Meeting authors Eva Verde and Lucy Vine with iQ BookClub
This month, iQ BookClub hosted two authors at exclusive resident events in iQ City and iQ Aldgate. We met with the brilliant Eva Verde, author of Lives Like Mine and In Bloom, and the awesome Lucy Vine, author of Seven Exes and Date with Destiny. We chatted all things book-related and heard their words of wisdom over free pizza and donuts. You can’t say we don’t spoil you.
Read on to hear their advice, how they became authors and what inspires them. Did we mention the signed books up for grabs?
How did you become an author?
Eva Verde
When we sat down with Eva, we couldn’t help but feel inspired. Eva comes from a working-class background of ‘no opportunities and no contacts’ but always enjoyed writing and kept it ‘tucked away’ as her little secret. She didn’t think being an author was ‘for the likes of’ her and said it felt as far off as ‘winning a place on X Factor’, so it’s amazing to see where she is now.
When her three daughters started school, she found a golden opportunity to start a writing degree and take her hobby seriously for the first time. One module in particular - creative writing - ‘lit a fire’ in Eva and she ‘fell in love with it all over again’. She looked for an agent but was met with rejection, which only made her ‘more determined’.
One day, an opportunity came up to write for an anthology at the National Centre for Writing. It paired 16 newbie working-class writers with 16 established working-class writers, and was a great way to be recognised. Eva grabbed the opportunity with both hands and was selected as one of the newbies. She wrote about the ‘cultural shock of moving from East London to Essex’ in a piece that got her published. As a result, she gained mentoring, attended workshops and built industry experience. Meeting an agent came naturally from there.
Now, Eva writes fiction involving themes of identity, class and female rage. She ‘can’t believe’ that this is her life and when meeting her, you can’t help but smile at the passion, gratitude and pride she radiates.
Lucy Vine
Lucy told us she studied English at uni in London, not knowing what she wanted to do. She was book-obsessed and loved to ‘sit in a corner and read’, but never believed writing was ‘a real career’. Like Eva, she thought being an author was as unreachable as ‘being a popstar’.
Lucy went into journalism after uni and wrote for several magazines which she really enjoyed. But magazine writing didn’t allow her to use her own voice. An editor approached Lucy after liking an article she wrote about ‘being single as a lifestyle choice’. The editor asked Lucy if she would write a book with a single heroine (Hot Mess), and the rest is history.
Lucy now writes funny books about romance, friendship and self-discovery and channels her bubbly authentic self into her writing. She wants to ‘make people laugh’ with her ‘silly books’ and calls them ‘romcoms with emphasis on the com’, a genre we think should be officially recognised.
Where do you get your inspiration?
Eva Verde
Eva finds inspiration in a few ways. Lives Like Mine arose from a short story she wrote in her creative writing module, as well as her own rage and anger around Brexit. The idea for In Bloom on the other hand, came to Eva ‘out of nowhere’, but some of the characters’ traits were inspired by her own.
Lucy Vine
Lucy finds ideas come from her own life, as well as her friends’. After long periods indoors, she’ll realise she needs to get out, meet her friends and see the world to be inspired. She’ll scribble down anything that inspires her on a phone note, then pick the best ideas to show her editor. They then have a big brainstorming session to decide on the final book idea.
What’s your writing process?
Eva Verde
Eva’s work routine gives us some inspo for revision and uni studies. She starts around 9am and does an hour of admin. Then she sets the mood with nice lighting and music because ‘all these little things’ help her get in the zone to work. She sets aside 4 hours to write, and manages this time by doing half hour bursts ‘with no distractions’. She usually ends up writing for longer because she gets lost in her ‘imaginary world’.
Lucy Vine
Lucy’s process is all about discipline. She ‘needs tight deadlines to get on with something’ so gives herself these to make sure she gets her work done. Lucy also mentioned she likes to work from the comfort of her own bed. We’re not sure if this is advice, but we’ll take it.
What are you currently reading?
Eva Verde
When Eva gets time to read, she enjoys bitesize short stories like Claire Keegan’s Small Things Like These and Foster. She recommends these quick books if you struggle to focus for a long time.
Lucy Vine
Lucy enjoys the fun murder mystery novels by Richard Osman, as well as Holly Bourne’s books like So Thrilled For You. She doesn’t read the same genre she’s writing, to make sure her ideas are her own.
Any advice?
Eva Verde
To aspiring creatives who see writing as a pipe dream, Eva reflected on her own journey and said, ‘Why not you?’ From humble beginnings to becoming a published author, Eva made it happen by pursuing her passion even when things got hard. She says rejection can feel ‘devastating’ but ‘you need it almost to make you stronger and more resilient.’
To move past creative block, Eva says ‘sometimes it’s quite useful to just stop trying to force it’. She recommends having a shower, talking to someone, going for a walk or reading something else to change your mindset. Having a break means you’ll probably find ‘a little spark somewhere along the way’, which could turn into your best idea yet.
Lucy Vine
Lucy gave us a hot take on her book Seven Exes, where the main character dates all seven of her exes hoping she’ll find The One amongst them. She called it ‘a terrible idea’ but said it does make for a funny story with lots of self-discovery. Take from that what you will…
Lucy has a great approach to dealing with controversial feedback. Some authors might be insulted if their books are described as ‘beach reads’ or something you can finish ‘in a day’, but Lucy embraces this. She’s just passionate about making people laugh and bringing joy into their lives, no matter how long it lasts. We’re here for it.
What’s next?
We’re excited to share that Eva’s In Bloom, which explores womanhood through mother-daughter relationships, will be iQ BookClub's March read for International Women’s Day.
Both Eva and Lucy teased news of their upcoming releases. Eva’s Them Girls comes out in August and Lucy’s new book will be published in June. Keep your eyes peeled for Lucy’s in iQ BookClub – we have a feeling it might make an appearance...
Both authors were kind enough to sign books for residents who came along – don't worry, we got some extras that we’ll be giving away too. Check out iQ BookClub for info on book giveaways and to join future discussions on Eva’s and Lucy’s books.
We loved speaking to these inspiring women and sharing it with iQ residents. Now we’re off to set up some mood lighting and write from our beds for 4 hours. But don’t worry, we won’t be contacting any exes.
