Welcome to the thirty-seventh of my blog interviews with novelists, poets, directors, bloggers, autobiographers and more. Today’s is with multi-genre author Nancy Dodd. If you like what you read, please do go and investigate the author further. A list of interviewees (blogged and scheduled) can be found here.
Morgen: Hi, Nancy. Please tell us something about yourself and how you came to be a writer.
Nancy: As a child, I was always imagining stories. I found that my stories were good entertainment for me, 
but I didn’t actually start writing them down until junior high or high school.
Morgen: Still about 25 years earlier than me. What genre do you generally write and have you considered other genres?
Nancy: I write in many forms—plays, screenplays, short stories, novel-length manuscripts and some inspirational. I also write in several genres. My favourites would be action/adventure and some romance, some science fiction, some literary and coming of age.
Morgen: What have you had published to-date? How much of the marketing do you do?
Nancy: Just released is The Writer’s Compass: From Story Map to Finished Draft in 7 Stages. It’s about the creative writing process, using a story map to understand your story and more importantly what’s missing from your story, how to write more efficiently by organizing rewrites into 7 drafts, and how to develop your own “true north” in your writing to write the story you want to tell. It is based on 25 years and thousands of hours of studying writing, including two graduate degrees. I’m spending a significant amount of time marketing The Writer’s Compass to let other writers know about this resource. A couple of friends in the entertainment industry are currently working toward independently producing one of my screenplays about a minister whose son is murdered. And I’m working on a short story collection about the forgotten people that I want to put on eBooks. One of those, “The Bus Boy,” I’ve published as a free read at http://issuu.com/smudgedinkpress/docs. There are several other writing projects waiting for my time and attention.
Morgen: No rest for the very productive. Have you won or been shortlisted in any competitions and do you think they help with a writer’s success?
Nancy: I have received awards and been placed in several competitions. I think they help to give the writer credibility and confidence, but I don’t know if they help to get you published or produced. And entering competitions can become very expensive.
Morgen: Do you have an agent? Do you think they’re vital to an author’s success?
Nancy: I do have an agent, but we are only working together on one project. Some of my other projects do not fit what this agent represents. In the recent past an agent was vital, but with the internet and the economics of publishing today, there are so many ways to get your work out to the public that you don’t have to have an agent. I do believe that having an agent and a traditional publisher makes it easier to get your work sold and distributed more widely. You have to be very entrepreneurial to self-publish. But whether you use a traditional publisher or self-publish, you still have to do a lot of marketing and self-promotion.
Morgen: Are your books available as eBooks? If so what was your experience of that process? And do you read eBooks?
Nancy: Writer’s Digest will be publishing The Writer’s Compass in an eBook format. My plans are to put the series of short stories I mentioned earlier on eBooks to test that process in the next few weeks. Although I don’t currently read eBooks, mainly because I already spend so much time on the computer, I prefer to read printed books for leisure, I’m sure I will at some point.
Morgen: I’m heading in that direction. What was your first acceptance and is being accepted still a thrill?
Nancy: Years ago my first short story “Tiny Tears” was accepted by a small literary journal. It was a great thrill. When I was given the opportunity to read some of my short stories on public radio that was also very thrilling. However, I’d already been publishing articles before either of those happened, and I don’t even remember my first acceptance for those. Because I write in so many forms, it has felt like a first acceptance several times. Just getting this book accepted and published so quickly was very exciting. However, I never relax, I’m always looking to get the next project out there.
Morgen: I can tell. Have you had any rejections? If so, how do you deal with them?
Nancy: About a trillion. I’ve dealt with them very badly.
Morgen: Oh dear.
Nancy: I got depressed and told myself I’d never write again. Then after a few days I’d realize that writing is a large part of who I am.
Morgen: Me too; about 99%. Fortunately I have a very supportive boss and understanding dog. 
Nancy: I’d pray about whether to give it all up or keep going, and the answer always seemed to be to keep going. That’s one of the reasons I wrote this book, for people like me to whom writing and publishing has been a real struggle.
Morgen: What are you working on at the moment / next?
Nancy: Along with the series of short stories, I also have a feature-length screenplay about a minister whose son is murdered that has received several awards, which friends and I want to independently produce. And I have a play about an autistic child whose father keeps him in a cage that I’ve received excellent feedback about that I want to get produced.
Morgen: Yay! Do you manage to write every day? What’s the most you’ve written in a day?
Nancy: I don’t manage to write every day. I have a fulltime job as an academic editor, I teach screenwriting at a university one semester a year, and I have devotionals and my family, and I’m marketing The Writer’s Compass. I think it’s important to write every day, but I believe that is a continuing struggle for many writers. I would say I have easily spent 12 to 14 hours writing in a single stretch a few times, but I don’t often get that luxury. I once committed to spending 15 minutes a day writing and to meet that goal I’d sometimes be writing in my sleep. Some days the time turned into more hours, but at the end of two years, I had a rough draft of a 650-page manuscript. So committing even a small amount of time every day can make a difference in what you accomplish.
Morgen: Absolutely. 100 words a day is a short story a week. What is your opinion of writer’s block? Do you ever suffer from it? If so, how do you ‘cure’ it?
Nancy: My cure is “put your pen to the paper and push” eventually something will come out. My biggest problem is when I’m writing nonfiction, I can’t write creatively during that time and that seems to be true when I’m doing heavy editing on articles for the journal where I’m academic editor. The other problem is not creating a consistency in time and place. There is a whole theory about how long it takes to get into the writing mode and turn on the creativity, so writers have to learn how to make a place and time that gets them through that transition more quickly. It’s sort of like going to a job, you don’t always want to go, but you do so because it is a commitment and you need the income. With writing, because it takes so long sometimes to see the benefit, it is sometimes harder to justify and easier to put off. Deadlines are also a big motivator. My students have to write the first draft of a 90-page screenplay in one semester, which is an amazing amount of work. I teach them the first three stages from my book to give them the tools they need to do that. Sometimes they tell me they have writer’s block and can’t get past it, but as the semester weeks go by and they see that deadline coming, they usually snap out of their writer’s block.
Morgen: Good incentive. A deadline always works for me. Do you plot your stories or do you just get an idea and run with it?
Nancy: I write in many ways. Sometimes a word or a song or a visual gives me an idea and I start asking myself questions about what that means. While writing The Writer’s Compass, I came up with a great story title, but no story. In that case I started thinking about what that story could be about and so I’m doing more plotting. Basically, the main thing is to capture your ideas in some way until you have enough of them to write a draft. I like to capture them on 5×8 cards and then when I have a hand full of cards I organize them and do a story map. Other times I’ll create a story map as a way to plot the story and see what I already know.
Morgen: My goodness, you’re as organised as me. Do you have pieces of work that you think will never see light of day?
Nancy: I’m sure I do. Some things I’ve written were more personal fantasy or written to solve a personal problem, but not terribly interesting to others. I also have some things that I wrote in one format, but since discovered they might be more commercial or better told in another format. I have a great sitcom idea about a couple reconnecting years after a very bad breakup and what that means to their lives now. I love the series As Time Goes By, I guess this might be an American version.
Morgen: I love it too. I have one of the series on DVD; I love Judy Dench and Geoffrey Palmer (he and Wendy Craig were brilliant in ‘Butterflies’).
Nancy: I’ve always loved stories where people are pulled apart for whatever reason and then years later find each other again. For several reasons I’m not sure I could sell this as a TV series, so I may rewrite it into a novel, I’ve even thought of independently filming it as an internet series.
Morgen: Ooh, that sounds interesting. What’s your favourite / least favourite aspect of your writing life?
Nancy: That I don’t have enough time to write and the constant guilt. I feel bad when I haven’t found time to write, and I feel bad when I spend blocks of time writing while everything else gets shuffled aside.
Morgen: I so know that feeling. What advice would you give aspiring writers?
Nancy: First, write and write and write. Write good stuff and bad stuff and mediocre stuff. Second, never let anyone talk you into cutting anything from your story that you really care about—no matter how bad it is. Sometimes in that bad writing is the heart of the story you are trying to tell, you just haven’t figured out what that is or how to say it yet. If you keep working with it until you do, you may find it becomes the best part of your story.
Morgen: What do you like to read?
Nancy: Everything from the Bible to commercial fiction to history and biographies, with the exception of horror and pornography. Probably my top choices would be action/adventure, political intrigue, and spy thrillers. Because I don’t get a lot of time to read and I spend a lot of time commuting, I listen to audiobooks and get most of my reading done that way. I am reading a particularly bad book right now, but I keep reading it because I’m learning ways to give examples in my workshops of what doesn’t work.
Morgen: I love audiobooks. I’ve just finished Kazuo Ishiguro’s Nocturnes (five stories) and was really disappointed with the ending of the first one… then the second one… and them all. I love stories with strong endings and unfortunately they seem to be a weakness of his, although his novels may be different. Are there any writing-related websites and/or books that you find useful and would recommend?
Nancy: There is a huge list of books that I’ve learned from in the back of my book. There isn’t a particular website, I usually do a search and find various websites on various topics as I need them.
Morgen: In which country are you based and do you find this a help or hindrance with letting people know about your work?
Nancy: I’m in the United States in the Los Angeles, California area. There are lots of opportunities there, but also lots of competition. Because my book is sold around the world, I’m trying now to target some of my marketing on the internet to other geographical areas. The internet has made it a much smaller world.
Morgen: Hasn’t it just. Speaking of which, are you on any forums or networking sites? If so, how invaluable do you find them?
Nancy: I think LinkedIn is a very useful professional networking source. I’m also on Facebook, but I consider that more for friends and family. I haven’t used Twitter, yet, although I know people who find it very effective.
Morgen: I do, although it’s very easy to become swamped in the ‘timeline’ tweets if you follow a lot of people. Great for
Nancy: I’m continuing to explore and expand social networking opportunities.
Morgen: Where can we find out about you and your work?
Nancy: I have a blog where I discuss writing and other topics and link to some of my films and stories at http://nancyellendodd.com. My website for The Writer’s Compass is http://thewriterscompass.com.
Morgen: Is there anything else you’d like to mention?
Nancy: I love teaching and The Writer’s Compass is a culmination of what I struggled to learn. It is full of tools to enhance a writer’s arsenal of tools. It can be used at all writing levels. By just reading the book, writers will learn new tools to enhance their writing; by answering some of the questions and doing some of the exercises, writers will find their skills improves; by using the book as a textbook and trying the suggestions, writers will find that they develop to a new level of writing.
Morgen: Thank you Nancy. That was great!
Nancy Ellen Dodd is a university instructor, and editor. She received her master’s in Professional Writing (MPW) from the University of Southern California with a concentration in dramatic writing/screenwriting and her MFA in playwriting at USC’s School of Theatre. Dodd currently teaches screenwriting at Pepperdine University to undergraduate and graduate students. Dodd has received numerous awards for her writing, which includes screenplays, plays, short stories, short films, and novel-length works, as well as inspirational writing. Some of her short stories have been read on public radio. She also studied writing with several successful, award-winning writers. Currently on faculty at the Graziadio School of Business at Pepperdine University, Dodd serves as academic editor of the Graziadio Business Review. She also produces and edits video and audio interviews for the journal. Dodd’s journalistic career includes publishing more than 130 articles in local and national publications including interviews with celebrities and business leaders.
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Welcome to the thirty-sixth of my blog interviews with novelists, poets, directors, bloggers, autobiographers and more. Today’s is with male:male historical novelist Erastes. If you like what you read, please do go and investigate the author further. A list of interviewees (blogged and scheduled) can be found here.
Morgen: Hello, Erastes. Please tell us something about yourself and how you came to be a writer.
Erastes: Hi! Thank you for having me, Morgen.
Morgen: You can come again.
Erastes: I’m Erastes and I’ve been writing professionally since 2003. I discovered fanfiction in that year—
believe it or not I had no idea such a thing existed…
Morgen: nor did I… ’til later than that.
Erastes: …and started writing a novel immediately. However, as much fun as I had writing it, I knew that I couldn’t do anything with it, so—although I continued with “fanfiction” for a few years more—I started to write an original novel, and Standish was born.
Morgen: What genre do you generally write and have you considered other genres?
Erastes: My main genre and what I’m best known for, is gay historical fiction. All of my longer works at least. I have dabbled with the paranormal, that is one novella of vampire fiction and a few of my short stories are science fiction, but all of my writing so far is about gay men.
Morgen: What have you had published to-date? How much of the marketing do you do?
Erastes: My novels so far are: Standish (Regency), Transgressions (English Civil War), Mere Mortals (Victorian) and novellas: Hard & Fast (Regency), Frost Fair (Regency) Tributary (1930s) and I have three more books coming out over the next year! I do a fair bit of marketing – I try and do as many blog tours as I can…
Morgen: blog tours… ooh, I like the sound of those.
Erastes: …and attend Yahoo Chats but living in the UK we don’t really have the same level of conferences and meetups etc. It’s so bad that we’ve had to start our own, which takes place next month. Plus, as my books are published in the USA, it’s difficult to get bookshops here to host signings, even though they are obtainable here, and are in fact in many bookshops. I don’t know how useful that would be anyway—my market is America, so I try and aim for there.
Morgen: Have you won or been shortlisted in any competitions and do you think they help with a writer’s success?
Erastes: Hmm. Hard to tell, really. I was lucky enough to be shortlisted for a Lambda Literary Award last year (the only one I’d entered) but didn’t win. I don’t think it made any difference to my sales of Transgressions, though. I think if you win the Orange Prize or the Booker it would—but then you’d probably already be successful enough to be entered for either of those!
Morgen: I think the 2010 winner Howard Jacobson was an exception rather than a rule. And the lovely Hilary Mantel before him (who I met on the ‘Beyond Black’ book tour).
Erastes: It’s probably an unpopular opinion, but I think the majority of the awards, particularly the online ones are for the authors rather than for the readers. I’d never bother for example to go and look at the IPPY or the EPIC winners to find my next good read.
Morgen: Do you have an agent? Do you think they’re vital to an author’s success?
Erastes: Getting an agent is HARD. It’s harder than getting published, particularly for genre fiction. Any half-decent writer can get published in gay romance, but you have to provide something different for an agent. First of all, the agent has got to think that he’s going to make money—which even for a midlist author’s 10-15% is pushing it. Or you’ve got to have a startling new idea, new approach, or a good take on the same old guff that’s already popular. I do have an agent, but it’s taken me since 2003 to get one. Obviously, having read as much advice and “how to get published” books and websites I thought that getting an agent was the first thing you did. But of course gay romance was pretty much “out there” in 2003—particularly gay historical romance. No one seemed to know what to do with a gay regency! So, once I realised that I could sell stuff on my own, I decided to just do that, even though I never stopped searching for an agent. I landed mine (Professor James Schiavone) last year and his criteria for new clients was (apart from him liking your work) that you already had a decent publishing history. I would definitely say: “Don’t stress getting an agent.” Work on your body of published works, or concentrate on getting published—but—in tandem—keep applying for agents as you go because the more of a fanbase you develop and a name you make, the more likely it is that an agent is going to look at your query. They aren’t essential, particularly for genre fiction BUT they can oil the wheels. They can get access to publishers who won’t even open your query email, they have contacts in the film business and they—if they are any good—know everyone who needs knowing.
Morgen: It’s not what you know… Are your books available as eBooks? If so what was your experience of that process? And do you read eBooks?
Erastes: Most of my books are available as ebooks as well as in print—the technology has been developing since I started writing—when I first started up they were almost unknown: Torquere did their anthologies on CD for example, and my only claim to fame is that I turned down Ellora’s Cave for Standish to be their first gay romance because I didn’t want the book to be ebook only… I have very mixed views on the medium. I embrace it as a necessity but tear my hair out at the pirating. You only have to go to some sites such as demonoid to find absolutely anything you desire, you need never buy a book again, and you can’t tell me that’s a good thing. It’s all right for Jim Butcher to say “I don’t mind the pirates” because he’s earning hundreds of thousands if not more and if he loses say 10,000 copies to pirates, he won’t feel the loss of £10,000. But I look at the downloads of my books and there’s a mortgage payment I could have made, or the shopping for the week. It’s relative. I agree, not every pirated copy would have been a sale, but a fair proportion would have been, and that’s lost money for me and my publisher. As to ebook sales—well, I’ve been disappointed. I know for a fact—whenever I mention this online—that most people’s ebook sales outstrip their paper ones, but it’s very much the reverse for me. I have had two “ebook only” books so far and they’ve sold practically nothing—one book made $60 royalty in three years(!!) and the other hasn’t even repaid its measly advance. HOWEVER- I have another “ebook only” novella coming out with Carina Press next month (Muffled Drum—4th July) so I hope that I’ll see a marked improvement there. I’ve just sold them a second novella, so I’m crossing my fingers that my ebook curse will be well and truly lifted.
Morgen: Me too!
Erastes: I do, however, buy and read ebooks. Aleksandr Voinov recently treated me to a Kindle (bless him) because of the huge to be read pile I had for Speak Its Name (my gay historical review site) and it’s really been a boon. I’ve only had it a few months but it’s already filling up! The free books at Amazon are great!
Morgen: Presumably no-one bothers pirating those. What was your first acceptance and is being accepted still a thrill?
Erastes: My very first sale was with Torquere Press—and a short story called Bright Souls. I think I got $10 for it. It was a huge, huge thrill. Then I sold it again to a “Best Gay Erotica” anthology and got $40 for it and framed the cheque. Every single sale is a buzz, and I hope to God I never get blasé about it. I read in a magazine years ago how one author mentioned in the article always celebrated a sale in the same way, so I do too, with nice fizzy Cava (I’m not earning enough for champagne!). I think it helps to keep a sense of celebration to do that.
Morgen: Have you had any rejections? If so, how do you deal with them?
Erastes: LOL—that’s part of the business. I used to be hugely sensitive about being rejected, or criticised in any way, but you have to learn to suck it up in publishing. You are going to get rejected and sometimes it will be a positive rejection, such as “beautifully written and of the period but we would find it impossible to place in our catalogue” but sometimes you’ll get form rejection after form rejection where they can’t even be bothered to write your own name—and just call you “Dear Author…” And there are worse rejections than that, believe me. I was lucky that I’ve never had a gay short story rejected and I wrote a ton of those while I was trying to sell Standish. That was rejected about 30 times, if not more. I cope by whining. But always off line and to personal friends. I say “what’s the matter with these people?” and then I put on my Big Girl’s Knickers and get on with it. If there’s critique I’ll either take it on board or think they are bonkers, I’ll rewrite if necessary and then I’ll send it out again. I have dabbled in the mainstream and fantasy short story market, (although I’ve actually never mentioned this to anyone excerpt one good friend) and have been soundly rejected there. It’s a much bigger, much tougher and harder market to crack. My mother wrote a book once, and after one rejection she threw the manuscript into a drawer and vowed never to put herself through that again. I don’t recommend this.
Morgen: Me neither. If you quit too easily then you’re not mean to be a writer. What are you working on at the moment / next?
Erastes: I’m three-quarters through a gay fiction novel set in 1921 England. It’s very very loosely based on Hamlet, that is to say, it’s taken some influences from the play, but not all of them. It’s called “I Knew Him” and I don’t know how I’d categorise it. There’s a love story, definitely, and murders, but it’s not a murder mystery. I’m aiming to get that finished by September which should—hopefully—give me four months to get another novella written. I try and aim for producing two books a year. I’ve written so many bleak books over the last couple of years that I’d like to write something FUN next, a bit of a romp with no bleakness!!
Morgen: I’ve done http://nanowrimo.org (50,000 words every November) three times and certainly for the first two I wanted to do something light and wrote a lad lit 53K in 2008 (which I plan to release as an ebook), a 117K chick lit in 2009 (since down to 105K, for which I’m looking for an agent) but the third was very dark and therapeutic so is probably a WNSLOD (will never see light of day) one. Ooh and they’re doing a Camp NaNoWriMo (http://www.campnanowrimo.org) in July… eek that’s tomorrow – oh well, nothing like a challenge, and I’m on a 2-part writing course this weekend so that’s a good head start. Do you manage to write every day? What’s the most you’ve written in a day?
Erastes: I aim for writing five days a week. I’m lucky enough not to work, as I look after my father, who has Alzheimer’s, five days a week. Sometimes it works and I can reach my 1000 a day target, but sometimes I do other things, like this interview! Or simply goof off on the internet all day.
