"This is the end Beautiful friend This is the end My only friend, the end" Jim Morrison    ENDINGS In this, our final blog for Seven Writers Seven Novels, we thought it would be appropriate to talk about endings, so we asked our writers why endings are so important in fiction, and what tips they have for other writers in approaching endings. Connect and resonate    For Sara Collins, the end of a novel is the writer’s last chance to have their work connect and resonate with the reader ..read more

Identity - how does it influence and permeate? This month we have chosen the theme of identity for our seven writers to explore. How does identity influence what we write and how does identity permeate our work? We also move on to the thorny topic of cultural appropriation. Common ground    All of our writers found common ground in their overriding belief that writers must have artistic freedom but that this comes with responsibilities. We must do our research and look deeply into our motives ..read more

“Why are we reading, if not in hope of beauty laid bare, life heightened and its deepest mystery probed? Can the writer isolate and vivify all in experience that most deeply engages our intellects and our heats? Can the writer renew our hope for literary forms? Why are we reading if not in hope that the writer will magnify and dramatize our days, will illuminate and inspire us with wisdom, courage, and the possibility of meaningfulness, and will press upon our minds the deepest mysteries, so we ..read more

When is the right time to share your work? This month we’re discussing an incredibly important question for writers, but one that perhaps is sometimes overlooked. When should a writer share their work and what should they do with the feedback? We asked our seven writers about their processes and found that they have markedly different approaches. As part of the wider picture, we also became interested in the editing process that our writers undertook for their novels once they had been accepted ..read more

“This manuscript of yours that has just come back from another editor is a precious package. Don't consider it rejected. Consider that you've addressed it 'to the editor who can appreciate my work' and it has simply come back stamped 'Not at this address'. Just keep looking for the right address.” Barbara Kingsolver This month we asked our seven writers how they deal with the inevitable rejection that all writers face at some point in their careers. We got some fascinating answers ..read more

“People sometimes ask me if I feel as if my sculptures were my children. I do not. The love I feel for my children is unique in my experience. Nothing is comparable. But it occurs to me this morning that they too are transformations of secret, silent resources similar to those out of which [my] sculptures emerged.” Anne Truit Napping babies and existential insights    This month we asked our magnificent seven to share their thoughts on how being a parent has impacted on their writing lives. Our ..read more

“We don't make a photograph just with a camera, we bring to the act of photography all the books we have read, the movies we have seen, the music we have heard, the people we have loved.” Ansel Adams Pitching deep into our writers' souls This month we are pitching into the souls of our seven writers, asking them to name a work of art without which they would never have become a writer. We made clear that we were taking ‘work of art’ in the widest sense, so it could include anything from books ..read more

“There is no better way to know us Than as two wolves, come separately to a wood.” Ted Hughes Arguments about high concept fiction; accusations of having more emotional baggage than your main character; acerbic comments about not being romantic enough to write romantic fiction. The idea of two writers who are also partners conjures images of entrenched conflict and wounded pride. As two of our seven writers are married to other writers, we thought this was an opportune moment to find out what ..read more

Woolf, Atwood, Murakami and Joyce all did it Welcome to our March blog post. This month we thought it would be interesting to consider writing in different forms. Flash fiction and poetry, short stories, plays and memoirs are just a few of the different forms that people choose to write in. Some of the best known novelists were/are also prolific short story writers - Virginia Woolf, Margaret Atwood, Haruki Murakami and James Joyce, to name but a few. We asked our seven novelists whether they ..read more

Our monthly theme Welcome to our February post. Before diving into our regular monthly updates, each month we will consider how various life experiences can influence the writing process. This month we will be looking at illness and injury. “What is the act of living if not the day-by-day, minute-by-minute act of storytelling?” observes Leland Cheuk, who, alongside Ely Percy has been generous enough to share his experiences. Leland’s words conjure up the soul of the writing process; as writers ..read more