Jane Holland: 21 Ways to Write a Commercial Novel

Today we welcome Jane Holland who tells us how she went ‘From Blog to Book’

Last year I went a bit crazy and decided it would be fun to write a How-To blog for writers who were not necessarily beginners but felt lost within the publishing industry. I called it 52 Ways To Write A Novel, with the cheerful thought that I could blog a few hundred words every week for a year, and it wouldn’t hurt too much or distract from my novel-writing.

I was wrong, of course. Writing intelligently about our unforgiving industry is not easy to do in a soundbite, and I didn’t like putting out posts that felt rushed or unpolished. So it did take more time than I liked. But the feedback I received from other writers encouraged me to keep going.

52 Ways doesn’t deal specifically with romantic or historical fiction, both of which I have written in abundance, but any kind of commercial novel. However, many of the writers who chatted about their own experiences in the comments section are fellow members of the RNA. So the blog developed a slight kink, if you’ll pardon the word, in the direction of romance. But I was writing a crime novel at the time, so crime crept in too. My hope was that the blog would help commercial writers, so I focused on that rather than genre.

After Week 20, it occurred to me that I was totting up thousands of words of free advice on my blog, and wouldn’t it be nice to publish an ebook of my wisdom so far and charge a few pennies in return? (I’m a mercenary type, you understand.)

But when I sat down to convert my blog into an ebook, I discovered that it wasn’t as simple as transferring all the posts into one file and publishing it. For a start, I had dozens of photos and captions in my blog. All that needed to be stripped out and the formatting simplified. Furthermore, my blog was not in a coherent order. For instance, I had given advice on making friends with other writers before advice on how to write a chapter opening, and while we all like to relax at RNA lunches, I thought I had better put business before pleasure!

So I cut and pasted the posts into a more logical order, wrote an Introduction and an Afterword, then expanded each post into a full chapter. I had used short paragraphing on the blog, but that looked odd so I increased paragraph length. To keep things dynamic, I got permission to use a selection of comments left on the blog by other writers, then sprinkled them throughout the text.

The result is 21 Ways To Write A Commercial Novel, a combination of my blog posts with other writers’ comments, plus a fantastic letter of advice to new writers by Rowan Coleman, addressed in the first instance to our mutual friend, Sarah Callejo. ‘Write the damn book!’ Rowan urges Sarah … advice even the most experienced writers can take to heart.

Jane Holland writes as herself, plus Victoria Lamb, Elizabeth Moss and Beth Good among others. Her archived blog is here and you can chat with her most days on Twitter: @janeholland1

21 Ways To Write A Commercial Novel is £1.99, published by Jane’s imprint Thimblerig Press, and is ONLY available on Amazon Kindle (but can be read on most devices): Amazon:  

Thank you joining us today and good luck with the book.

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RNA Conference 2012 Kitchen Report – The Romaniac Kitchen, Penrith

It was the first conference for most of The Romaniacs and with seven out of nine of us attending, we already knew we were going to have one heck of a kitchen party. We had our own karaoke backing track system, lead vocals by Laura  James, plenty of wine, several bottles of champagne and Catherine Miller brought some very special Morello Cherry homemade wine, circa 1975, courtesy of her late Grandad. Celia Anderson made some delicious cakes.  Oh, and in true student style, Lucie Wheeler provided the Super Noodles.

It could only have been better if our lovely Jan Brigden and Liz Crump had been there.

To sum up our kitchen party, we thought we’d share a page from our Visitors’ Book …

Friday, 13 July 2012

Dear Kitchen, Thank you for helping me rediscover the joy singing can bring. And also the pain. Love, Laura.

Nikki Goodman : Ah, how will I ever forget the Romaniacs’ kitchen? There was wine (some of it homemade vintage circa ’75 that threatened toxic shock syndrome), there were snacks and there was singing! Best of all was the laughter.  A kitchen beyond all compare.

What goes on in the kitchen, stays in the kitchen. Except when it’s videoed and put on Facebook and You Tube. (Laura)

They say the kitchen is always the hub of the party, and in this case, it most certainly was! (Lucie)

THIS is what Romantic Novelists look like! (Debbie White)

Jane Holland : Those three glasses of 1975 Morello Cherry homemade wine will stay with me for life.

The Romaniacs needed a good get together and what better way than to do it with friends. That and alcohol which could change the way you see the world. That’s why at the time we were all singing like angels. (Catherine)

Sue Moorcroft : That was a great night! The homemade wine from 1975 scared me a bit but when I offered to buy some ‘real’ wine, the soothing, ‘Oh, we’ve got some of that if you want it,’ made me feel like a lightweight. The Romaniacs were fantastic company, every one of them. I just hope I’m invited to their kitchen parties in the future. Xxx

We may have had a naughty kitchen, but it wasn’t dirty, having been sterilised with alcohol. (Laura)

Ever since joining the RNA, I’ve aspired to the heady heights of having one of the Naughty Kitchens at a conference.  And now, thanks to some wonderful company, a lot of alcohol and loud singing, I think I can say I’ve done it – and got the YouTube evidence to prove it. (Vanessa)

Mandy James : My accommodation was next to the Romaniacs’. How did I know? The raucous caterwauling and shrieks of laughter gave it away.