Morgen: Oh that’s alright, it’s called research.
Erastes: The only good thing about it is that the reception for the internet is patchy at best, so that helps me stop the rabid procrastination. Sometimes though, Dad is time-consuming, which is fine, that’s what I’m there for, and I get nothing done at all. I think, when I was writing Standish was my peak time. That book just poured out of me like a torrent, and I’d write 5-10k in a day without a break. I’ve never had that level of inspiration and productivity since.
Morgen: That’s a shame, you’d have been the perfect NaNo candidate. What is your opinion of writer’s block? Do you ever suffer from it? If so, how do you ‘cure’ it?
Erastes: No, I’m very rarely blocked. Not if you define it as not being able to write anything, and you stare at a sheet of blank paper in desperation. But I do get periods of feeling completely averse to wanting to write anything—usually if I’m in a patch of a book where I don’t want to deal with something. “I Knew Him” is a good example, I started it in June last year, didn’t get it finished by the end of the year, and knew I had to do several complicated things with the plot. So I put it aside. Then I had two months of massive edits for two books that came out this year, so I used that as an excuse not to write them, then I just didn’t write anything for another two months. I get around it by setting myself small writing targets. Write a short story for an anthology, write targets of 300 words a day, then 500 and so on, and eventually the plot will start coming back. And TALKING to people about it really helps, brainstorming. If I mull it over in my own head I get nowhere, but if I talk out loud about it—to my Dad who can’t remember the beginning of the conversation when you get to the end—the solution can suddenly come to me.
Morgen: Ahhh… Do you plot your stories or do you just get an idea and run with it?
Erastes: I’m a dreadful pantser and make most of it up as I go along. I start with a general idea—the theme, or a character or “set in the English Civil War”. I have a general idea how to start, e.g. with Standish I knew I wanted to do a sort of homage to the regency romance, so I knew I wanted a blond rather delicate hero who would be repulsed by the uber-alpha hero but of course falls in love with him. I knew I wanted a cinematic beginning, pulling in to the blond hero sitting at a desk, but further than that, I had no idea. Once I set the scene, I let the characters and the conversation lead the way.
Morgen: As they do.
Erastes: Actually, the ends of my books are the hardest to write, because by then I know what’s going to happen, and once I know, I find it difficult to write down and wish someone else would do it.
Morgen: I’ll have a go. Do you have pieces of work that you think will never see light of day?
Erastes: Not original, no. I have just sold the last malingering novel that I thought would never sell, as it’s a tragedy. I was trying to get the agent to sell it to a major publisher but although they uniformly liked it, no-one was prepared to take on such a bleak subject. But happily he’s now found a home for it, and I don’t have anything in “stock” as it were.
Morgen: You’re lucky I have over 100 short stories that are ‘in progress’ (so old they’re positively cryptic).
Erastes: I would love to publish a fanfic I wrote called “Shoulders of Giants” because I think it’s one of the better things I wrote back then, but the work involved in converting it to original fiction would be more than I could bear to do, as it would entail creating a whole new universe for it so it wouldn’t be recognisable as fanfic.
Morgen: Would that be a bad thing? What’s your favourite / least favourite aspect of your writing life?
Erastes: My favourite two things are 1. Finishing something. I get a “mad-dog-super-waggy-tail” feeling and want to rush round in circles. This lasts usually one—two days and then I get THE GLOOM of “God I have to start something else.”
Morgen:
Erastes: My other favourite thing is something happening you were completely not expecting, such as in Standish where a character had only been introduced to die a few chapters later in mistaken identity circumstances, promptly refused to be killed and took over the whole last half of the book!
Morgen: Apparently that’s what happened with JK Rowling and The Deathly Hallows.
Erastes: Least favourite. Being uncomfortable with sitting. I have swollen legs and it can be very painful to sit for long periods.
Morgen: Presumably you’ve tried the putting your feet up thing. If anything, what has been your biggest surprise about writing?
Erastes: Fanmail! If you had told me, in 2003 that people would be finding my email address and emailing me and telling me how much they liked my work I’d have laughed at you. Reader’s letters are the Best Thing Ever. It has spurred me into always writing to authors, no matter how mighty they are, because I’m sure they still must get a kick out of it.
Morgen: Not thought of that, although it does make sense. It’s like learner drivers, we all started somewhere. What advice would you give aspiring writers?
Erastes: Be professional. It might not seem important, especially now as you are just starting out but it’s never too early to be professional. Get a website. Not a weebly or a freeserve thing—it doesn’t cost much to get that domain registered and pay yearly for space. Keep it updated and include your blog on it. It’s never too early to start building “platform” even if you haven’t sold anything yet. Don’t bitch about people, or rejections, or publishers on a public forum (and this includes so called private yahoo groups, because people will always share bad behaviour). Don’t insult other professionals on Facebook or Twitter, because you’ll be the one who looks like a twit.
Morgen: I like that.
Erastes: Nowadays the first place a publisher or an agent will go is online to find out about you after he gets a query he’s interested in. If he reads nothing but bile and bitchery—however amusing that might be to the people you blog to, or how much notoriety you might be enjoying because of it—he might think twice about working with you. (Unless of course, you intend to publish a Louella Parsons style of caustic humour!)
Morgen: Er… ah, American gossip columnist of the 1940s / 1950s – thanks Wikipedia.
Erastes: Always reply to readers and others such as publishers, even if they are being critical, with a calm “thank you for reading” and never bang on about how they are too dense to understand your genius. Don’t argue with reviewers, or post rants about them in public. Sit on your hands before firing off comments on some controversial subject—believe me, it’ll be better in the long run!
Morgen: What do you like to read?
Erastes: Oh, anything! I’ll read the instructions on bleach if I’m stuck in the loo for any length of time.
Morgen: I keep pens/paper and usually a dip-into book; currently a ‘Quick Read’ about true work experiences edited by Val McDermid.
Erastes: I read huge amounts of gay historical fiction for reviewing, but I’m partial to a bit of well-written fantasy for my comfort reads. Things like Tolkein and George RR Martin, Jim Butcher, Robin Hobb. I never throw a book away (apart from the Wraethlu which I sent packing via Bookcrossing.com) and I re-read all the time. I love classic children’s books like Ballet Shoes, and The Treasure Seekers and the Borrowers and the Narnia books. But I also love good sci-fi that’s not too sci-focussed, like Heinlein. And Agatha Christie. I own everything she ever wrote. So, yeah. I can be found with almost anything in my hand.
Morgen: Are there any writing-related websites and/or books that you find useful and would recommend?
Erastes: Well, as a historical writer research is foremost in my mind when I’m working, so I always have etymology online open in my tabs. Similarly the Oxford English Dictionary which UK library cardholders can access free (probably in other countries too?) which I’ll double check the etymology online reference, but the latter is more accessible, to be honest. As for books, I can’t really say I’ve read any “how to” ones, as I get just about everything online! But here are a few very useful ones: (not strictly writing-related, but very useful)
- Debretts – forms of address
- wages and money
- Measuring Worth – Measures of worth, inflation rates, saving calculator, relative value, worth of a dollar, worth of a pound, purchasing power, gold prices, GDP, history of wages, average wage
- And because everyone deserves a game to procrastinate with and solitare is so last century, here’s my current favourite waste of time. Miami Shark
Morgen: Mine’s ‘Drop Words’, one of the few games on my mobile. Are you on any forums or networking sites? If so, how invaluable do you find them?
Erastes: LOL- I’m on everything, I think, although I don’t use half of them. I find Twitter very handy, after months of saying “I don’t get it.”
Morgen: You’re not alone. I’ve grown very fond of it after a few months of not really doing much with it.
Erastes: Now I do, because I use Tweetdeck and each message is updated as it comes in, you don’t have to use the website. It’s invaluable for getting your news out fast, although you may have to repeat it every couple of hours—but it’s also fantastic for a quick research resource: “hey does anyone know a drug that would make someone hallucinate?” or “What’s the German for unnatural?” and questions like that.
Morgen: Unmoeglich is the first thing that springs to mind but my brother (who lives in Zurich) and German friend (and Google) would probably correct me. Ah, of course, it’s unnatuerlich (doh, natural = natuerlich). I’m so rusty. Where can we find out about you and your work?
Erastes: Everything you need to know is on my website at www.erastes.com. Some of the graphics might be invisible with some browsers, I’m in the process of having a new one made. (I do have a Wiki page, too, but I don’t know who created that, so I don’t know how up to date that is)
Morgen: Ooh, I’d love one of those but then I need to have done something. What do you think the future holds for a writer?
Erastes: Oh, the future’s pretty bright. People will always want to read, however the medium to do that changes, and with independent publishers springing up all the time, and with self-publishing now cheap and easy, it’s very easy to get into print. It all depends on how much you want from it, and how hard you are prepared to work.
Morgen: Yes, you definitely get more out the more you put in. Is there anything else you’d like to mention?
Erastes: 1. Find good Beta readers. 2. Read read read – especially in the genre you want to write in. 3. And write write write, even if it’s not great yet. You’ll only get better by practice. Don’t go saying “one day I’ll write that book.” Start it today, it won’t get published in your head. 4. Expect everything to take TIME, publishing isn’t a quick business. I’ll shut up now.
Morgen: Please don’t, it’s been fun. Thank you.
Erastes is the penname of a female author who lives on the Norfolk Broads in England. She writes gay historical fiction and reviews it on Speak Its Name. She used to work in the legal profession but found that it gave Wolfram & Hart and bad name. She likes cheese and cats but only one of those is any good with toast.
MB: If you pick off the hairs.
***
If you are reading this and you write, in whatever genre, and are thinking “ooh, I’d like to do this” then you can… just email me and I’ll send you the information. They do now (January 2013) carry a fee (£10 / €12.50 / $15) for the new interviews on this blog but everything else (see Opportunities on this blog) is free.
If you go for the interview, it’s very simple; I send you a questionnaire (I have them for novelists, short story authors, children’s authors, non-fiction authors, and poets). You complete the questions, and I let you know when it’s going to go live. Before it does so, I add in comments as if we’re chatting, and then they get posted. When that’s done, I email you with the link so you can share it with your corner of the literary world. And if you have a writing-related blog / podcast and would like to interview me… let me know.
Alternatively, if you’d like a free Q&A-only interview, I now have http://morgensauthorinterviews.wordpress.com on which I’ve rerun the original interviews posted here then posted new interviews which I then reblog here. These interviews are Q&A only, so I don’t add in my comments but they do get exposure on both sites.
** NEW!! You can now subscribe to this blog on your Kindle / Kindle app!
See http://www.amazon.co.uk/gp/product/B008E88JN0
or http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B008E88JN0 for outside the UK **
You can sign up to receive these blog posts daily or weekly so you don’t miss anything. You can contact me and find me on the internet, view my Books (including my debut novel, which is serialised on Novel Nights In!) and I also have a blog creation / maintenance service especially for, but not limited to, writers. If you like this blog, you can help me keep it running by donating and choose an optional free eBook.
For writers / readers willing to give feedback and / or writers wanting feedback, take a look at this blog’s Feedback page.
As I post an interview a day (amongst other things) I can’t unfortunately review books but I have a list of those who do. I welcome critique for the four new writing groups listed below and / or flash fiction (<1000 words) for Flash Fiction Fridays. For other opportunities see (see Opportunities on this blog).
The full details of the new online writing groups, and their associated Facebook groups, are:
We look forward to reading your comments.
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Welcome to the thirty-fifth of my blog interviews with novelists, poets, directors, bloggers, autobiographers and more. Today’s is with urban fantasy / paranormal writer Mary Ann Loesch. If you like what you read, please do go and investigate the author further. A list of interviewees (blogged and scheduled) can be found here.
Morgen: Hello, Mary Ann. Please tell us something about yourself and how you came to be a writer.
Mary Ann: Like many writers, I’ve been writing from a young age. I dabbled in it through out high school and college, but
it wasn’t until seven years ago that I really got serious about it. That’s right about the time my daughter was born, and I experienced a crazy burst in creative energy. Must have been all the hormones!
Morgen: Not having children, I don’t think I can attribute mine to my dog. What genre do you generally write and have you considered other genres?
Mary Ann: I consider myself an urban fantasy writer who also dabbles in stories with paranormal elements. Occasionally, I will write other things, but I can always feel the creepy spirit or fantastical witch calling me back to them.
Morgen: I like my dark side too. What have you had published to-date? How much of the marketing do you do?
Mary Ann: I’ve published several short stories and my novel, Nephilim, will be coming out on July 18 through Lyrical Press Inc. I’m also involved with two anthologies that will be available later this year, which I’m really excited about. One is called Red Reader #1 and features a funny, non-fantasy story called Stealing Jesus. The other is called All Things Dark and Dastardly and contains several of my darker short stories. Marketing is such a tricky thing! I find myself spending a lot of time on it. Unfortunately, I’m one of those people who loves to write, but has a tough time taking the first step to connect with others. I always have the feeling that there isn’t much interesting about me so why would anyone want to know the facts and details of my life? However, as a writer, you have to let go of those fears and insecurities and learn to promote yourself.
Morgen: And you’ve let go here. Do you have an agent? Do you think they’re vital to an author’s success?
Mary Ann: I currently do not have an agent. This is such a big question right now in the business. Just how important is that agent? Well, I just saw a whole series of Tweets on it that were from an agent stating exactly all the million things they do for writers. Ultimately, I think it depends on what you want as a writer. If you are looking to have the next best seller on the NY Times list, then yes, get an agent. They have connections to publishing houses that will assist you. They can negotiate contracts, edits, and publicity—all the things many writers don’t want to deal with. I do think the role of the agent is going to change in the next few years because so much is happening in the publishing industry right now. If you aren’t as concerned about the bestseller thing, many small presses will publish quality work without the author having an agent. And of course, there is the self-publishing route. No need for an agent at all in that scenario, though I feel it’s vital to have a professional editor look over your work before you self publish.
Morgen: I couldn’t have put it better myself. Are your books available as eBooks? If so what was your experience of that process? And do you read eBooks?
Mary Ann: Nephilim will be available as an eBook. It’s a new process for me so I’m not sure what to make of it yet. I have read a few eBooks and believe this is an exciting new avenue for publishing.
Morgen: Absolutely. It’s a hot topic at the moment (especially in the forums, on Twitter etc). Speaking of hot, how yummy is your cover? OK, back to business. Serious face, wipe the drool… What was your first acceptance and is being accepted still a thrill?
Mary Ann: My first acceptance was for a short story I wrote a million years ago when I was in college. I still get that same thrill of excitement when a story gets accepted.
Morgen: Half a million in my case. Have you had any rejections? If so, how do you deal with them?
Mary Ann: I’m pretty sure my middle name is rejection.
Morgen: A lot of writers clearly have cruel parents.
Mary Ann: At first, it was hard to take, but receive enough of them, and they suddenly stop being so personal. The ones I value are the rare letters that explain why they passed on a story or what didn’t connect with them. Those are the rejections you can learn from. I’m a big believer in constructive criticism.
Morgen: Me too. What are you working on at the moment / next?
Mary Ann: Currently, I’m working on a young adult novel set in the bayou of Louisiana. I have an editor who is slashing away at it right now with red ink.
Morgen: Me too, too. Do you manage to write every day? What’s the most you’ve written in a day?
Mary Ann: Writing every day is a huge task. I try to do it, but sometimes life gets in the way. I do have a day job that keeps me busy so I write in the wee hours of morning when my family is still sleeping.
Morgen: I’m a morning person (Morgen means morning in German). What is your opinion of writer’s block? Do you ever suffer from it? If so, how do you ‘cure’ it?
Mary Ann: Writer’s block stinks! Oh how I wish I didn’t suffer from it, but from time to time, I do. It doesn’t last very long normally. Sometimes a good night’s sleep or just taking a break from the work helps. I’m so jealous of people who never face this particular stumbling block.
Morgen: Other interviewees recommending mixing writing topics. Do you plot your stories or do you just get an idea and run with it?
Mary Ann: I use to never plot out my stories. I liked the idea of just writing and writing until it was done which could take a really long time. As I’ve progressed as a writer though, I’ve found that I work best with a short synopsis at my side. So I’ll write that out—it’s usually pretty rough—and then start working from there. When writing a novel, I write the first draft fast and furious.
Morgen: Do you have pieces of work that you think will never see light of day?
Mary Ann: Of course! I have pieces of work that should never see the light of day because they are so bad!
Morgen: I have a few of those although I’m hoping that with experience there’s some mileage in them. What’s your favourite / least favourite aspect of your writing life?
Mary Ann: Time. There is just never enough of it.
Morgen: Oh yes, I know that feeling. Are there any writing-related websites and/or books that you find useful and would recommend?
Mary Ann: I have to shamelessly plug my writing group’s blog All Things Writing. We cover a variety of topics designed to help writers. You can visit us at http://www.allthingswriting.blogspot.com.
Morgen: Shameless writing-related plugs always welcome. In which country are you based and do you find this a help or hindrance with letting people know about your work?
Mary Ann: I am based in the USA, specifically Texas. Nope. I do not wear a cowboy hat or boots. Or eat my young. Unless they are really bad…
Morgen: That’s funny. Are you on any forums or networking sites? If so, how invaluable do you find them?
Mary Ann: I am on Twitter and Facebook. At first, I wasn’t sure how useful they were going to be, but as I got better at using them, I found them to be a great way to meet other people and exchange ideas. I think social networking is a must for writers. It’s a simple way to build up your courage and get the word out about your projects.
Morgen: Absolutely. If you don’t talk to anyone how will they know that you have something they may be interested in (but a mix of chat and plug is important, too much plug and you’ll lose their interest; I’m letting everyone off lightly so far as my books aren’t available yet) . Where can we find out about you and your work?
Mary Ann: You can find me at www.maryannloesch.com or follow me at Twitter (@maryannloesch) or Facebook me.
Morgen: You have a lovely-looking site. Thanks so much Mary Ann.
***
If you are reading this and you write, in whatever genre, and are thinking “ooh, I’d like to do this” then you can… just email me and I’ll send you the information. They do now (January 2013) carry a fee (£10 / €12.50 / $15) for the new interviews on this blog but everything else (see Opportunities on this blog) is free.
If you go for the interview, it’s very simple; I send you a questionnaire (I have them for novelists, short story authors, children’s authors, non-fiction authors, and poets). You complete the questions, and I let you know when it’s going to go live. Before it does so, I add in comments as if we’re chatting, and then they get posted. When that’s done, I email you with the link so you can share it with your corner of the literary world. And if you have a writing-related blog / podcast and would like to interview me… let me know.
Alternatively, if you’d like a free Q&A-only interview, I now have http://morgensauthorinterviews.wordpress.com on which I’ve rerun the original interviews posted here then posted new interviews which I then reblog here. These interviews are Q&A only, so I don’t add in my comments but they do get exposure on both sites.
** NEW!! You can now subscribe to this blog on your Kindle / Kindle app!
See http://www.amazon.co.uk/gp/product/B008E88JN0
or http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B008E88JN0 for outside the UK **
You can sign up to receive these blog posts daily or weekly so you don’t miss anything. You can contact me and find me on the internet, view my Books (including my debut novel, which is serialised on Novel Nights In!) and I also have a blog creation / maintenance service especially for, but not limited to, writers. If you like this blog, you can help me keep it running by donating and choose an optional free eBook.
For writers / readers willing to give feedback and / or writers wanting feedback, take a look at this blog’s Feedback page.
As I post an interview a day (amongst other things) I can’t unfortunately review books but I have a list of those who do. I welcome critique for the four new writing groups listed below and / or flash fiction (<1000 words) for Flash Fiction Fridays. For other opportunities see (see Opportunities on this blog).
The full details of the new online writing groups, and their associated Facebook groups, are:
We look forward to reading your comments.
Tags: agent, Amazon, author, author spotlight, Barnes & Noble, biographers, biography, books, characters, children’s, creative writing, crime, critique, erotica, Facebook, fantasy, feedback, fiction, Goodreads, guest blog, guest blog post, guest post, historical, interview, Kobo, LinkedIn, literature, Mary Ann Loesch, Morgan Bailey, morgen bailey, Morgen with an e, multi-genre, murder mystery, non-fiction, Northampton, novelist, novels, paranormal, paranormal romances, pinterest, poetry, poetry collections, publisher, rejection letters, rejections, romance, science fiction, second person viewpoint, self-publishing, short story group, Smashwords, story author, story authors, story writer, submissions, Twitter, urban fantasy, vampire, western, writer, writing, writing competitions, writing events, writing group, writing magazines, YA, youtube
Welcome to the thirty-fourth of my blog interviews with novelists, poets, directors, bloggers, autobiographers and more. Today’s is with historical novelist / poet Terry L White. If you like what you read, please do go and investigate the author further. A list of interviewees (blogged and scheduled) can be found here.
