From Journalism to Writing Fiction: Liz Trenow

Is it easy for a journalist to switch to writing fiction? by Liz Trenow

New York Times and USA Today bestselling historical fiction author Liz Trenow spent fifteen years as a journalist for newspapers, magazines, TV and radio before turning her hand to fiction. Here, she explodes the myth that the transition was easy.

It seems to be a widely held misconception: The kind of comments I get are: ‘Writing fiction must come easily with your journalistic background.’ Or: ‘You’ll know how to string a few words together then, I suppose.’ Or the smart Alec, with a teasing smile: ‘You journos write fiction most of the time anyway, don’t you?’ This last one makes me (understatement alert) a weeny bit grumpy. And the answers are, in order: No, no and ‘excuse me there’s a friend over there I really must catch up with’.

Okay, I will admit that journalism has given me two important skills: Firstly, no fear of a blank page. Secondly, never missing a deadline. But having spent many years working in both fields I’ve learned the hard way that the two disciplines are totally different. 

Length: Sounds obvious, but the first massive difference is the word count. A novel is 80 – 120 thousand words. Even a piece of long form journalism is rarely more than two to three thousand words and most are under a thousand. A novel is an Everest of words, an article a mere pimple. So where are all these words going to come from? Your imagination. That flabby mental muscle you rarely have to flex as a journalist. 

Imagination: In journalism, the facts are all there. Your job is to tell them in a readable way that grabs readers’ attention and makes sense. Novelists on the other hand must imagine everything: the setting, the plot, the characters. I often have to fit my story around historical events. Those same events can sometimes drive the plot. But they can also kill your novel dead, because they are not coming from your imagination. 

When writing about women radar operators in WW2 I discovered a wonderful oral history archive of people talking about their experiences. This book is going to write itself, I thought, happily, only to discover that the sections in which I used (stole) real people’s words fell completely flat. They weren’t my characters, in my plot, and their words simply didn’t ring true. Back to the drawing board.  

Place: With the exception of radio, journalists have pictures – moving or otherwise – to help them describe the sense of place. For radio, you have sound. For fiction, you have only words.  

Pace: Pace = excitement, no? As it turns out, it doesn’t.  Too much pace can be a turnoff, leaving the reader feeling breathless and disengaged before they’ve even reached Everest-of-words basecamp.

My first drafts are covered with notes to myself and the most frequent comment is: SLOW DOWN. In my journalistic fervour to tell the story, my characters are dashing about doing exciting stuff, but I am failing to let the reader into their heads, or to set the scene well enough. I don’t mean writing screeds of text about blue skies, calm seas, sunsets. I mean how it feels to be the people in the story. 

Curiously, for the most exciting or eventful scenes, it is even more important to slow down. That might sound counter-intuitive until you remember that people in major events such as car crashes, say that time seems to stand still. In my first novel I wrote a scene in which a daughter sees her father die in a falling building. It started as just over a page long, because I simply couldn’t find ways to convey the feeling of terror she felt. By the time I‘d finished painting in the detail, the scene was five pages and people still tell me it was one of the most moving moments in the book.  

Starting to read a new novel is an act of faith. Your friend might have recommended it, the reviews might be dazzling, but even as you read the first few pages you are already starting to calculate (even subconsciously) whether this book is going to be worth committing many hours of your busy life to it. The best of fiction lures you in and takes you along you with it for the next eighty/ninety/hundred thousand words. Yes, you want to know what happens in the end, but most of all you have to want to be there for the journey. And that’s the art of a good novelist.

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Liz Trenow’s novels have been published all over the world in many languages. Her ninth, Searching for My Daughter, is published by Bookouture on 5th May 2022. More information at www.liztrenow.com 

Buy Searching for My Daughter: https://geni.us/B09V5PKS8Nsocial

SEARCHING FOR MY DAUGHTER

The queue is long, but that barely matters. She is used to waiting. For the midnight knock at the door, for her number to be called, for the next meal of watery soup, the sound of a gunshot… Sustaining her through every moment of waiting, there has remained the tiniest flicker of hope: her daughter Rosa’s face, eyes bright and expectant, arms outstretched.

Germany 1945: Miriam has travelled for over two weeks to reach safety. Exhausted and hungry, she knows she is still one of the fortunate ones. One of the few to survive the camps. Having lost her darling husband and son, the only thing that has kept her walking is the hope of finding her daughter, Rosa.

As she arrives at the checkpoint, she is told it is closed for the day. But in her mind Miriam can hear her daughter’s voice: Be strong, stand up to them. Don’t let anyone bully you, Mum. Standing tall, she comes face to face with the guard and refuses to leave until they help her.

When Miriam is introduced to an English officer named Jack, she describes how, fearing the Nazis, she and her husband sent Rosa to England to marry. It was not a marriage of love but of survival. Now, Miriam needs the officer’s help: if she is to be reunited with her beloved daughter, he will need to help her travel to England.

But as Miriam begins to describe Rosa, there is a look of recognition in Jack’s eyes. As he listens to her story, he is transported back to an unforgettable English summer, to secret picnics in the long grass, and to a love that shaped the man he became. Will Jack now risk everything to help Miriam make the biggest journey of all, back to her daughter and her freedom?

An utterly gripping and emotional novel about bravery, enduring love and keeping hope alive in the darkest of times. Perfect for fans of The Nightingale, Beneath a Scarlet Sky and The Tattooist of Auschwitz.

Readers love Liz Trenow:

‘Had me gripped from the first paragraph… A fabulous read.’ Goodreads reviewer, ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

‘I wish I could give this a 10 star rating… An exceptional story… You have to read this book.’ Goodreads reviewer, ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

‘I was totally hooked on this… I was touched by how honest and enlightening it was. An absolutely brilliant read.’ Goodreads reviewer, ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

‘A book which takes me in, rips parts of my heart and soul and then keeps me hooked and has a hold on me forever.’ Goodreads reviewer, ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

‘An incredibly touching story where hope was never lost. I was riveted… The conclusion brought tears of joy to me.’ Robin Loves Reading ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

‘Loved it!… This book is beautifully written, and the story is absolutely captivating. It makes you not want to put it down and stop reading, even long after the book is over.’ Goodreads Reviewer

‘Absolutely loved this book and couldn’t put it down… Highly recommend this book.’ Goodreads reviewer, ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

Tags: featured, women writers

Category: On Writing