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What’s more important: #editing or #firstdrafts ?

By 16/11/2015September 26th, 2018guest post, writing, writing advice
Fiction Writing advice

As part of my ongoing guest post series in this blog, we recently heard from Omar Musa, a renowned Australian poet and author, long listed last week for the International Dublin Literary Award. Today, it is my pleasure to welcome award-winning author, and contributor to the Cooked Up anthology,  Pippa Goldschmidt. She would be answering questions on writing, editing, her career and her work in publishing. She has given very useful, practical advice, some of which I’ve highlighted for you in blue.

If you have questions for her, please drop them in the comments.

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The Falling Sky1. You’re a former astronomer and a fiction author, a combination not seen very often. What aspects of your work in astronomy do you find trickling through to your fiction?

I’m interested in showing what it feels like to be an astronomer – it’s a very odd job to observe unimaginably distant objects such as stars and galaxies. To some extent, observing them night after night makes them feel a bit ‘ordinary’, because you start to recognise them in the same way you’d recognise human faces. Working at a remote observatory is also an odd experience, these places are in the middle of nowhere, on tops of mountains. Being there is so different to normal life.

2. What are your preoccupations as a writer? Do you have an ideal reader in mind as you write?

My ideal writer is me! I write stories I want to read. I don’t picture anyone else when I’m writing the first draft, but when I’m editing, I try and consider what other people might think. At that stage I’m writing for people who may be interested in science but who don’t necessarily know anything about it. And there must be an emotional pull to the story too, it can’t just be a load of scientific information. The story always comes first.

3. You wrote a collection of short fiction after you finished your novel. How did the experience of short story writing compare to that of writing the novel? Do you prefer the writing process of novels or short stories?

I spent several years on and off writing my first novel (although I wrote a few stories during that time). So, after the novel was published I was keen to write stories with very varied voices, and I wanted to explore some very different themes.
I really enjoy writing both novels and short stories. I think I mentally switch from one to the other, right now after the book of short stories I’m back in ‘novel’ mode. I can only concentrate on my embryonic novel-in-progress, I don’t have the mental capacity to work on stories too.
A short story is not just a chapter of a novel, it’s a very different art form. I enjoy the challenges of writing short stories, they can be ‘perfect’ in a way that novels never are.

4. You write ‘fiction of science’ or ‘lab lit.’ Could you tell us more about this genre?

The word ‘Lablit‘ was first coined by the writer and biologist Jenny Rohn and she edits the website lablit.com which showcases work in that genre. It’s a genre which seeks to show science in a realistic way in fiction, and also to forefront science, to make it a key aspect of the story. So it’s slightly different to a lot of science fiction in which the actual science may not be that important to the story nor might it be real, but rather made-up.

5. Who are your writing influences, the authors whose work has inspired you?

I love the work of John Banville who has written a couple of novels inspired by astronomers; ‘Dr Copernicus’ and ‘Kepler’ – these are amazing novels that are so beautifully written and I think he also captures what something about the emerging, still-developing scientific process in the early modern period.

I also love Jane Gardam’s work. I read her books when I was a teenager – particularly ‘A Long Way from Verona’ which is about a young girl growing up in England during the second world war, and she knows she wants to be a writer. It’s very well-observed and also very funny. I knew when I read that book that I also wanted to be a writer.

6. You also write poetry and non-fiction. Could you tell us about your writing journey, and when you began to write fiction?

I’ve always been obsessed by books and reading. Although I trained as a scientist I used to read fiction all the time. I first tried to write when I was a student, but it was a very gradual process. I knew I wanted to write something about astronomy but it took years. But it was helpful to have to write a thesis and scientific papers, it made me think about structuring my writing, and also getting words on paper was a good discipline. It wasn’t until I left astronomy several years ago that I started writing seriously and then I did a Master’s degree in creative writing at Glasgow which was great at instilling the habit of writing in me and teaching me how to critique my own work.

7. What advice would you give to someone starting out on the writing life?

Just write! There are no shortcuts to it. You just have to do it. Write and edit your work and try and consider it objectively. What works, what doesn’t work. Look at your favourite authors and try and understand what it is about their work that you enjoy. And what motivates you? I’m not so sure about the advice ‘write what you know’ but I do think you have to write about what interests you, because that will give your writing an energy that the reader will feel.
Finally, editing is more important than writing the first draft. It’s easier and more fun to write that draft, that’s when you tap into the subconscious creative side of your brain, but you need to edit ruthlessly and objectively if you want to create something that someone else will want to publish.

