Yes, absolutely. I’ve always been interested in that idea that ‘banter’ is basically how men communicate. I’m quite lucky in that I can actually talk to most of my male friends about that kind of stuff, but I think it’s still very tough for a lot of men, so I was interested to explore that. There’s a scene early on in the book where Ben’s chatting to Harv and unwittingly puts on a ‘comedy’ accent when he confesses to feeling depressed. That’s something I’ve definitely noticed in myself and my own friends: the idea of not wanting to dampen the mood, or of feeling awkward and embarrassed to admit that something’s wrong.
Can you tell us what your favourite Christmas films are? We certainly hope that Love Actually features!
Love Actually is indeed up there, but I’d say The Muppet Christmas Carol probably pips it to the post for me. A great film and arguably Michael Caine’s finest hour (don’t @ me). Home Alone is definitely in the mix, too. There is also a long-standing debate about whether or not Die Hard counts as a ‘Christmas film’ – and I’m very much of the opinion that it does – so that’s probably up there for me, as well.
Do you like to read books in a similar area to All About Us, or watch TV dramas to get ideas? Can you recommend any to us?
Yes! I really like Mike Gayle’s and Marian Keyes’ books, plus lots of other authors writing in a funny, clever, interesting way about modern relationships: Holly Bourne, David Nicholls, Kiley Reid, Beth O’Leary, Lisa Owens, Josie Silver. I am a big fan of funny novels in general, so for comic inspiration I’ll most often go back to stuff by Flann O’Brien, Sue Townsend and Dan Rhodes.
What does your typical writing day look like?
I usually like to go out to a library to write, rather than staying at home, as I tend to get much more done that way. But if that’s not possible, the first half-hour of my writing day will traditionally be given over to intense procrastination – probably tinkering pointlessly with my fantasy football team – before actually getting down to doing some work. I find I’m most productive in the morning, and I tend to work best if I set myself a concrete goal for the day – i.e. to finish a particular chapter, or hit a certain word count. My typical writing day will also involve at least six cups of tea and probably some Haribo.
Do you have any tips for aspiring writers?
My main tip would be to enter writing competitions! When you’re starting out as a writer, the hardest thing can be just FINISHING something, so competitions are a brilliant way to impose a deadline on yourself and get to the end of a draft. I started out writing Young Adult books, and my co-author Lucy Ivison and I decided to enter our first book into The Times/Chicken House children’s fiction competition. We were both working full-time, and it was so hard to motivate ourselves to write on the weekends and in the evenings after work, but the contest’s looming deadline gave us a reason to keep going. We would tell each other, ‘We HAVE to get this finished in time for that competition’, and honestly I think that’s the only reason we got it done! We ended up making the shortlist, and although we didn’t win, the book was still published anyway. So, I’d really advise having a search for any contests that cater for the kind of book you want to write, and then putting that deadline in your calendar as a goal to finish it by. You’ve got nothing to lose and so much to gain!
Can you tell us what you’re working on next?
I’m working on another novel for HQ called The Start of You and Me, which is inspired by volunteer work that I do on a crisis telephone helpline. It’s another uplifting romantic comedy, and you can read an extract right after this very interview! Aside from that, I’m finishing up an illustrated children’s book – based on some cartoon characters I invented when I was about nine – which should be out some time in 2021!
Did you fall in love with
All About Us?
Read on for an extract from Tom Ellen’s
uplifting and emotional new novel,
The Start of You and Me.
Disclaimer: this extract may be subject to
further editorial revisions before the final
version is published.
Will
Green Shoots Crisis Line: Evening Shift, 6pm – 11pm Thursday, 3rd March
It could be him.
That’s the thought running through my brain in this dingy little ground floor office, as the phone bursts into life for the first time this evening. It’s a ridiculous thought, but it’s there all the same.
It’s always there.
I push aside my Tupperware containing tonight’s dinner – a gluey clump of leftover tuna pasta – and feel my chest tighten as I lift the receiver: ‘Hello, Green Shoots?’
‘Oh… Hi. Sorry. Hi.’
The tightness slackens. It’s a woman’s voice. A voice I’m pretty sure I haven’t heard before. She sounds almost surprised that someone has answered.
‘Hi,’ I say. ‘How are you doing tonight?’
‘Sorry,’ she repeats. ‘This is weird. I don’t really know why I’m calling, actually.’
‘That’s OK.’
You hear this pretty often: new callers apologising for having the audacity to phone up a crisis line. For having the nerve to feel desperate or lonely or sad. For having the sheer brass neck to admit that they’re in pain. Always makes me wonder how many people have chosen not to reach out for exactly that reason. How many lives have been derailed or ruined or even lost because people were too… British to seek help.
‘So, how are you feeling?’ I ask again. The line crackles as the woman sighs into
