Escape to the Country with Patsy Collins

Patsy Collins writes a fun Blog filled with writing competitions.  Her crime novel Escape to the Country is out on 30 March 2012, click here to read all about it and how the novel came to be published.  You may have read Patsy's short stories in magazines such as The Weekly News, Take a Break Fiction Feast, Woman's Weekly to name a few.  Patsy has kindly taken time out of her whirlwind author schedule to answer some questions posed by the LitPig...

Q: What and when was your first ever writing success?

In 2002 I won a £20 book token in a 40 word story run by the local council.

Q: Up until the novel what has been your biggest writing achievement / success?

That depends how you measure it. The most money I've had was £1,000 for a poetry competition win. The prize was presented at a dinner in the house of commons which was a wonderful experience. (Link here, just in case you're interested! http://scotscare.com/a-london-scot-poetry-competition )

Q: Okay, I know you're bursting to tell us all about it... what was the inspiration behind your novel  'Escape to the country'?  And how did this novel come to be published?

Nooo, I'm not bursting to tell you about the inspiration - because I don't really know where the idea came from. I rarely do know, even with short stories. I was born on a farm though and have driven tractors, milked cows, delivered calves etc so maybe it was all just an excuse to make use of that?

The second part is much easier to answer. I won a novel writing competition and publication was the prize. There were more than 600 entries so I'm very pleased to have been selected.

Q: I know you are a runner, tell me some of your running habits and does it help the writing?

Ha! You've been fooled by my tweets! I wheeze my way through a very feeble jog whenever I can't make up with an excuse. Fortunately I'm good at making things up!

It helps with the writing by clearing my mind - after the first 20 minutes all I can think about is continuing tp breath.

The picture right is where Patsy likes to run.

Q: When 'Escape to the country' is dramatised for TV who would you choose to play the main characters?

Leah - Rachel Hurd Wood 

Aunt Jayne - Kate Winslet

Duncan - Benedict Cumberbatch (but he'll have to eat a lot first as he's too skinny) or Eddie Redmayne

Adam - Rupert Penry Jones or Richard Armitage

Jim - Dominic West

You'll have spotted I have two choices for each leading man. Obviously that means I'll have to take the contenders on location (a hay barn) and, er, audition them.

Q: And if you have a launch party who would you like to swap literary gossip and clink champagne glasses with?

The characters should be ones from the book as I couldn't have done it without them. I'd pick Aunt Jayne, Jim and Adam because that combination might well prove amusing.

The writers would be Agatha Christie, Christopher Lloyd (garden writer) and June Hampson (crime writer and my writing tutor) as they've all inspired me.

Doh! I should have picked teetotallers so there was more bubbly for me.

Q: And finally do you have any words of wisdom to impart to other writers eager to see their 'babies' make into it print?

Read. Learn. Write. Edit. Submit. Continue until the desired result is achieved.

Sound and sensible advice from Patsy - this is all we can ever do as writers.  Keep writing and you may too find success like Patsy!
Can't wait to read the book... Wishing Patsy all the very best with the Spring launch.