Hi Kimberley, I loved Ember Island. I have also read Lighthouse Bay. In both books you write in dual timelines. Why?
Hi Kimberley! Do you think the term ‘commercial women’s fiction’ limits a book?
Join us in welcoming Kimberley to our Friday CS Live chat.
Kimberley Freeman, author of DUET (which won the Ruby Award), GOLD DUST, WILDFLOWER HILL, LIGHTHOUSE BAY and most recently EMBER ISLAND, is online now to answer all your questions on getting published and writing novels. She will be with us until 2pm so get your questions in now ...
Alex wrote: "Hi Kimberley, I loved Ember Island. I have also read Lighthouse Bay. In both books you write in dual timelines. Why?"
Hi, Alex. I'm so glad you liked the books. As a writer, you are kind of stuck in your own head a lot, so it's always a lovely surprise to find people like your work.
I like dual timelines because I find straight-up historical a tiny bit dry. I like for there to be some kind of link to the present. It's as though the modern character provides an access point for the story, to make sense of the different time period.
Hi Kimberley!
i was wondering why you write under two different names?
Rebecca wrote: "Hi Kimberley! Do you think the term ‘commercial women’s fiction’ limits a book?"
Hello, Rebecca. In a way, all genre labels limit a book. But they are one of the ways that books are made sense of in a market. At least people know what they're getting. If, for example, a man wanted to read a sea-faring book like Patrick O'Brian, and he bought my book "Lighthouse Bay" because it wasn't strongly marked with its genre, he'd be bound to get disappointed I think!
Jonny wrote: "Hi Kimberley!
i was wondering why you write under two different names?"
Hello, Jonny. When I started writing the Kimberley Freeman books, I was known predominantly as a writer of quite dark fantasy fiction (even though my books have, to a certain extent, always been mystery stories set over two time periods). My agent and I discussed it, and we thought people who liked my dark fantasy wouldn't necessarily like the KF books; and people who liked commercial women's fiction may see my name and think "not her, she writes scary stuff". So I chose my grandmother's maiden name (Freeman) as a pseudonym.
However, Kim Freeman sounded like it might be a man, so I added the "berley".
Hi Kimberley, Thanks for joining us today. Aspiring writers with young children struggle with finding the time to write. How do you manage your writing time with two young children?
Well, my opinion is that kids sleep a lot. All you have to do is write when they sleep. So I tend to get up very early and write. But sometimes, on school holidays, I'll offer them a movie lunch (which involves, of course, a sandwich and a movie on the couch) and I write as much as I can. The longer the movie the better.
Hi Kimberley,
I was wondering where did the inspiration come from for Ember Island?
I grew up at a place called Redcliffe, which is on Moreton Bay on the south-east Queensland coast. I'd always written about exotic places, but when I wrote Lighthouse Bay (which is set on the Sunshine Coast) I got a real taste for local history. So I started poking around in the John Oxley library, and I found a whole bunch of information about the various institutions on Moreton Bay islands in the 19th century: leper colonies, and boys' homes, and a maximum security prison. I loved the idea of an island that was a place at the very edge of the empire, where mysterious things could happen. I was also interested in the idea of women's tempers (perhaps because my daughter appears to have a very bad temper!) and how we try to control them. Put those ideas together and you get Ember Island!
Hi Kimberley, Do you have any advice on writing a first draft? How do you keep motivated?
You need to think about the entire story arc, how the beginning transitions to the middle and the middle to the end, so that the shape of the story is in your head (not particularly detailed) before you start. That means the first draft will not go horrifically off the rails. You also need to be forgiving of yourself and prepared to write crap, basically, and trust that you can edit it when you're done. Don't do extensive editing during the drafting process. Fixing something small here and there, or cutting a section that's not working and replacing it with something else, are all fine. But if you are taking months on the first chapter, then there is something wrong. Get it down. Keep moving.
I keep motivated because I love love LOVE writing so much! The task at hand always gives me joy, even when it's driving me insane.
