James Bailey: 'You won’t know what could be unless you get the book written'
BY Katie Smart
9th Apr 2020
James Bailey took a six-month Writing Your Novel course with us in London in 2018, during which he worked on his debut romantic comedy The Flip Side. Following the course, he received a two-book deal with Michael Joseph.
We found out more about James' time on the course, his support group of writers and the inspiration behind The Flip Side, which is set to be published in November.
You were a student on our London Writing Your Novel course back in 2018 – how did your time on the course impact your approach to writing?
I think the course had a massive impact on my approach to writing. I think just signing up to the six-month course in itself, both in terms of time and financial commitment, and in my situation, having to travel to London from Bristol every week, certainly made me take my writing more seriously. What was originally something I did on the back-burner, became my main priority.
I started the course with the bare bones of a plot idea and about 20,000 very rough words, and thanks to Chris Wakling’s expert tuition and the help of my course mates, I developed my plot and my writing style enormously. I learnt so many valuable lessons, and having a diverse cross section of readers in the group gave me a good audience to test material on.
I'm hugely thankful for the course, even if my strongest memories from the CBC classroom are of watching the England v Croatia World Cup Semi Final on the TV after our agents’ drinks session, and Jack Hadley trying to hold back the tears!
Many of our students find their writing community on our courses – are you still in touch with any of your course mates?
Yes, I think gaining a writing community was definitely one of the best aspects of the course. I certainly wouldn’t be where I am now without the critiques, advice and support of the other students. Since the course ended in 2018, our class still meets up once a month at Royal Festival Hall and two people submit their work each time. It’s a bit more difficult for me being based in Bristol, but I still try and join the meet-ups when I can, and we all keep in touch via WhatsApp anyway. It was particularly nice that a couple of my course mates came to visit me in Bristol last year and we went for a drink with our tutor Chris Wakling.
Your debut novel The Flip Sideis set to be published by Michael Joseph. The novel follows a man who decides to flip a coin to make every life decision. Can you tell us a bit more about your novel and the inspiration behind it?
Of course! So the novel follows Josh who is suffering a quarter-life crisis. He starts the year having just broken up with his girlfriend, lost his job and moved back home with his parents. Fed up with where his own decision-making has led him, he decides to put his faith in fate and base all his choices on the toss of a coin. He hopes the coin will help him find himself and love, but there may be a few obstacles along the way!
I think the inspiration for the novel came from a feeling that I have regarding choices, and one which I think is common among twenty-somethings currently. You’re almost on a conveyer belt from birth to university, and then you’re suddenly spat out of the education system and have to ‘find’ yourself immediately.
It seems that many people my age are currently experiencing some kind of disillusionment – whether it’s being saddled with student debt, trying to get a graduate job but needing five years of experience, being priced out of buying a house, trying to find a partner by swiping through potential matches, constantly seeing the idealised lives of others on social media…! Are we happy with where we’ve ended up, and where our lives are going, have we made the right choices so far or would it be better if fate could take over? Why not flip a coin for every choice?!
What does a typical writing day look like for you?
I’m not sure I have a typical writing day. I’m certainly not one of those authors who wakes up at the crack of dawn, goes for a run and then sits down and writes all morning. If I went for a run, I’d need to come back and go to bed again! I try and fit any writing in around my day job so I normally write at home over weekends, but sometimes it can be a real effort to get a single word out. I write a sentence. Check Facebook. Check Instagram. Read some gossipy story on MailOnline. Reread my sentence. Decide I don’t like it. Delete it and then do the same on loop all day. Miraculously I somehow get somewhere eventually. I certainly wouldn’t recommend anyone copy my writing habits!
If you could only pass on one piece of advice to aspiring authors what would it be?
Don’t give up.
It’s been said many times, but it’s true. If you believe in yourself and you think your novel is worth spending weeks, months, years working on then make sure you see it through. It can be a real struggle and there are bound to be obstacles along the way but you won’t know what could be unless you get the book written. I actually didn’t get on the CBC course the first time I applied – so I think I learnt early on that persistence is key!
Finally, what’s next for your writing journey?
Book Two! I’ve signed a two-book deal with Michael Joseph, so having just finished the editing of The Flip Side, I’m straight back to a blank page again. I’m hoping it will be slightly easier the second time around, now I can put everything I learnt on the course into practice from the very start. Maybe I will try improving my writing routine this time, and start going for that morning run.