Morgen: Hi Terry. Please tell us something about yourself and how you came to be a writer.
Terry: I always loved reading, especially stories where women triumph in other times. Some of those early reads
helped me to understand that I too had stories to tell and gave me the incentive to go ahead and try. Here I am 18 books later with three more in production. Who could ask for anything more?
Morgen: Absolutely. Most advice I’ve had within these blog interviews is to read (especially Stephen King’s ‘On Writing’). What genre do you generally write and have you considered other genres?
Terry: I have written mostly historical novels, with one how-to and a couple of volumes of poetry and short story collections. There was one suspense/mystery novel that I wrote on a dare. I hear it was pretty good, but I didn’t feel called to work in that direction. I love to read horror such as the books Robert McCammon and Stephen King write, and have written some short stories in that vein, but I am not sure I could sustain the genre for an entire book.
Morgen: What have you had published to-date? How much of the marketing do you do?
Terry: Wow. I have published a lot: A three-volume (The Last Priestess, Nazca Star, Bride of the Condor) story about a priestess who serves in the temple of the Moon Goddess in pre-Colombian Peru; two volumes of short stories (Crazy Quilt and Random Apples), a couple of books of poetry (Runaway Hearts, Myth to Me), a novel of reincarnation (Ancient Memories), a 
five-soon-to-be-six volume set of novels based on the history of the Eastern Shore of Maryland that follows the stories of a family of women who live on the same plantation at some point during their lives… a how-to for event planning. There is a contemporary novel called Drama Queen Rules that makes me feel very hopeful about the future. I could go on….
Morgen: Please do. Have you won or been shortlisted in any competitions and do you think they help with a writer’s success?
Terry: The Bride of the Condor series was nominated for an Eppie under the name of The Last Priestess and a couple of my short stories received editor’s choice awards. Did they help? They helped keep me on task and taught me not to doubt my powers and call to be a writer.
Morgen: Absolutely. There’s nothing quite like an ‘expert’ confirming your ability to spur you on. Do you have an agent? Do you think they’re vital to an author’s success?
Terry: I have had agents without success. I think the right agent at the right time might be helpful, but publishing has changed so much and there are so many writers out there, a genie might be more useful!
Morgen: I’m hearing this a lot although no-one’s mentioned a genie before. Are your books available as eBooks? If so what was your experience of that process? And do you read eBooks?
Terry: Yes, my books are also e-books. My publisher posts e-book files when she lists print copies on Amazon and other sites, so I don’t find it significantly alters the experience of being published. I spend so much time at the computer, I really prefer reading a real book. Don’t have a Kindle yet – still a starving artist!
Morgen: Starving after 18 books… oh dear. What was your first acceptance and is being accepted still a thrill?
Terry: Gosh. The first story? That was Harvest Dance published in American Squaredance, a publication that did not print fiction, but they must have felt the story was pretty authentic! (I had worked in a square dance band as a bass player for years.) They paid me $125 for that story back in early 80s! That was a fortune back then. Connie Foster was the first publisher to “buy” a book. She was a pioneer in the e-book field with http://www.ebooksonthe.net and she accepted several of my books right off the bat. I didn’t know what to think. No one had heard of e-books at that time. She published nine of my books that first year! Connie sold her company to Arline Chase of during her final illness. (Mrs. Chase publishes pretty much anything I send her way – which doesn’t say I don’t try to make each story better than the last!) I am most thrilled when I hold a new volume in my hands, sit down, turn the pages and read. Then I sometimes wonder where the story came from.
Morgen: That’s the mystical side of writing that thrills me. Have you had any rejections? If so, how do you deal with them?
Terry: Oh Boy! I received and burned a three-inch stack of rejection letters when a friend had a summer bonfire a few years back. I believe that NO does not mean that my work is bad – it just doesn’t fit someone’s list for one reason or another.
Morgen: Absolutely I’ve heard a top short story writer has destroyed hers but I prefer to see how far I’ve come. What are you working on at the moment / next?
Terry: Whew. I am working on the sixth in my Chesapeake Heritage Series. I pretty much followed a timeline with this series: Chesapeake Harvest is the story of Mary Charles, who comes to the colony as an indentured servant. Chesapeake Legacy is the story of Heron, a half-breed woman who is driven from the settlement when it became illegal for native persons to live in Eastern Shore towns. Chesapeake Destiny is Jane’s story. Set in the Revolutionary War period, it spotlights domestic abuse and the area’s history as the breadbasket of the war. Chesapeake Visions tells the story of Jewel, a blind woman who must learn to live without slaves after the Civil War. Vienna Pride tells the tale of Mary, a cannery girl who finds herself in a stalker’s scope during the troubling times of WW1. First Waltz is the story of Susie, who meets an Army private from upstate New York who is guarding German prisoners of war during WW2. I am also working on a pictorial history of the area with a well-known local historian and my third volume of poetry.
Morgen: I think I need a lie down. Do you manage to write every day? What’s the most you’ve written in a day?
Terry: I try, however the best laid plans oft gang awry… But it doesn’t matter how much one writes in a day. It could be just one sentence, if it is the right sentence. (I think Hemmingway or maybe Faulkner said that…)
Morgen: I’m not sure. Probably Hemingway but I’ve had a quick look online and couldn’t find anything. What is your opinion of writer’s block? Do you ever suffer from it? If so, how do you ‘cure’ it?
Terry: A writer’s block means something else is going wrong in my life and when I figure that out, the block usually goes away. I spent several years as a newspaper reporter (and photographer!) at a small town daily and I figured out pretty quickly that if deadline is 9 a.m. you better be at your desk at 6 a.m. if you want to tell the stories that need to be told that day because if you don’t, the afternoon paper from the town down the road will scoop the news and your editor will have a fit. If you can write for a deadline, how can you give much credence to a writer’s block?
Morgen: There is that. Do you plot your stories or do you just get an idea and run with it?
Terry: For me, a story ready to be told takes on a life of its own. I just sit down and take dictation.
Morgen: Me too, although I can’t remember the last time I used my dictation machine. Do you have pieces of work that you think will never see light of day?
Terry: For sure. Some of them were lost on the journey. Others have been re-written. Some hit the circular file.
Morgen: We call it the ‘round file’ in the UK. What’s your favourite / least favourite aspect of your writing life?
Terry: Marketing is hard for me. I wish I were better at it. It doesn’t seem to be the task I was called to do.
Morgen: Me neither but I think writers these days need to be resigned to marketing being part of their life. What advice would you give aspiring writers?
Terry: First, there are no free rides. If you want to write, learn the rules and use them well – unless breaking them will make the story better. Buy a good grammar guide and commit it to memory. Write every day. Produce clean manuscripts. Your publisher is not going to fix anything, so your mistakes remain your mistakes. Don’t quit your day job.
Morgen: Does that mean that you haven’t? Wow. And what do you like to read?
Terry: I love Stephen King, John Saul, Robert McCammon, Ken Follett, Rutherford: people who write really quirky or deeply historical stuff. I try not to read the same sort of book I am writing so I don’t accidently pick up anything that doesn’t belong to me! I read Gone With The Wind over and over, and all the novels my folks brought into the house during the 50s and 60s.
Morgen: I’ve not even yet watched the film. It’s being shown at my local pub soon but it’s on a Monday when I have my writing group. Are there any writing-related websites and/or books that you find useful and would recommend?
Terry: I found the most encouragement at the International Women’s Writing Guild conferences. You can learn more about this fantastic organization and all it offers at: http://www.iwwg.org/get-involved.
Morgen: Ooh that’s new to me, thanks. Are you on any forums or networking sites? If so, how invaluable do you find them?
Terry: I am on Facebook and it picks up my blogs. Most comments come from people I already know, but my books are online via a number of vendors so I don’t always know if someone has purchased them.
Morgen: Where can we find out about you and your work?
Terry: There are many editions on my blog at: www.terrylwhitesblog.blogspot.com. I also have a presence at 
Amazon.com, etc. I try to post wherever there is an opportunity. Look for my work at www.ebooksonthe.net, Cambridge Books, Barnes and Noble, www.ereader.com, www.writewordsinc.com, Mobipocket, www.filedby.com, http://www.ask.com/web?q=Terry+L%2e+White&o=15116&l=dis&qsrc=2871, http://www.midshorelife.com/article/meet-local-author-terry-l-white , http://www.authorsden.com/visit/author.asp?id=119738
Morgen: My goodness, I feel tired just looking at all your achievements. This is probably a silly question on reflection but how do you feel about being a writer?
Terry: I always wanted to write and spent years learning the craft. When I started, a lot of people thought I was crazy, and perhaps I was, but I loved writing and deep in my heart I knew it was what I was supposed to do with my life – no matter who said I was going to starve to death. More than 40 years later, I am still at it, and can’t imagine life without my work. I would encourage others to find their calling, it will make the world a happier place.
Morgen: Absolutely. I used to temp and would work with staff who used to complain about their jobs but do nothing about it but I’ve been in that position since then it’s easier said than done. Thank you so much Terry.
Author Terry L. White, was raised in the Appalachian Mountains in Pennsylvania. The eldest of eight children, she dreamed of being a writer and made up stories to amuse herself and her siblings. Of European and Native American descent, she grew up with the family legends of being Abraham Lincoln’s relative; of ancestors arriving in the New World as indentured servants, and of abandoned coal mines that burned forever underground on the mountain overlooking her childhood home. Terry’s fascination with history, folk art and ways, and New Age philosophy provide her with much of the material she incorporates in her work. She has published hundreds of short stories, articles, poems and songs and more than a dozen novels.
***
If you are reading this and you write, in whatever genre, and are thinking “ooh, I’d like to do this” then you can… just email me and I’ll send you the information. They do now (January 2013) carry a fee (£10 / €12.50 / $15) for the new interviews on this blog but everything else (see Opportunities on this blog) is free.
If you go for the interview, it’s very simple; I send you a questionnaire (I have them for novelists, short story authors, children’s authors, non-fiction authors, and poets). You complete the questions, and I let you know when it’s going to go live. Before it does so, I add in comments as if we’re chatting, and then they get posted. When that’s done, I email you with the link so you can share it with your corner of the literary world. And if you have a writing-related blog / podcast and would like to interview me… let me know.
Alternatively, if you’d like a free Q&A-only interview, I now have http://morgensauthorinterviews.wordpress.com on which I’ve rerun the original interviews posted here then posted new interviews which I then reblog here. These interviews are Q&A only, so I don’t add in my comments but they do get exposure on both sites.
** NEW!! You can now subscribe to this blog on your Kindle / Kindle app!
See http://www.amazon.co.uk/gp/product/B008E88JN0
or http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B008E88JN0 for outside the UK **
You can sign up to receive these blog posts daily or weekly so you don’t miss anything. You can contact me and find me on the internet, view my Books (including my debut novel, which is serialised on Novel Nights In!) and I also have a blog creation / maintenance service especially for, but not limited to, writers. If you like this blog, you can help me keep it running by donating and choose an optional free eBook.
For writers / readers willing to give feedback and / or writers wanting feedback, take a look at this blog’s Feedback page.
As I post an interview a day (amongst other things) I can’t unfortunately review books but I have a list of those who do. I welcome critique for the four new writing groups listed below and / or flash fiction (<1000 words) for Flash Fiction Fridays. For other opportunities see (see Opportunities on this blog).
The full details of the new online writing groups, and their associated Facebook groups, are:
We look forward to reading your comments.
Tags: agent, Amazon, author, author spotlight, Barnes & Noble, biographers, biography, books, characters, children’s, creative writing, crime, critique, erotica, Facebook, fantasy, feedback, fiction, Goodreads, guest blog, guest blog post, guest post, historical, interview, Kobo, LinkedIn, literature, Morgan Bailey, morgen bailey, Morgen with an e, multi-genre, murder mystery, non-fiction, Northampton, novelist, novels, paranormal, paranormal romances, pinterest, poetry, poetry collections, publisher, rejection letters, rejections, romance, science fiction, second person viewpoint, self-publishing, short story group, Smashwords, story author, story authors, story writer, submissions, Terry L White, Terry White, Twitter, vampire, western, writer, writing, writing competitions, writing events, writing group, writing magazines, YA, youtube
Welcome to the thirty-third of my blog interviews with novelists, poets, directors, bloggers, autobiographers and more. Today’s is with memoirist / non-fiction and short story author Boyd Lemon. If you like what you read, please do go and investigate the author further. A list of interviewees (blogged and scheduled) can be found here.
Morgen: Hello, Boyd. Please tell us something about yourself and how you came to be a writer.
Boyd: After a 40-year career as a nationally recognized attorney in my field (legal ethics and malpractice) and 
writing a book on my specialty, I was encouraged by a mentor to write fiction. I wrote more than a dozen short stories and recognized a deep calling to re-invent myself as an artist as I neared retirement from the law. Following my heart led me to face a painful past, which became the subject of my memoir. The journey as an artist began in the idyllic coastal town of Ventura, California, then on to the venerable literary, music and art scenes of Boston, and finally to living the dream life of many an artist, a Bohemian year on the Left Bank in Paris, with a final few months in the hills of Tuscany before returning to California. Once I started writing, my passion, combined with years of discipline as a professional, gained the notice of world-renowned writer and teacher, Natalie Goldberg, who invited me to her prestigious year-long workshop for writers in Taos. In a way, my life began at 67.
Morgen: I like that. Mine began then in my late 30s. What genre do you generally write and have you considered other genres?
Boyd: So far I have written short fiction, personal essays, a little poetry and a memoir. I am currently working on another memoir. I long to write a novel, and I wouldn’t rule out any genre.
Morgen: Me neither, although I’m not sure I could do sci-fi/fantasy justice. What have you had published to-date? How much of the marketing do you do?
Boyd: My memoir, Digging Deep: A Writer Uncovers His Marriages (2011); a collection of short stories, Unexpected Love and Other Stories (2011); four short stories in print (2007-2010) and several more on line (2009 and 2010); two personal essays on line (2010); a poem that appears on a calendar (2008); and the book on legal malpractice, Evaluating A Malpractice Case Against A Lawyer (2006). I did no marketing until I finished my memoir. Since then I have done virtually all of it.
Morgen: I’m guessing that the answer to my next question will be “no”, but do you have an agent? Do you think they’re vital to an author’s success?
Boyd: No, I don’t, and I don’t think they are vital to an author’s success, but they are helpful to authors who are well-known or who can garner an agent’s interest in his or her work.
Morgen: Are your books available as eBooks? If so what was your experience of that process? And do you read eBooks?
Boyd: I think eBooks are the greatest thing that has ever happened to the unknown writer because it is a medium in which work can be published at no or little cost without need for an agent or a publisher. All three of my books are available as eBooks. I can sell them inexpensively that way and still make a small profit. I haven’t had a long enough experience yet to know how it will work out. I read eBooks on my computer for the first time when I lived in Europe in 2010 because it was awkward to carry a bunch of books around on my travels, and I read a lot. I finally bought a Kindle about a month ago. I still enjoy print books, but I also like reading books on my Kindle, especially when I travel.
Morgen: A ‘win win’ situation. What was your first acceptance and is being accepted still a thrill?
Boyd: A short story that was accepted for publication in a relatively obscure literary magazine was the first. After dozens of rejections, it was a tremendous thrill. And yes, it is still a thrill. Getting these works ready for possible publication seems analogous to giving birth to a baby (though, of course, I haven’t had that experience). The pain is of a different sort, but pain there is; and it seems like a miracle to see it in print.
Morgen: I haven’t had that experience either but I know which I’d rather go through (my dog is sprawled on my lap, like a baby, as I type this). Have you had any rejections? If so, how do you deal with them?
Boyd: Many, and I learned early on, thankfully even before I received the first, that it is just part of the process. My first one was disappointing, but now I can’t even feel disappointment. The thrill of acceptance is still there though.
Morgen: Very wise. I was a bit like that; disappointment with the first couple but after that I was just pleased that someone was reading my work and if it wasn’t for them, that was fine. What are you working on at the moment / next?
Boyd: Another memoir, this one on something to do with my retirement, but I haven’t settled on a theme. I’m just writing whatever comes into my head right now.
Morgen: Sounds like a good plan to me. Do you manage to write every day? What’s the most you’ve written in a day?
Boyd: I write almost every day. I wrote about 6,000 words one day (and night), but that has only happened once. A few hundred words is typical. Much of it never sees the light of day, however.
Morgen: Even if that’s the case (which would perhaps be a shame), it’s all good practice; honing your craft. What is your opinion of writer’s block? Do you ever suffer from it? If so, how do you ‘cure’ it?
Boyd: I have never suffered from writer’s block. I make sure I write something every day, no matter what. I often write whatever comes into my head, sometimes just looking around the room I am in, or wherever I am, and describing what I see. Usually, when I do that, something more active comes to mind, but not always.
Morgen: And do you plot your stories, Boyd, or do you just get an idea and run with it?
Boyd: I usually have a general idea of a plot, but then I run with it, and it almost always changes as I write, especially with the second draft.
Morgen: I think most people would agree with that (and no doubt later drafts). Do you have pieces of work that you think will never see light of day?
Boyd: Many!
Morgen: Ah yes, you did say earlier. What’s your favourite / least favourite aspect of your writing life?
Boyd: Proofreading is my least favourite; the first draft, the really creative part, is my favorite.
Morgen: Again, I think that would be the general consensus. What advice would you give aspiring writers?
Boyd: Oh, there is so much. I’ll select two points. Write something every day no matter what, and finish what you start, no matter what. I have observed that the majority of people who start to write something, especially a book length work, never finish it. Maybe it is better to start with shorter works. That is what I did, and it served me well. Writing my memoir as my first work would have been too overwhelming for me.
Morgen: Shorter works (fiction) are my first love. What do you like to read?
Boyd: Memoir, novels, history, personal essays, biography and short stories. I think though that I’m going to expand my horizons into fantasy and horror—just for fun.
Morgen: Some reading this may not class ‘horror’ fun but I’m a former Stephen King (still respect, but don’t read, him) fan so I’m with you. Are there any writing-related websites and/or books that you find useful and would recommend?
Boyd: http://www.writersdigest.com. Poets and Writers Magazine. For books, any book on writing by Natalie Goldberg, and On Writing by Stephen King.
Morgen: If I had a pound (or dollar, I’m not fussy) for every time someone mentioned ‘On writing’… In which country are you based and do you find this a help or hindrance with letting people know about your work?
Boyd: The United States for now, and since that is my native country, I think it helps. I can only write in English. Also, memoir is more popular in the United States than in any other English-speaking country, and that is what I am writing now.
Morgen: It is popular here too (especially misery memoirs) although a lot of ‘celebrities’ have jumped on that bandwagon. Are you on any forums or networking sites? If so, how valuable do you find them?
Boyd: I am, and I think they are invaluable for promoting writing, if used properly, but very time consuming. They are also wonderful for receiving support from other writers.
Morgen: Where can we find out about you and your work?
Boyd: The best place is my website, where my books are described and excerpted. Two chapters and an excerpt of another chapter of my memoir, Digging Deep: A Writer Uncovers His Marriages, about my journey
to understand my role in the destruction of my three marriages, are on my website. http://www.BoydLemon-Writer.com. I also write three blogs, one on travel, http://www.boomertravelblog.com; one on divorce recovery, http://www.DivorceRecoveryResources.com; and one on lawyer’s malpractice, http://www.legalmalpracticeadvice.com. Finally, I write a weekly column for an online magazine, titled Amigos 805, http://www.amigos805.com.
Morgen: And you have time to write? Finally, what has been your biggest surprise about the writing life?
Boyd: How helpful and supportive other writers are and how necessary it is to reach out to other writers and feel that support.
Morgen: Hear, hear. Thank you so much Boyd. All the best with everything from here on.
