Lisa Jewell: Diary March 2006

Diary

March 2006


Happy Birthday Guy! This is my wonderful father-in-law celebrating his 70 th birthday at Les Portes des Indes restaurant in Marble Arch in December.	Amelie looking uncharacteristically happy with a sparkler on Bonfire Night 2005.

Well, the big news in my world is that book number six is finished. After weeks
of intense, frantic, crazed writing I finally typed ‘The End' on 23 rd December and then took it (all 570 pages of it!) to my agent's house on Christmas Eve. It was such a huge relief and I was so glad I'd managed to offload it before Christmas so that I could really relax over the holidays. I heard back from my agent in the New Year to say that she loved it, but that it was way too long. I kind of knew that already, so had mentally prepared myself for a big page cull. I took out 130 pages in total. It's kind of like literary liposuction – it feels so good to lose all that extra flab. And once you've taken the words out, it's amazing how quickly you forget they were ever there.

So, three weeks later the new slim-line manuscript went back to my agent, who loved it again, and sent it on to my editor, who also, praise be, loved it. So, I can now tell you officially that it's called Learning to Fly , and it will be out in hardback in January 2007. Sorry, I know I said it would probably be out this summer, but it's only a few more months to wait. I've got a new editor this time round who wants to give my books a whole new look so I can't wait to see what they come up with for the jacket. For those of you who missed my last diary entry, here's some blurb about the book:

Toby's House is beautiful. Or at least it would be if it wasn't falling down and full of free-loading strangers. So when his long-lost father suddenly announces that he's coming back to England and wants to see how his only son is doing as he approaches his 40th birthday, Toby realises it's time to sort out not just his house, but also his life.


A glamorous Amelie on Christmas Day. My ex-editor bought this amazing dress for Amelie when she was born. Two and a half years later she finally finds an excuse to wear it.	A glamorous me on Christmas Day! Every time I finish a book, I treat myself to a necklace. This one was for Learning to Fly. Because I'm worth it …

Christmas Day was lovely (as I'd known it would be) and New Year was quiet
(as I'd known it would be) but January started with a flurry of birthdays and book launches which was a good way to begin the year. It would have been my mum's 62 nd birthday in early February so me, Jascha, my dad and my sister Sacha decided to go out for a meal to celebrate. We drank lots of wine and did a very good job of not feeling sad. I think she would have approved.


Jascha and I celebrate my mum's birthday at the Haven in Whetstone.	Sacha and my dad doing the same.

We didn't go to Kuala Lumpur in the end, to see Jascha's brother, too much work to do. But a few weeks ago we got one of those incredible calls that you can only dream about, wistfully, on a cold January morning. It was our friend Pete; ‘Do you want to come and stay with us in my uncle's house in St Lucia?' We didn't ask too many questions, just said; yes, please, definitely, yes, thank you. So we're off for a fortnight next month. Yes, you're allowed to hate me, but what can you do? It would have been rude to say no! We'll be back at the end of March and then I'll start cracking on with the 7 th book. Wow. It feels like only yesterday I was writing in my diary that I'd been given a new contract and now I'm about to complete it. (And yes, I will be nearly 40 by the time it's finished. It's appalling the way I've let myself get so old). I do know what the next book will be about and it will be quite a surprise to you all I think, a real departure for me. I can't tell you more than that, but I hope you'll all approve. It's something I've always wanted to write about, ever since I was a girl. I'm really looking forward to it.

Amelie is on fine form; tall, confident and clever, talking ten to the dozen. A parcel arrived for me this morning from French Connection. She watched me pull out a dress and hold it up against myself. ‘Oh,' she said, ‘that's so cute. I think it might be a bit small though.' Two and a half going on fifteen. Frightening …


My sister reckons this picture is really scary. It's Amelie in ‘Japanese Doll' face paint at the Blue Elephant restaurant in Fulham.	My uncle's girlfriend went to Kuala Lumpur and all I got … Amelie is not happy about missing out on her Malaysian adventure .

Oh, I nearly forgot – American readers – listen up! Vince and Joy has got a publication slot. Yay! If you're feeling impatient you can pre-order a copy from Amazon.com. Also, while I'm pasting links, my friend Robert has just published his first novel. I've only read the first few chapters but what I read was absolutely superb. If you're looking for something different to read, have a look at this.

Well, that's about it for this quarter. Thanks, as ever, for all your messages and
all your support. I have the most amazing guestbook (and the best readers!) in the world. Love to you all and I'll be back here, with sickening St Lucia holiday snaps, in June!

Lisa xxxx

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