There’s a train of thought I’ve heard articulated that writer’s block is actually an indication of laziness on the part of an author. That if one continues to show up at the blank page, one will eventually be rewarded. Do you ascribe to that theory?
See above.
Do you have any advice for new writers about how they might avoid burnout?
See above.
I’d love to know about your writing process.
Well let me answer the easy part of that question. I write at a desk in my study. I designed this desk to put things in easy reach, and it works well. Sort of a U shape with open wings. I have my research books in a carousel, but when things are going well, they just pile up on my desk.
The bane of my existence is my chair. It’s very hard to get a comfortable yet ergonomic chair, and they cost a fortune when you do.
I do have one piece of advice for committed writers. Writing at a computer is not a healthy physical activity. Get up and move. Do not fool around with tendonitis and carpal tunnel syndrome, or you will be very sorry. Get an ergonomic keyboard and a chair that supports your elbows properly before you spend any money on publicity or bookmarks or writing courses. Work most of the time at a desk of the right height. 
I should tell a story on myself about “get up and move.” I know my writing has been going well when I look up and feel as if I’ve been at the bottom of a lake holding my breath for hours. (I think maybe I do hold my breath.) So, I decided to get some software on my computer to set an alarm every hour, to remind me to take a break.
At first I set it to sound a ding, nice and polite. After a couple of dings, I ignored that, of course. So then I set it to a honk. That lasted maybe a day, before I started to ignore it. Then I set it to Big Ben tolling. I think that got my attention for a week or so. Then I would just sit right through it, writing. I tried a man yelling, “Elvis has entered the building!” Ten days, maybe, before I didn’t even hear him.
Finally, in desperation, I set it to an ambulance siren, that really loud European kind that goes WOO-woo-WOO-woo-WOO-woo!
One day a friend called, and as I picked up the phone she gasped and said, “Are you all right? What’s going on??”
The ambulance siren was going off, really loud, right by my ear, and I didn’t even notice it.
That’s what it’s like when my writing is going well. Nothing else exists. It was a pretty funny phone call though.
Now you’re back with a new lease on your writing life and a very different kind of book. Can you tell us about Lessons in French?
Lessons in French is a feel-good book. It’s written for fun, for me and for readers. Oddly enough, though I’m known for dark intense books, personally I love to read those light and effervescent ones where the girly fantasy rules: “Gidget Goes to Rome” in historical romance form.
Don’t you love those stories where the shy, plain girl gets the hot dashing guy in the end? Lady Callie ought to be quite a catch–she’s the wealthy daughter of an earl–but she’s been left standing at the altar by three different men. She’s washed her hands of gentlemen, and her greatest desire is to win the silver cup at the agricultural fair with her prize bull, Hubert.
That’s until Trev d’Augustin waltzes back into her quiet life. The son of French émigrés, he was run out of town by Callie’s father years ago for stealing a bit more than a kiss from her. Callie and Trev share quite a past, in fact, full of secret adventures and harebrained antics that no one else knows about, not even Trev’s very shrewd mother. On his return, Callie is drawn willy-nilly into scandal and deception–the sort of deception that involves trying to hide a huge bull under the bedsheets. She goes from having no suitors to having more than she wanted. And in the midst of these escapades, she finds herself falling in love again with the worst possible man for her.
What a great interview – some not-so-common questions. Perhaps you should be a Journalist, Hope? Good job!
Laura, I should put you in touch with my boss who also has a deep appreciation for hats. She looks like a new person every morning – and her hats reflect her mood.
Thank you for sharing this with us and I look forward to reading the new book.
Great interview! Thanks for sharing with all of us.:)
I’ve been so excited about this book’s release, and my BFF bought it for me yesterday, before I could get to the bookstore — so I have a wonderful treat to look forward to today.
Laura, I have always enjoyed the emotion, and the humor, and the characters in your books. They are permanent members of my “Keeper Hall of Fame” (right next to the Georgette Heyers!), because I know I will experience something wonderful each time I read them.
Thanks for sharing your thoughts.
Donna
Brilliant interview, Ms. Tart, take a bow.
Interesting to read about it being inadvisable to force yourself to write. I went through a two-year blank before I started writing seriously. I stalled on the book I was working on and put it away after ending up deleting stuff day after day after day.
Love, love, love hats. I used to wear them when I lived in the UK. Sadly, the only hats people wear around here have ‘John Deere’ on them. 🙁
Great interview! Thank you, Laura and Ms. Tart!