Do you love Food Fiction?

Cooked Up: Food Fiction from around the World

8. You’re represented by Isobel Dixon at Blake Friedmann. What was your journey of querying like? What advice would you give to aspiring authors in the process of querying?

My experience wasn’t too lengthy, I approached one or two agents before I was introduced to Isobel and she liked my work. I actually had a publisher before I had an agent, because my first book was published by Freight in 2013, as a result of being a finalist in the Dundee Book Prize in 2012. So I did things slightly back to front.

Before you approach agents you have to make sure that there is nothing in your query that can make them reject you. They get so many query letters that they’re always looking for something to make them move onto the next one – so make sure your work is perfect, editing it as many times as needed.

9. Please tell us about your stories in the Cooked up Anthology, and what inspired you to write it.

I have three flash fictions in that anthology and I was really interested in writing about food because it’s such a powerful way of exploring people’s cultural and ethnic identities. It connects us in a very direct way to our families. So, one of the stories ‘Potato Pancakes’ was inspired by my experiences of being taught how to cook by my great-aunt, who cooked a mixture of English and Jewish food.

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Pippa Goldschmidt is based in Edinburgh. Her short stories, poetry and non-fiction have appeared in a wide variety of publications including New Writing Scotland, Gutter, the New York Times, and in anthologies such as ‘Best American Science and Nature Writing 2014’. Her novel ‘The Falling Sky’ (published by Freight) was a finalist in the Dundee International Book prize in 2012. Her short story collection ‘The Need for Better Regulation of Outer Space’ (also published by Freight) was longlisted for the Frank O’Connor International Short Story Award this year.Pippa Goldschmidt is based in Edinburgh. Her short stories, poetry and non-fiction have appeared in a wide variety of publications including New Writing Scotland, Gutter, the New York Times, and in anthologies such as ‘Best American Science and Nature Writing 2014’.

Her novel ‘The Falling Sky’ (published by Freight) was a finalist in the Dundee International Book prize in 2012. Her short story collection ‘The Need for Better Regulation of Outer Space’ (also published by Freight) was longlisted for the Frank O’Connor International Short Story Award this year.

She’s the co-editor (together with Tania Hershman) of an anthology of short stories and essays inspired by general relativity, ‘I Am Because You Are’, out this autumn – published by Freight.

 

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Do you read or write short stories? If you do enjoy them, why? And if not, why not?

What are your thoughts on writing short stories and editing them?Do you enjoy the editing process?

Checked out the Cooked Up  anthology?  Do you have questions for Pippa– about her work, editing her work, the publishing scene or her experience  as an author?

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Damyanti Biswas

Damyanti Biswas is the author of You Beneath Your Skin and numerous short stories that have been published in magazines and anthologies in the US, the UK, and Asia. She has been shortlisted for Best Small Fictions and Bath Novel Awards and is co-editor of the Forge Literary Magazine. Her literary crime thriller series, the Blue Mumbai, is represented by Lucienne Diver from The Knight Agency. Both The Blue Bar and The Blue Monsoon were published in 2023.

I appreciate comments, and I always visit back. If you're having trouble commenting, let me know via the contact form, or tweet me up @damyantig !

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31 Comments

  • Inderpreet says:

    Interesting interview, I learnt something new today “lablit” I will look up books in this genre and want to read the food anthology “cooked up” the title is so tempting. Thanks Pippa and Damyanti.

    • Damyanti Biswas says:

      I didn’t know about lablit before meeting Pippa, either :). And that food anthology is completely worth every penny!

  • Kate Rauner says:

    Thanks for the great interview. It makes me realize I have come to simply accept a lot of sloppiness in the scifi I read – spaceships shaped like jet airplanes (no air in space) and stories that simply ignore gravity as a factor (no gravity in space, less on Mars – I just published two novels about colonizing Mars so I’m Mars-obsessed right now). For my own writing, I try to stay-true. I agree the story is most important, but skill is a must. I found a typo in one of my latest novels. Argh! Anguish! Will readers forgive me?

  • Jam says:

    Great interview and helpful advice for those new to writing!

