Comments on: Diving Into the Silence: Writing Inspired by Real Life

By: Reading Niamh Boyce’s The Herbalist | between the coffee bean and tea leaf

Tue, 20 Oct 2015 18:19:50 +0000

[…] anything interesting to read button on my computer unfortunately not to return soon) when I read Niamh Boyce’s interview on Booksbywomen website. Something got me. She was telling about how she wrote the book inspired by a news piece in […]

By: Niamh

Niamh — Sat, 25 Apr 2015 10:18:29 +0000

In reply to Dani Pesconi-Arthur. lol, locking the sheds an excellent idea Dani - I know exactly what you mean! Keep going!

By: Dani Pesconi-Arthur

Dani Pesconi-Arthur — Fri, 17 Apr 2015 07:32:17 +0000

Oh my God, Niamh! I read this article without a stop to breathe! I’ve been struggling to finish my novel and the way you describe “the voices that just kept telling you the story” just make me want to lock myself in The Shed and write until I faint… haha.
I sooo must read this book! Will order it now. Can’t wait.

By: niamh

niamh — Wed, 21 Jan 2015 19:00:18 +0000

In reply to Gill James. thanks Gill, good luck with your own writing, its a fascinating time period!

By: niamh

niamh — Wed, 21 Jan 2015 18:59:30 +0000

In reply to Linda K Sienkiewicz. thanks Linda, I nearly drowned :)!

By: Gill James

Gill James — Wed, 21 Jan 2015 18:33:00 +0000

I found this vary interesting as I am writing about a similar era. I recognize some of your experience here.

By: Linda K Sienkiewicz

Linda K Sienkiewicz — Sat, 10 Jan 2015 14:31:54 +0000

“There was a palpable silence between those sentences. It told me nothing. And it was a nothing I was ready to dive into.” — words from a true writer.

By: niamh

niamh — Wed, 07 Jan 2015 19:40:04 +0000

In reply to Louisa Dang. I know what you mean about research Louisa, and sometimes it can be so fascinating it can take the novel off down other plot line altogether, which almost happened with my work in progress, I'm glad you liked the story of my how the herbalist came to be, a twenty year gap between the inspiration and its realisation but it worked out well :) Thanks for commenting :) Niamh

By: niamh

niamh — Wed, 07 Jan 2015 19:31:55 +0000

In reply to Deborah Batterman. It is fascinating DeboraH, it can be surprizing what we end up writing about, sometimes there's a feeling of no choice being made at all :) And thanks for commenting!

By: Deborah Batterman

Deborah Batterman — Tue, 06 Jan 2015 15:17:48 +0000

Isn’t it fascinating when some aspect of something you come across captures your imagination — as if it’s begging to be a story and won’t let you be into you write it, even twenty years later? I know that feeling, too, when the voices of characters become authentic enough to take over, as you put it. Sounds like a very compelling story.