As someone with formal training in writing fiction, I have to say that Laura nails it in one: “it could actually be counter-productive, depending on the agenda of the teacher.” Luckily, reading can undo the damage. 🙂 Great interview! And great hats!
That was a truly fabulous interview, ladies: such great questions!
I breathed a little sigh of relief reading the advice about it being inadvisable to force writing – there are definitely days when sitting at the keyboard takes real effort and the words are barely there, and I push through those: but I’ve definitely been beating myself up about the longer stretches when I just don’t have any words –or any story at all, for that matter– and maybe I should just learn to relax a little and trust that it will come naturally. 🙂
Thanks, Laura, for sharing!
Thanks, Laura, for the insights on your writing and on taking care of one’s writerly self (she said, snapping out of her slouch). LIF is now on my TBR list.
Hope, nice work. If you ever interview me, I promise to do fun things with oranges, too.
Great interview, ladies. I’ll echo everyone above about the dry spells in writing–I’ve been feeling really wretched the last few months about devolving into a big talker instead of an actual writer.
Whew!
And, I’m sorry, but I just can’t stop myself:
“Hope, nice work. If you ever interview me, I promise to do fun things with oranges, too.”
If that code doesn’t work, insert snickering rabbit here.
Laura,
Hello from a fellow historical author and I hope to one day be able to add “New York Times Bestselling Author” to my own covers!
Thanks for the great interview. I’ve often heard jsut keep writing, no matter if it’s drivel, just keep going. I always feel worse at the end of the day when I do that, like I’ve wasted 8 hours when I could have at least done laundry or dishes. So, thanks for giving me another perspective on that.
You’re so right, we all have our own process and we need to find what works for us, and then make it work!
Thanks again and Hope, you did a great job too!
This is a freaking fantastic interview! I can’t believe i”ve never heard of her? Gonna remedy my blank spot in my library now!
Dear The Tart,
This was an in-depth look at Laura as both a writer and a person. The Q&A was great! I can especially relate to her take on writer’s block. Sometimes it’s just better to hold off and not write until the mood hits me. Whenever I’ve tried to write simply for the sake of writing, it has never amounted to anything, but once the inspiration strikes, then I’m like a rabid writing beast who can’t be stopped! That doesn’t always mean genius on paper, but at least I’m writing! 😉
Laura congrats on your latest release! Your new website looks great and your dog is so adorable!
xoxo — Hilary
This was a fun interview, thanks Hope!
Laura I too have a thing for fedoras. I haven’t worn mine in years….Not since my Duran Duran days, but I loved it. It made me feel braver somehow 🙂
It’s also nice to know that a best seller doesn’t necessarily write on command. You made us feel better knowing that just because we get a writer’s block, that doesn’t mean we are not, or won’t be successful writers.
Hope,
What a great interview! I found it fun and very informative. Being able to hear that one can become a bestseller without any formal training in writing fiction is such a complete relief for me. I’ve always wanted to write but never really had the chance or made the time until I was 37 years old; I’ve felt as if I’d waited too long. It’s great to hear that the best training for writing is reading, and that, I do a lot of. 😀
I will definitely be picking up Laura Kinsale’s new release!
Jody
Great interview! I’ve always been a big fan of Laura Kinsale, so it was fascinating to hear about her writing process. And I’m drooling over her desk!
Thanks!
This is, quite seriously, one of the best author interviews I’ve read in a long while. I love all the details about working method. I love that it’s long and that the questions and answers are both really thoughtful. Many thanks to both of you!
I think the world is divided into those who love/will wear hats and those who dislike/would not be caught dead in a hat.
My daughter is the former; I’m the latter. And never the twain shall meet.
I was really interested to see Laura didn’t start seriously getting into writing until age 35. To me, that actually sounds pretty young but I guess most writers start sooner.
What would you say are the benefits of getting a late(r) start in the writing business?
Of course, Hope, you did an outstanding job!! Par for the course.
If posting here allows me to be entered to possibly receive a copy of Laura Kinsale’s newest book, “Lessons in French”, all the better!!
It is an honor to receive comments, from Laura, a widely published author on writing. Thank you, Ms. Kinsale, for being so gracious to devulge tips that might help us *fledging* “wanna be’s”.
I was not at all surprised that Laura agreed to come here. Our lovely Hope is a star on the rise.
BTW, I ordered Laura’s book after she visited another blog a few weeks ago. Haven’t received it yet – hopefully tomorrow.