As an aside to my earlier discussion of working with children, mine are hanging all over me at the moment. So far during this chat, I've had one drop a biscuit on my keyboard and another one say the word "Mummy" eleven times in a row trying to get my attention. I guess I'm getting better at blocking them out!
while you;re talking of the process involved... do you write your books from an outline?
Thanks Kimberely. How long does it usually take you to complete a novel? What are you working on now?
So many aspiring writers are keen for helpful advice. What is the best writing advice you have ever been given?
Rebecca wrote: "Thanks Kimberely. How long does it usually take you to complete a novel? What are you working on now?"
Kimberley***
I quite like dual timeline stories but I found Ember Island unbalanced with much more devoted to Tilly's story than to Nina's. I persnally did not find Nina a very interesting character and Tilly's story dragged on too much for me. I found Nell the most interesting character in the book and would have liked to have followed her life into adulthood.
Jonny wrote: "while you;re talking of the process involved... do you write your books from an outline?"
I always outline the story before I write. First, in very vague detail. Then a large chunk (e.g the first 5 chapters) in slightly more detail. Then one to two chapters in very close detail. Then I write. Then I plan a bit more and write a bit more etc.
Rebecca wrote: "Thanks Kimberely. How long does it usually take you to complete a novel? What are you working on now?"
Ember Island is my shortest turnaround yet. It took 3 months from first word to last. It just fell out! On the other hand, I'm STILL working on another book that I started thinking about in 2007, drafted in 2010, redrafted in 2012, etc etc. I think it might be done soon. I hope it will be!
I'm about to start writing the next Kimberley Freeman over summer. It's set in the 1920s at a posh hotel in the Blue Mountains. I'm pretty excited. Working title is Skylark Falls.
Rebecca wrote: "Rebecca wrote: "Thanks Kimberely. How long does it usually take you to complete a novel? What are you working on now?"
Kimberley***"
Don't worry about it, I'm always mistyping stuff!
Culture Street wrote: "So many aspiring writers are keen for helpful advice. What is the best writing advice you have ever been given?"
Stephen King said: "Life is not a support system for art. It's the other way around." Your family and friends and pets etc are all more important than your writing. Do it because you love it and it's fun and so on, but don't sacrifice a good, full life for it.
But in terms of writing advice that's actually about the craft? My best advice is pay more attention to the verbs you use. Verbs are the muscle in a sentence. Avoid wishy washy ones like "to come" "to go" "to be".
Jutta1 wrote: "I quite like dual timeline stories but I found Ember Island unbalanced with much more devoted to Tilly's story than to Nina's. I persnally did not find Nina a very interesting character and Tilly's story dragged on too much for me. I found Nell the most interesting character in the book and would have liked to have followed her life into adulthood."
Maybe you should write a sequel then.
Are there any particular authors who have influenced your writing? Do you think aspiring authors should read the same genre they would like to write in?
We have 10 minutes to go before we close down the discussion. Final questions now!
I think aspiring authors should read really widely across genres and across time. My love of medieval literature is all over Ember Island, for example. But also, my love of chick lit! I couldn't name one author who has influenced my writing: dozens of them in have in dozens of ways. Romantic poems, Old English elegies, Victorian novels like Jane Eyre, fantasy like Tolkien and Marian Zimmer Bradley, romantic comedies like Marian Keyes. I love books and words and writing, and I try to absorb as much as I can. It's all fuel for the fire, so to speak.
Kimberley Freeman is the pen name Kim Wilkins uses for her brilliant commercial women's fiction. She was born in London and grew up in Brisbane. She has degrees in English Literature and Creative Writing. Kim lives in Queensland. Her first book DUET(2007) won the Ruby Award. Four other books have followed including her recent release EMBER ISLAND.
Are you looking for tips on how to get published? Whatever your question, join our live chat with Kimberley on Friday September 27 at 1pm. All you need to do is register and post a question.