him” rather than “he was hit by his father.” Use all five senses to give a sensory experience – pull the reader into the scene by demonstrating what the character can see, hear, feel, smell, and taste. Be specific where appropriate. “She wore a dress” – vague, boring; “she wore a blue dress”; better, but it still doesn’t tell us much. “She wore a floor length Grecian style gown of electric blue silk.” Now we can see it. Use the correct verb rather than an adverb E.g. could … Continue reading THE WRITING LIFE – YORKSHIRE POST LITERARY LUNCH
- [Some thoughts on creating characters](https://susanelliotwright.co.uk/thoughts-creating-characters/): Have you ever been handed a sheet of paper in a writing workshop with a list of questions, such as: what is the colour of your character’s eyes /hair? Where was s/he born? What did his/her parents do for a living? What sort of clothes does s/he wear? Who is his/ her best friend?  And so on… Some people find these ‘Character Generators’ genuinely helpful in creating characters, but I personally have a major problem with them, and I think they can sometimes set you off on the wrong track. I believe that characters in fiction should develop organically; that fictional … Continue reading THE WRITING LIFE – YORKSHIRE POST LITERARY LUNCH
- [The Things We Never Said](https://susanelliotwright.co.uk/things-never-said/): In 1964, Maggie wakes to find herself in a mental asylum, with no idea who she is or how she got there. All she knows is that she must use all her strength in order to survive. Remnants of memories swirl in her mind – a familiar song, a storm, a moment of violence. Slowly, she begins to piece together the past and the events which brought her to this point. In the present day, Jonathan is grieving after the loss of his father. A cold, distant man, he was not easy to love, but at least while he lived … Continue reading THE WRITING LIFE – YORKSHIRE POST LITERARY LUNCH
- [The Secrets We Left Behind](https://susanelliotwright.co.uk/secrets-left-behind/): She has built the perfect life: a husband who adores her, a daughter she is fiercely proud of and a home with warmth and love at its heart. But things were not always so good, and in order to get where she is today she has done things she can never admit. Then one winter’s evening a phone call comes out of the blue. It is a voice from long ago, from a past she has tried so hard to hide. Scott knows who she really is and what she has done. But now he is dying and he gives her … Continue reading THE WRITING LIFE – YORKSHIRE POST LITERARY LUNCH
- [10 things about me](https://susanelliotwright.co.uk/10-things-about-me/): If I wasn’t an author, I’d be a chef. After writing, food and cooking are my biggest passions. In fact, I was a chef for a while, and I adore the camaraderie of a commercial kitchen. Whenever I’m out for a meal and the door to the kitchen swings open, I have a strong urge to run in, grab a white jacket and checked trousers and start tossing things in a pan. Sudden noises make me jump so much I spill my coffee – you know that Catherine Tate character who screams when the doorbell goes? That is totally me. … Continue reading THE WRITING LIFE – YORKSHIRE POST LITERARY LUNCH
- [Interviews](https://susanelliotwright.co.uk/interviews/): 2022 interviewed by Sarah Tinsley for the Scribbles blog. You can read the interview here 2021 Interviewed by Rob Hollingworth for the Sheffield Star weekend supplement Video interview with author Daniel Blythe The Blythe Tapes 2020 Podcast interview with Lette Butler of Kurious Arts 2019 Podcast interview with Anna Caig in Thank You For Your Submission 2014 Interviewed by Lucy Walton for the Female First website: Female First Interviewed by Ian Souter of the Sheffield Telegraph 2013 Interviewed in May for The Sheffield Star. You can read the interview here
- [What She Lost](https://susanelliotwright.co.uk/what-she-lost/): Eleanor and her mother Marjorie have always had a difficult relationship and have somehow just failed to connect. Now Marjorie’s memory  is fading, and her grip on the things she has kept hidden is beginning to loosen. When she calls her daughter to say, ‘There’s something I have to tell you’, Eleanor hopes this will be the moment she learns the truth about the terrible secret that has cast a shadow over both their lives. But Marjorie’s memory is failing fast and she can’t recall what she wanted to say. Eleanor knows time is running out, and as she tries … Continue reading THE WRITING LIFE – YORKSHIRE POST LITERARY LUNCH
- [Blog](https://susanelliotwright.co.uk/blog/)
- [Writers' Services](https://susanelliotwright.co.uk/writers-services/): I’m a bestselling novelist and have been teaching Creative Writing since 2004. I have a BA in English, a Certificate in Education (Cert. Ed), a Postgraduate Certificate in Periodical Journalism and an MA in Creative Writing. I am an Associate Lecturer at Sheffield Hallam University  and a Royal Literary Fund Fellow. I offer the following services that may be of interest to writers (you’ll find testimonials on each page): Workshops – (Temporarily suspended due to Covid 19) click here for full details of forthcoming Saturday workshops and Space to Write days run jointly with fellow writer Russ Thomas. Critiques – … Continue reading THE WRITING LIFE – YORKSHIRE POST LITERARY LUNCH
- [Writing a Dual Narrative](https://susanelliotwright.co.uk/writing-a-dual-narrative/): Writing a dual narrative I’ve always enjoyed reading dual narratives, possibly because I’m greedy – it’s a way of feeling like you’re reading two books at once. All my novels so far are dual narratives, and I knew when I started my first novel, The Things We Never Said that I wanted to interweave two stories, gradually revealing the link between them. Writers choose dual narratives for various reasons. You may want to present two sides of the same story, to show the same events from two characters’ viewpoints in order to make the reader question the accuracy of each, as … Continue reading THE WRITING LIFE – YORKSHIRE POST LITERARY LUNCH