  • What great advice! I don’t think I’ve ever known of an author who used to be an astronomer, so it’s great to meet her!

    Stephanie

  • hi everyone, thanks for your comments and feedback. I’m really glad I’ve introduced you to the idea of ‘lablit’ (go check out http://www.lablit.com). Some great novels that examine real science are ‘Brazzaville Beach’ by William Boyd, ‘Intuition’ by Allegra Goodman, and ‘Mendel’s Dwarf’ by Simon Mawer.
    Good luck with your writing! cheers, Pippa

  • great interview Damyanti. All the best Pippa!

  • Nick Wilford says:

    Great interview! I like the term “lablit”. I don’t have a great aptitude for science, but I’m all up for learning about it through an exciting plot. Definitely enjoy writing short stories. A novel is a huge undertaking, but a short story can give you the same feeling of accomplishing something in a much more manageable way.

  • aekaanthan says:

    Thanks Damyanti. It is an interesting and useful interview with Author Pippa Goldschmidt. I like what she had observed when she said ‘I do think you have to write about what interests you, because that will give your writing an energy that the reader will feel’.
    -Aekaanthan

  • emaginette says:

    I admit it. I love success stories. 🙂

  • I like that approach to drafting–writing for your own enjoyment on the first round, considering others in subsequent drafts. Seriously. That’s the only way to go.

  • ‘Labit’–I now have a name for what I write. I’ve been called it ‘scientific fiction’–fiction based on science. An agent I talked to called it ‘hard science’–that didn’t resonate with me and I’d never heard that term from anyone else. My novels have science at the core of the plot, as a natural part of lives. I’m off to research ‘lablit’.

  • Vinitha says:

    Nice interview. Thanks for sharing. 🙂

  • Wonderful interview!

  • macjam47 says:

    I love reading good short stories. They are great to read in between reading books.

  • cheriereich says:

    Congrats, Pippa! I enjoyed the interview. Thank you for telling us about Lablit. I hadn’t heard that term before.

  • Thanks to Pippa and you who invited her over to your blog, I found about a new genre lablit and sounds so technical. I know I can never attempt writing it but reading it must be fun 🙂

  • Laurel Regan says:

    Interesting and helpful interview – thanks for sharing, and for introducing me to the new term (Lablit)!

  • rhondabreen says:

    This is a great interview and extremely helpful for beginning writers like me! Thanks so much!

  • Another great interview. There are so much to learn form this conversation and kudos to both of you.

  • Ruth2Day says:

    lovely interview

  • Pippa hit on something that’s very important to me: the fact that stories allow us to write in diametrically differing voices. What a pleasure that is! Especially after spending years with a longer work… It’s a breath of fresh air. Excellent interview, Damyanti. Many congratulations to Pippa, and much success with Cooked Up, the ‘I Am Because You Are’ anthology (sounds fascinating), and the novel-in-progress.
    Guilie

  • I love writing, and have begun a million stories, but I never have the dedication or attention span to finish them. I’ve heard the whole “write a little every day”, but it’s still very difficult. What do you do, Pippa, in order to continue the works you have started? Thanks for the great interview and post, Dee!

    • Hi! Yes, I agree it’s difficult to write every day. To me it’s a bit like physical exercise, it’s something I have to do, rather than always wanting to do it.
      One trick is to stop writing in the middle of a sentence, and then the next day when you go back to it, you’re already ‘in the flow’ and it’s a bit easier to get going. I also start by reading a little bit, usually poetry. That gets my mind thinking about words.
      And finally I think it helps not to start rummaging around on the internet before you plan to write – so your mind doesn’t get too ‘cluttered’ with distracting thoughts.

  • I read novels and poetry. I’ve been writing various different short stories, with the combination of finishing my 2nd novel Ladies Prism.

  • In some ways, I always find the prospect of writing a good short story more daunting than working on a novel. This was an interesting interview!

  • Thank you for the terrific interview. I do write short stories, and I found Pippa’s comments extremely interesting. Her remark that short stories can be “perfect” the way novels never can be, is a fascinating insight. Thank you again and kudos to Pippa!

  • Congratulations, Pippa!
    I’m a slow writer, so I’ve enjoyed my recent venture into short stories. At least I feel like I am completing something.
    And I know someone else who is an astronomer and writes science fiction.

  • I love reading and writing short stories, even micro fiction. I love being able to finish reading in one session.