I left my quieter party and went to investigate … they wouldn’t let me leave, even though I insisted I didn’t want a drink or to sing at the top of my lungs. But eventually I had a small sherry … When in Rome-aniacs … see what I did there?

Two hours later the police came to close us down. Well, OK, a slight exaggeration, there was only one arrest. We had an amazing time and I recommend that the naughty kitchen be free on the NHS!

When I found out we were in student accommodation, I decided that I needed use this opportunity as research (I got that tip from Jane Wenham-Jones) and what better way than to fully immerse myself into student life. What a kitchen party that was. Sadly, any further attempt at emulating a student ended on Sunday - even now I am still trying to recover from the weekend. (Sue)

The kitchen party was to the Romaniacs and their guests what opium was to great authors of the past – inspirational, but painful the next day. (Celia)

A messy kitchen is the sign of a happy kitchen, and ours was delirious. (Debbie)

It was always going to be the Romaniacs’ kitchen. (Laura)

Jane Smith Tells All - The Gala - RNA Conference 2010

Jane Smith better know to many as @hprw and the author of the blog How Publishing Really Works writes about her first RNA experience...

The 2010 RNA Summer Conference gala dinner was HOT. Not just the temperatures, which during the day climbed past 30 degrees and stayed up there for much of the evening: but also the shoes, the company and the sheer fabulous fun of the whole event.

Jane Holland, Cal Andrews  & Lara Higgins

RF Long, Leanne Bibby & Stephanie Cage

Sue Cook & Jane Smith (aka @hprw)

For me, the party started off with fellow RNA-newbie Sue Cook force-feeding me a lunch of white wine and crisps, after which we attended Carole Blake’s talk about the role of agents in publishing.  Any ideas I’d had of catching a quick snooze were scuppered when Carole began to speak: she was fascinating, funny and wise, and her allotted hour was over far too fast.  Despite the attractions of the panel discussion which followed, I felt as though I was in serious danger of melting: and so we hared off to the air-conditioned bliss of my hotel to shower and change for the main event.  I soon found myself in the bar in the company of Sue Cook and Carole Blake, where I learned a valuable lesson: some RNA members have a very useful homing instinct. The instant the cork popped out of our champagne Brigid Coady and Liz Fenwick appeared, glasses at the ready, and helped us drain our bottle dry in record time. Then it was off to the Trafalgar, where the gala dinner was to be held.

Liz Fenwick

Biddy Coady

Katie Fforde

Sue Cook

More champagne awaited us there, and some more excellent company: then, thanks to a lack of proper security and some good old-fashioned blagging I ended up on the top table which was, thank goodness, by an open window as the evening showed no sign of growing any cooler.

With Carole Blake and Liz Fenwick at the same table I had little chance of attracting the attention of the wine waiters; and with Sue Cook and Alison Morton either side of me, I struggled to get a word in edgewise.  Instead I concentrated on my first course, a smooth chicken liver paté served with a rich onion marmalade and some very crisp toast. My chance to be heard came when Carole observed that the heat of the evening would test the old adage that horses sweat while ladies glow: I gaily pointed out that I was glowing like a pig, and from that point on Jan Jones kept a stern eye on my behaviour from her place across the table.

Despite my continued attempts to lower the tone, the conversation around me was as sparkling as the sequins which decorated the tables. We talked about books, writing, publishing and more books and the next time anyone tries to tell me that publishing is on its last legs I’ll suggest they attend an RNA party: I learned so much listening to everyone else that night, and not all of it was gossip!

During the main course—succulent roast chicken in a creamy sauce on a fresh-tasting bed of peas and lettuce—we discovered that the aforementioned sequins could be stuck to any exposed skin, so very glowy were we all.  Our glorious leader Katie Fforde dotted red sparkles all over her décolletage which remained in place through our dessert, an Eton mess so sweet I could feel myself tipping further towards diabetes with every spoonful.  Delicious though it was I could barely finish mine, but there were some among us who ate two full helpings: how they managed it I am not sure, but I am in awe of you, Jan Jones.

Katie Fforde & Di Pearson

Di pearson

And then came the highlight of the evening when Katie Fforde introduced Diane Pearson, President of the RNA. Ms Pearson’s speech was sharp and witty and quite gloriously indiscreet: its only fault was that it didn’t last long enough—a skill I wish more speakers could develop. Then there was more champagne and more chat, and the evening was over far too quickly.

Jan Jones, Carole Blake & Sue Cook

While the weather and the fashions were seriously hot, you might have noticed that champagne was also a common theme. But my overwhelming impression of the gala dinner was of being among friends, many of whom I’d never met before that evening. It was a rare and magical event, and one I’ll remember with much fondness. My congratulations go to Jan Jones and Roger Sanderson for creating such a wonderful event; and my warm wishes go to everyone who attended, and who made it such a fabulous party.


(Note: thanks for the photos goes to Carole Blake, Lizzie Lamb, RF Long and Eileen Hathaway)