Ventoux is so thrilled with his orange debut. I put the fruit down in front of him, not sure what he’d make of it. He often has his own agenda, and I rather expected he’d give me the insulted, “Mom, this is BROCCOLI,” look that he gets when salad falls on the kitchen floor and he checks it out. But he grabbed the orange and began tossing it and rolling it so fast I could barely catch more than a blur!
I was just watching a video of some SF conference a few years ago where CJ Cherryh and Jane Fancher were holding a seminar of some sort. At one point Jane states very unequivocally that there’s no point in trying to be a novelist before you’re 35 because you don’t know enough to have any thing to say.
The camera panned around to the audience, where a couple of young’uns looked rather disguntled at this news.
I think it has some truth to it, tho frankly you do start to forget what you know so maybe it kinda evens out over time. 😉
Thanks, Miss Tart, a fun interview was had all ’round!
Thank you all for your kind words. I’ve been sitting on my hands all day so that Laura can have the floor; she is the belle of the ball, after all.
However, I must address one point: Being nice to the host — perhaps verging into suck-up zone — while at all times encouraged — OR posting more than one comment — yes, this means you Becke Martin/Davis — will not change the rules of book eligibility.
The Tart must, under all circumstances, be fair.
PS: She also said all the above in a teasing tone, since it hasn’t always been clear today that she tends to be ironic.
The Tart cracks me up! 😀
Bwahaha. How typical, Laura, that we’d post at the same time. 😉 Sorry. Didn’t mean to steal your thunder.
I’m really looking forward to reading Lessons in French. Reading this fascinating interview just made me all the more eager to get my hands on the book.
Hey, I already bought the book! I’m not even in the running!
Excellent interview and I second the sentiment about hats. Also, fedoras look great on men and women 🙂
Thanks for sharing all the wonderful advice!
Excellent interview and way kewl blog. Sweet!
Terri
Hope, I am humbled by your greatness and your brilliance in snagging one of the best romance writers of all time! (Is that enough to placate you so that I may now gush over one of my favorite authors? Will I avoid punishment?) *grin*
While in DC, at RWA’s national conference, I sat in on Sourcebooks’ spotlight and was happy to hear I’d be reading a new Laura Kinsale book soon. I’m thrilled you’re back, Ms Kinsale and look foreward to the story.
As a writer, I’m comforted to hear you describe your writing process and definitely related to the “blind alley” moments. It makes me feel a little less of an imposter.
Thank you!
Posting again, with a reminder that I’m not in the drawing for the book.
I was at the Sourcebook workshop with Rosie, and also found it very exciting and informative. We both left there very buzzed about the publisher and eager to read Laura’s new book!
Is there a deadline for making a post in order to win a copy of the book?
Oly, the giveaway closes at 0700 MST on Friday, January 29, 2009. Unless you specify otherwise, I believe your comment just qualified you for entry. 🙂
Rosie, you have escaped a publish thrashing. This time.
Wow. Thanks for a glimpse at Laura’s life both in and out of the writing process. 🙂
when you said:
When I write, it feels like a pitcher of water: I pour it out, and it just takes a certain amount of time to fill back up again.
that’s what clicked with me.
Thanks for the inspiration.
Oooh, did I enter a contest? I did not know that! Kewl!
Informative and fun, thank you ladies.
Love the interview, love the advice on proper equipment for the job – you don’t see professionals in other walks of life do their jobs without it – so we should take the same care. Thanks for the reminder from she who also doesn’t hear alarms 😉
AND most of all love the gorgeous Ventoux!
I love hats but I don’t have the head for them. I love positively silly.
I’m always torn between the don’t force it and the write every day discipline camps. I fall in the middle – write every day, unless you can’t and then don’t write?
Also, Hope, you inspired me to ask a fave author if I could interview her closer to her next book’s release date. I’m so excited b/c even SHE agrees I’m pretty much her perfect reader, so I expect it will be fun and contain a lot of rabbit trails.
LOOK positively silly.
Lovely interview. Always great to see an author who looks good in hats (I love them, but don’t think I look good in them). And the dog pics? Fantastic!
ETA: The draw for copies of Lessons in French is now concluded, as is Ms. Kinsale’s formal time at Tartitude. (Winners announced in a coming post.) I’ll leave the comments section open, however, as I have a hunch we haven’t exhausted the subject matter.
Many thanks to Ms. Kinsale for an awesome interview, to Sourcebooks for the giveaway, and to you – the reader – for being here.