Author interview and an introduction to Sleeping Through War by Jackie Carreira #1960 #literary #fiction @rararesources #historical

An interview with the author of Sleeping Through War - Jackie Carreira

How many unpublished books do you have lurking under your bed/in your cupboard?

There are two novels that I'm working on at the moment, both sitting proudly on my desk, and at least another three books in my head - not to mention a number of stage plays. Ideas are never in short supply. My mental cupboards are full of them!

Are your family/friends supportive of your writing?

I'm extremely fortunate to have a lot of support from friends and family. My husband is an actor, so he understands how ridiculous (and wonderful) it is to try and earn a living from the creative arts. And as for friends, not only have they been buying my book, they've actually been reading it as well! I've had friends get in touch to wish my well that I haven't seen for years, and I can't thank them enough. It's that kind of support that keeps me wanting to write.

How do you deal with rejection letters/bad reviews of your own work?

Rejection is just another part of doing anything creative. Nothing is ever loved by all - not even those books that we call 'classics' or 'greats' - because all art is subjective. It has to be because it's not governed by the logical brain. Anyone who wants to be a writer has to find ways to cope with rejection because it will come. I tend to initially get disgruntled: "They just don't understand my work!" Then after half an hour of that, I get depressed: "Maybe they're right; I'm just useless. I should quit and get a proper job." Then after a couple of hours of that, a cup of coffee and a piece of cake, it moves on to: "Oh well, it just wasn't for them. What shall I write next?" And that's pretty much exactly how it goes. As for bad reviews, I'm very lucky not to have had any of those yet. There's still time!

When did you first call yourself a writer?

It was the first time somebody else called me a writer. Some years ago, I did a Creative Writing evening course in London. The tutor was brilliant and really encouraging. At the end of the course she asked what I wanted to do, and I said, "I really want to be a writer." She said, "No, you already are a writer. What do you want to do about it?" I've been calling myself a writer ever since.

What are the common traps for aspiring writers/or tips for a newbie writer?

Don't be afraid to throw your work in the bin! Sounds crazy, but a big trap for new writers is not being able to let go of an idea, a character, a story that just isn't good enough for where you are right now or that simply doesn't work. Letting go of what doesn't work makes space for new ideas that just might. Don't clutter up your mind with 'what ifs'...which is good advice for life generally!

Why did you write Sleeping Through War? (What was the spark that made you put pen to paper?)

History is one of my favourite subjects, but so much of it is written from the point of view of the victors or those on the cutting edge of change. There is very little about the 'ordinary' people - the underprivileged, the minorities, and women in general - unless it's some criminal activity or disease! I was a child during the period in which Sleeping Through War is set (1968), so I was alive at a time which is now taught in history classes - very sobering! Growing up as the daughter of immigrant parents in a very working-class environment, I wanted to pay tribute to those, particularly women, that I met when I was young because they're the kind of people that don't make it into the history books. Their lives are nevertheless important and fascinating and I didn't want them to be forgotten.

What is Sleeping Through War about?

Sleeping Through War is about dignity and resilience in the face of everyday struggles. Set during 1968, it deals with issues like racism, poverty, grief, prejudice, but it doesn't shout about them - it tells you about them quietly, almost casually, because all kinds of prejudice were so casual at the time. It also illustrates how little has changed for women in 50 years. The recent International Women's Marches and the #MeToo campaign show that women are still having to fight for equality. Having said that, Sleeping Through War is not deliberately a feminist book. It's a novel about ordinary people, written from a female perspective, who learn how to find hope despite their difficulties - Spoiler alert! Yes, there is hope at the end. It's been called 'accessible literary fiction,' and I think that's a good description.

Who would be your dream cast if Sleeping Through War was made into a movie?

I love this question! I would have Selma Hayek playing Amalia (a Portuguese war widow and mother); Octavia Spencer playing Rose (a West Indian nurse living in East London); and, of course, Meryl Streep playing Mrs Johnson (a housewife from Washington whose son is fighting in Vietnam). Can somebody please make this film? I want to see it!

