“A Curious State of Affairs” by Jan Marshall

This week I was invited as a guest speaker to a local literary lunch. I gave a reading from my novel and then answered the following quesions:

What is it like being an author?

Time consuming, isolating and hard work but also challenging, exhilarating and exciting. There is no other feeling like holding your first published book in your hand.

Were you inspired by any specific authors?

Yes! I love books and have always read a lot. My inspiration from authors comes from many sources – including the classic writings of Graham Greene and the contemporary works of Nick Hornby.  Pirandello also had a profound effect on me. I never read another author’s novel when I am actually in the process of writing one, though – I’m always afraid I might inadvertently copy or be influenced by their style!

What was your initial inspiration for writing “A Curious State of Affairs”?

Having worked for over a decade as a senior manager for various corporate estate agencies I gained an  interesting insight into the good,  as well as the bad, and sometimes downright illegal practices that give the industry a poor name. I was also aware of just how hard working most people employed in selling property are, and in addition I knew just how much legislation they were required to understand and learn – off by heart! Since most people either buy or sell property at some stage in their life, I thought they would be genuinely interested in the machinations. As a people person it seemed natural to me to have a romantic relationship at the centre of the novel – especially since sex sells books! I wanted to show that people can grow from their life experiences, good and bad, none of them are wasted. Being authentic was also particularly important to me as a theme – because it was something I personally struggled with in my early adulthood. There were many years when I felt I had to be somebody else’s version of myself – rather than what I truly felt I was. I didn’t find my own inner peace until I was authentic. It took divorce, cancer, success and failure, bereavement and true love before I found myself completely. In addition I had Chondrosarcoma and survived it - while two very close friends of mine were not so lucky and died of cancer (the novel is dedicated to them) and in some ways writing about their suffering and my grief, through the characters, was cathartic for me. It enabled me to re-look at that very difficult times in my life and view it again as others might see it.

What did you find the most difficult part of writing a novel?

Without a doubt holding it all in my head for the duration of writing it. Writing a novel is not something you can stop and start at will once you have commenced because you have to remember exactly where you have got to and what you have actually written – as opposed to what you intended to write. I found that if circumstances conspired in a way that prevented me from writing for a few days I would have to re-read the novel right from the beginning before I could start writing again. It was the only way to be sure I didn’t repeat myself or miss something out by assuming I had already included it! It was a nightmare because I am employed four days a week and so can only write at weekends or during evenings. The other tricky bit was making sure the timeline was accurate. My novel moves backwards and forewards through time and I had to be sure that the characters didn’t refer to things that had not yet happened in their world. You can pinpoint the date of the novel too – and I had to ensure accuracy – for instance, I had to check that certain places in New York were open to the public when I say they are. An example is the world famous Russian Tea Rooms, it closed after it was sold for $16 million to the United States Golf Association in real life – so my timeline couldn’t show the characters, Stefan and Jane, visiting it after that closing date.

What were the challenges in bringing the characters to life?

From the very start the characters were alive and “real” to me – I had created them so well in my head that it was easy to imagine what they would do in any set of circumstances I placed them in. So all I had to do was set the scene and then watch and listen to how they reacted – then write it down. I’ve always had a vivid imagination. A play that absolutely fascinated me from the moment I read it, was Luigi Pirandello’s “Six characters in search of an author.” I was truly fascinated by the idea of an author creating characters that once created actually existed. When the author decided against putting them in a drama their only chance to live was to find another author who was willing to put them in a play. We watch the characters act out their internal struggles on the stage and in the process see the pathos of man’s isolation from himself and the times he lives in, we consider illusion versus reality and speculate on the conflict of life versus form. It was and is a remarkable piece of work and it had a profound effect on me. My characters are just as alive to me, they exist - I felt compelled to give them a chance to learn and grow from the challenges they were given – although they decided the extent to which they would change! I simply wrote it down.

How has the reception been to your first novel?

Brilliant - I am thrilled by just how many people are willing to spend their hard earned money on something I wrote – and then take the time to read it. The book has sold well in the UK and USA – and I have received e-mails from all over the world about it. I haven’t had any bad reviews yet!

What is the significance of the title?

The title is a play on words - a puzzling (curious) event ( state of affairs), in other words the pondering that the protagonist does about a major event in his life  – and at the same time a reference to the physical affairs he has, and how one in particular curiously allows him to change beyond recognition. It is strange how suffering and pathos can make us discover ourselves and grow, ultimately becoming authentic. “Do you not see how necessary is a world of pain and suffering, in order to school an intelligence and make it a soul.” (Autobiography of a Yogi)

Do you ever get writer’s block?

Generally, no! My time is so limited that I only write when I feel like doing so! Once I’m working on a novel I become so absorbed I usually can’t turn the computer off. The key is to fill the pages and not judge yourself – others will do that for you! Interestingly, my third novel is about an author with writer’s block – he devises an unusual way to overcome it! It’s rather fun and yet there is a real pathos to the story as well. I suppose that reflects the human condition. As Woody Allen said: “Life is full of misery, loneliness, and suffering – and it’s all over much too soon.”

Do you know what you are going to write when you sit down that day?

I have the idea for the particular scene in my head and I allow the characters to unfold and react to the situation I place them in. They dance with the page and the page dances with them. If you are familiar with the word duende you will know what I mean when I say: you cannot separate the characters from the author. I watch and then write it down. Some writers have every single action planned out in advance – I would find that too rigid, too limiting. Sometimes characters surprise me and react in a way I hadn’t expected them to when I outlined the scene in my head. I always give them free reign!

Why should we read fiction?

Fiction is art to me and art distills meaning from experience. There are many books that I’ve read that made me see things in a different light – made me think about things in a way that I might never have perceived them. Fiction can open up a world that you have never inhabited, or show you experiences you may not have yet had – or confirm and remind you of what you already know. In my own life I have learned more from reading fiction than from any other source of teaching. Without books I would be lost: they can be escapism,  a way of living vicariously or just good old entertainment.

Do you have any advice for would be authors?

Don’t be afraid to have a go and be true to your own voice rather than trying to emulate someone else. Be aware that writing is all consuming and quickly becomes a way of life. Also, stay away from anyone who belittles your ambitions. Use a computer to write if you can – it makes it easier to amend and correct or edit. Don’t worry about publishing until you have written it. I’ve heard so many people say there is no point writing a novel because it is impossible to get it published – if you don’t write it in the first place there wont be anything to get published!!

If anyone has any other questions they would like to ask – post them in the comments below and I’ll endeavour to answer them!