***
If you are reading this and you write, in whatever genre, and are thinking “ooh, I’d like to do this” then you can… just email me and I’ll send you the information. They do now (January 2013) carry a fee (£10 / €12.50 / $15) for the new interviews on this blog but everything else (see Opportunities on this blog) is free.
If you go for the interview, it’s very simple; I send you a questionnaire (I have them for novelists, short story authors, children’s authors, non-fiction authors, and poets). You complete the questions, and I let you know when it’s going to go live. Before it does so, I add in comments as if we’re chatting, and then they get posted. When that’s done, I email you with the link so you can share it with your corner of the literary world. And if you have a writing-related blog / podcast and would like to interview me… let me know.
Alternatively, if you’d like a free Q&A-only interview, I now have http://morgensauthorinterviews.wordpress.com on which I’ve rerun the original interviews posted here then posted new interviews which I then reblog here. These interviews are Q&A only, so I don’t add in my comments but they do get exposure on both sites.
** NEW!! You can now subscribe to this blog on your Kindle / Kindle app!
See http://www.amazon.co.uk/gp/product/B008E88JN0
or http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B008E88JN0 for outside the UK **
You can sign up to receive these blog posts daily or weekly so you don’t miss anything. You can contact me and find me on the internet, view my Books (including my debut novel, which is serialised on Novel Nights In!) and I also have a blog creation / maintenance service especially for, but not limited to, writers. If you like this blog, you can help me keep it running by donating and choose an optional free eBook.
For writers / readers willing to give feedback and / or writers wanting feedback, take a look at this blog’s Feedback page.
As I post an interview a day (amongst other things) I can’t unfortunately review books but I have a list of those who do. I welcome critique for the four new writing groups listed below and / or flash fiction (<1000 words) for Flash Fiction Fridays. For other opportunities see (see Opportunities on this blog).
The full details of the new online writing groups, and their associated Facebook groups, are:
We look forward to reading your comments.
Tags: agent, Amazon, author, author spotlight, autobiography, Barnes & Noble, biographers, biography, books, Boyd Lemon, characters, children’s, creative writing, crime, critique, erotica, Facebook, fantasy, feedback, fiction, Goodreads, guest blog, guest blog post, guest post, historical, interview, Kobo, LinkedIn, literature, Morgan Bailey, morgen bailey, Morgen with an e, multi-genre, murder mystery, non-fiction, Northampton, novelist, novels, paranormal, paranormal romances, pinterest, poetry, poetry collections, publisher, rejection letters, rejections, romance, science fiction, second person viewpoint, self-publishing, short stories, short story group, Smashwords, story author, story authors, story writer, submissions, Twitter, vampire, western, writer, writing, writing competitions, writing events, writing group, writing magazines, YA, youtube
Welcome to the thirty-second of my blog interviews with novelists, poets, directors, bloggers, autobiographers and more. Today’s is with suspense author Peter Pollak. If you like what you read, please do go and investigate the author further. A list of interviewees (blogged and scheduled) can be found here.
Morgen: Hello Peter. Please tell us something about yourself and how you came to be a writer.
Peter: I first wanted to become a writer about the time I stopped wanting to be a professional baseball player. 
I wasn’t ready, however, to produce anything worthwhile. I had to learn how to write, which I did initially for academic and for newspaper audiences. Writing non-fiction carries over I believe to writing fiction because you learn how to present information concisely, how to make a convincing argument, how to structure your presentation and how to use vocabulary properly. When I retired a few years ago I decided to take my desire to write fiction seriously.
Morgen: I think any kind of writing helps another. The more you write, the tighter you get (certainly in my case anyway). What genre do you generally write and have you considered other genres?
Peter: My debut novel, The Expendable Man, is a suspense story. I’m working on a mystery and have started more than one fantasy novel. As you can see my problem is not a lack of ideas, but the need to make choices and stay focused.
Morgen: Some of the authors I’ve interviewed to-date have said they switch projects when they get stuck (mostly in answer to the writer’s block question) but it doesn’t work with everyone. What have you had published to-date? How much of the marketing do you do?
Peter: The Expendable Man was published earlier this year (2011). Since it is self-published, I’m doing all the
marketing myself. I’ve put out press releases, contacted independent bookstores, started a blog about writing (which is hooked into Twitter) and I’m working on public appearances – book signings and talks to book clubs and other organizations.
Morgen: I’d be interested in knowing where you sent the press releases (overseas? online?). I really like your book cover, by the way. Do you have an agent? Do you think they’re vital to an author’s success?
Peter: I don’t have an agent. If I were much younger, I might have gone that route, but I’m not as much interested in earning a living with my writing as gaining satisfaction by producing quality stories which people enjoy reading.
Morgen: Are your books available as eBooks? If so what was your experience of that process? And do you read eBooks?
Peter: Before it came out in print my book became available in e-book form with the help of Smashwords. Contrary to what others report, I’m selling more print than digital copies. That may be a function of how I’m marketing the book. I’m not certain. I have the Kindle software on my Mac, but I have such a large (and growing) pile of books printed on paper to read that it may be years before I buy an Ipad or a Kindle.
Morgen: Ah, a fellow Mac fan. What are you working on at the moment / next?
Peter: I started two mysteries some years ago and have picked one to finish. I call it “In the Game”. I’m finding that writing a mystery is harder than writing suspense. I’ve gained a tremendous appreciation for good mystery writing. My deadline for finishing the book is the end of the summer.
Morgen: Do you manage to write every day? What’s the most you’ve written in a day?
Peter: I have an established work pattern. I start each work session by editing what I wrote the previous session and then add on to it. I try to write every day, but I don’t beat myself up if I miss a day or two.
Morgen: As long as it stays at two? What is your opinion of writer’s block? Do you ever suffer from it? If so, how do you ‘cure’ it?
Peter: IMHO writers block is what happens when you put undue pressure on yourself. I did a lot of sales in my business career. I learned that I did a poor job of selling when I focused on why I needed to make the sale instead of whether I could meet the needs of each customer. The same holds true for writing. When I focus on what the reader needs to know in order to enjoy reading the story, I have no problems “producing”.
Morgen: IMHO? Ah yes, in your humble opinion. No, I agree. Do you plot your stories or do you just get an idea and run with it?
Peter: When I started trying to write, I would get an idea and run with it. Every time I would come to a dead end. Ideas are not stories. Unless I know where my story is going and how I’m going to get there, I’m lost.
Morgen: Do you have pieces of work that you think will never see light of day?
Peter: Many. I’ve gone back to some earlier attempts and tried to make them work. Most of them have no future because they were just an image or an idea. Ideas are cheap. Don’t fall in love with a character or idea. Try to be objective. If something is not working, ask yourself why. Read Michael Chabon’s essay “Wrecked” or Lynn Freed’s “On False Starts” in Writers Workshop in a Book if you suspect you’ve spent too much time on trying to make a story work.
Morgen: Yes, I have a few of those. What’s your favourite / least favourite aspect of your writing life Peter?
Peter: I love the satisfaction of hearing from people who like what I’ve written. Next to that I love the satisfaction of having moved a story closer to the goal posts. I wish I didn’t have to spend so much time learning how to market my self-published works, but I know that’s unrealistic and probably wrong-headed.
Morgen: What advice would you give aspiring writers?
Peter: Find three or four other writers to critique your work in exchange for agreeing to comment on theirs. When you agree to critique someone else’s work, you see things you overlook when you read for pleasure. That will help you with your own writing. Also, tell those who read your work they can’t use the work “like” when they report back to you. In other words, ask for concrete comments, such as “I didn’t understand George’s motivation when he dumped Mary” or “Why do I need to know so much about the house Jeanne and her friends are living in?”
Morgen: What do you like to read?
Peter: Fiction – speculative fiction, fantasy and mysteries. I don’t read a lot of contemporary “literary fiction,” although I have read some recently that I thought were excellent, including David Mitchell’s The Thousand Autumns of Jacob de Zoet and Abraham Verghese’s Cutting for Stone.
Morgen: David Mitchell’s book was one of Jane Davis’ favourites too (Bailey’s Writing Tips podcast special episodes 24-26). Are there any writing-related websites and/or books that you find useful and would recommend?
Peter: I have mentioned in my blog (http://expendableman.wordpress.com) some books by writers on writing that are like receiving on your birthday the gift you hoped your parents would buy you. I learned the most from those by Ursula LeGuin, Michael Chabon and Stephen King. Both Eats, Shoots and Leaves (by Lynn Truss) and How to Write Killer Fiction (by Carolyn Wheat) offer excellent advice.
Morgen: Ah, Stephen King again, he’s popular with my interviewees (especially his ‘On Writing’ book). In which country are you based and do you find this a help or hindrance with letting people know about your work?
Peter: I’m in the USA, but I have no thoughts about whether that helps or hinders my opportunities to gain an audience. Typical American, I suppose.
Morgen: Not necessarily, typical human perhaps? Are you on any forums or networking sites? If so, how invaluable do you find them?
Peter: My favourites are Goodreads’ Author’s Feedback Group and the Fiction Writers Guild on LinkedIn. The discussions are on point.
Morgen: Where can we find out about you and your work?
Peter: www.petergpollak.com
Morgen: Thank you Peter for adding me to your ‘Literary Links’ page. Is there anything else you’d like to mention?
Peter: We are in the beginning stages of a revolution in the world of publishing, one impact of which is that people who want to write have more opportunity today to find readers than ever before. I believe this period will produce great writing, which people will still be reading 100 years from now. We should all feel very excited and get to work.
Morgen: Absolutely, I am / I will. Thanks again Peter.
***
If you are reading this and you write, in whatever genre, and are thinking “ooh, I’d like to do this” then you can… just email me and I’ll send you the information. They do now (January 2013) carry a fee (£10 / €12.50 / $15) for the new interviews on this blog but everything else (see Opportunities on this blog) is free.
If you go for the interview, it’s very simple; I send you a questionnaire (I have them for novelists, short story authors, children’s authors, non-fiction authors, and poets). You complete the questions, and I let you know when it’s going to go live. Before it does so, I add in comments as if we’re chatting, and then they get posted. When that’s done, I email you with the link so you can share it with your corner of the literary world. And if you have a writing-related blog / podcast and would like to interview me… let me know.
Alternatively, if you’d like a free Q&A-only interview, I now have http://morgensauthorinterviews.wordpress.com on which I’ve rerun the original interviews posted here then posted new interviews which I then reblog here. These interviews are Q&A only, so I don’t add in my comments but they do get exposure on both sites.
** NEW!! You can now subscribe to this blog on your Kindle / Kindle app!
See http://www.amazon.co.uk/gp/product/B008E88JN0
or http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B008E88JN0 for outside the UK **
You can sign up to receive these blog posts daily or weekly so you don’t miss anything. You can contact me and find me on the internet, view my Books (including my debut novel, which is serialised on Novel Nights In!) and I also have a blog creation / maintenance service especially for, but not limited to, writers. If you like this blog, you can help me keep it running by donating and choose an optional free eBook.
For writers / readers willing to give feedback and / or writers wanting feedback, take a look at this blog’s Feedback page.
As I post an interview a day (amongst other things) I can’t unfortunately review books but I have a list of those who do. I welcome critique for the four new writing groups listed below and / or flash fiction (<1000 words) for Flash Fiction Fridays. For other opportunities see (see Opportunities on this blog).
The full details of the new online writing groups, and their associated Facebook groups, are:
We look forward to reading your comments.
Tags: agent, Amazon, author, author spotlight, Barnes & Noble, biographers, biography, books, characters, children’s, creative writing, crime, critique, erotica, Facebook, fantasy, feedback, fiction, Goodreads, guest blog, guest blog post, guest post, historical, interview, Kobo, LinkedIn, literature, Morgan Bailey, morgen bailey, Morgen with an e, multi-genre, murder mystery, mystery, non-fiction, Northampton, novelist, novels, paranormal, paranormal romances, Peter Pollack, pinterest, poetry, poetry collections, publisher, rejection letters, rejections, romance, science fiction, second person viewpoint, self-publishing, short story group, Smashwords, story author, story authors, story writer, submissions, suspense, thriller, Twitter, vampire, western, writer, writing, writing competitions, writing events, writing group, writing magazines, YA, youtube
Welcome to the thirty-first of my blog interviews with novelists, poets, directors, bloggers, autobiographers and more. Today’s is with humour writer Matt Goldberg. If you like what you read, please do go and investigate the author further. A list of interviewees (blogged and scheduled) can be found here.
Morgen: Hello, Matt. Please tell us something about yourself and how you came to be a writer.
Matt: My inclination is to say something quasi-cheesy such as “Writers are born, not made,” and there’s a kernel of truth to 
that. Writer has always been my favorite identity, as I don’t have enough game to be a professional athlete. I’ve been writing in some fashion since childhood, but have only written for publication in my own name since 2004. Me? I am a very serious person who is blessed and cursed with a hyperactive, often irreverent, sense of humor. I enjoy exploring these dualities, or more often, just letting them flow.
Morgen: Humour definitely helps with the pitfalls of the writing industry that we come in contact from time to time. What genre do you generally write and have you considered other genres?
Matt: Humor, if that’s a genre.
Morgen: It is but not a recognised enough one. I went to Oxford Lit Fest recently and Michael Rosen was saying that they’d created the Roald Dahl (whose writing I love and have especially fond memories as my dad had met him a few times… I’m good at going off at tangents) Funny Prize, although it’s aimed at children. There was some controversy at Howard Jacobsen’s The Howard Finkler Question winning The Booker Prize because it was humorous (bah humbug).
Matt: Tangents make life interesting…as do all these Howards and Finklers…where were we? As a speaker and as a writer, that’s my gift, if sometimes a crutch. I employ that gift / crutch in books about word play, humorous essays, eclectic sports writing, poetry, and more.
Morgen: What have you had published to-date? How much of the marketing do you do?
Matt: I have published four books, which are—starting with the most recent: All That Twitters is Not Goldberg: Truthful Humor from a Vindicated Columnist – iUniverse, 2011, Wordapodia, Volume One: an Encyclopedia of Real Fake Words – iUniverse, 2010, Mixed Emotions; Poetry for the Open-Minded – Infinity, 2005 and So So Wisdom: The Misplaced Teachings of So So Gai – Infinity, 2004.
Morgen: Do you have an agent? Do you think they’re vital to an author’s success?
Matt: No, I do not. I can’t answer the latter question, but do suspect that the right agent may be vital to one’s success—even my success. But, I’ve been lazy, and also fearful of going through the process of interviewing agents. Maybe, this interview can serve as a shortcut. If there are any (reputable, connected) agents who get what I do and want to represent me with great vigor and talent, please let me know.
Morgen: Are your books available as eBooks? If so what was your experience of that process? And do you read eBooks?
Matt: My latter two books—Wordapodia, Volume One and All That Twitters is Not Goldberg— are. I’m ashamed to say that I don’t own a Kindle or a Nook, or…Doesn’t Kindle-Nook sound Yiddish? I’m sure my e-book reading days are coming soon, though, if only for the vain exercise of reading my books on some kind of pad.
Morgen: That’s alright, you’re allowed not to have one. I bought the cheapest generic in case it ended up in a drawer and guess where it’s ended. What was your first acceptance and is being accepted still a thrill?
Matt: Human beings crave acceptance, and perhaps human writers especially do. Yes, that even applies to the iconoclasts and contrarians among us. Certainly, acceptance from the right sources still feels good. Our whole society now seems to be running off this concept with this strange, new world of likes, followers, fans…and maybe even disciples. Not sure if this is reassuring or rather pathetic, actually.
Morgen: Maybe a bit of both? Have you had any rejections? If so, how do you deal with them?
Matt: I deal rather poorly with them, but am learning to get better about trying things and not being dissuaded by a possible, lurking rejection. I probably know all the clichés about how to deal with rejection, but it’s been hard to re-wire my brain enough to embrace them. By the way, you will accept these answers, won’t you?
Morgen: Of course, you can say whatever you like, although I may refer to your earlier ‘Human beings crave acceptance’. What are you working on at the moment / next?
Matt: Lately, and extremely late-ly, I’ve been immersed in the more mundane marketing aspects of my writing career, including: polishing my website, adding blog posts, and also creating a newsletter. I continue to write my monthly Tip of the Goldberg anything-goes column for The Infinite Writer e-zine, and my weekly satiric (okay, fake) sports interview for philly2philly.com. I write sports articles for another publication as I wish, and am also planning a Volume Two of Wordapodia.
Morgen: Would that be http://www.philly2philly.com/sports/philly2phillycoms_phantasy_interviews by any chance?
Matt: Thanks for posting those links, Morgen.
Morgen: You’re very welcome.
Matt: Perhaps, I can also satirize the British soccer team’s exploits (lots of material there) one day.
Morgen: I don’t follow the sport (‘football’ over here) so feel free. Do you manage to write every day? What’s the most you’ve written in a day?
Matt: These days, I end up writing something almost every day, but I’m not all that regimented. As an insomniac without a true schedule, there’s not much of a difference between 3 AM and 3 PM. It’s hard to quantify what the most I’ve ever written in a day is, but I am a streak hitter, and can create a lot in a very short amount of time.
Morgen: I can when the email’s off. What is your opinion of writer’s block? Do you ever suffer from it? If so, how do you ‘cure’ it?
Matt: I don’t have any proven cures, but I am now better able to find the balance between taking it seriously (even, and especially, the humor) but not being crippled by perfectionism. Over the years, because I really do take this too seriously, I have been blocked in a million different ways. If I had any advice for people suffering from the same types of blocks, I would encourage each one not to take yourself too seriously, and to accord yourself the right to make mistakes…and some of those apparent mistakes may actually take you where you need to go.
Morgen: Not so thinly disguised as first drafts. Do you plot your stories or do you just get an idea and run with it?
Matt: Yes, and I believe that we should be allowed first drafts, and revisions, in our actions as well as our writing—provided what we say and do is not criminal or (irreversibly) hurtful in nature. As far as plotting is concerned, I’m not much of a plotter, or a plodder for that matter. I enjoy going with the flow, with an invisible hand guiding me. I also love when “happy accidents” (as I call them) come out of writing in real time.
Morgen: Do you have pieces of work that you think will never see light of day?
Matt: Other than my sculpted abs? I started a play/screenplay about 15 years ago that parodied my favorite movie. I wrote a few of the scenes in a day or so, and loved it, but something happened. Not sure it will be resurrected, which kind of saddens me, actually. Thanks for asking; I just may get to it now.
Morgen: Unseen sculpted abs, now that would be a waste. What’s your favourite / least favourite aspect of your writing life?
Matt: My favorite is the promise of making a living off my ideas, interests and skills. I am excited about all of the connections I have made already in what still is the infancy of my career —if not my life. Like many, I’m not in love with the uncertainty that it brings financially and otherwise. But that is the (small?) price to pay for the great freedom it affords.
Morgen: Absolutely. Although it would be lovely to have a second house in Brighton (or third in Cyprus), ticking over nicely in Northampton minus the day job (however much I like it) would be lovely. What advice would you give aspiring writers?
Matt: Be true to your own vision, and enjoy the journey and if you can, even the struggles. At the same time, be mindful of the business side of all this.
Morgen: Fantasy and reality (or historical/reality, humour/reality… you get the idea). What do you like to read?
Matt: I don’t read enough, quite frankly. I enjoy historical romances set in the Mesozoic Era. Not a well-known genre.
Morgen: Er…
Matt: Okay, this is a new genre I may have just created in deference to my three year-old boy’s love of dinosaurs.
Morgen: Sounds like a good plan to me.
Matt: Other than these Mesozoic period pieces, I read novels, essays and the occasional bio. Sometimes, I try to take inspiration from inspirational books; sometimes, it even works.
Morgen: In which country are you based and do you find this a help or hindrance with letting people know about your work?
Matt: I’m in the U.S. I can call this a hindrance (well, it may be a hindrance to truly original, thought at times) but I shouldn’t complain about that.
Morgen: Are you on any forums or networking sites? If so, how invaluable do you find them?
Matt: I’m on Twitter (http://twitter.com/tipofgoldberg) just starting to get into social networking, and am happy that we connected thru LinkedIn. Thank you for that.
Morgen: You’re very welcome. (Apart from the odd hiccup), it’s a great site.
Matt: I find this whole world a little strange, but it’s starting to make some sense. There are some incredible tools out there at our disposal now. I’ve even started to tweet a little, and am exploring Facebook, cautiously for now. This all runs against the grain of a person who wrote (in truth) All That Twitters is Not Goldberg, yet I’m starting to see that I almost have to network in these fashions if I don’t want to be a world-class talent that nobody even reads.
