About J Taylor
J Taylor is an eleven-time Amazon Select All-Stars
award-winning author. Jamie loves to find funny in the familiar. She writes the kind of books you reach for when you've had a bad day: Laugh-out-loud stories of friendship, strong, capable women and love in all its forms.
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Her best selling debut, A Moment on the Lips, sold over 100,000 copies in its first year of publication and is soon to be a television series. Now a full-time author, Jamie splits her time between studying towards an MA in Comedy Writing with Falmouth University and writing novels from her home in the English countryside.
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Get to know me...
Have you always wanted to be an author?
In a word no. I come from a working-class background, and so I grew up thinking becoming an author was on par with being an astronaut.
How did you get into writing?
I wrote my debut, A Moment on the Lips, purely to see if I could. A year later I had submitted to agents just to get some feedback and received six full manuscript requests within a week or so. I later decided to go ahead and publish. And the rest as they say, is history.
What’s your writing process?
I am a big planner. I spend a long time thinking about my idea and the characters before I even write anything down. Then I always write each key scene on Post-it notes and storyboard the plot from start to finish on my wall. When I’m completely happy with it, I tackle the first draft.
Are you an early bird or a night owl?
An early bird. I can only write in the mornings. The earlier the better.
How do you deal with being stuck on a character/plot point?
Because I am such a planner, I usually deal with these during the early plotting stage. But if it happens later, I let the character lead. I find all plot issues are just character issues in disguise.
What’s your favourite part about writing?
I love lots of things, but probably the independence and financial freedom it allows me. I feel incredibly lucky and grateful that I can keep my own hours and earn a really good income doing something I enjoy.
Who is your favourite character that you have written?
Definitely Pam from the A Moment on the Lips series. She is the epitome of every woman I have ever known and loved.
What advice would you give to someone who wants to become an author?
Whatever your background or writing ability if you want to have a go, do it. Writing a good book and being a fantastic storyteller doesn’t mean your work has to be grammatically perfect or you have to know people in the industry. I would also recommend reading widely. Reading and gaining an understanding of your genre and the wider market will make you a better author.
What’s your ideal writing location?
Cornwall. But generally, I will take anywhere quiet that has snacks!
