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Maeve Haran Q&A

(37 Posts)
LucyGransnet (GNHQ) Thu 19-Jun-14 17:13:02

We have an exclusive extract of Maeve Haran's new book, The Time of Their Lives, for gransnetters as well as five copies to give away to posters on this thread.

Each month best friends Claudia, Sal, Ella and Laura meet for drinks, celebrating 45 years of friendship. They know each other and their lives inside out. Their ambitions, careers, husbands, lovers, children, hopes, fears, the paths taken and not taken...

Leave your question or comment for Maeve below by Friday 18 July.

Gagagran Thu 19-Jun-14 19:45:20

I loved the way you caught the conversational voice of old friends and wonder if this is based on the experience of a group of old friends of your own? These characters feel like real people and that is the skill of a good writer!

Venus Thu 19-Jun-14 22:34:24

There are more senior citizens living now then ever before. Did you consciously decide to write a novel about older women to capture that market?

gilbster Fri 20-Jun-14 18:26:20

Congratulations Maeve on what sounds like a fantastic new book. I was wondering how on earth you keep coming up with such interesting stories. What inspires you?

rosesarered Tue 24-Jun-14 20:31:16

Hello Maeve, do you think that female friendship lasts longer than male friendship?It certainly seems to be different.My husband's friends all take the mickey out of each other, while my friends are all supportive and say nice things.I seem to value my friends more as we all get older, perhaps because we know each other so well.

lizziep123 Sat 28-Jun-14 22:10:21

Hi Maeve, I can't wait to read the book! I just wondered, do you write from personal experience? Do you have long standing friendships of your own? Looking forward to discovering your characters!

wallers5 Mon 30-Jun-14 10:58:01

Your book sounds great fun and will appeal to women who love their girlfriends. I have moved a lot and find it hard keeping up with 'the gang'. Do you think an outsider can get back into the swing of things?

Rosannie Mon 30-Jun-14 21:55:01

The brief extract of your book is a tempting taster, I would Ike to find out what keeps these friends together (apart from the monthly drinks!). I have friends from my schooldays and we share some common interests and activities but also lead varied lives.
Did you draw your characters and their lives from personal experiences?
I would also like to know which, if any, of the characters is most like you?

Annie29 Wed 02-Jul-14 11:12:56

I can't wait to read the rest of this book . I like the introduction of the different generations and look forward to seeing how the different characters develop.
Did you write it for female readers?
Also did you write it based on your own or friends and families situations

Compermo Wed 02-Jul-14 19:41:09

Hello Maeve,
I really enjoy your books. Does it get harder as time goes by to think up new story lines, or are you a natural story-teller, whose mind is always bubbling with new ideas for the next book?

cathisherwood Thu 10-Jul-14 15:52:12

Am I unusual in not keeping up with old school friends. I have found as I move on through different stages in life I make new friends and lose touch with the old!

Susangilley Thu 10-Jul-14 16:57:28

How do you do it? I envy your ability to make words flow on the page!

wallers5 Wed 16-Jul-14 06:26:07

You could be describing my group of friends. So clever of you to get straight to the point. How do you get your 'plot'? do you have a good imagination or is it taken straight from life?

chrissie13 Thu 17-Jul-14 11:13:11

It seems like a fab book, I would love to read the rest of it now!

Isis1981uk Thu 17-Jul-14 13:03:27

Do you have a similar group of friends? What do you talk about together?

prettyplease26 Thu 17-Jul-14 13:58:33

I would love to read the rest of this book too smile sounds good

candyfloss79 Thu 17-Jul-14 18:17:29

I'd like to ask how you come up with enough ideas for a whole book. I've tried, but I never really get past the short story stage!

ykellock Thu 17-Jul-14 20:02:05

Sounds an interesting read. Just made me think, hopefully I will be meeting up with my friends after 45 years.

liteuplee Thu 17-Jul-14 20:25:15

Have you ever seen any bad behaviour in friends that you would love to use, but not been able to because they wouldn't be happy? If so, any clues to what the behaviour was?

SwishySwoshy Mon 21-Jul-14 10:43:11

I've always wondered how authors come up with the names for their characters. Are the characters based on people you know?

MaeveHaran Tue 05-Aug-14 13:34:52

Gagagran

I loved the way you caught the conversational voice of old friends and wonder if this is based on the experience of a group of old friends of your own? These characters feel like real people and that is the skill of a good writer!

No they aren’t based on my real friends, though I do meet up every month with a group of real friends I met on the first day of college. And we certainly do natter at great length. Actually I was careful NOT to base them on real people in case they minded! I especially enjoy writing dialogue so I am delighted they sounded like real people. Having said that writers can be vampires and no doubt odd bits of people I know do surface!

MaeveHaran Tue 05-Aug-14 13:35:16

Venus

There are more senior citizens living now then ever before. Did you consciously decide to write a novel about older women to capture that market?

The reason I wrote The Time of Their Lives is that I am 64 but 19 in my head! I felt a lot of women felt the same – different from their mothers’ generation and that womens’ appearance and also the rules we live by have changed so much it was worthy of a novel.

MaeveHaran Tue 05-Aug-14 13:35:48

gilbster

Congratulations Maeve on what sounds like a fantastic new book. I was wondering how on earth you keep coming up with such interesting stories. What inspires you?

Looking around inspires me. I am a funny writer in that I often get interested in a subject then dramatize it. I write very much about ‘real life’ and fortunately there are endless stories in that. I am fascinated by people.

MaeveHaran Tue 05-Aug-14 13:36:14

rosesarered

Hello Maeve, do you think that female friendship lasts longer than male friendship?It certainly seems to be different.My husband's friends all take the mickey out of each other, while my friends are all supportive and say nice things.I seem to value my friends more as we all get older, perhaps because we know each other so well.

I think you are absolutely right – women’s friendships are different and are incredibly sustaining. I bought a naughty card the other day which said HUSBANDS COME AND GO BUT FRIENDSHIPS LAST FOREVER! Women friends are always there for you and just talking to them can make you feel better when life gets tough.

MaeveHaran Tue 05-Aug-14 13:36:40

lizziep123

Hi Maeve, I can't wait to read the book! I just wondered, do you write from personal experience? Do you have long standing friendships of your own? Looking forward to discovering your characters!

I have known the group of friends I meet every month (who aren’t the characters in the book!!) for 45 years!