aspiring writer and dreamer, who lives in North East England.
You're e-publishing your novel, Broken Things! That's wonderful! How's that journey going? Is there anything you wish someone had told you before you started?
At the moment I’ve stalled, partly because I’m working on a new
story for NaNoWriMo. Broken Things is
still in the final editing phase and I’m finding it hard as I’m a bit of a
perfectionist, plus I’ve definitely got ‘The Fear’ about finally deciding that
it’s finished and it’s ready for people to see. I’ll get there eventually, but
I’d rather take my time to make sure I’ve produced a good book that I can be
proud of.
I think because I’ve been so slow with it I’ve had plenty of time
to learn about self-publishing. But I started writing the manuscript about five
years ago and I wish I was a better writer at the time – editing would be a lot
easier!
Are you working on your next novel? Is that the NaNoWriMo story you're currently writing?
Yes it is! It’s tentatively called The Disappeared and it’s set in a dystopian version of England,
where people often ‘disappear’ into the hands of the secret police. I’ve had
this story in mind for six or seven years now and this is the first time I’ve
really sat down to work on it, aside from a couple of false starts. I always
felt like this was a serious story and I wanted to wait until I was at a point
as a writer where I could do it justice.
Do you have a favorite author? A favorite book? A least favorite book?
I love the Japanese author Haruki Murakami. He manages to blend
scenes of everyday life with fantastical elements in such an understated and
beautiful way.
My favourite book is probably The
Crow Road, by Iain Banks. It’s a modern saga about a Scottish family whose
members are prone to tragedy, yet it’s really funny and intelligent too. I
first read it over 15 years ago and love coming back to it, as I get something
new from the story each time. Plus it has one of the best ever opening lines
with: “It was the day my grandmother exploded.”
I’m not sure I have a least favourite book, but one of Iain Banks’
other novels, The Wasp Factory, would
be a contender. I read it during my A-Levels (UK exams) and it’s a difficult
read as it’s the story of a disturbed boy with a troubled background and has
some very grotesque moments. It’s one of those books you either love or hate
intensely.
What did you read recently that you wish you'd gotten to sooner?
Tough one, but I think I’m going to say The Hunger Games trilogy. I only read it recently, despite the
first book sitting on my shelf for over a year and I loved it.
I'm jealous that you live in North East England. (Anglophile here!) What's your favorite and least favorite thing about where you live?
Haha, well I’m jealous that you’re from New York! The worst thing
is that the town I’m from has a really bad reputation nationally and was once
even voted the worst place to live in the UK. It’s an industrial town so there
are a lot of factories and chemical plants, and there are a lot of social
issues that go along with that, such as unemployment and poverty. But the North
East has improved so much over the last decade or so; it’s become much more
focused on culture, regeneration and heritage and there are some amazing places
to visit.
Also, a lot of people don’t realise just how amazing the
countryside in the North East is; it’s very wild and striking, with a dramatic
coastline. Plus the people are incredibly friendly, strangers will chat to you
in the street and there’s a strong sense of community that you don’t always get
in other areas of the UK.
If you ever get chance to come to the UK, make sure you come
north, as most tourists don’t venture far outside London and they’re missing
out.
I think the main thing is that I’d love to be able to work
independently, as a writer and blogger, and not have a regular 9 to 5 job. It
would be amazing to have the freedom to travel more and I’d love to develop my
photography skills and learn another language.
Tough question ahead: If you could only pick one of these goals to accomplish, which would it be?
Publish a book, definitely. I love all kinds of creative
activities, but writing feels like my true identity.
When you're bored, what is the first thing you do to occupy your time?
Since I’ve had an iPad, it’s too easy to pick it up and flick
through the internet or play a game whenever I’m bored. Really I should use the
time to read or do a bit of writing, but I’m weak!
How do you stay inspired? Any tips?
It can be
hard sometimes, especially when you’re busy and tired. But it helps to read a
lot and be around other creative people. When I’m writing, it tends to come
from an emotional place, so I’ll listen to music to create the right atmosphere
and that will generally help the words to flow. And you need to remember that
it’s not all about inspiration, writing is hard and you need to be disciplined
too. It’s the people who write even when they’re not inspired that become most
successful.
