The Romancer: A Practical Guide to Writing Fiction (Paperback) (ISBN-13: 9781495291197)

Always a storyteller, after relishing and surviving academic life Wendy Robertson became a full-time writer She has published twenty-two novels, both historical and contemporary, two short story collections and continues to write occasional articles on issues close to her heart. She was for five years on and off Writer in Residence at HMP Low Newton, encouraging a wide range of women to raise their self-esteem and realise their potential through original writing. She lives in historic South Durham, in a Victorian house that has played a role in more than one of her novels. She says: 'The past-in-the-present dominates my mind, my imagination and my writing. I always 'see' individuals, unique characters in their times. And I tell their stories. I have lived through interesting times and have been a compulsive writer since I was eight. Anais Nin once said that writers taste life twice, once when they experience it and secondly when they write it. This so very much expressed my own writing experience that I named my blog Life Twice Tasted. www.lifetwicetasted.blogspot.co.uk She goes on: 'My novels are mostly set in some crosspiece of time, place and the unique lives of my characters. Look at my 'Lavender House', set in London in the 2010s but still goes back to life in the 1960s and The Woman Who Drew Buildings, set in present day Durham City, which goes back to Poland in the 1991. And 'An Englishwoman in France' set in contemporary France in 2006 and goes back through the Middle Ages to even earlier times. . My new novel, The Pathfinder is entirely set in Britain in 383 AD but in its way looks back thousands of years and forward to imperial attitudes today. More on her blog at http: //www.lifetwicetasted.blogspot.co.uk/ Or email Wendy at wenrob73@hotmail.com From the press: 'A powerful writer' Mail on Sunday 'Not only is Wendy Robertson a great storyteller, she fills her books with characters with real depth' Northern Echo 'Skilfully marries fact and fiction into an epic tale that has you turning the pages at high speed to match the pace of this compelling story' Sunderland Echo 'A blend of accessibility and total sincerity' Pat Barker 'Wendy Robertson is a rare breed - a writer with an exquisite gift for creating vivid, relatable female characters' Scottish Daily Record 'A terrific read. A world on the cusp of change and we experience it intimately' Historical Novels Review Show Less