Morgen: Unless a writer writes for pleasure, I think that’s what we’re all after. For me certainly, I’d rather someone pay 99p for something and enjoy it than £6.99 and feel it wasn’t value for money (which of course I’m hoping wouldn’t be the case). Where can we find out about you and your work?
Matt: Please visit www.tipofthegoldberg.com for most of the answers. You’ll find a little of everything about my books (they make terrific gifts, by the way), speaking engagements, sports writing, custom writing and blogs.
Morgen: Is there anything else you’d like to mention or another question that you would have liked to be asked?
Matt: Yes. How’s your tennis game doing? Thanks for asking. I’m getting a higher percentage of my first serves in this year, but my net game has been quite erratic. On the other hand, my backhand—actually, it’s on the same hand, just the other side of it…er, Thank You, Morgen!
Morgen: My pleasure (yes, really!). My tennis, by the way, is like my bowling and pool – I start off well and go downhill or vice versa. Thanks again, it’s been fun.
Matthew J. (Matt) Goldberg, an author and speaker from Cherry Hill, NJ, loves to entertain people through his writing and public speaking. Laughs, Smiles and just enough Wisdom reach his audience through the magic of his written and spoken words. (His unwritten and unspoken words never did much for anyone.) Author of four books, including Wordapodia, Volume One: An Encyclopedia of Real Fake Words, Matt is a thinking man’s (and woman’s) humorist who offers a unique blend of stand-up comedy and inspiration. He is left-of-center, eclectic and a die-hard sports fan, and truly has a heart of Gold-berg, and loves to bring smiles to the world. Along with writing, Matt’s greatest joy is reading and goofing around with his (almost) three-year-old son, Benny. For more information, please write to matt@tipofthegoldberg.com.
***
If you are reading this and you write, in whatever genre, and are thinking “ooh, I’d like to do this” then you can… just email me and I’ll send you the information. They do now (January 2013) carry a fee (£10 / €12.50 / $15) for the new interviews on this blog but everything else (see Opportunities on this blog) is free.
If you go for the interview, it’s very simple; I send you a questionnaire (I have them for novelists, short story authors, children’s authors, non-fiction authors, and poets). You complete the questions, and I let you know when it’s going to go live. Before it does so, I add in comments as if we’re chatting, and then they get posted. When that’s done, I email you with the link so you can share it with your corner of the literary world. And if you have a writing-related blog / podcast and would like to interview me… let me know.
Alternatively, if you’d like a free Q&A-only interview, I now have http://morgensauthorinterviews.wordpress.com on which I’ve rerun the original interviews posted here then posted new interviews which I then reblog here. These interviews are Q&A only, so I don’t add in my comments but they do get exposure on both sites.
** NEW!! You can now subscribe to this blog on your Kindle / Kindle app!
See http://www.amazon.co.uk/gp/product/B008E88JN0
or http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B008E88JN0 for outside the UK **
You can sign up to receive these blog posts daily or weekly so you don’t miss anything. You can contact me and find me on the internet, view my Books (including my debut novel, which is serialised on Novel Nights In!) and I also have a blog creation / maintenance service especially for, but not limited to, writers. If you like this blog, you can help me keep it running by donating and choose an optional free eBook.
For writers / readers willing to give feedback and / or writers wanting feedback, take a look at this blog’s Feedback page.
As I post an interview a day (amongst other things) I can’t unfortunately review books but I have a list of those who do. I welcome critique for the four new writing groups listed below and / or flash fiction (<1000 words) for Flash Fiction Fridays. For other opportunities see (see Opportunities on this blog).
The full details of the new online writing groups, and their associated Facebook groups, are:
We look forward to reading your comments.
Tags: agent, Amazon, author, author spotlight, Barnes & Noble, biographers, biography, books, characters, children’s, creative writing, crime, critique, erotica, Facebook, fantasy, feedback, fiction, Goodreads, guest blog, guest blog post, guest post, historical, humor, humour, interview, Kobo, LinkedIn, literature, Matt Goldberg, Morgan Bailey, morgen bailey, Morgen with an e, multi-genre, murder mystery, non-fiction, Northampton, novelist, novels, paranormal, paranormal romances, pinterest, poetry, poetry collections, publisher, rejection letters, rejections, romance, science fiction, second person viewpoint, self-publishing, short story group, Smashwords, story author, story authors, story writer, submissions, Twitter, vampire, western, writer, writing, writing competitions, writing events, writing group, writing magazines, YA, youtube
Here are today’s beginnings to do with as you wish:
1527. It seems to me as if… (first person)
1528. You know you’ll be banned… (second person)
1529. Eric had got away with it so far… (third person)
1530. Typing carefully on the keyboard… (you can use any pov)
1531. It drives me mad when… (first person)
1532. You tug and tug… (second person)
1533. OK, so Geoff had lied on CV… (third person)
1534. The light flicked on, then off… (you can use any pov)
1535. I flick through the paper… (first person)
1536. You smile as the icon appears… (second person)
1537. Lindsey hoped he was a ‘lights off’ man… (third person)
1538. The material was frayed at the edges… (you can use any pov)
Each set contains for different points of view so if you are weaker at one than the others, you may like to try these first. One of my favourites is the second-person point of view which is rarely used and not particularly commercially welcomed. It’s where the narrator is talking to the reader (you) rather than talking about him / herself and I’d recommend anyone who’s not tried it before to do so. It may take a bit of getting used to but hopefully it’ll grow on you as much as it did me. You can read more starts here.
Tags: ideas, sentence beginnings, sentencestarts, Twitter, writing
Episode 34 (length 17m 06s) is now available (via iTunes, Google’s Feedburner, Podbean (when it catches up), Podcasters (which takes even longer!) or Podcast Alley (which doesn’t list the episodes but will let you subscribe)).
I started the podcast by detailing some more sci-fi / fantasy / horror websites and info. (listed on this blog at http://wp.me/p18Ztn-jx, where you can also see some related publications/websites at http://wp.me/p18Ztn-ji and competitions and submission opportunities http://wp.me/p18Ztn-jq.
I then provided a couple of writing suggestions before list seven sentence starts picked from my http://twitter.com/sentencestarts page; each one, if you’d like to use them, for a daily writing project: rewrite a historical story (or other genre) that you’ve written or that you know well (or perhaps a film you’ve seen) as a sci-fi, horror or fantasy story; and/or try really limiting yourself and write a self-contained 60- or 100- word sci-fi, horror or fantasy story and then turn it into another genre and/or beefing (not padding) it up into a longer piece. I then gave some genre-related quotes, ‘On this day in history’, ‘news and feedback’ (my blog interviews – see http://morgenbailey.wordpress.com/blog-interviews).
The last item of each weekly podcast is a piece of fiction – either flash or poetry and this episode’s was a piece of flash fiction I wrote as a 10-minute exercise some months back using the one-word prompt of ‘hedge’. It’s more of a children’s story but fits with this episode’s genre. I look forward to bringing you the next episode, which will be my interview with British crime novelist Adrian Magson (http://adrianmagson.com) – which will be released as special episode 28.
Tags: fantasy, flash fiction, horror, ideas, podcast, recommendations, sci-fi
Welcome to the thirtieth of my blog interviews with novelists, poets, directors, bloggers, autobiographers and more. Today’s is with YA / adult fantasy / paranormal romance author Jodine Turner. If you like what you read, please do go and investigate the author further. A list of interviewees (blogged and scheduled) can be found here.
Morgen: Hello, Jodine. Please tell us something about yourself and how you came to be a writer.
Jodine: I’ve been writing since I was in elementary school and encouraged to do so by my teachers. Throughout my life I’ve 
trained in a number of areas in the health care field (Ph.D. nurse, therapist, health educator), but writing has always been my passion. When I became ill in the mid-1990s I took the opportunity to begin writing my novels. I moved to Glastonbury, England, for a year. It’s one of my favorite spots on the planet, a place I became fascinated with after reading Marion Zimmer Bradley’s The Mists of Avalon. I wanted to immerse myself in the energy there, and do research, because many of my novels are set in Glastonbury. My very first novel was published by Glastonbury Press.
Morgen: What genre do you generally write and have you considered other genres?
Jodine: I write Young Adult and Adult fantasy, magical realism, and visionary fiction. With paranormal romance sub-genre. I have not considered other genres to be truthful. I love these genres, this is where I fit. I did so much non-fiction writing for my dissertation that I am happy now to be in a differently creative world, inspired in a totally different way. There could be another genre eventually because I never say never!
Morgen: What have you had published to-date? How much of the marketing do you do?
Jodine: The Awakening: Rebirth of Atlantis and The Keys to Remember. While these are the first and second novels in my 
Goddess of the Stars and the Sea trilogy, I wrote them to be stand-alone novels. The trilogy is an edgy saga of a young priestess who’s reborn during three different critical junctions in history in order to help humankind move through fearful and bleak times – the demise of Atlantis, the Dark Age’s suppression of the feminine, and today’s turbulent world. The novels are an adventure filled initiatory journey into the Mysteries of the Goddess and carry keys to embodying the ultimate magic – love, both human and divine.
Morgen: Are your books available as eBooks? If so what was your experience of that process? And do you read eBooks?
Jodine: Yes, they are available as e-Books, and I do read e-Books. My publishers submitted my books for eBook format, thank goodness, so I didn’t have to worry about the technicalities, the formatting, etc. But I understand it is much easier now to do on your own.
Morgen: You produce mp3 meditation CDs which you sell on your website, does that have any cross-over with your writing?
Jodine: Oh, yes! The theme of my novels is embodied love, both human and divine, as that is the ultimate magic and most powerful force there is. Given that, the mp3 meditations I made (some are free downloads), are practical tools meant to be stepping stones to help engender that embodied love within us. The Goddess of the Stars and the Sea from my novels is the divine feminine force of evolution. She inspires humanity during the turbulent times that precede radical change. The evolution She assists with is that of embodied love. We are called to participate in this change today, for the sake of our present day as well as our future. This evolution is about love changing how we respond to our world; love emanating from inside us out, into our behaviors, into our interactions with others. It is about balancing love that is deeply received and generously given; love that can actually change the very cells of our body. Embodied love is an evolution of both men and women, an evolution of the whole of humankind.
Morgen: You offer a meditational and spiritual teleconference service, have you ever been approached by any authors, perhaps with writer’s block?
Jodine: Most of the people interested in the teleconference classes want to learn how to balance the giving and receiving of love, and how that can help them in their lives, their relationships, their happiness. They want practical tools. This can apply in all sorts of situations, even writer’s block!
Morgen: Do you meditate before you write?
Jodine: I usually tune in. I try to get into my body, and out of my head. This helps my inspiration and creative flow. Sometimes I light a candle to focus my intention in the writing. I’ve been known to have a special rock, or seashell, or some such treasured object close by. A sort of good luck charm!
Morgen: Have you had any rejections? If so, how do you deal with them?
Jodine: This quote says it – “There’s nothing to writing. All you do is sit down at a typewriter and open a vein.” (sports writer “Red” Smith).
My gosh yes, I’ve had my fair share (I shamelessly admit!). It’s part of the process. Sometimes they hurt, sometimes I feel misunderstood…but I always know I am being given feedback that is important to look at to help my writing craft. I’ve developed a thick skin. It’s necessary in this business. That doesn’t mean rejections don’t affect me. But this is such a highly subjective business, and knowing that helps. When I found my niche, my readers, my publishers – those people who love and appreciate my work – well, then that just fills my heart with happiness and makes all the tears and upset worthwhile.
Morgen: What are you working on at the moment / next?
Jodine: I’m working on bringing out my next novel, Carry on the Flame: (Part One) Destiny’s Call. It releases August 1st. Carry on the Flame: (Part Two) Ultimate Magic, releases shortly thereafter, on October 31st, 2011. And the seeds of a new novel are beginning to emerge. Another magical realism novel that takes place…, you guessed it, in Glastonbury. I received glimpses of it when I sat in the Abbey ruins when I visited in January 2010.
Morgen: What advice would you give aspiring writers?
Jodine: As Joseph Campbell said, “Follow your bliss.” Keep true to your heart and your personal truth. And always polish your writing craft. Writers’ groups are so important. Don’t write without feedback. Your writing may be beautiful and make sense in your mind, but feedback is crucial. Readers are the important people here. And then once given feedback, filter it through your heart.
Morgen: Running two writing groups and belonging to two others, I couldn’t agree more. You’re based in Oregon, USA; do you find this a help or hindrance with letting people know about your work?
Jodine: “Aw, shucks and golly-gee…” We do have electricity and cable and internet here! I live near a city, but a sane distance away! In today’s world with the technology available to us, it really doesn’t matter where one lives.
Morgen: Absolutely, I’m so grateful to be a writer in this era. You married an Englishman, have you found any literary culture clashes?
Jodine: I met and married Chris in Glastonbury. He’s English and Welsh. There have been no literary clashes with us. Other types of clashes maybe! As Winston Churchill said, “We are two nations divided by a common language.” In so many instances, Chris and I had different cultural meanings for the same word. It was really funny. And it took some getting used to in the beginning of our relationship as we often had to explain what we were saying even though we both spoke English. But with his accent, I always listen even if I misunderstand!
Morgen: Yes, we do like each other’s accents, don’t we? Are you on any forums or networking sites? If so, how valuable do you find them?
Jodine: Yes. Connection with other authors, and readers especially, is important. This is how I found you, Morgen!
Morgen: Indeed. Where can we find out about you and your work?
Jodine: My website is: http://www.jodineturner.com, my blog: http://.www.visionaryfiction.blogspot.com, Facebook author page: http://www.facebook.com/JodineTurner.Author, On Goodreads: http://bit.ly/k1PPbJ, Jacketflap: http://www.jacketflap.com/drjodine / http://bit.ly/l1lVVs, Amazon’s author page: http://amzn.to/kzfNA7 and Twitter: http://www.twitter.com/JodineTurner
Morgen: Is there anything else you’d like to mention or another question that you would have liked to be asked (if so what would you have replied)?
Jodine: Yes, thank you. Here is a brief synopsis of my trilogy and its first two novels. The Goddess of the Stars and the Sea trilogy: The trilogy is an edgy saga of a young priestess who’s reborn during three different critical junctions in history in order to help humankind move through fearful and bleak times – the demise of Atlantis, the Dark Age’s suppression of the feminine, and today’s turbulent world. The novels are an adventure filled initiatory journey into the Mysteries of the Goddess and carry keys to embodying the ultimate magic – divine love.
Each novel in the trilogy can stand on its own. First in the trilogy is the highly acclaimed The Awakening: Rebirth of Atlantis. The second novel is the award winning The Keys to Remember. The third novel in the trilogy, Carry on the Flame: Part One Destiny’s Call, is already award winning and will be released August 1, 2011. Carry on the Flame: Part Two Ultimate Magic will be released October 31, 2011
The Awakening: Rebirth of Atlantis: It is human legacy to evolve spiritually. It is the role of the Goddess of the Stars and the Sea to assist in the transition. One such turning of the ages occurred in Atlantis… The final days of Atlantis are marked by deceit, lust, and greed. The once vibrant culture, blessed with advanced knowledge bestowed upon it by a race of star beings, now suffers with a corrupt governing body and a degenerate priesthood. The Awakening is the story of Geodran, a strong-willed priestess with ancestry from the stars who lives on the continent of Atlantis during the time leading to its destruction. The Goddess of the Stars and the Sea is awakened from Her dreamtime with the knowing that a change for humankind approaches. The Goddess intervenes to assist humanity, and calls upon the young priestess, Geodran, to be Her helper. Geodran struggles to fulfill a destiny larger than and in conflict with her own personal desires, a destiny bestowed upon her by her mother, the High Priestess Jaquine. In a moment of maternal desperation, Jaquine had promised her unborn child, Geodran, to the Goddess, in return for the baby’s safe birth, thus sealing her daughter’s fate. Geodran’s journey is a heroic quest to bring forth the next era of human civilization.
The Keys to Remember:
In this award-winning continuation of the ‘Goddess of the Stars and the Sea’ trilogy, humankind 
is once again on the threshold of a spiritual evolution. In fourth century Glastonbury, England, six year old Rhianna is kidnapped from her home and raised in a Christian Abbey but has never forgotten her grandmother’s prophecy –“Your destiny lies with the Goddess of the Stars and the Sea.” Rhianna alone must mid-wife the next stage of spiritual evolution, as dark times approach for humanity. Powerful forces within both the Abbey and the priestess community of Avalon conspire to keep Rhianna from her rightful destiny and her true love. The price of her heroic quest is far higher than she expects.
Morgen: Thank you Jodine. This has been really… would it be too corny to say “enlightening”. I wish you all the success with your forthcoming projects.
Jodine returns on Monday 15th August for part 2.
Jodine Turner is an author of YA/Adult fantasy, magical realism, and visionary fiction. She is also a therapist, a consecrated priestess, and a deacon in the Gnostic Church of Mary Magdalene. While living in Glastonbury, England, the ancient Isle of Avalon, Jodine began writing the Goddess of the Stars and the Sea trilogy. The novels are an adventure filled initiation into the Mysteries of the Goddess, the divine feminine, divine masculine, and sacred union. First in the trilogy is the highly acclaimed The Awakening: Rebirth of Atlantis. The second novel is the award winning The Keys to Remember. The third novel in the trilogy, Carry on the Flame: Part One Destiny’s Call, is already award winning and will be released August 1, 2011. Carry on the Flame: Part Two Ultimate Magic will be released October 31, 2011
***
If you are reading this and you write, in whatever genre, and are thinking “ooh, I’d like to do this” then you can… just email me and I’ll send you the information. They do now (January 2013) carry a fee (£10 / €12.50 / $15) for the new interviews on this blog but everything else (see Opportunities on this blog) is free.
If you go for the interview, it’s very simple; I send you a questionnaire (I have them for novelists, short story authors, children’s authors, non-fiction authors, and poets). You complete the questions, and I let you know when it’s going to go live. Before it does so, I add in comments as if we’re chatting, and then they get posted. When that’s done, I email you with the link so you can share it with your corner of the literary world. And if you have a writing-related blog / podcast and would like to interview me… let me know.
Alternatively, if you’d like a free Q&A-only interview, I now have http://morgensauthorinterviews.wordpress.com on which I’ve rerun the original interviews posted here then posted new interviews which I then reblog here. These interviews are Q&A only, so I don’t add in my comments but they do get exposure on both sites.
** NEW!! You can now subscribe to this blog on your Kindle / Kindle app!
See http://www.amazon.co.uk/gp/product/B008E88JN0
or http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B008E88JN0 for outside the UK **
You can sign up to receive these blog posts daily or weekly so you don’t miss anything. You can contact me and find me on the internet, view my Books (including my debut novel, which is serialised on Novel Nights In!) and I also have a blog creation / maintenance service especially for, but not limited to, writers. If you like this blog, you can help me keep it running by donating and choose an optional free eBook.
For writers / readers willing to give feedback and / or writers wanting feedback, take a look at this blog’s Feedback page.
As I post an interview a day (amongst other things) I can’t unfortunately review books but I have a list of those who do. I welcome critique for the four new writing groups listed below and / or flash fiction (<1000 words) for Flash Fiction Fridays. For other opportunities see (see Opportunities on this blog).
The full details of the new online writing groups, and their associated Facebook groups, are:
We look forward to reading your comments.
Tags: agent, Amazon, author, author spotlight, Barnes & Noble, biographers, biography, books, characters, children’s, creative writing, crime, critique, erotica, Facebook, fantasy, feedback, fiction, Goodreads, guest blog, guest blog post, guest post, historical, interview, Jodine Turner, Kobo, LinkedIn, literature, meditation, Morgan Bailey, morgen bailey, Morgen with an e, multi-genre, murder mystery, non-fiction, Northampton, novelist, novels, paranormal, paranormal romances, pinterest, poetry, poetry collections, publisher, rejection letters, rejections, romance, science fiction, second person viewpoint, self-publishing, short story group, Smashwords, story author, story authors, story writer, submissions, Twitter, vampire, western, writer, writing, writing competitions, writing events, writing group, writing magazines, YA, young adult, youtube
Overnight I received an email from http://jane-davis.co.uk (thanks Jane), with the following info.:
World Book Night 2011 is now a slightly distant memory but we’re enjoying watching the progress of the books registered on Book Crossing and hearing stories of the many different ways in which books and reading were celebrated as a result of World Book Night. We’re writing to everyone who’s registered with us – those who applied to be givers both successfully and unsuccessfully and those who’ve subsquently registered with the site – so that we can tell you a little more about next year and invite you to participate in our search to find the nation’s favourite books and ultimately help in choosing next year’s World Book Night titles. If you were a giver you’ll also be hearing from us again shortly to ask you to participate in a little research to find out more about your experiences, but if there’s something you want to tell us straight away you can always email info@worldbooknight.org.
