The Twins - live webchat with Saskia Sarginson 11 Sept 1-2pm

Nellyphant

Hello Saskia

I've just started the book and it's hard to put down! My neighbour has 8-year-old identical girls who love pretending to be each other. I wondered if your daughters have ever tried that (and did they fool you if they did?)

So glad you're liking the book!
Actually, my girls never have pretended to be each other. (Thank goodness!) I think they are more concerned that people see them as themselves and they do get very cross when people get them confused!

Bonsai

Hello! Welcome to Gransnet What are your twins like with their other siblings? I imagine twins can be quite cliquey?

They certainly were when they were little! They have learnt to be more sociable as they've got older and now they like having individual friends - though usually they end up going out in a threesome!

threesugars

How do you get yourself into a zone where you can write 'darkly'? Do you find it filters through to your everyday life? Or how do you shake it off come the end of a writing day?

I find it comes quite naturally! Don't know if it says anything about me as a person. I think the things that I am drawn to exploring through fiction tend to lead me into dark areas. I don't find that the darkness lingers, luckily. I tend to switch off my computer and immediately have to walk dogs or find my son's football boots or something - so real life grabs at me! Love the question - thanks.

surfergirl

Loved the book, but how do you find the time to write? I'm currently writing a book but it's taking me so long, life just gets in the way (work, children, house work etc). And I have an office job, so by the time I get the chance in the evening, I don't want to sit in front of a screen for another hour..

Thank you! So glad you liked it.
I've been lucky in that I didn't have to go out to do a 9-5 job. My work was freelance and it was writing, so it was easier to find the time to do my own writing, as I was at my desk at home anyway. I find that the thing I can't fit in is my social life! While I'm writing, I can manage the house, animals and children, a bit of extra work, and that's it. So I really sympathise that coming home after a long day in the office and sitting down to write must be very hard. I think maybe you need to set aside a do-able 'writing time' on a weekly basis - the hours will mount up, as will the pages. It's easier if you have a routine. I know some writers who get up early and get in an hour before work - not sure if I could do that though! Good luck with it.

mushy

Thank you so much for answering my question. I am interested to know if you think it is essential to do a writing course if you want to writ e a novel?

No - it's not essential. There are plenty of writers who haven't done one. I think it's a fairly 'modern' thing. But, having said that, it really did help me. I did an MA that had small groups and focused on lots of work-shopping and editing of each other's work. I found that to be incredibly useful. It helped me spot the mistakes in my own work. And it's lovely to have support from a group of people who understand what you're doing and what you're going through.There are all sorts of writing courses - they all offer slightly different things, so it's worth thinking about what you want out of it: close focus on a project you're already working on? Writing exercises to get you going? A chance to meet published authors/editors etc?
Hope that's helpful! Good luck with anything you write in the future.

cinnamonstix

Hi Saskia. I haven't read the book yet (it's on the list though!), but am curious - how difficult is it raising twins? Did/do they ever suffer from sibling rivalry?

Hi - raising twins is different from bringing up a non-twin child. I had two single boys after having my girls and the girls were much naughtier and more tricky in every way! I've written a couple of articles about this subject and each time they came out I got lovely messages from other parents of twins telling me that they recognised the situations I'd described! So I think it's safe to say that managing twins, especially as toddlers, takes a lot of patience and energy. My girls don't exactly suffer from sibling rivalry - they have such a complicated relationship - in the end they squabble and fight, but they really do want the best for each other.

LyndaW

Hi saskia, did you have much say over the book jacket design? It's really beautiful.

Hi - thank you so much. I love the cover too! The team at Little, Brown are wonderful and they included me in everything, including the cover design. I gave my thoughts when it was discussed and was shown the design throughout all its different stages. But in the end, the credit is entirely with the designer at the publishers. She's done a great job.

Sunhat

I wondered if you have a favourite character in the book, Saskia?

I love all the characters, so that's a hard one to answer! Viola and Issy live under my skin all the time; even now, it's as if they're a part of me. I feel for John and Michael - life was so difficult for them. And I have a special place in my heart for Rose. She tried so hard to be a good mother. My mother was a single mother, and I was for a short while. It's one of the most difficult jobs in the world.

mushy

How did you get into writing? You prpbably get asked this all the time

Hi - I've always loved telling stories. I used to make stories up for my younger sister all the time. And I guess I've scribbled down short stories and poems since I can remember. I never thought that I could write fiction as a career though. So I went into journalism and ghost-writing. It was only after I had my fourth child and I was in my 40s that I sat down to write a novel. I just wanted to see if I could. Then I discovered that I loved writing the longer length and had more ideas for more books. I did an MA in creative writing and got myself an agent. Getting The Twins published was an incredible feeling!

Clytie

Hello Saskia

I heard you on Woman's Hour too. I've ordered my copy from my local bookshop and I'm hoping to pick it up tomorrow.

I love the Suffolk countryside too, and I'm looking forward to your descriptions of it. I wondered what made you choose to set the book in that area?

Hi - thanks for buying the book and I do hope you enjoy it. I'm sure much of the landscape in the book will be familiar to you as I've set the book in the pine forest, in the fields and on those wild, shingle beaches that are so typical of Suffolk. I grew up in Suffolk, near Woodbridge, in the 70's and 80's. It felt 'right' to set my book in an area that I know so well and love so much. I really enjoyed writing all the descriptions of the landscape.

Maggiemaybe

Thank you, Gransnet, for the free copy of The Twins.

I doubt I'll have time to finish it before Wednesday's webchat, but I am fascinated by the disparate lives of the two girls and want to find out what brought each of them to such different places. Whether it's going to turn out to be one life-changing event or a gradual accumulation of things. The writer has really made me care about her characters - John and Michael and their family as well as Viola and Isolte and their mother. This to me is the mark of a good writer.

My particular question would be regarding Viola's eating disorder. I would like to ask Saskia whether her portrayal of this is based on any personal experience or is it the result of a lot of research?

And if I can ask a second question... Much of the early book regards the relationship between two sets of twins. Have Saskia's own twins had close friends who are also twins? And if so, does Saskia think that this led to a particularly close friendship?

I'll definitely be looking out for the next book.

Hi - thanks for your questions. Like many women, I've been concerned with my weight and gone on endless diets in my life, but thankfully have never suffered serious problems. I had a very close friend with anorexia when we were both in our twenties and I also did a lot of research into it. I haven't named Viola's problem as 'anorexia' as there are many disorders relating to eating - but most people think that's what she has.
My twins have got friends who are also twins, but they haven't formed a close friendship with them. However, they do say that they love meeting other twins and always feel a bond, as only other twins really know what it's like to be one.

marblecake

I believe this is your debut novel - how did it feel to see it in print? Did you think it would do so well? Was it scary going on Woman's Hour?

It felt amazing to see it in print! It also made me a bit tearful. A novel is such a personal thing; you live with the characters for so long; letting them 'go' is a strange experience. Fingers crossed, it does seem to be doing well at the moment. It's wonderful when people say that they enjoyed it. It was a bit scary going on Woman's Hour - but then, because I was with my daughters, and Jenni Murray was so kind and interested, in the end it was a real pleasure!