- [Writing a Synopsis](https://susanelliotwright.co.uk/writing-a-synopsis/): Writing the dreaded synopsis Some authors say that writing a whole novel is easier than writing a synopsis. I’m not sure I’d go that far, but I agree it sure as hell ain’t easy! Why is it so hard? There are a number of factors, I think. First, it seems so unfair that, having spent months or even years slaving over this novel, you’ve actually finished it, and now, when you should be putting your feet up and sipping champagne, you have to do even more work. Secondly, if you’re writing a synopsis as part of a submission to agents, … Continue reading THE WRITING LIFE – YORKSHIRE POST LITERARY LUNCH
- [Mentoring](https://susanelliotwright.co.uk/mentoring/): is mentoring Right for me? Mentoring could be for you if you’re working on a novel, short story collection, or portfolio of work for an application to a writing MA. A mentoring package might also be appropriate for someone who is unable to attend a regular writing course but feels they would benefit from working to deadlines and receiving detailed and honest feedback. how does it work? Mentoring offers one-to-one support and encouragement while you’re working on the early draft of a longer piece of work.  In addition to providing constructive feedback, I can help with motivation, and offer advice … Continue reading THE WRITING LIFE – YORKSHIRE POST LITERARY LUNCH
- [Critique Services](https://susanelliotwright.co.uk/critique-services/): These services are suitable for writers requiring detailed, honest feedback on their work, whether it’s a complete short story, a chapter or section of a novel, or a complete manuscript. For details, scroll down past the testimonials. Prices 2025 Critique: short stories/single chapters For a full written report (2-3 pages) with comments and suggestions for development – stories or extracts of up to 4000 words: £150.00, stories or extracts of up to 8000 words: £220.00. Longer pieces by arrangement. I will submit my report by an agreed deadline, usually a maximum of two weeks. Online consultation My written report is … Continue reading THE WRITING LIFE – YORKSHIRE POST LITERARY LUNCH
- [About](https://susanelliotwright.co.uk/about/): Biography 20 Questions How I got published
- [20 Questions](https://susanelliotwright.co.uk/about/20-questions/): 1. Have you always wanted to be a writer? As a child, I dreamed of being a writer but I never thought it was an option that was open to me. I didn’t come from a literary family (although books and reading were very important) and so it seemed like an impossible dream for many years. It wasn’t until I’d turned 40 that I started to think, hey, maybe I can do this.   2. How did you get started as a writer? I loved English at school and I always enjoyed writing stories. As an adult, though, I stopped … Continue reading THE WRITING LIFE – YORKSHIRE POST LITERARY LUNCH
- [How I got published](https://susanelliotwright.co.uk/how-i-got-published/): I always knew I wanted to be a writer, but I suppose I thought it was an impossible dream. People like me didn’t become novelists – I didn’t come from a literary family, and I had left school at 16 with just one O-level. But after returned to education in my 30s and gaining a reasonably good degree in English, I started to wonder whether it was worth aiming a little higher after all. Okay, I’d never be the next JK Rowling, but I began to wonder whether maybe I could write the sort of articles I sometimes read in … Continue reading THE WRITING LIFE – YORKSHIRE POST LITERARY LUNCH
- [Articles about writing](https://susanelliotwright.co.uk/articles-about-writing/): This page is in its infancy, but I hope to add to it quite regularly. This is where you can read articles and tips that will hopefully be useful to anyone who’s interested in the craft of writing fiction.   Writing a Synopsis Writing a Dual Narrative Some Thoughts on Creating Characters Writing Style – Some Dos and Don’ts      
- [Workshops](https://susanelliotwright.co.uk/workshops-critiques-mentoring/): Want to write a novel? If I can do it, so can you! Writing fiction is about learning the craft and persistence in practicing that craft. it’s not a question of ‘you can write or you can’t’, it’s about learning to write better. You wouldn’t expect to pick up a violin for the first time and be able to play it, would you? You’d make some strange sounds at first, but gradually, you’d learn how to make more pleasng sounds, and eventually, with practice and determination, even beautiful sounds. You can do the same with writing. I’m not currently running … Continue reading THE WRITING LIFE – YORKSHIRE POST LITERARY LUNCH
- [News & Events](https://susanelliotwright.co.uk/news/): FORTHCOMING EVENTS*: This is the page where you can read about what I’ve been up to recently, what I’m doing at the moment and what’s coming up in the near future. Friday 3rd October 2025 2-3pm Chapeltown Library, Nether Ley Ave, Sheffield S35 1AE Panel discussion: THE WRITING LIFE. Details here    Free event!  My fellow panelists will be Zoë Howe and Paul Adam Wednesday 8th October 2025 6-7pm, Carpenter Room, Sheffield Central Library, Surrey Street, Sheffield City Centre, S1 !XZ Panel discussion: A DAY IN THE LIFE Details here  Free event! My fellow panelists will be Amanda Dalton and  … Continue reading THE WRITING LIFE – YORKSHIRE POST LITERARY LUNCH
- [Books & Reviews](https://susanelliotwright.co.uk/books-and-reviews/): Click on a cover to read REVIEWS AND more about the book    ‘Exquisite storytelling, full to the brim with authentic characters, family secrets and an emotional weight.’ Isabel Ashdown “A powerful and talented new voice” Rachel Hore “If you love Maggie O’Farrell you’ll love this” Veronica Henry
- [Author Susan Elliot Wright](https://susanelliotwright.co.uk/): Newsflash! My first novel, The Things We Never Said, is just 99p on e-book for the next few weeks. Hurrah for the Kindle summer sale!
- [Biography](https://susanelliotwright.co.uk/biography/): I’m the author of three published novels and I’m currently hard at work on my fourth..
- [Contact](https://susanelliotwright.co.uk/contact/): This is just a short excerpt for the contact page.


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