After a motley assortment of jobs and entrepreneurial endeavours Jane Wenham-Jones began writing in 1995 and has since had over a hundred short stories published in many women's magazines including My Weekly, Woman's Weekly, Bella, Best, Woman's Realm, Woman, The People's Friend, Take a Break, and Chat. Jane also writes a weekly column for her local newspaper - the Isle of Thanet Gazette - and gives talks and workshops on writing.
Her first two novels - Raising The Roof, based on her experiences in the Buy- to-Let market and Perfect Alibis the tale of an agency that helps married people cover-up their affairs - were both very successful. Jane's latest novel, One Glass Is Never Enough, is the story of three women who buy a wine bar together and how the experience changes all of their lives forever. Jane lives with her husband and son in Broadstairs, Kent and has taken time out of her busy schedule to give us her top five writing tips and reads.
Jane Wenham-Jones's 5 writing tips
1. write first.
If you start 'just' answering your emails, making phone calls or tidying the airing cupboard before you open your novel file, you will suddenly find the whole day has gone and you've still only written 768 words since a fortnight last Wednesday.
2. keep the faith.
It will be all right in the end. Everyone's novels look grim at 32,000 words. Tell yourself if it just increases by 1000 words a day you'll have a first draft in two months. THEN you can start sorting it out.
3. getting drunk or spending a day in bed crying is OK.
It's part of the process.
4. don't forget to go out and live a bit - otherwise you'll have nothing to write about. The best ideas come when you least expect them.
1. woman on the edge of time by marge piercy.
This is a beautiful, haunting, thought-provoking novel by one of my favourite writers. Try Gone to Soldiers by her too. I am fascinated and horrified by both world wars - this is one of the best books I've read.
2. jude the obscure by thomas hardy
What a classic. I throw it on the floor and rail against its unbearable sadness but always have to read it one more time...
3. the men and the girls by joanna trollope.
In fact, ANYTHING by Joanna Trollope. We all want to be JT! She has this wonderful gift for taking the minutiae of everyday lives and making it enthralling stuff. Brilliant!
4. the dark room by minette walters.
The Queen of the modern who-dunnit. Gripping plots and usually the odd sexy policeman/authority figure knocking about too. Mmmm...
5. watching me, watching you by fay weldon
FW is a fantastic novelist - what an imagination - but also a master of the short story. Every one in this collection is a jewel. Every aspiring short story writer should read them all and then read them again. Wonderful!
After a motley assortment of jobs and entrepreneurial endeavours Jane Wenham-Jones began writing in 1995 and has since had over a hundred short stories published in many women's magazines including My Weekly, Woman's Weekly, Bella, Best, Woman's Realm, Woman, The People's Friend, Take a Break, and Chat. Jane also writes a weekly column for her local newspaper - the Isle of Thanet Gazette - and gives talks and workshops on writing. 
