Hello! I’m Laura and I live in a village in Leicestershire with my husband, our two children and our cat. I’ve previously lived in London and New York and sometimes miss big cities (but mostly don’t). I help run the Bookload on Facebook alongside writing novels. I love reading, games, chocolate and watching reality TV, and I don’t like running (though I keep trying) or doing anything creative (other than writing).
Meet Laura Pearson
Questions on Writing
What is the hardest part of your writing experience?
Two things – the waiting and the rejection. I’m very impatient and there’s always something to wait for in this job, whether it’s to find out whether anyone wants to publish your work or for your latest cover or sales figures. And all the writers I know have been through a lot of rejection, even those that have gone on to be very successful. I try to remind myself that it doesn’t mean the work isn’t good, just that it isn’t right for that person/publisher.
What have you learnt about yourself when writing?
I think I process things through writing, which is quite therapeutic. For example, my sister had a stroke eight years ago and is in a wheelchair, and I think I’ve explored my feelings about that in a couple of books, through the brain injury Shelley has in The Day Shelley Woodhouse Woke Up and the disability Maddy’s brother Henry has in The Many Futures of Maddy Hart. I write fiction but I’m often exploring real things, if that makes sense.
Do you make yourself write everyday/regularly, or only when inspiration strikes?
I write every school day but not at weekends. My children are still pretty young and weekends involve hanging out with them or taking them places. Some days I don’t feel like I can write but I always can if I make myself. And I’ve found that when I’m editing, I can’t tell which were the bits I wrote on days that it felt painful.
What does literary success look like to you?
It’s an ever-changing thing! I’ve sold half a million copies, and that’s incredible and something I never could have imagined a few years ago, but I always want more. I’d love to have a TV series or film made of one of my books.
How much planning/world building do you do before writing, and how much comes along as you write?
I do barely anything before I start. I mull over the idea and think about the main character but I don’t write anything down. I learn as I’m going, which means more editing, but I’m always just excited to get started.
Do you have a favourite out of your published work, and if so, what makes it your favourite?
I love them all for different reasons. Nobody’s Wife is the first one I wrote, Missing Pieces is the first one that was published. The Last List of Mabel Beaumont is my biggest success, by far. I’m always in love with my latest, which is currently The Many Futures of Maddy Hart.
How do you celebrate when a book is published?
Sometimes I have a launch party because it’s nice to gather people together and celebrate. It’s not an easy thing, writing and publishing books, and there’s so much heartache that it’s nice to celebrate any wins. My books are coming out at quite a fast rate at the moment, though, so I don’t have a launch every time. But I try to mark it. My husband buys me a canvas with the cover on for each publication.
Questions on Books and About You
Firstly, the most important question, what books are currently ‘on your bedside table’?
My bedside table is groaning. I’m currently reading Instructions for Heartbreak by Sarah Handyside and listening to Just Another Missing Person by Gillian McAllister, and very much enjoying both. I like my physical and audio reads to be quite different from each other. I’ve recently loved Deep Cuts by Holly Brickley, Bad Manners by Amy Beashel and The Absolutes by Kate Potter.
What children’s book would you suggest every adult read?
I Want My Hat Back by Jon Klassen is wasted on kids. I laughed my head off every time I read it to mine. And Katherine Rundell’s Rooftoppers is beautiful.
What does your writing space look like?
I like to be near the front door and the fridge but there’s no office space downstairs so I have a desk in my kids’ playroom, which is fine when they’re at school but not always great when they’re not. I work on a laptop, though, so I can take it anywhere.
How many books do you think you own?
I feel personally attacked by this question. I don’t know. More than I could ever read in a lifetime.
Who is your literary icon?
I’m a bit obsessed with Taylor Jenkins Reid. There’s something magical about the way she writes that captivates me.
If you could own one rare/1st edition copy of a book, which would it be?
I’m not really fussed about rare books. I honestly can’t think.
Is there an author who you always read?
The trouble with being sent so many proofs is that I only really read new stuff and never have time to explore backlist, but I will always read a new Taylor Jenkins Reid or Lisa Jewell.
And finally, are there any plans for any new books? If so, what teasers can you give us?
My next one, The Woman Who Met Herself, is coming out in May, and it’s about two women in their sixties who meet by chance and are identical. And then I think there will be one more this year – I need to get a move on.
Thank you Laura😊 I’ve never been shy about my absolute love for Laura’s books and I just know the next one, and the next one, and the next one, will be absolutely perfect.
Laura Pearson’s Books
Books By Your Bedside 