Anna and Jacqui Burns: A Unique Dynamic 

Anna and Jacqui Burns: A Unique Dynamic 

We began writing together in lockdown as, living over two hundred miles apart, it was a good way of keeping in touch and sharing something we both enjoyed. Neither of us could have imagined that we would continue to write novels together.

There are other writing duos, such as husband and wife team Nicci French, and James Patterson writes with other authors. However, we don’t know of any mother and daughter writing teams and it is a rather unique dynamic. Our first two novels, Love at Café Lompar and Wedding at Café Lompar, were published by Honno and were inspired by a visit to Montenegro in 2019. We found an agent in 2023, Bill Goodall, and we were delighted when he secured a two-book deal with leading publisher Allison and Busby. Poles Apart is being published on 21st March and we are so excited.

Anna – It’s set in a small, fictional Pembrokeshire village and it focuses on four women of different ages, each with problems of their own and feeling quite isolated. When pole-dancing exercise classes start up in the village, it brings the women together and they forge a friendship that helps them overcome their issues. It was really fun to write and there is a lot of humour in it, despite dealing with some more serious themes, such as chronic illness, infidelity and the struggles of motherhood. The women’s ages go from mid-twenties to seventy-two and I tend to write the younger characters, whilst my mother takes the older women. I suppose that’s quite natural, but I do think it gives the novel wider appeal as we can offer different perspectives. Lots of people tell us that they can’t tell who has written which chapter. For example, the epilogue of Poles Apart was written by my mother and a close writer friend really couldn’t tell which one of us had written it.

Jacqui – We usually start off with a germ of an idea and have a brainstorming session together. It’s all a bit loose at the start. So, for example, we have a general sense of what is going to happen in the first six to eight chapters. Anna or I will start and write one chapter, which usually takes a few days as we’re both busy people (I work full time as a lecturer in a local college and Anna is a psychiatrist with a one-year-old baby!) Once the chapter is sent, the other reads it and begins work on the next chapter. It does give us a level of accountability as we have to get ours done within days so as not to hold the process up. We always tell each other ‘Take your time’ as a delaying tactic really, as we enjoy having a bit of breathing space whilst the other writes. Anna writes on her mobile phone whilst my grandson sleeps. That takes real motivation and determination and I don’t know how she does it.

Anna – There are occasions when my mother or I will go off-piste and veer from our original plan, but that is what writing is like and it would happen if we were writing on our own. We aren’t afraid to tell each other if we think something doesn’t work. It is rare but we try to be honest with each other. Both our names are on the front cover and we have to be happy with it. As the novel develops, we tend to plan a bit more, jotting down ideas for the rest of the chapters, and thinking about where the novel is going to end. Two heads are definitely better than one and it’s great to be able to bounce ideas off each other. The other huge advantage, of course, is that we are writing half a novel, so with each chapter being about two thousand words or so, we see the word count quickly rise between us. 

Jacqui – The other advantage is that we share the burden of all the extra work that comes with writing and promoting a book. Anna is much better at social media than I am. I always remember with our first novel and my amateurish attempt to create a video for the exciting moment of opening the box of books compared with Anna’s slick reel set to music! We’re currently planning what each of us will say at our book launch in our local book store, Goldstone’s in Carmarthen, and it is so exciting and a privilege to share this with each other.

Anna – The only real downside of writing with your mother is when it comes to writing romantic or intimate scenes. It’s cringe-worthy to think of my mother reading a sexy scene I’ve written and vice versa. It has given us a laugh, though. 

We have a book coming out in September with Allison and Busby called Escape to Pumpkin Cottage, which is about rival bed and breakfasts in the Wye Valley. I would like to write something on my own in the future, but for now, I’m really enjoying writing as part of a duo.

Jacqui – We’re already writing our fifth novel. There’s no time to rest, but we both love writing and would love to do this full time. Our ultimate dream is to see Poles Apart adapted for television. Who knows? You have to dream big!

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NNA BURNS is a psychiatrist and JACQUI BURNS is a lecturer. The mother and daughter writing team write their novels while living over two hundred miles apart, emailing chapters back and forth, focussing on strong but relatable women at the centre of families and
communities. Love at Café Lompar was shortlisted for the RNA Debut Novel Award.

POLES APART

The Pembrokeshire village of Morlan is a beautiful place to live, but breathtaking views of the Welsh coastline aside, four of the female residents find themselves stuck in a painful rut.

The arrival of pole dancing exercise classes in the village hall offers each of them a chance to bond and discover previously hidden strengths. Gwen seems to have it all but how will she cope when her marriage hits the rocks? Meg would love not to be single, but her recent operation has left her confidence shot to pieces. Recently widowed Ivy is fed up with following the rules, but at seventy-two can she really change her ways? Mum of two Summer is desperate for some time to herself outside her home.

Together the group form a bond of friendship that will stand them in good stead when facing the trials and tribulations in their personal lives.

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Category: On Writing