Please welcome the wonderful, award-winning Evonne onto the blog. She’s here to talk about her writing cave. Or rather, her writing caves as she has more than one. As I’m typing this sitting downstairs instead of in my study as usual (poorly dog) I understand. I’ve decided I’d like to move in with Evonne, as her house looks GORGEOUS!

A big thank- you to Georgia for inviting me onto the blog to talk about my writing cave. It’s sort of a follow-on from Heidi Swain’s invisible cave, because I actually have three caves and a mobile one. Not so much a cave, more like an assembly line.

It all stems from the fact that I write my first draft of a book in longhand. I think that may come from years of academic note taking, and then in my job, which was taking notes at meetings. Most other writers work on a computer, but a pen and paper is what works for me. A bit of a problem when I can’t read my own writing, but otherwise it’s fine, and it also means that I can write anywhere. My favourite place in the house for the first draft is the sofa in the front room.

I have to move all the pretty cushions, as there isn’t room for me and them, and I also have to be careful about pens rolling around and leaving ink marks on the upholstery, but otherwise it’s very comfortable. My other favourite place for writing is on a train – any train.

While I was still working and commuting, that was sometimes the only place and time I got to write. Now I love long journeys, if I have a manuscript in progress, as it is just me and my characters. A lot of words have been committed to paper while on GWR, on the way to Romantic Novelists’ Association parties in London.

I get that completely Evonne, I love writing on a train!

Once the story is finished it then has to be typed, which is where cave two comes in – that’s the smallest bedroom in the house, which just has room for my desk alongside the bed. I’m not a very fast typist, so I have a (very badly trained) Dragon speech recognition system, which comes up with some very interesting versions of what it thought I said, on occasion. The computer is very old – still working on XP, and has never been connected to the internet, so it is really a posh electric typewriter. The plant on the window sill is an aspidistra and I’m either the third or the forth owner. My grandmother had one and also inherited her sister’s, my great aunt, then my mother inherited both of them and now I have them. I don’t know which is which, but I think they are both probably at least 80 years old. The hand written pages on the desk in the photo are the draft of what I hope will be the next book, a Christmas romantic suspense novella.

Once the book is typed it goes onto the laptop, which is connected to the internet and is downstairs, in the dining room. From there it goes to my publisher and all the editing and so on takes place. As you can see there are French doors connecting to the garden, so I get to watch the flowers grow, and the slugs eating them, the birds and the bees, and the occasional curious furry face, if next door’s cat decides to come to see what I am up to. A lot of the time I watch the rain and try not to be diverted by Twitter and Facebook. It’s off the kitchen, so near the kettle and the fridge, for more displacement activity.

I’m far more efficient when on a train – not so many opportunities for procrastination.

Here’s some information about our guest, should you want to find out more:

Evonne lives in South Wales, near the beach, and writes award winning romantic suspense. Her latest book, Summer in San Remo is something new, a romantic comedy with a light dusting of crime.  Re-united lovers, stolen money and a mysterious stranger, set on the Italian Riviera.

For more details on Summer in San Remo   http://www.choc-lit.com/?post_type=dd-product&s=summer+in+san+remo

Blog   http://www.evonneonwednesday.blogspot.co.uk

Facebook   https://www.facebook.com/evonnewarehamauthor/

Twitter @evonnewareham

Thank you so much for coming on and sharing your writing cave secrets! I love the sound of your latest book and must investigate!

Love

Georgia x