Nation’s Favourite Books
For World Book Night 2012 we want to find out about the nation’s favourite books. We’re compiling the top 10s of thousands of readers to see what books people love to read, share and give and in September the lists will be compiled into a top 100 which will inform the choice of next year’s World Book Night titles. So tell us your favourite book and give it a chance to be shared with thousands on World Book Night next year.
How do I submit my favourite books?
1. Go to http://www.worldbooknight.org
2. Sign in or register as a user
3. Go to ‘My Favourite Books’ and type the titles and/or authors of your favourite books into the search box
4. Drag and drop to change the order of your favourites from 1 to 10. You can add more (or less) than 10 books but each book you add will replace the book at no. 10
5. You can change your list as many times as you like. We’ll be basing the final top 100 on everyone’s favourites at midnight on August 31.
6. Tell everyone you know – we want to collect as many lists as possible.
The date for World Book Night 2012 has moved to April 23rd – UNESCO’s appointed international day of the book – but not much else has changed. We’ll still be looking for 20,000 people to give away one of 25 specially chosen titles. The only difference this year is that givers will have a slightly more manageable 24 books to give away rather than 48 but we’ll be giving more away directly into prisons, hospitals, workplaces and through various partner organisations. We’re spending the summer compiling as many top 10s as possible and then in September will release a list of the top 100 (in alphabetical order). That will then inform the choice of the editorial committee (though we’re giving them a little freedom to add something they really feel should be included that hasn’t made the top 100) and the final list of 25 books will be released in mid-October.
http://www.worldbooknight.org: we’ve made a few changes to how the website works, you can now log in and connect via your Facebook profile, enter your top 10 and display it in your profile and you can see a constantly updating top 100 as more and more people add their favourite books. We’ve also added a blog and our intention is to use this quite simply to share our thoughts – on favourite books, on reading, on libraries, bookshops, new releases, prizes, trends, events and anything else that takes our fancy and we think might interest you.
Independent Booksellers’ Week, National Reading Group Day and We Love This Book
Not only is this week Independent Booksellers’ Week, tomorrow is also the inaugural National Reading Group Day and the launch of a great new quarterly magazine simply entitled We Love This Book. So visit your local bookshop (where you should be able to pick up a free copy of WLTB), sign your reading group up at http://www.readinggroups.org and with the weather finally set fair sit back and enjoy a really great back.
Tags: novels, recommendations, World Book Night
SCIENCE FICTION & FANTASY
- www.writesf.com is a free online ‘Writing Science Fiction and Fantasy’ course: The course is “for aspiring young writers of all ages. It began as an interactive TV show, broadcast via satellite into middle school classrooms as part of a publicly funded distance-learning network called MCET (Massachusetts Corporation for Educational Telecommunications).” The quick launch ‘getting started’ set of 4 pages literally tells you how to write a story from scratch and is split into ‘what you need’, ‘story elements’, ‘you must work it out’ and ‘once you’ve finished’. Probably the most useful page is the ‘course outline’ as you can click to any section of the course. It’s split into ‘quick launch’, ‘on writing science fiction and fantasy’, ‘deeper dimensions of sf/fantasy/storytelling’, ‘getting from idea to story’, ‘world building’, ‘creating human characteristics’, ‘creating human characters’, ‘aliens and other creatures’, ‘conflict and plot’, ‘language and style’, ‘seven deadly perils of style’, ‘research and believability’, ‘finishing’, ‘rewriting’, ‘writing workshop’, ‘getting published: trial by fire’, ‘resources for writers’, ‘recommended s/f and fantasy reading’ and finally ‘about this course’ (the introduction I listed above).
- www.philipkdick.com is the official site of SF writer Philip K (Kindred) Dick. It contains a biography, details of his novels and stories, essays and other works, films, media-related articles, and fan site/forum. Wikipedia’s http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Philip_K_Dick makes interesting reading.
- http://www.ebookcrossroads.com/science-fiction-writing.html has a great list of writing resources including writer’s workshop, pitfalls of writing sf/fantasy and much more.
- http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ray_bradbury is Wikipedia’s page on Ray Bradbury and lists his ‘Farenheit 451′ which is on my (rather large) book pile to read.
- http://www.scifi.fictionfactor.com is “the online magazine for sci-fi writers”. You can look at articles, market listings, their bookstore, other links and subscribe to their free newsletter.
- I would say that ‘http://writingscifi.com’ would be the perfect website for writers of that genre but it doesn’t exist. May you could buy it?
- Should you know a thing or two about the military then http://www.military-sf.com could be the site for you. The front page has tips on writing the genre and even to me, who doesn’t write or read it, it makes interesting reading.
- http://io9.com/5106135/science-fiction-novelists-reveal-their-daily-writing-routines is another fascinating read. The first paragraph reads “Isaac Asimov awoke each morning 6 AM and worked well into the night, sometimes churning out entire books in a matter of days. Kingsley Amis’ writing binges were fueled by nicotine, alcohol, and numerous cups of tea, while surrealist Haruki Murakami claims to work himself into a routine-induced trance. Take a gander at how some of science fiction’s most famous writers have organized their days and kept their creative juices flowing.”.
HORROR
- http://horror.fictionfactor.com “every month we will feature tips on writing horror fiction, articles on improving your horror writing craft, how to write a horror novel, getting your horror published, promoting and marketing your fiction and much more”.
- http://www.scribblepad.co.uk/WritingHorrorStories.html is a page of horror writing tips under headings of ‘guts and gore sell…but not always’, ‘characters have to be relatable’ and ‘story lines must be fresh’.
- http://www.horror.org/writetips.htm is the writing tips page of the Horror Writers Association. At the bottom of the home page is a list of 38 writing-related sites.
- http://essentialwriters.com/styles-of-writing/horror-writing is an article by horror writer Andy Kirby on writing this genre. The Essential Writers website is “for all kinds of writers, by all kinds of writers” so do take a look around it. The home page has a variety of articles including one by poet/prose writer Noel Williams on “the importance of continually striving to improve your writing, to bypass the mediocre and attain the exceptional”.
- http://www.guardian.co.uk/books/booksblog/2009/sep/23/sexism-horror-novels-row is an interesting article entitled ‘Sexism in horror novels: the real monsters aren’t the ones you think – The row raging over sexism in the British Fantasy Society’s new horror anthology is only part of the story’.
- Every year there’s a http://worldhorrorconvention.com and next year (2012) will be held in Salt Lake City, USA.
MIXED GENRE WEBSITES (in alphabetical order)
- http://www.365tomorrows.com is “a collaborative project designed to present readers with a new piece of short speculative ‘flash’ fiction each day. Using the broad palette of science fiction, our vision of the future creates a diverse pool of stories with something for everyone to enjoy”.
- http://www.broaduniverse.org is “an international organization with the primary goal of promoting science fiction, fantasy, and horror written by women. Anyone excited about that project is welcome to join us. If you would like more info., email info@broaduniverse.org or check our resources pages.”
- http://www.bsfa.co.uk is the website of The British Science Fiction Association (BSFA). You can sign up to a free newsletter via the website, check out events via the calendar, join the association or the forum.
- http://clarkeaward.com/Home.aspx is the website for ‘The Arthur C Clarke Award’ “the official site of the UK’s Premier Prize for Science Fiction Literature.
- http://darkscribepress.com/pages.php?page_id=17 explains the requirements for this US small press which publishes a horror magazine (1,000-7,000 word short stories), anthologies and novels.
- If you’re at all interested in writing science fiction, take a look at http://www.scificonventions.com. It lists hundreds of sci-fi conventions and might inspire you. A similar site is http://www.worldcon.org.
- http://www.mjengh.com is the website of quirky sci-fi writer Mary Jane (MJ) Engh.
- http://www.mythsoc.org/awards lists the awards presented by the Californian-based Mythopoeic Society. Who? I hear you ask… “The Mythopoeic Society is a non-profit organization promoting the study, discussion, and enjoyment of fantastic and mythic literature through books and periodicals, annual conferences, discussion groups, awards, and more. We are especially interested in the works of J.R.R. Tolkien, C.S. Lewis, and Charles Williams, prominent members of the informal Oxford literary circle known as the ‘Inklings’ (1930s-1950s).” So, now you know. You can read more about the ‘Inklings’ on http://www.mythsoc.org/inklings.
Tags: fantasy, horror, recommendations, sci-fi, websites, writing
Do familiarise yourselves with the sites before submitting so you get a feel for what they’re looking for. Also don’t part with any money if you’re not comfortable of their legitimacy; I try my best to bring you genuine opportunities but unless I enter them myself (which I’m rubbish at doing) then can’t promise and details do change so do check them just before you submit.
- http://www.albedo1.com/index.html is the website for the Aeon Award. The deadline is November each year but there are three rounds of submissions (31st March, 30th June and 30th September) with winners from each round being shortlisted towards the main award. Entries can be any length up to 8,000 words and sent to Aeon Award, 8 Bachelor’s Walk, Dublin 1,Republic of Ireland or e-mailed to fraslaw@yahoo.co.uk. Each entry costs €7 (c. £5). Full terms and conditions on their website. The Writers’ News (back in Nov 08) added that the Albedo One Magazine is always open to submissions of “thoughtful, character driven fiction” and pays €3 (c. £2) per 1,000 words for stories of c. 2-6,000 words. Submissions, pasted into the body of the e-mail (no attachments) are preferred or you can get further details from Albedo One, 2 Post Road, Lusk, Co Dublin, Republic of Ireland. Website: www.albedo1.com/html/guidelines.html.
- www.escapepod.org is “the premier science fiction podcast magazine. Every week we bring you short stories from some of today’s best science fiction stories, in convenient audio format for your computer or MP3 player. We pay our authors, but we will always be 100% free.” (they rely on donations and sponsorship). Their submission guidelines are on http://escapepod.org/guidelines although currently closed til 1st October for flash fiction so gives you time to prepare.
- www.farragoswainscot.com is Farrago’s Wainscot is a quarterly journal of the literary weird in fiction, poetry, and experimental wordforms. Unfortunately they no longer take submissions but this may change in the future so do keep looking from time to time (plus it’s an interesting site).
- Started in www.leadingedgemagazine.com is “The Leading Edge is a semi-professional speculative fiction magazine produced at Brigham Young University, (Utah, USA). Our current issue is Issue #55 and can be purchased via mail by following the directions on the Ordering page” You can also submit – <10,000 words preferred and payment is 1 cent per word ($10 min) + 2 mag copies. They also accept sci-fi/fantasy poetry Payment is $10 for the first 4 pages, $1.50 for each subsequent page of published poetry. Two contributor copies are also provided. They also buy illustrations.
- According to Writers’ News, Virgin Books are revitalising the UK horror market. Submissions are welcome in the form of a covering letter, outline and three samples chapters. Send to Adam Nevill, Editor, Fiction (Virgin Horror), Virgin Books, Thames Wharf Studios, Rainville Road, London W6 9HA. Details on www.virginbooks.co.uk/contact.php. Virgin’s UK website is split into non-fiction, fiction, sport, biography, business, lifestyle and humour, and is worth looking at just for the little figure who changes characteristics on each main page (on the fiction page it’s currently wearing a red Friday the 13th Jason mask and lunging like a zombie…it’s hilarious!). Wikipedia has an interesting biography on Virgin books (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Virgin_Books) which is 90% owned by Random Books and 10% by Richard Branson’s Virgin Enterprises group.
- The Writers’ News also details Clarksworld Magazine, a monthly online sci-fi/fantasy/horror mag. Each issue (currently no. 57) contains work from established authors and at least two pieces of original fiction, and annually printed in an anthology entitled ‘Realms’. Word count is 1,000-4,000 max. Payment is $0.10 per word – see website (http://clarkesworldmagazine.com) for other terms. Response time c. 50 days. E-mail enquiries/submissions to clarkesfiction@gmail.com either within the body of the e-mail or as an .rtf file attachment. Include cover letter with contact details, publishing history and relevant personal info.
Good luck and do let me know how you get on.
Tags: competitions, fantasy, horror, sci-fi, submissions, writing
- www.2000adonline.com is the home of sci-fi/fantasy comics 2000AD and Judge Dredd.
- www.elasticpress.com “publishes at the edges of reality and fantasy”. Whilst they are no longer accepting submissions (because they ceased to exist in November 2008), their books are available via Amazon – see the Elastic Press website for more details.
- www.forteantimes.com is a magazine all about the world of strange phenomena. Even if you’re not interesting in the magazine you might get some ideas (for any genre) from the website.
- www.goldenvisionsmagazine.biz is the home page of Golden Visions Magazine of Science Fiction & Fantasy. They also do poetry – see www.goldenvisionsmagazine.biz/poetry.html.
- www.horror.org/hwabooks.htm#write_horr is the Horror Writers’ Association’s bookshop which includes their handbook ‘On writing horror’.
- www.mindflights.com is “a new magazine of Fantasy and Science Fiction brought to you by Double-Edged Publishing. We’ve recently combined two award-winning magazines – Dragons, Knights, and Angels and The Sword Review – into one frequently-updated, high-quality magazine”.
- I’ve mentioned Stephen King’s ‘On writing’ before and can’t praise it enough. Every now and then it crops up in conversation (numerous times in my blog interviews) and whilst it’s part autobiography, it does provide some great writing information. You can buy/order it from any bookshop or via Amazon (www.amazon.co.uk/Writing-Stephen-King/dp/0340820462). RRP is £8.99 but you can currently get it from Amazon from £2.62 (used)/£4.47 (new) +p&p. eBay may be even cheaper!
www.amazon.com/Complete-Guide-Writing-Science-Fiction/dp/1896944396 is Amazon’s link to ‘The Complete Guide to Writing Science Fiction: Volume One – First Contact (The Complete Guide to Writing Series)’ paperback. Unfortunately it’s only available from their US website (prices start from $18.42 plus p&p) but there are other books available from the UK site, namely:
And I couldn’t post this without mentioning these genres’ writers that I have interviewed:
Tags: fantasy, horror, recommendations, sci-fi, science fiction
One of the sci-fi orientated podcasts (though you’d only really know it from their reference to the fantasy novels/comics they write) is the weekly ‘Writing Excuses’ (http://www.writingexcuses.com). As they say “it’s 15 minutes long because you’re in a hurry and we’re not that smart.”! It gives you an idea of how friendly the podcast is. It’s such a great programme. Writing Excuses is usually hosted by three guys Howard, Dan and Brandon and it’s really informative and informal. At the end of each show they give a writing prompt which can be done by anyone, not just sci-fi writers. Here are the first few from way back (thanks to a dig around in my files for info for my the latest podcast – links on the left-hand ‘Where to find me’ menu):
- 29.09.08 – “Take an old piece of writing, look at the dialogue and tweak it – have it evoke a bit more character but mean the same thing. So the story doesn’t change its meaning.”
- 29.12.08 – “Write a story with no theme and that means nothing.” Is it easier said than done? Actually writing complete garbage is good for you. A fan approaching Larry Niven once gushed “I’ve read everything you’ve written”, to which the cool Mr Niven says, “I doubt it.” Writing something that doesn’t get published is still writing and if it’s rubbish then the chances are that the next thing will be better. I look at some of my writing from 2004 and cringe…but then I look at some of my writing from 2008 and do the same but that’s what the editing process is for. There’s very little that has no ‘legs’. A rejected story can be rewritten or pulled apart for another project so even if you have an idea that you think no-one will be interested in, do it anyway. What’s the harm? Sometimes a rant and rave on paper is very therapeutic and you never know there may be someone out there who will buy it!
- 05.01.09 – Have some fun in the worst possible way: write an extremely violent sequence and then write the consequences (moralise it afterwards and force yourself to walk that path)
- 12.01.09 – no writing prompt but a very interested programme on time-saving
- 19.01.09 – Write an ending and start your book (or story) with it.
- 26.01.09 – Write a credible alien and write something from his perspective.
- 02.02.09 – Write a story about the worst website ever.
- 09.02.09 – Come up with a unique governmental/bureaucratic title name, i.e. something completely different to minister, king, priest etc.
- 16.02.09 – Write a story about a golfing metaphor!
- 23.02.09 – Come up with 25 words that distil everything you want to say about your next work.
- 02.03.09 – Write a fight between two people who have never been in a fight before and have to use their environment cleverly. Nothing to do with sci-fi etc. but there was a hilarious ‘fight’ scene in both Bridget Jones’ Diary films between Colin Firth and Hugh Grant – definite must sees.
- 09.03.09 – Pick your favourite author and in 50 words or less, write down what you think their brand it (and they suggest discussing on their forum).
- 16.03.09 – Write a story about a character getting attacked by flying monkeys!
- 24.03.09 – Write a story about a non-genre character (example given was Winnie the Pooh!) within the world of your genre (“on a spaceship”!)
- 30.03.09 – Write something that you are passionate about. Their guest that episode was an editor and she said she only accepts stories where she can feel the writer is passionate about what they’re writing. I’ve heard so many times that if you are bored with a particular piece it will come through and the reader will get bored. So if that’s the case, put it to one side for a while and move on to something else. That way it will, hopefully, it will seem fresher when you return to it (and you must!) and easier to see where you are going wrong.
Tags: prompts, writing, Writing Excuses
Welcome to the twenty-ninth of my blog interviews with novelists, poets, directors, bloggers, autobiographers and more. Today’s is with prose author, poet and lyricist Nathan Weaver. If you like what you read, please do go and investigate the author further. A list of interviewees (blogged and scheduled) can be found here.
Morgen: Hi, Nathan. Please start off by telling us something about yourself and how you came to be a writer.
Nathan: I’ll primarily start by blaming my eldest brother, I suppose.
Morgen: I usually do. What for?
Nathan: He took up writing short stories when he was a teenager, and would read them to my siblings and me.
Morgen: Ah ha.
Nathan: We grew up in a home watching lots of old classics, especially Hitchcock films. And my brother took to writing some Hitchcockian stories that would keep us on the edge of our seats, and like most little brothers I tried to copycat. My first short story was 3 pages long, written in pencil, and was a blatant plagiarism of one of his stories. My other brother read it and rolled his eyes at the drivel and pointed out that I just ripped off our brother’s story. I believe I was 13 at the time, and after that I turned my attention to creating my own stories and was afraid to show them to my siblings after that (as I would usually borrow a few elements from my brother’s style). So I started sharing them with my best friend. But I soon abandoned writing until high school, where I picked up writing scenes and skits for the stage in drama classes. I didn’t return to short stories seriously until 2005, when I dove head first into what would be my first novella ‘Rose’s Thorn’. I’m a writer, actor, filmmaker, husband, father and I work in distance education at Missouri S&T as a Senior Video Production Specialist. I’m a mixed bag of things, I suppose.
Morgen: And did you stick with just the short stories?
Nathan: I write short stories, novellas, scripts, and lyrics. I’m currently working my way up to a novelist, so that’s exciting. So practically a little bit of everything.
Morgen: I worked my way up to novelist in 2008 but, four and a half later, am working my way back to my first love (short stories). What genre do you generally write and have you considered other genres?
Nathan: In written form (short story, novella, novel), I primarily write darker pieces like crime and thriller pieces. I would say noir is in my blood.
Morgen: Me too.
Nathan: While I like many genres and am constantly experimenting, there’s almost always some noir under the surface. But, if I’m writing a script, I can certainly do comedy very well. I find comedy is best suited for myself in dialogue, so it makes scripting a comedy easy, but writing a narrative that is comedic is foreign to me. And I do write lyrics, and primarily those are usually depressing or somber, or at least that’s the feedback I’ve had thus far. With lyrics I find it hard to write something that doesn’t have some meaning or depth. I suppose it depends on my medium, but primarily I would say I’m a noir dude.