Is there an underlying theme to this book?

If I had to narrow it down to one word, it would be 'Dignity.' That's what the three women in the book have in common, despite everything that happens to them. Perhaps I unconsciously decided to write about this quality because I need a little more of it myself!

Can you share a few lines from your best review of Sleeping Through War?

I've been lucky to have had lots of great reviews. But the best review was from one of the anonymous readers when Sleeping Through War received a Chill With A Book award in May. It was only three words long, but I don't know if I'll ever have a review as pleasing as this: "A beautiful novel."

Introducing…

Sleeping Through War

It is May 1968. Students are rioting, civil rights are being fought and died for, nuclear bombs are being tested, and war is raging in Vietnam. 

For three ordinary women in Lisbon, London and Washington life must go on as usual. For them, just to survive is an act of courage.

How much has really changed in 50 years?

Buy from:
Wordery | Waterstones | Amazon

Jackie Carreira is a writer, musician, designer, co-founder of QuirkHouse Theatre Company, and award-winning playwright.

She mostly grew up and went to school in Hackney, East London, but spent part of her early childhood with grandparents in Lisbon's Old Quarter. Her colourful early life has greatly influenced this novel.

Jackie now lives in leafy Suffolk with her actor husband, AJ Deane, two cats and too many books.

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How to Get Ideas for Books

by

Lisa Binion

Before I began to write, the complex plots in the books I read would amaze me.  I just could not figure out how the authors of these books came up with such fantastic ideas.  Since beginning to write, I have discovered ways to come up with some terrific ideas.

VBT

Take a look at your own life.  Life has a tendency to throw you into all kinds of situations, and each situation can be made into a story.  Softly and Tenderly came from the death of my mother when I was nine-years-old.  It was a traumatic time of life for me, and it took me a very long time to recover from her death.  I could have turned it into a mystery or a story that made people cry.  I could have written events just as they happened, but I really would not have been satisfied doing that.  I chose to make it creepy.

A few years ago, something happened to me that I’ll never forget.  It is something that I don’t want to live through again.  While I was out jogging, a spider must have fallen on my shoulder or in my hair.  That’s bad enough in itself, but when I discovered this spider on me, it was in my ear.  I didn’t realize at the time it was a spider.  All I felt were its legs as it crawled deep inside my ear.  Many excruciating hours later, I finally managed to coax it out by about drowning it with hydrogen peroxide.  It was one clean spider when it hit the floor.  I couldn’t let that horrifying event be for nothing.  I’m writing a book, Whisper, very lightly based on what happened.  Again, it will be a tale of horror.

If you can’t decide on an event in your life to write about, take a look at things that have happened in the lives of people you know.  Read newspapers and magazines to see what interesting things have happened in the lives of people you don’t know.  Check out current events and what is happening in the world today.

When you go shopping or go to town to pay bills, notice what is going on around you and listen in on other people’s conversations.  Just try not to be too obvious about what you are doing.  Is there someone you see doing something unusual?  Maybe someone is dressed in an unusual way.  Did you see someone walk away from their cart only to have someone else come along and pick up an item out of their cart?  Was that arranged beforehand?  Maybe it was a trade of some kind.

Perhaps your neighbor has a strange habit.  Does she walk outside every morning at exactly the same time and look down the road?  Is she watching for someone?  Why?  And who is she watching for?  I’m sure you can come up with all kinds of interesting scenarios to explain that.

Listen to your muse.  Pick up a sheet of paper and write down a word that interests you, a word that has a lot of meaning for you.  Now start jotting down other words that your main word brings to mind.  Before long, a story should start to form in your mind.  Keep at it long enough, and you should have enough to start writing.

One other way you can come up with ideas is to look at story prompts.  There are hundreds of these floating around on the Internet.  A lot articles on my BellaOnline Fiction Writing site have story prompts included in them.

Story prompts happen all around us each and every day.  All you have to do is notice them and build a story around them.

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