Questions answered

Many thanks to author Robert J Lloyd for tagging me in this blog post. Robert is a writer of historical crime fiction who it’s been my pleasure to meet on Twitter @robjlloyd and his evocatively named book The Bloodless Boy can be found here. You can find more about Robert on his Facebook page here.

The thing is – I’ve tried a few fellow writers to see if they would like me to tag them to do this quiz – but it’s been around a while and they’ve all done it! If you would like me to tag you in this post so you can answer the questions on your blog just let me know in the comments and I will add you on the bottom.

What am I working on?

Well, I’ve just been editing a collection of my short stories. And next I’m planning to start a new novel. it’s very early in the process so I don’t know what it’s going to be about yet – but I’m excited to be at the start of the journey – who knows where it will lead?

How does my work differ from others of its genre?

I don’t really write in a particular genre – unless literary fiction is one. I sometimes think literary fiction can be defined by what it’s not. It isn’t any of the other genres. it’s the general section in the book shop which doesn’t fall under any of the other headings. I would say the great thing about literary fiction is every book is different from the next – each is unique.

It can be about anything, take you anywhere. That’s liberating in some ways for the writer, but a tough task in others – it’s the tyranny of choice – if you can choose to do what you like then it makes doing anything at all more difficult. There is no formula to work to, no pre-set pattern to follow.

Why do I write what I do?

I think you write what you love. I’ve always read literary fiction since I was a teenager and so that’s what I know about and what I write best. When I read a book which excites me I get a huge buzz from it. I can be thinking about the book all day, it can keep me awake at night, it can stay with me long after the last page.

So that’s what I wanted to do with Song of the Sea God, and what I aim to do with the rest of my writing, is create that buzz in other readers. When people tell me I have achieved that for them, left them with thoughts and feelings they carry around with them for a long  time after finishing my book, it makes me very proud. Here’s more about what I love to read

How does your writing process work?

Slowly would be one answer. I’d say it takes me two years to write a book – a year for a first draft and another to rewrite it until I’m happy with what I’ve got. And that’s after I have an idea I’m happy to progress with, one which I think will be worth spending all that time and creative energy on. I would say I start with writing bits and pieces, then develop a more structured plan as I progress. I wrote more about that process here.

Thanks very much for the questions.

Next up on the blog hop is lovely Carol Hedges whose latest book Diamonds and Dust is set in the Victorian era and is doing splendidly. She has a great blog called the Pink Sofa where she will be tackling these questions soon. You can see it here.

Don’t forget if you get a moment to take a look at my book Song of the Sea God.

You can look inside to read the first few pages free and download a free Kindle sample for UK readers here. And for readers in the USA here.

 

Advertisement