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Christina Courtenay Interview
Posted on 10 November 2010. © Copyright 2004-2024 WriteWords
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WriteWords talks to romantic novelist Christina Courtenay
Tell us something about your background.
I’ve been a member of the Romantic Novelists’ Association (RNA) for about 10 years and being on their New Writer’s Scheme helped me get published, first with Regency novellas for DC Thomson’s “My Weekly Pocket Novels” (I’ve done three and a fourth is coming soon) and now historicals for Choc Lit. They’ve just published Trade Winds, my first full length novel. I’m an RNA committee member, currently responsible for the Love Story of the Year Award and I’ve won two of their prizes - the Elizabeth Goudge Trophy in 2001 and the Katie Fforde Bursary in 2006. At the moment I’m hard at work on the revisions for my second Choc Lit historical which is called The Scarlet Kimono.
Other work besides writing; eg. Editing, dramaturgy, tutoring, and how it works/worked for/against your own writing
I don’t do any tutoring, but I am now a reader for the RNA’s New Writers’ Scheme, helping them to critique manuscripts. This does make me look at my own work more critically, which can only be good!
How did you start writing?
I started writing when my oldest daughter was 6 months old, thinking it would enable me to stay at home with her and not have to go to work. I thought it would be dead easy to write a Mills & Boon or two – little did I know! Well, so much for that theory - my daughter is now 21 and I’ve only just had my first full-length novel published!
Who are your favourite writers and why?
My favourite writers include Georgette Heyer (amazing alpha heroes and great sense of humour), Barbara Erskine (I love time slip novels and hope to have one published myself one day), Ellis Peters and Elizabeth Chadwick – both of whom have an amazing ability to make history come alive. I used to mostly read historicals, but in the last few years I’ve started reading other genres too and I love all the books from my fellow Choc Lit authors. I also like some YA novels – Melissa Marr and Sarah Dessen in particular. I’m influenced by everything I read, so I can’t really pinpoint one author in particular.
How did you get your first agent/ commission/publication? Can you tell us about the process/journey?
It was all thanks to the RNA. Their New Writers’ Scheme taught me what I was doing wrong and encouraged me to produce a manuscript a year, and all the talks, workshops, conferences and parties helped me to learn, make friends and network. Someone told me to send a novella to DC Thomson and to my surprise, they accepted it and voilà, I was published.
What's the worst thing about writing?
I don’t really think it has many downsides for me. I love writing and everything involved in the process. Of course it can be frustrating when it doesn’t quite flow the way you want it to, but that’s something you have to accept and work around.
And the best?
The freedom to work whenever you want to (I’m a night owl, so used to hate getting up in the morning to go to work), meeting lots of other enthusiastic and friendly authors and being allowed to make money out of doing something so enjoyable!
Tell us what kind of response you get from audiences/readers and if/how this affects/influences your writing
I’ve been very lucky so far and the response has been overwhelmingly positive. I think this has made it feel as though all those years of trying were not in vain and it’s lovely to hear that other people enjoy what you write. Whenever I get a nice review or comment, it makes me want to write even more.
Breakthrough moment?
When I met my editor at an RNA party and a chance question led to me submitting my novel to her. It is very hard to pitch your work to editors or agents, who have no doubt heard it all before, but when it pays off, it’s wonderful.
What inspires you to write?
Going to writers’ conferences, talks and workshops always gives me a buzz and I usually come out of there motivated and energised. Also being with other writers, chatting about ideas and characters. I often do “brainstorming” sessions with one of my writing buddies and it’s great to bounce ideas off someone else like that.
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