Author Interview: Camilla MacPherson

My guest author today is Camilla MacPherson whose debut novel Pictures at an Exhibition was published this week. The book is about a modern day woman Claire and Daisy who wrote a series of letters during the war about the paintings that were Picture of the Month in the National Gallery.  When Claire discovers the letters and retraces Daisy's footstep she finds that their lives have many parallels.  

How long did it take you to get your first book published?

A long time!  I started writing Pictures at an Exhibition in January 2008 and the publication date is April 2012.  There were a lot of stages between finishing the first manuscript towards the end of 2008 and holding the final book in my hand.

Do you have a set daily writing routine?

When I was writing Pictures at an Exhibition, I would write for an absolute maximum of five hours a day before I had had enough, starting in the morning. I found I just couldn’t focus for longer than that, and some days I called it a day after a couple of hours. I would alternate the writing with doing research, either in a library or in a museum or gallery, and some initial editing.