Take your ‘what ifs’ head on, says Jodi

HAVING faith that your story is going somewhere good is the key to success in the writers’ world, says international best-selling novelist Jodi Picoult.

And this piece of advice may be well worth taking - as the American Harvard and Princeton graduate certainly knows a thing or two about the matter.

With 18 novels behind her, a string of awards and an ever-increasing global following, the 44-year-old is back with a bold new book tackling several contentious issues. And Warwick is lucky enough to be welcoming her to the town next month as part of the Warwick Words Festival’s programme of Xtra events.

In Sing You Home, music therapist Zoe goes through the emotional trauma of a divorce, before entering into a special new relationship with Vanessa. The pair decide they would like children of their own and Zoe turns to ex-husband Max to ask if she can use the embryos they froze when together.

For Jodi, the gay rights issue strikes a particular cord. Speaking to the Courier ahead of her visit to Warwick, she said: “I really think it’s the last civil right we have to grant in the US and I wanted to explore the issue, and to see why those still opposed to gay rights are opposed.

“This became a much more personal quest for me though when my oldest son came out to me during the writing of the book.

“Suddenly, I wasn’t just writing something theoretical.

“I was hopeful the book could open minds enough so when Kyle wants to marry and have a family, it’s not a struggle.”

Admitting that complicated issues such as this one are “the sort of stuff I Iove to dive into”, Jodi says she gets her ideas for novels by starting with all the ‘what if’ questions she feels unable to answer. “If I keep thinking about it, it’s a good idea for a book”, she said.

The popularity of her novels has led to three of them being made into television films, My Sister’s Keeper was last year a successful big-screen release starring Cameron Diaz and Sing You Home is also being transformed for a cinema audience.

So budding writers out there may do worse than take advice from the mother-of-three.

She said: “You need to learn to write on demand and to get critiqued without flinching. Keep sending out your work and don’t get discouraged when it comes back from an agent - just send it out to a different one.

“Read read read. And – here’s a critical part – when you start to write something, do not let yourself stop, even when you are convinced it’s the worst garbage ever. This is the biggest caveat for beginning writers.

“Instead, force yourself to finish what you began, and then go back and edit it. If you keep scrapping your beginnings, you’ll never know if you can reach an end.”

Jodi Picoult will talk about Sing You Home at the Guy Nelson Hall in Myton Road on Thursday April 14 at 7.30pm.

For tickets, call 776438 or visit Warwick Books in Market Square, Warwick, or Kenilworth Books in Talisman Square, Kenilworth.