Anna Jacobs usually resides in Western Australia so while she enjoys a Northern Summer, suite101 writer Lynne Cobine uses the opportunity to chat with her about her writing.
How did you get started as a writer and published writer?
I wrote French textbooks when I was a teacher. Had nine published. But no one reads those willingly. I then spent 10 years (pre-Internet) teaching myself how to write. In the end my sixth published novel won a big prize in an Australian competition and with it, publication. However, that book was the only one produced by that publisher as the management changed. I came down with chronic fatigue syndrome and was quite ill, so it wasn’t for another two years that I got another book accepted. And then I got 6 accepted in a year! Life is strange. I’ve been writing 2-3 novels a year ever since.
When you first started writing did you have any writers that inspired you?
Yes, Georgette Heyer, and my first novel published was a regency in her style – after that I found my own writing voice and style. But I still love reading her books – or should I say re-reading.
As I read three novels a week still, I have a lot of favourite authors and I’ve learned a lot from reading their books critically after I’d read them for pleasure. There are tutors everywhere!
Do you belong to any writing groups?
I’m a member of:
- Novelists Inc (for multi-published novelists only)
- Romantic Novelists’ Association of the UK
- Romance Writers of Australia
- Australian Society of Authors
I also belong to a critique group (6 of us). They’re wonderful and the group has great synergy.
You write under three different names and write historical, contemporary and fantasy which genre do you prefer?
I prefer variety, which keeps my imagination stimulated, so I don’t ‘prefer’ any single genre. I’m not writing fantasy officially at the moment, but I do keep dabbling in between writing my contracted books, just for fun. There are some genres I don’t like reading and couldn’t even begin to write eg horror, violent stuff.
You are a prolific writer how do you come up with so many stories?
Mainly because I have that sort of brain. But I think the imagination is like a muscle. The more I write/exercise it, the more ideas I get. I was once unable to write for two months and it took me a while to get up to speed again afterwards. People need to find out how they best get ideas and foster their creativity in whatever way suits. Strangely, recently, I’ve had my best ideas while being driven along English motorways by my husband.
Webiste: www.annajacobs.com/
