True Brit?

October 5, 2007

I’ve been thinking (dangerous, I know). Is my writing too ‘British?’ Today I got a lovely incoming link from Alyssa Goodnight (who may well be a former Bond girl). She’s an American novelist who would like to be able to buy LBDs in the US and flags up my blog:

Little Black Dress Books Author Phillipa Ashley. A very jaunty British blog. Honestly? I just like reading all those curious-sounding expressions.

A review on an international website at www.singletitles.com describes WYWH as having ‘wonderfully eccentric but immensely lovable characters’. 🙂

Eccentric but lovable? Tee hee! And jaunty? I’m hopping about in glee. Thank you, I love being thought of like that. 🙂 The irony is that I’m quite a misery-guts. I worry, I’m paranoid and I obsess over trivia but I don’t like putting all that on my blog in case my editor or agent reads it.

The point is, I read UK, Australian, US – and international – romance authors precisely because they sound so different. I love the unusual expressions and intriguing cultural references – brand names, books, music, food, all the specifics. I like being transported to a different world, far removed from my little village.

I don’t know how many more books I’ll be asked to write – probably none at all, after this post! But I do know I can’t be anyone but me.

If you want a real slice of chocolate box Britishness, here’s where I’m giving a talk on Sunday: Just to update you I’m in the Education Room situated in the Servants Quarters – at 12.15pm and 2pm)

Comments

1. On October 5th, 2007 at 6:22 am
   Nell Dixon Says:
   

   I used to think that but then I sold to US publishers who actually liked my Britishness – go figure, as my across the pond friends would say. lol

2. On October 5th, 2007 at 6:34 am
   Rosy Thornton Says:
   

   What an amazing place to be speaking at! I imagine you standing on top of that porticoed thingummy our front and declaiming. Rather like the Pope in St. Peter’s Square. (Well, actually, not much like that at all.)

   Good luck with it – but you are an old hand at this stuff now…

   Rosy x

3. On October 5th, 2007 at 6:54 am
   Phillipa Says:
   

   Ah ..but I’m not speaking inside the hall but I think I am in the Education Room which is part of the Servants Quarters as befits my place. Shugborough is huge. My bits are at 12.15pm and 2pm. In fact, I had better go and practise!

4. On October 7th, 2007 at 9:13 pm
   Alyssa Goodnight Says:
   

   A former Bond-girl? I think you’re my new best friend! 😉 And don’t change a thing! I personally love hearing the fun ways Brits have of perking up all sorts of hum-drum activities. And I too am a big fan of specifics.

   I would have loved to have heard you speak! Hope it went great!

5. On October 8th, 2007 at 11:15 pm
   Christina Phillips Says:
   

   This post made me smile, because one of the things I loved about Decent Exposure was the British phrases. I hadn’t realised it’d been so long since I’d read a Brit-writ book!! lol. And this coming from a Brit living in Oz!

6. On October 9th, 2007 at 3:52 am
   Phillipa Says:
   

   Christina, Nell, Alyssa – I’m glad you think Britishness workds because the next book, Just Say Yes, is really quirky!