Winter Light

This time last year I spent a month in the South of France researching my new novel 'The French Perfumer' and captured this beautiful play of light and shadow in the back streets of Cannes.

For me, the research aspect of writing is one of the best parts - and a lot easier than the actual writing! I love the fact that the research experience is simply about opening the mind, observation and creative composting. It's good to undertake the process with ideas, without being locked into anything and so allow for possibility.

The last 12 months have been steady writing and, at the 3rd draft, I sent the manuscript to a select few for feedback. It's a great gift for any writer to have readers who take this role seriously and respond with well thought out and constructive feedback. It's nothing to do with proof-reading (although anyone with particular expertise who can pick up factual slips is a huge asset) it's more about the reader experience, finding out where the story does or doesn't engage, loses credibility or momentum. I've had some very insightful and specific feedback relating to different elements and so now it's on to the 4th (and no doubt 5th and 6th) revision.