‘A dreamer in broad daylight’ – that’s what Freud called the novelist.
He went on to suggest that creative writing is wish fulfilment, and er… oh
lordy, read Creative Writing and
Daydreaming and see the rest for yourself. But the connection is undeniable,
and I was reminded of this during a recent interview. If you spend half your
life with your head elsewhere, consider whether you’ve got a novel in you!
INTERVIEW FOR
THE MOANING TIMES (http://themoaningnews.moonfruit.com)
Can you firstly
tell us about your childhood, and when was the first time that you knew that
writing was for you?
I was a wilful,
daydreamy child for whom school was a torment; I was twice expelled - at six
for a John Wayne clouting of a girl who’d been chasing my best friend with a
worm, and at seventeen for generally floating around the place
disengaged. We had a bungalow in Cobham (Surrey) on a leafy cul de sac
since plundered to make way for Chelsea-footballer mansions. My adorable
half-Spanish mother took the family off to Spain for a month every year and is
responsible for my hispanophilia.
I always wanted
to write; I was making little sellotaped books at five years old. But in senior
school I became self-conscious about it, took up the piano and started writing
music instead.
How would you
answer the question ‘Who is Cherry Radford?’
A novelist
inspired by music, dance and all things Hispanic; a loving but neglectful
partner and mother.
You have worked in music and in the medical
field but compared to writing how much do they mean to you and if you could do
one for the rest of your life which one would you do and why?
Writing is my life; I
think about it every moment I can, and also when I shouldn’t be. Music is my
buzz and my cure - and always an inspiration for my stories. My
scientific research background was invaluable for MEN DANCING, but I could
never go back to it; I’m piloted by the other side of my brain these days.
Can
you tell me about Men Dancing and why should people read it?
MEN DANCING is
the story of a married, mother-of-two scientist whose world tilts after a
chance meeting with a charismatic male Royal Ballet dancer. It’s a darkly
humorous romance that seems to entertain people, but it also takes an often
painfully honest look at the nature of marriage, desire, parenting and the
search for fulfilment.
I hear there is a second novel in the
pipeline so can you tell us what that’s about and when can we expect to see it?
FLAMENCO BABY follows a musician with a
ticking body-clock who asks her gay best friend to be a sperm donor. He
declines but treats her to a flamenco course instead - throwing them into a
world of secret passions that test their friendship and make them wonder if
there’s more than one way to have a happy-ever-after.
It should be out
in early 2013, hopefully coinciding with the Sadler’s Wells Theatre (London)
Flamenco Festival in February.
What made you want to start writing books?
If you spend half your
life daydreaming, it’s nice to have something to show for it.
Do you have
special routines or processes you go through to write a book and if so what are
they?
I spend several
months researching – for example, I took a flamenco course in Granada for
FLAMENCO BABY – and generally mulling. Then at some point I just start
writing, wherever and whenever I can. I mostly use little soft-feel elasticated
notebooks – I find it’s easier to let ideas flow with a pen in hand – and then
sift / transfer to the laptop.
What things do
you do when you are away from writing and what TV, music etc. are you into at
the moment?
I’m not often
really away from writing! I think up dialogue when I’m gardening, imagine
scenes while listening to music (mostly flamenco fusion these days), enjoy
other authors. I practise Spanish with my teacher and on Twitter, and have
continued with the flamenco dance classes. Playing the piano relaxes me, and I
have three lovely pupils. I watch films rather than TV, but I do like Strictly
Come Dancing - and was thrilled to go to the show as a guest of Sir Bruce
Forsyth last season.
For anyone
reading this who would like to get into writing what advice would you give
them?
After skim
reading about five books on novel making, ask yourself what you really need to
write about. Mull over a plot for a few months, but don’t get too bogged down
with the details – and particularly the ending – as once your characters come
to life they’ll do what the hell they like with it. Then just start; there’ll
never be a perfect time, so why put it off?
What things make
you happy and what things annoy you?
I’m happy when
someone tells me that they’ve got something out of my book, when they see what
I was trying to do - or even things I wasn’t aware of myself.
I can’t stand it
when people ask who my characters ‘are’, or assume that my female protagonist
is doing something I’ve done or want to do. Listen once and for all, people:
it’s MADE UP! Obviously I write about things I need to explore, but it’s like
dreaming — you shouldn’t take it literally.
Can you tell me
one thing about yourself that people might not already know?
I love watching
international football games – such skill, such drama! And of course I adore
the almost balletic Spanish team.
What are you up
to at the moment and what’s next for you?
I’m researching for
a madly ambitious third novel. It’s taking a long time but I’m really enjoying
the ride.