Morgen: Ooh, lyrics? How did you get into writing lyrics?
Nathan: I love music, that’s the main reason. I would occasionally write a poem here or there, but didn’t consider myself too awfully good at it and didn’t even really care for it a whole lot.
Morgen: Am I allowed to agree with you here without getting bawled at by the poets reading (and being interviewed before / after) this?
Nathan: But my love of music has been driving me to want to make music, and so I created a document called ‘Lyricstew’ in which I would periodically write some lyrics in. And so for several years, I would randomly get some inspiration for some lyrics and open that document and add it to the pile. Eventually, I started getting relatively good at it, and had a few pieces that were decent. So I finally posted in a forum on a writing site asking for a musician to compose to my lyrics, and Mahal Adams, of the Philippines, volunteered and we collaborated through email and she composed and recorded one of my songs called ‘December’. About a year or so later, she and I wanted to collaborate again and I pitched the idea of giving ourselves a name and committing to a 10-song album. And thus, Blue Solace was born. You can hear what we’re up to here: http://www.facebook.com/bluesolace. We currently have 4 songs you can stream, and 3 you can download. Only 6 more songs in the project, so we’re almost halfway there.
Morgen: I love technology. Have you won or been shortlisted in any competitions and do you think they help with a writer’s success?
Nathan: I honestly haven’t entered too many competitions, but I did win one short film screenplay contest with a ‘Twilight Zone’ stylized script. I would say it can help with success, in the sense that a writer can get a better feel for what readers / judges / professionals look for, and that it can help with your resumé while harassing agents and publishers.
Morgen: Anything that helps. Do you have an agent? Do you think they’re vital to an author’s success?
Nathan: I do not currently have one, but I have plans to begin harassing agents in the very near future. I’m not sure if they’re a necessity or not; I would say it depends on the author. If you are exquisite at promoting yourself, and OCD to the ’enth degree at getting your ducks in a row, you may find that you don’t need one. But if you’re like me, and find it difficult juggling a 40-hour work week, raising a child, being a husband and so on, then yes, you might want to have someone in your corner that you can tap in when you get pinned against the ropes. That’s how I look at it. I’m a team player, and work better with someone working with me, so I see myself getting more out of having a partner in crime. You know, someone you can pin to be the fall guy when the going gets tough? I jest, I jest.
Morgen: Ah but that’s what they get paid for. Have you had any rejections? If so, how do you deal with them?
Nathan: Ah, rejections. I usually shake my head and over analyze their language. My most recent rejection was of my short story ‘The Rolling Stone’, and I dealt with it by posting ‘Like a Rolling Stone’ by Bob Dylan to Facebook with the comment, “Got another rejection letter today. Oh, yeah. ‘The Rolling Stone’ will live to roll over another day.” The music served as my therapy.
Morgen: It does me (she says listening to Eric Satie’s Gymnopedie no.3). What are you working on at the moment / next?
Nathan: And herein you catch one of my flaws. One of my biggest flaws is taking on too much at once. I’ve always got a ga-jillion stories in the works (that’s right, a ga-jillion). But, I will say that currently I am most obsessed with a sci-fi novella I’m calling ‘Dogs Chasing Cars’. For grins, here’s an excerpt for your readers right here: http://tinyurl.com/dogsandcars. And for the record, Erik Satie is an amazingly underrated maker of noises (I believe that’s what he called himself). Any rate, his music is beautiful and absurdly unique, like the man himself.
Morgen: Ooh great, we like excerpt.
Nathan: ‘Dogs Chasing Cars’ takes place in the future, and focuses around the invention of a robot with artificial
intelligence by a freelance scientist and those that wish to take his invention for their own gains. And in classic Hitchcock fashion, an average Joe gets caught up in the middle of it all.
Morgen: He’s so careless.
Nathan: I’m also planning to tackle my first novel soon, and try to knock out as much of it as I can while sealed off from the world in my family’s lake cabin. It’s called ‘Hardboil High’, and as you may have guessed it’s a hard-boil piece about high school. It’s going to be a series of seven novels.
Morgen: Wow, nothing like being ambitious.
Nathan: Indeed. You can learn more about ‘Hardboil High’ and read a few excerpts here:
http://talesfrombabylon.com/p/hardboil-high.html. And, of course, the Blue Solace album is an ongoing project, where I randomly get inspiration for some lyrics and write them in an email to Mahal.
Morgen: Do you manage to write every day?
Nathan: I do not get to write every day, I certainly would try if I could manage the time for it.
Morgen: Child in left hand, pen in right? What’s the most you’ve written in a day?
Nathan: I once was on an inspiration high and wrote over 30 pages of a screenplay in 2 days. And that was non-consecutively, as I was working 10-hour shifts both days.
Morgen: That’s good going. I did http://scriptfrenzy.org last April and wrote 102 pages in 30 days (although it was on and off) – the target was 100 so I only just scraped in. I found the format was too bitty but I later converted it into the beginning of novel 4 so definitely worth doing.
Nathan: Yeah, with screenplay writing, it can be really tech-jargon happy, but since I independently produce my stuff I typically don’t bother with too much jargon and keep it simple. As a fellow actor, I know it’s a pain trying to read something that has a lot of non-story related content. You just want the meat and potatoes. Any rate, once inspiration is kicked in gear, and I’ve got the time, I can write an absurd amount of stuff in a short amount of time.
Morgen: Me too (although I’m a secretary so type much faster than I write). What is your opinion of writer’s block? Do you ever suffer from it? If so, how do you ‘cure’ it?
Nathan: Of course I get it, and when you are wanting to write, or have a deadline to meet, it’s a real pain. But technically it’s a necessary evil, when you think about it. Because I would say creativity comes in at least three modes. Mode 1 is the idea mode. This is when the floodgates open and the development process overflows your valley. Mode 2 is the writing mode. This is when Mode 1 has ended, and your fingers itch to put those ideas into words and those words into sentences and paragraphs and those paragraphs into pages. Mode 3 is writer’s block. This is your 7th day, when your mind can finally rest and observe your labor and determine that it is good.
Morgen: And that’s your reward. Do you plot your stories or do you just get an idea and run with it?
Nathan: It’s all relative. Sometimes. Some stories don’t feel write unless you’re just winging your way through it. I used to be absolutely opposed to outlining a story, but it’s grown on me. I would say if you are wanting to write something lengthy, like a novel or full-length screenplay, you probably want to outline (at least in your head). Some of my outlines can be as simple as an old essay-style outline (beginning, some focus points in the middle, and a conclusion), but I don’t usually get any more advanced than having a simple synopsis of each chapter and estimated word count. I don’t like to over-think the story before I write it, because then I find my narrative will suffer. And like you and Phil Neale (interview 18), I also use spreadsheets for my outlines. Actually, I picked it up from Phil, who was gracious to share one of his spreadsheets with me… though his method scares me a little. But to each their own method.
Morgen: Yes, I use spreadsheets to keep track of my word count for http://nanowrimo.org (roll on November!) but other stuff is in Word, although I’m thinking of investing in Scrivener which a lot of writers use. Do you have pieces of work that you think will never see light of day?
Nathan: This is a depressing question.
Morgen: Oh dear. Sorry about that. Is it too late to take it back?
Nathan: I don’t like to think about having a work that never gets finished, or gets lost. I had never given the idea much thought, until I discovered and researched the silent film ‘Metropolis’.
Morgen: I have that on DVD and have heard great things about it but not seen it yet (it was free with a weekend newspaper – they used to do that a lot over here until the recession thing happened).
Nathan: Cool, you should watch it. When I watched it for the first time, I found it very disturbing to view summaries of scenes that had been lost, because of so many cuts that were made to it during its original theatrical release. I hope everything I create will be available at some point.
Morgen: I like to think that even if something was written at my early stages that I’m experienced enough now to turn carbon into diamond. What’s your favourite / least favourite aspect of your writing life?
Nathan: Not sure if I can say what my favorite is… the idea mode is an amazingly fun mode, when you can just let the ideas flow. But I would probably have to say that editing is my least favorite so far.
Morgen: What advice would you give aspiring writers?
Nathan: Exercise the demons. I can’t stand watching people slave over an outline for 10 years or more, and never write a single sentence of narrative. You’ll be a better writer if you write regularly and progress your writing. Even if you just write short stories on the side while writing that next great American novel outline, at least you’ll be exercising the demons.
Morgen: A bit of everything also helps avoid writer’s block. And lyrics (I’d especially love to know)?
Nathan: Just do it every now and then. That’s what I did. I just started a document that I would occasionally open and add a set of lyrics to. Did that for a few years until I finally had a few good ones, and started to get a feel for what was good and what was really lame. And then once I started collaborating with Mahal she’s given me some pointers along the way. The one piece of advice she’s given me that I constantly remind myself of is to be more gray. If you like it, you’ll find something that works. I certainly don’t consider myself a poet, but I do love music and taking part in making music (whether the composition or the lyrics); it is an amazing process.
Morgen: I think the thing that scares me (not the right word but hey) is about the rhythm, iambic pentameter and all that.
Nathan: Yeah, there’s rules to it, but I usually don’t care too much. When it comes to music, I somehow just try to make it work without getting too wrapped up in the “technique” of it. Every now and again, Mahal will adjust my lyrics a little here and there as needed during her composition process. But that’s always a given, that you may need to adjust the words as you go anyway.
Morgen: I used to do music quizzes with karaoke (mostly for colleagues / a friend’s wine bar) and have a huge file of lyrics so maybe I should just sit down one day and study the form. I have a Mac and use GarageBand for recording my weekly audio podcasts and I know musicians use it for recording songs so at least I have the equipment. What do you like to read?
Nathan: Stuff similar to what I write, I would say. Crime, mystery, noir. My all-time favorite is probably Alexander Dumas’ ‘The Count of Monte Cristo’.
Morgen: That’s one of my favourite films (the 2001 remake) but then it helped having Guy Pierce and Jim Caviezel (hooked on him ever since I saw the 2000 film ‘Frequency’ – http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Frequency_%28film%29).
Nathan: Yeah, I didn’t like that version, too many liberties taken with the plot. Plus, I would have reversed the casting (at least), with Guy Pearce as the Count. But, ah well. The best adaptation I’ve seen thus far was a French mini-series starring Gérard Depardieu (http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0167565). But back to reading; Dashiel Hammet is a treat. And the Stieg Larsson trilogy was pretty fantastic. And I will say I learned a lot about writing reading ‘Fight Club’.
Morgen: Ah yes, Chuck Palahniuk, I’ve heard good things. I’ve not read the Larsson trilogy but saw ‘The girl who played with fire’ and the cinema and loved it (if ‘love’ is appropriate for such a movie). In which country are you based and do you find this a help or hindrance with letting people know about your work?
Nathan: America, and I’m not really sure I can say it’s a hindrance or not. Except that we have so many publishers, and they seem so stuck in their ways. Sometimes the grass looks greener in England for publishing.
Morgen: And we probably think the same over the pond. Are you on any forums or networking sites? If so, how invaluable do you find them?
Nathan: I co-run a site called Emerald Dragon. It’s a writer’s community, but we’re currently in the process of reinventing the site so that it better supports authors’ needs… we’re trying to create a network for writers. I’m on Facebook (a profile and fan page called Tales from Babylon), also LinkedIn, Twitter, and a few other things. I don’t network as well as I should, and so they are often not as useful to me as they could be. I don’t like Twitter, so don’t try to talk to me there.
Morgen: I’ll bear that in mind. I love it however although unless I have plenty of time to spare, I try not to get caught up in the ‘timeline’ (instant) feeds as I go and walk the dog and come back to hundreds (I’m not kidding) of new comments.
Nathan: It mostly just receives auto posts that I make in Hootsuite (which I do strongly recommend). If you get out and use those sites, they can really help. For me it’s just a matter of allotting time and being diligent.
Morgen: Are there any writing-related websites and/or books that you find useful and would recommend?
Nathan: Emerald Dragon (http://myemeralddragon.webs.com, the writing community I mentioned a moment ago), Scribd (http://scribd.com, a good way to digitally self-publish), Lulu (http://lulu.com, a pretty straight-forward self-publishing site), Thumbscribes (http://thumbscribes.com, a collaborative way to write really short pieces which makes for good exercises).
Morgen: Cool, thanks. And where can we find out about you and your work?
Nathan: Go Like my author fan page on Facebook called ‘Tales from Babylon’ and subscribe to my site http://www.talesfrombabylon.com. Those two places are where it’s going to be easiest to follow along.
Morgen: The Facebook link is http://www.facebook.com/pages/Tales-from-Babylon/148093387954 by the way. The name of your site is ‘Tales from Babylon’. Can you enlighten us as to what ‘Tales from Babylon’ is exactly?
Nathan: In 2005, I wrote and directed a short film called ‘Kings: Hit & Run’, which was to be the first in a series of three films. Everything comes in threes these days, you know.
Morgen: British buses. Apparently three is the magic number.
Nathan: I never named the location of the film, but less than a year later as I was developing the second film and writing my novella ‘Rose’s Thorn’ on the side, I placed both stories in a fictional city of Babylon. After that I decided that I wanted to write a long series of stories that were interrelated, in the least, by their location of Babylon. And so this allowed me to branch out and create in my crazy head a whole city backdrop for most of my characters. I don’t always write in Babylon, and I’ve since created two other fictional places as well, a Salem and Riverside. I like being able to have my characters cross paths, even if it’s just for an instant. I like making references in writing, when I can, even if it’s to my own writing. I do plan to finish with Babylon some day, and even at one time started to write a story called ‘Fall of Babylon’ which will be the final chapter in my Babylon tales. I have plans to release a series of short story collections titled ‘Tales from Babylon’ which will include all of the short stories and novellas from Babylon, and then of course some of my novels take place in Babylon and some screenplays as well. You can watch ‘Kings’ online at our Onyx Dragon Productions website here: http://tinyurl.com/kingsmovie. ‘Kings’ is a rough homage to the film noir classics, and was my first outing into Babylon. You’ll have to forgive it a little, as it was our first independent production and we didn’t even own our own camera at the time. We now produce in HD, as you’ll see from other videos on our site.
Morgen: What do you think the future holds for a writer?
Nathan: I don’t know, but a lot of people are really loving digital books. I’m no eBook or smart-phone guy myself; I still like picking up the book, appreciating its cover art and turning its pages.
Morgen: From what I’m hearing very few people would disagree with your love of ‘pBook’s.
Nathan: But as an author, you have to be smart and accommodate for your readers, and if they want eBooks too, then I have to make sure I’m providing that as an option. I will greatly miss books, if we ever choose to quit publishing them. Plus, I don’t like the idea that if I get a virus or hacked, or drop my device that I lose my books. I like knowing that the books I read are on my shelf in my home, and it’ll take a fire, natural disaster or a thief to rid me of them.
Morgen: Wow, a lot to digest here, thanks Nathan.
Nathan: Thank you, I appreciate the opportunity and exposure. It’s good to give back to new writers, and you’re doing that here. And I’ll throw out that I have a ‘Rogues Gallery’, as does author Phil Neale, who you featured back in interview 18, which is a way to feature others’ works. Anyone interested can submit work using the form on my site here: http://www.talesfrombabylon.com/p/rouges-gallery.html. The same form is also on my fan page. My first featured rogue was Phil, you can read his here: http://www.talesfrombabylon.com/2011/05/rogues-gallery-1-neal-james.html. And again, thanks for what you’re doing Morgen, I really appreciate it.
Morgen: You’re so welcome. It’s my pleasure… really!
Nathan: And now I’ll have to start reading some of your stuff…
Morgen: I won’t twist your arm but if you’d like to there are a few ditties within http://morgenbailey.wordpress.com/category/short-stories until my eBooks get out in the ether. 
Nathan: …and please feel free to submit something to the Rogues Gallery.
Morgen: Ooh, thanks I will (to me a nudge to remind me if I take too long…).
Update from Nathan May 2012: “Last August I wrote my first draft of ‘Hardboil High’. Need to finish tweaking, and adding a few chapters, and then of course the dreaded editing periods… but it’s nice to have it in the can.” Indeed it is.
***
If you are reading this and you write, in whatever genre, and are thinking “ooh, I’d like to do this” then you can… just email me and I’ll send you the information. They do now (January 2013) carry a fee (£10 / €12.50 / $15) for the new interviews on this blog but everything else (see Opportunities on this blog) is free.
If you go for the interview, it’s very simple; I send you a questionnaire (I have them for novelists, short story authors, children’s authors, non-fiction authors, and poets). You complete the questions, and I let you know when it’s going to go live. Before it does so, I add in comments as if we’re chatting, and then they get posted. When that’s done, I email you with the link so you can share it with your corner of the literary world. And if you have a writing-related blog / podcast and would like to interview me… let me know.
Alternatively, if you’d like a free Q&A-only interview, I now have http://morgensauthorinterviews.wordpress.com on which I’ve rerun the original interviews posted here then posted new interviews which I then reblog here. These interviews are Q&A only, so I don’t add in my comments but they do get exposure on both sites.
** NEW!! You can now subscribe to this blog on your Kindle / Kindle app!
See http://www.amazon.co.uk/gp/product/B008E88JN0
or http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B008E88JN0 for outside the UK **
You can sign up to receive these blog posts daily or weekly so you don’t miss anything. You can contact me and find me on the internet, view my Books (including my debut novel, which is serialised on Novel Nights In!) and I also have a blog creation / maintenance service especially for, but not limited to, writers. If you like this blog, you can help me keep it running by donating and choose an optional free eBook.
For writers / readers willing to give feedback and / or writers wanting feedback, take a look at this blog’s Feedback page.
As I post an interview a day (amongst other things) I can’t unfortunately review books but I have a list of those who do. I welcome critique for the four new writing groups listed below and / or flash fiction (<1000 words) for Flash Fiction Fridays. For other opportunities see (see Opportunities on this blog).
The full details of the new online writing groups, and their associated Facebook groups, are:
We look forward to reading your comments.
Tags: agent, Amazon, author, author spotlight, Barnes & Noble, biographers, biography, books, characters, children’s, creative writing, crime, critique, erotica, Facebook, fantasy, feedback, fiction, Goodreads, guest blog, guest blog post, guest post, historical, interview, Kobo, LinkedIn, literature, lyrics, Morgan Bailey, morgen bailey, Morgen with an e, multi-genre, murder mystery, Nathan Weaver, non-fiction, Northampton, novelist, novels, paranormal, paranormal romances, pinterest, poetry, poetry collections, publisher, rejection letters, rejections, romance, science fiction, second person viewpoint, self-publishing, short story group, Smashwords, story author, story authors, story writer, submissions, Twitter, vampire, western, writer, writing, writing competitions, writing events, writing group, writing magazines, YA, youtube
Below is a list of a few opportunities (in closing date order where applicable) for a variety of artists sent to me via email from http://www.creativenorthants.co.uk:
Dance4 is offering an internship from 18 July to 23 Sep to gain experience of working in the dance sector – http://www.dance4.co.uk. Deadline 30th June.
Training in Dance and Movement based work in dementia care, Northampton, UK on 3rd July (mailto:tinaheeley101@hotmail.com or call 07739315084) £20
Marketing for Makers Courses 2011 on 4 July at Ferrers Gallery, Staunton Harold, LE67 1RU see http://www.ferrersgallery.co.uk/coursesformakers.html
Performing Arts Network free event (talk by CEO of Curve/Edinburgh Festival show tips) 6 July, 5-7pm. Curve Theatre, Leicester LE1 1SB. http://pannetworkspring.eventbrite.com
Core Gallery Open Submission, international contemporary Arts Festival, South East London. http://www.coregallery.co.uk. Deadline: 10 July, 5pm
The BBC Performing Arts Fund now accepting applications for community dance project (deadline 12 July). See http://www.bbc.co.uk/performingartsfund/grants.
Writing your online profile, Wednesday 13 July, 6pm – 8pm. LCB Depot, Leicester LE1 1RE. Book at http://onlineprofile.eventbrite.com
Call for submissions: Frequency 2011 – Lincoln Festival of Digital Culture http://www.thresholdstudios.tv/frequency-2011 by 5pm Friday 15 July
The Upshot: East Midlands Creative Celebration Showcase (Diverse Visual & Performing Arts) Friday 15 July tel 0116 2533450 or email mailto:Mia@mainstreampartnership.co.uk.
