Helena Halme Author

Nordic Fiction with a hint of Noir and Romance

  • Books
  • Blog
  • Join My Launch Crew
  • New Novel Sneak Peek
  • Contact me
  • Email
  • Facebook
  • Twitter
  • Instagram
  • Pinterest
  • Google+

She was telling my whole life with her song

September 24, 2010 by Helena Halme 2 Comments

I admit it’s a bit of a stretch from this clip – one of my favourite songs – to this post, but listening to Marika Cobbold discuss how to write romantic comedy with her fellow novelist Amanda Craig at the Ham and High Literary Festival on Tuesday made me realise the story of How I Came to be in England (which I posted here) fits neatly into this category. Also strangely enough, neither of the two authors are romantic comedy writers and both fell into the genre by accident. 
I too planned to write a couple of posts about how it was that I ended up marrying a British naval officer and moving over to the UK from my native Finland. I didn’t plan it to become a novel, but in the end the story ran to 48 chapters. I am now submitting the tale as a manuscript to prospective literary agents. (Please keep you fingers crossed!)
So yesterday’s talk was more than informative for me, even though I’d gone to the venue just to hear Marika, my Twitter friend and an author who I’ve long be a fan of. Her first book Guppies for Tea, which I learned yesterday was made into a film in Germany, won many accolades and tells a very modern tale of a dysfunctional family struggling to come to terms with how to care for an elderly mother. Her latest novel, Aphrodite’s Workshop for Reluctant Lovers is a tale of a romantic novelist who’s lost her faith in love. Her writing is funny and observant. She was born in Sweden and came to England at the age of 19, so I feel a little bit of a kinship to her.
At yesterday’s talk I was delighted at how honest and frank both Marika and Amanda were about their art, about the writing process and how they use their own life experiences to create plots and characters. Literary critics often despise (female) authors who use their own experiences as a basis for a novel. But in order to write about love, for example, you must have experienced it, or have watched it at a very close quarter. To pretend that we don’t use our own lives, or the people we meet as models for our plot and characters is frankly naive. Of course it’s never the same; if we told stories true to life no-one would believe us. But in order to make novels authentic they must have an ounce of reality in them.
It was also interesting to hear how Amanda, straddling genres, takes some of her characters into different novels; how she watches them grow and mature. This kind of Trollop-like treatment of literary characters really appeals to me. How lovely it would be not to have to say goodbye to your beloved heroes or heroines, or those people in your books who have small roles but who you’ve become fascinated by during the writing of the book.
At the end I even got to meet both authors. I almost ran home through the sunny Hampstead Heath, determined to make my current manuscript a little funnier. After all, as Marika pointed out, writing tragedy is easy compared to writing a comedy. And even Shakespeare was at it, Amanda Craig added. She should know as one of her novels, Love in Idleness, re-enacts A Midsummer Night’s Dream. 

But the most valuable truth I took home from the talk was that even successful novelist like Amanda and Marika constantly want to improve their craft. And with great humility and humour they even want to share that experience with their readers and wanna-be writers.   

All books mentioned above are obviously available to buy from England’s Lane Books.

You may also like:

Books Set in Scandinavia New Book Trials and Tribulations It’s Publication Day Love on the Island Books 4-6 Boxed Set

Comments

  1. Chic Mama says

    September 24, 2010 at 2:52 pm

    My fingers are crossed for you. X

    Reply
  2. Helena Halme says

    September 24, 2010 at 2:52 pm

    Thank you, lovely. xx

    Reply

Leave a Reply Cancel reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed.

Privacy & Cookies: This site uses cookies. By continuing to use this website, you agree to their use.
To find out more, including how to control cookies, see here: Cookie Policy

Pre-order offer

To Melt A Frozen Heart now 0.99 on pre-order

Free Story for my Readers Group only!

NEW NOVEL

Find out more

new

View Book

Alliance of Independent Authors /

Free Exclusive Bonus Chapter

looking for the self publishing coach?

Buy Direct from the author

Follow me on Instagram

Happy Monday! I started my week with Pilates @moss Happy Monday! I started my week with Pilates @mossymummy . Now wonderfully energized, I’m at my desk with coffee (naturally), running through the first edits of my Lapland book (cover and title reveal coming soon - watch this space 👀). 
I hope your week has kicked off well too!
☕️📘🤸‍♂️❤️
I’ve had a glut of tomatoes from the cherry toma I’ve had a glut of tomatoes from the cherry tomato plant, but not so many from the ‘big’ one. It’s very satisfying to eat fruit from your own #London balcony though! 🍅🪴
There’s nothing like meeting up with a good frie There’s nothing like meeting up with a good friend who also happens to be an amazing author! 
✍🏻🥰
Freddie @freddieppeters and I write in  different genres but we have so much in common. Our 3+ hour lunches are legendary.
🥂📚
Always prolific, Freddie has once again beat me to publishing her latest financial thriller, Book 2 in the Nancy Wu series, SON AND CRUSADER. I cannot wait to read it!
📘🕵️‍♀️
Do you have the holiday blues? Pick up a book and Do you have the holiday blues? Pick up a book and take yourself somewhere new. 
Reading is a vacation for the mind.📚❤️🚢🏝️😁📖
Load More Follow on Instagram

writing and publishing tips

Follow Me On Facebook

Facebook Pagelike Widget
Alliance of Independent Authors /

PRE-ORDER OFFER

free exclusive bonus chapters

Copyright © 2023 · Author Pro Theme on Genesis Framework · WordPress · Log in