As I mentioned yesterday I was nervous...I was going to be on a panel with three other writers - Shelley Harris, Adele Parks and Jane Sanderson and with Greg Mosse entitled Fiction-True- Because I Say So. Yesterday's post gave you the gist of the panel on non-fiction and I'm afraid I can't tell you anything about our panel except that it well received...and people were surprised at how supportive we all were of each other...



Just after lunch we had a panel on What They Want. The panellists were Felicity Bryant-agent, Jon Wood - publishing director at Orion and Stewart Ferris - co-founder of Summersdale Publishing and author. I took only a few notes and quite frankly they aren't much use to me or anyone except the stats from Orion that Jon quoted...



20% of all sales at Orion are from ebooks and it's higher in the SciFi at about 40-50%...he also commented that he doesn't just 'buy' a book but the author (not sure I phrased that correctly but I hope you can get the idea)



There were two great sessions in the afternoon but I was too drained to write notes...again appologies.



However a glass of wine or two and a meal I was able to take notes for Kate Mosse's wonderful interview with Joanna Trollope...after  an exhausting day I doubt these are very reliable but here they are...





KM – The writers who are benevolent last – they love peopleJT...Story is how we do things – very keen on itYou can be far too young to write but never too oldNothing new about the human condition – she had something to say to her generation – she has a voiceHer earliest novel wasn't brave enough – didn't push it far enough…The ChoirShe listens to the world – what are the zietgiests, chronic eavesdropperShe starts with the story idea then characters…comes in a patchwork of characteristics…roams through the press for names until something fitsPlots the first 25k then plots the end – but then lets the rest develop organicallyMore of a notice rather than a writer, not a stylist, good on a good day, internal process – a journey that will lastThe spectacles through which we see the world – are words – where we feel most at homWriting is about humanityShe wrote the first novel on a full tank of fuel but the doesn't have the accumulated rocket fuel – a responsibility to the readers, more skill and assuranceBelieve a degree of vulnerability and anxiety is vitalConscious of creative engineering to make characters different and reflective of her own reactions

How do you feel about being too young to write? I tend agree but on Sunday one of the writers was just 27...maybe it depends on what you are writing and who for????