DREAMING OF A DEBUT: PART 1

Debut Authors Offer Support & Open Up About Their Process

Are you dreaming of your debut novel? Do you go to sleep imagining what it would feel like to see your name on a book cover? Are you fantasising about that Bookseller announcement? Or perhaps you just need the motivation to push through and finish for once.

I’m running a four part series with celebrated debut authors whose novels made a racket. I’ve asked them what the process was like, what things they found the most difficult and what advice they would give to those struggling to take that very first step with their writing.

This is an opportunity to hear from the debut authors who set out and achieved their goals It’s an opportunity to be motivated and inspired because, guess what? Writing a book is really hard and losing complete faith in the idea is all part of the process. You’re not alone. And these published writers have promised to open up and be transparent about their own process. I’ve chosen these authors carefully because I think they’ll each bring a slightly different perspective to the process of writing a novel.

I’ll be speaking to Chloë Ashby, author of the widely acclaimed WET PAINT; Liv Little, author of Little Brown’s super-lead title for 2023, the much-anticipated ROSEWATER; award-winning author, Kate Sawyer whose debut THE STRANDING was shortlisted for the Costa First Novel Award; and last but not least, Florence Given whose debut novel GIRLCRUSH was a number one Sunday Times bestseller.

First up this week is Chloë Ashby.

An author and an award-winning arts journalist, since graduating from the Courtauld Institute of Art, she has written for publications such as the TLS, Times, Guardian, FT Life & Arts, HTSI, Spectator and frieze. She’s interviewed a range of artists, from Damien Hirst to Ottessa Moshfegh and frequently reviews exhibitions and books.

Her first novel, Wet Paint, was published by Trapeze, an imprint of Orion, in 2022. And here are some things people have said about it:

Chloe talks about what her process was like, how she found editing herself the most difficult part and she shares advice for those who are half way through but have lost faith in the idea.

Chloë, did you have a full plan in place for WET PAINT and did you sit down and write the same time every day?