Lizzie Enfield: 'A novel can be such a big sprawling endeavour that I think the only way through is to break the writing down, set yourself small targets'
BY Emily Powter-Robinson
5th Jul 2023
Lizzie Enfield is a journalist and regular contributor to national newspapers, magazines and radio. She has written five novels, the latest two published as Elizabeth Enfield, and has had short stories broadcast on Radio Four and published in various magazines. She has taught for the Arvon Foundation, at the Writers Room in Brighton, and at various universities and colleges in addition to her work at CBC. She also writes a monthly writing column for Writing Magazine and is the author of Finish Your Book: How to Complete Your Half-Written Novel. Lizzie is a regular chair/interviewer at literary events, when not appearing to talk about her own books.
We're thrilled that Lizzie is a co-tutor on our upcoming Writing Your Novel – Six Months course in London, our flagship course with feedback from renowned authors and industry advice from literary agents and publishers. Apply by 30 July.
We spoke to Lizzie about her advice for aspiring authors, writing to deadlines and how to create believable characters.
You are an integral part of the CBC tutor team and have been teaching on our Writing Your Novel courses for a number of years now. What's the most rewarding part of teaching creative writing?
Working with such a diverse range of talented and inspiring writers and watching them grow, both as individual writers but also as a group. The environment that CBC fosters is both nurturing and challenging and it’s wonderful to witness individuals respond to the challenges of the course and help each other get around their own personal writing obstacles. And of course every time a student gets in touch with an agent or a book deal, I get a huge vicarious thrill.
Both of your latest novels, Ivy and Abe and After Beth, have hard-hitting themes such as grief at their core. What inspires you to tell these stories and how do you handle heavy themes with sensitivity?
I like that you think I do! It’s funny because I never set out to consciously write about grief but rather about relationships between people, mostly in families, and how they are affected by differing sets of circumstances. I am middle aged and that is time a time of change and loss so I suppose the underlying inspiration was to examine how we adapt to those. The world seems to have had its own mid-life crisis over the past four of five years so I hope those themes resonate and that the heaviness is offset by the moments of humour and joy. I try to bring that to my classes too. It’s not all challenging!
You’ve previously compared reading your books to “the literary equivalent of a cup of tea and a heart-to-heart with a friend”. Do you have any tips for creating believable characters that your readers can empathise with and root for?
One of my favourite quotes on character creation is from George Saunders. He described it as the art of paying close attention - a bit like love. I love that and I think it’s important not to lose sight of your characters, but to keep on getting to know them. What we see on the page is only a small fraction of what the author knows but if they really know and love their characters then their characters will emerge clearly in the way they act and interact on the page.
Several of your novels are ‘what-if’ romance novels that play with the idea of destiny and fate. What are your favourite romance tropes to read and/or write?
Again, I don’t actually think that I do write romance! I do write about love, in many forms, between partners, parents and children, friends and have also written about a strange type of love platonic love that in certain circumstances can develop between strangers. One of my favourite novelists is Anne Tyler who writes about many different and peculiar types of love and also Claire Fuller. I am not saying this just as she is going to be on this course but Swimming Lessons is one of my favourite books and Unsettled Ground was heart breaking. She writes about the peculiarity of love in a way that is genuine but rarely romantic. Claire Keegan and Clare Chambers are also remarkable in the way they write about human relationships. I seem to have a bit of a Claire thing going on here!
As a journalist and regular contributor to national newspapers, magazines and radio, you must be very used to writing to deadlines. Do you impose similar deadlines to keep yourself on track when writing your novels?
I do! I am quite puritanical that way. I grew up in a family where treats had to be earned. We were not allowed an ice cream on holiday unless we had been in the sea for at least twenty minutes. I still operate a similar kind of pain and pleasure principle. I can’t have breakfast until I have written 500 words and I can’t go swimming until I have written another. I don’t always stick to these deadlines and, due to family circumstances, I have had a big writing break but when I am writing, I set myself a weekly deadline. I don’t always stick to it but I do set it. A novel can be such a big sprawling endeavour that I think the only way through is to break the writing down, set yourself small targets and goals and when you reach them, set some more.
What novel do you always recommend to others?
So many! But if I have to choose one it will be Reunion by Fred Uhlman. It’s only a hundred pages long but is epic in nature. Everything that you can do well with writing, he does. It’s a masterpiece in the art of understatement and trusting the reader to fill in the gaps. Plus if you recommend a short book, people are more likely to read it!
Do you have any thoughts on the best way for a writer to get the most out of their six-month Writing Your Novel course?
Don’t be nervous. Make time, both for your own writing and for critiquing others’ work. The workshopping process can often feel daunting and distracting but everyone benefits. And don’t think of the course as six months. Most people leave having made friends with other writers and found trusted readers who continue to help and inspire them for years to come. I include myself in that. Teaching for CBC has brought me in contact with a lot of wonderful people and inspiring writers. Am looking forward to meeting this group, getting to know them and their work and sharing the things that I have learned on my own writing journey.
Do you want to learn more from Lizzie Enfield? Applications are open for our upcoming six-month Writing Your Novel course (London). Deadline 30 Jul.
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