An Introduction to the Games Industry: 21 & 22 July. Phoenix Square, Leicester, UK. http://www.phoenix.org.uk. Cost £60
Artist Call Out: Leicester Print Workshop (http://www.leicesterprintworkshop.com/news/14). Deadline for expressions: 5pm, 29 July
New 6-week Write Exposure Creative Writing Courses in Coalville, Leics, UK starting at the end of July (mailto:ches@writeexposure.co.uk) £50
Call for exhibition submissions to LCB Depot (a platform for emerging & professional artists) info@lcbdepot.co.uk – deadline 1st August.
Call for entries: Sculpture Competition (Oxford, Bath and London): http://www.artattheedge.org/competition. Deadline Monday 1 August, 2pm. Entry fee £10.
Promoting Your Music Online event Wednesday 10 August, 2pm-5pm. Studio 1, Embrace Arts, Lancaster Rd, Leicester LE1 7HA http://promotemusiconline.eventbrite.com
http://www.salonartprize.com offers £1000 prize money per category: Painting, Sculpture and Installation (including sound) and 2-D Media (ends 13.08)
2011 Aesthetica Creative Works Comp open (deadline end August) – Artwork & Photography, Poetry, Fiction (http://www.aestheticamagazine.com)
Marketing for Makers Courses 2011 on 12 Sept at Ferrers Gallery, Staunton Harold, LE67 1RU see http://www.ferrersgallery.co.uk/coursesformakers.html.
Child Protection Policy Writing : Review and Update Workshop
Thursday 15 September, 1pm-4.30pm. Lakeside Arts Centre, Nottingham. mailto:artsplan@artswork.org.uk
Call for Entries: World Event Young Artists – deadline 1st October (http://www.ukyoungartists.co.uk/content/weya-submission-now-open).
Bilston Craft Gallery is seeking innovative work in metal by national and regional makers… £4000 commission fee. http://www.wolverhamptonart.org.uk/bilston/whats_on/004642.html
Leicestershire http://www.quirkycloset.com wants to make local artists and designers brands BIG (100 free “shop” spaces on the website).
CreativeCoffee Club is where creative people meet fortnightly on a Wednesday at Screen Lounge at Phoenix Square Digital Media Centre, 4 Midland Street, Leicester, LE1 1TJ. http://www.creativecoffeeleicester.com
Job opportunities based in the Midlands area, UK (http://www.themightycreatives.com/whats-new/jobs).
http://thrillskillsnchills.blogspot.com/p/submissions.html is a website “for writers of thrillers, crime, horror and mystery stories to share their short stories or flash fiction”.
Tags: arts, competitions, opportunities, writing
Welcome to the twenty-eighth of my blog interviews with novelists, poets, directors, bloggers, autobiographers and more. If you like what you read, please do go and investigate the author further. A list of interviewees (blogged and scheduled) can be found at here. Today’s is with crime author and fellow Litopian Gary Dobbs… alias western novelist Jack Martin… alias horror writer Vincent Stark.
Morgen: Hi Gary. Please tell us something about yourself and how you came to be a writer.
Gary: Writing is something I’ve always done – I don’t think I ever made a conscious decision to become a writer, but for as long as I can remember I’ve always wanted to be published. I kept at that for over twenty years and then when I was finally published 
with The Tarnished Star in 2009, I realised that there was a lot more to being a writer than just being published. It’s something you’ve constantly got to work at if you want to be the best writer you can be. And I think any serious writer will want to be the best writer they can be. Me – I want to be the best there ever was, but although I know that’ll never happen I do hope to be a pretty darn good writer.
Morgen: Lots of practice. What genre do you generally write and have you considered other genres?
Gary: I made my first success with the western genre, which is something I’ve always loved and although I do from time to time stray into other genres (at the moment I’m working on a horror novel), it is the western that will always be my first love. My July release, The Ballad of Delta Rose although a western, I think stylistically more resembles the hard-boiled crime genre. I really want to write entertaining books and I think the genre is irrelevant and I just go with wherever the idea takes me. Who knows one day I may write a humorous, YA, horrific, crime-filled western bodice ripper. Then again I may not.
Morgen: Ah yes, we were talking about bodice rippers on last Sunday’s Litopia (http://litopia.com). What have you had published to-date? How much of the marketing do you do?
Gary: I’ve self published a few little things but to stick to the conventionally published; I’ve done three westerns including July’s,
The Ballad of Delta Rose and a historical crime, A Policeman’s Lot. However this year I will see my first horror novel, The Dead Walked published. And on the subject of marketing – these days the writer is expected to do more and more, but a lot of it includes social networking which I enjoy, so although there is a lot of marketing it more often comes under play rather than work.
Morgen: It is fun, isn’t it? Do you have an agent? Do you think they’re vital to an author’s success?
Gary: I had an agent but sacked him for being useless, and today I am my own agent. I’ve got no real opinion on agents and I am sure there are a great many good ones out there…
Morgen: Litopia’s http://twitter.com/agentpete will be glad to hear that.
Gary: …but given the way publishing is going I think they are becoming less and less essential with each bestselling self published eBook. It’s the same with agents for actors – they make their living by operating in a closed-door environment and keep all their little contacts close to their chest, but I think true talent will out regardless of agents.
Morgen: I should also explain that you’re also an actor (‘Dr Who’, ‘Torchwood’, ‘Lark Rise to Candleford’ to name
just a few) and don’t usually dress as per the picture above (or maybe you do). Are your books available as eBooks? If so what was your experience of that process? And do you read eBooks?
Gary: These days I read more eBooks than conventional ones and actually prefer reading on my Kindle, but I still buy physical books. For instance this week I bought two copies of Jeffrey Deaver’s new Bond novel – a book to keep in pristine condition and the Kindle version to actually read. So far of my books only A Policeman’s Lot is available on eBook, but my horror novel, The Dead Walked will debut as an eBook. It’s amazing how well eBooks are doing – initially I was horrified by them and didn’t think they’d compare to the physical book, but as I say these days I prefer reading on my Kindle. It makes books more versatile – from being able to set the font at whatever size is more comfortable to your eyes, to not losing your bookmark and having to dog ear the pages.
Morgen: A win-win. What was your first acceptance and is being accepted still a thrill?
Gary: Tarnished Star was my first novel sale and yes it’s a thrill every time.
Morgen: What are you working on at the moment / next?
Gary: A new western to see print next year, the final draft of my horror novel and the script for the movie of Tarnished Star, which will be called LawMaster and should start shooting early next year.
Morgen: I know how busy you are (and we miss you in Litopia’s chatroom). Do you manage to write every day?
Gary: I think you’ve got to write every day, even if only for an hour or so, but I usually write for a minimum of four hours a day and set a target of at least 2000 words.
Morgen: Wow. What is your opinion of writer’s block? Do you ever suffer from it? If so, how do you ‘cure’ it?
Gary: I’m not successful enough to suffer writer’s block.
Morgen: That’s funny. Do you plot your stories or do you just get an idea and run with it?
Gary: I always run with the thing. I start off with the most basic of ideas and develop it from there, but I know this doesn’t work for everyone and some writers have to plot in great detail. Each to their own, I guess.
Morgen: What advice would you give aspiring writers?
Gary: The single most important thing to do if you want to be a published writer is to READ. And cover as many genres as possible, read everything you can get your hands on. Because if you don’t read then quite frankly you haven’t got the tools to be a writer. Developing a thick skin is also important because rejections can hurt, and there’ll be a lot of those. Self-belief is also very important – believe in yourself and eventually others will too.
Morgen: Here, here. What do you like to read?
Gary: Westerns, crime, comedies, fantasy on occasions. I’ve even read the odd Mills and Boons. Oh and I’m a sucker for comic books.
Morgen: Are there any writing-related websites and/or books that you find useful and would recommend?
Gary: Stephen King’s On Writing is all anyone really needs.
Morgen: That’s the most recommended book in these interviews, and every time I see that I nudge myself to dust it off the bookshelf (hopefully not too much dust) and read it. Where can we find out about you and your work?
Gary: I have two blogs: http://tainted-archive.blogspot.com (western) and http://tiny.cc/2jz6r (horror). I’m also on Twitter (http://twitter.com/jackmartinwest), Facebook (http://www.facebook.com/gary.m.dobbs) and have a Jack Martin website (http://jackmartinwesterns.webs.com). In these days of the Internet it is very important to be visible.
Morgen: Is there anything else you’d like to mention?
Gary: I would like to see everyone start trying genres that they don’t usually read. For instance check out the western genre as I hear that Jack Martin is very good (hint, hint).
Morgen: Yes, please do.
***
If you are reading this and you write, in whatever genre, and are thinking “ooh, I’d like to do this” then you can… just email me and I’ll send you the information. They do now (January 2013) carry a fee (£10 / €12.50 / $15) for the new interviews on this blog but everything else (see Opportunities on this blog) is free.
If you go for the interview, it’s very simple; I send you a questionnaire (I have them for novelists, short story authors, children’s authors, non-fiction authors, and poets). You complete the questions, and I let you know when it’s going to go live. Before it does so, I add in comments as if we’re chatting, and then they get posted. When that’s done, I email you with the link so you can share it with your corner of the literary world. And if you have a writing-related blog / podcast and would like to interview me… let me know.
Alternatively, if you’d like a free Q&A-only interview, I now have http://morgensauthorinterviews.wordpress.com on which I’ve rerun the original interviews posted here then posted new interviews which I then reblog here. These interviews are Q&A only, so I don’t add in my comments but they do get exposure on both sites.
** NEW!! You can now subscribe to this blog on your Kindle / Kindle app!
See http://www.amazon.co.uk/gp/product/B008E88JN0
or http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B008E88JN0 for outside the UK **
You can sign up to receive these blog posts daily or weekly so you don’t miss anything. You can contact me and find me on the internet, view my Books (including my debut novel, which is serialised on Novel Nights In!) and I also have a blog creation / maintenance service especially for, but not limited to, writers. If you like this blog, you can help me keep it running by donating and choose an optional free eBook.
For writers / readers willing to give feedback and / or writers wanting feedback, take a look at this blog’s Feedback page.
As I post an interview a day (amongst other things) I can’t unfortunately review books but I have a list of those who do. I welcome critique for the four new writing groups listed below and / or flash fiction (<1000 words) for Flash Fiction Fridays. For other opportunities see (see Opportunities on this blog).
The full details of the new online writing groups, and their associated Facebook groups, are:
We look forward to reading your comments.
Tags: agent, Amazon, author, author spotlight, Barnes & Noble, biographers, biography, books, characters, children’s, creative writing, crime, critique, erotica, Facebook, fantasy, feedback, fiction, Gary Dobbs, Goodreads, guest blog, guest blog post, guest post, historical, horror, interview, Jack Martin, Kobo, LinkedIn, literature, Morgan Bailey, morgen bailey, Morgen with an e, multi-genre, murder mystery, non-fiction, Northampton, novelist, novels, paranormal, paranormal romances, pinterest, poetry, poetry collections, publisher, rejection letters, rejections, romance, science fiction, second person viewpoint, self-publishing, short story group, Smashwords, story author, story authors, story writer, submissions, Twitter, vampire, Vincent Stark, western, writer, writing, writing competitions, writing events, writing group, writing magazines, YA, youtube
Welcome to the twenty-seventh of my blog interviews with novelists, poets, directors, bloggers, autobiographers and more. Today’s is with erotica writer Tess Harding. If you like what you read, please do go and investigate the author further. A list of interviewees (blogged and scheduled) can be found here.
Morgen: Hi Tess. Please tell us something about yourself and how you came to be a writer.
Tess: I have lived in the UK since a very young age when my father’s work took him to Wales. I wanted to be a 
writer for as long as I can remember. One of my first memories is sitting in our garden – I must have been around eight or nine – writing a story on a tiny school desk my father had found somewhere. I wrote continually all through school and in college, at that time almost exclusively science fiction and fantasy. I submitted short stories to fanzines until they gave in and accepted some. Then I moved on to magazines – all the usual US science fiction ones such as Fantasy & Science Fiction, Analog, Galaxy until they finally buckled too.
Morgen: I like that.
Tess: Alongside I was writing novels and submitting them to agents. I eventually wore one of those down and was taken on, and my first book was published in 1975. Over the next few years several others were published, but the money was terrible and in 1980 I was in a long-term relationship, thinking about kids, and I needed to eat so got a serious job and the writing was set aside. Over the last couple of years I decided if I did not return to writing I never would, so I set time aside, started to write and found (I hope) I can still do it.
Morgen: What genre do you generally write and have you considered other genres?
Tess: I currently write Erotic Romance (with the emphasis on the erotic). However, in the past I have written science fiction and fantasy books, and in my real life I am working on a psychic crime thriller. I get ideas for work in other genres all the time, but am trying to maintain some consistency under my author name at the moment to avoid confusing – and often disappointing – readers.
Morgen: Absolutely. Anyone picking up, say, a Martina Cole novel would want to expect her style of writing; I saw a TV programme a while back where they interviewed some women who took the day off whenever there was a new Martina book coming out then meet in the evening to discuss it. That’s dedication (and what we strive for, I like to think). What have you had published to-date? How much of the marketing do you do?
Tess: Under my JT Harding name I currently have three works published, two Novellas: Georgia’s English Rose, a love story
between two women in WWII England, and June Bug, a love story between two young people in Maine, and a full length novel The Beach House, a story of an abused wife and a young couple who take her in. I have a fourth (Cherri Red) planned for September. I’m still working on my marketing. At the moment it consists of a website, Facebook page and Twitter. I’m on LinkedIn and try to make comments on a regular basis, as well as posting non-spam entries to Amazon groups. I would love to get some of my work reviewed but am struggling with finding a suitable place for this.
Morgen: Maybe someone reading this will offer. Do you have an agent? Do you think they’re vital to an author’s success?
Tess: I used to have an agent a long time ago. It was a long-distance relationship, although we did meet once which was a rather surreal experience. He wanted me to move to London because in his opinion “real writers” lived in London. I didn’t move.
Morgen: I went to a creative arts networking event today and was chatting to a young lady in the film industry who said that really she should live in London but won’t move either. She does a lot of work from home so I think that helps.
Tess: I didn’t get to be a real writer. When I started writing again I made a conscious decision to go the self-published route. I know I can get published, I’ve already done it. Now I want to produce work myself and take the majority of the rewards, without waiting a year for a book to appear and having no control over cover or layout.
Morgen: Yes, that appeals to me too. Are your books available as eBooks? If so what was your experience of that process? And do you read eBooks?
Tess: All three current titles are available as eBooks, and yes, I read eBooks all the time. I bought a Kindle a year ago, and since then have only read a couple of print books. I read almost exclusively on the Kindle now, and don’t miss the smell or feel of paper at all (though I believe I may be unusual in that respect). I’m a bit of a control freak, but also my mainstream job involves IT, HTML, all the usual suspects, so I was not put off by the process of creating and formatting an eBook. I do all my own cover and interior design, editing (and it used to show, but I’m getting better), formatting and submitting. I believe many self-published authors have a block about ePublishing, thinking it to be far tougher than it actually is.
Morgen: You sound so much like me. What was your first acceptance and is being accepted still a thrill?
Tess: As I said in the introduction, I was 24 years old (yes – I really am that old!). And was it a thrill? Of course it was. One of the most thrilling things that has ever happened to me. Not quite up there with being a parent, but close. Whether it would still be a thrill I’m not so sure. I have grown more cynical about the publishing industry.
Morgen: Have you had any rejections? If so, how do you deal with them?
Tess: Doesn’t everyone? Rejections are tough. When you are young you take them personally… but as you mature you take them even more personally. I’ve had hundreds of rejections, some nice, some nasty. However, rejections tell you to write better, so that’s what I did. If you take rejections seriously rather than worry about them they will improve you as a writer.
Morgen: Here, here. What are you working on at the moment / next?
Tess: Several things. I’ve never been able to work on just one thing at a time. I’m currently finishing up a new book called Cherri Red with a hoped-for release date of September. I’m also editing a long book of existing linked stories published elsewhere called Ali’s Art which is a beast of a book at 150,000 words, all written but in need of some tender editorial care. In addition I’m plotting another three or four things, as well as working on the “real” book in between all this. Next planned is a non-erotic version of a story of mine called Samhain Cider that won a competition last year. It tells of a New England apple famer who meets and falls in love with a strange young woman. It’s going to be in the fantasy/paranormal genre.
Morgen: Do you manage to write every day? What’s the most you’ve written in a day?
Tess: I try to write every day but don’t always succeed. I use a program called Scrivener to write with, which lets me set daily targets – currently 2,000 words – so I can measure how I’m doing. I only work four days a week at the paying job now, so Friday is my writing day, and I try to put in some longer sessions over the weekend. I type fairly fast (over 50 words a minute) and can keep it up for a long time. When I was young I wrote an entire novel in just three days, submitted it and was published six months later.
Morgen: You’d be good at http://nanowrimo.org. What is your opinion of writer’s block? Do you ever suffer from it? If so, how do you ‘cure’ it?
Tess: I don’t believe in writer’s block, only hysterical writers (oops – I’m going to catch it for that!). I wrote full time for a number of years in my twenties, and I sat down at 9 in the morning, broke for lunch and wrote through to 5. If my muse was absent I sat and stared at the paper until she returned. Or I wrote anyway and waited for her to turn up. I’m a strong believer in writing as a craft, not as an art, and the more you write the easier it gets. In my IT career there is an acronym which is JDI – Just Do It (although more usually it’s expressed as JFDI). In other words: stop complaining, sit down and write.
Morgen: I’ve never thought of a muse having a gender before, but if a car can… Do you plot your stories or do you just get an idea and run with it?
Tess: Until recently I never plotted, just sat down and started and waited to see where the ride took me. I believe it showed. Now I plot extensively using a technique called the Snowflake Method, and use Scrivener which allows me to break each book or story down into individual scenes. I create a plot from start to finish, outline each scene in turn, run through it again to see if it makes sense and then start to write. It’s a great way of working, because if I find I’m stuck on a particular scene I move on to another because the entire story is laid out for me.
Morgen: Poet Chris Ringrose mentioned the Snowflake (or Snowdrop as he first referred to it as) this in a recent audio podcast episode (19/20) we did. I’d not heard of it before. Do you have pieces of work that you think will never see light of day?
Tess: Nope – Everything can be recycled. I have dozens of things languishing on my hard drive, but one day they’ll become the fertilizer for something else. If not they’ll just become fertilizer.
Morgen: Very ecological. What’s your favourite / least favourite aspect of your writing life?
Tess: My favourite is sitting down and writing, losing myself in an imagined world, living and observing my characters. Strangely, I also enjoy all the other, mundane aspects as well such as proofing, editing, design and formatting. Least favourite? Probably marketing – but these days it is definitely a necessary evil.
Morgen: What advice would you give aspiring writers?
Tess: 1. Write, and then write more. Someone once said that to get expert at anything (playing the violin, the guitar, playing soccer, whatever (maybe not drums)), you need to do 10,000 hours of practice. The same goes for writing. This means that assuming you write 2 hours a day, 7 days a week it’s going to take just over 13 years to get good at it. I’ve done my time now, so hopefully it’s starting to show.
2. Don’t take rejection personally, but do learn from it.
3. Don’t wait for inspiration to strike – go looking for it, and if you can’t find it write anyway.
4. Read a lot of other writers, find what you like and try to match (not copy) it. When we start out we all write like the people we enjoy reading, only discovering our own voice after much practice.
Morgen: What do you like to read?
Tess: Anything and everything, and lots of it. I probably read two or three books a week, always have. When I started out I was very specific – science fiction and fantasy. As I got older I moved into crime and thrillers and now I’m finally starting to enjoy history and biography, but as my partner will tell you, if I’m eating breakfast and there’s nothing to read I’ll read the side of the cereal pack.
Morgen: Me too. I hate being bored (I’m not often given the chance) and will read anything that goes. Are there any writing-related websites and/or books that you find useful and would recommend?
Tess: I read a few blogs as regularly as I can. Joe Konrath and Amanda Hocking because they are the trend setters for self-publishers. Also a couple of writer-specific things like Publishers Lunch.
Morgen: Publishers Lunch is new to me too (http://lunch.publishersmarketplace.com).
Tess: As far as books go I tend to love reading about writing, so I’ve been through pretty much the whole range from Stephen King (great easy read) to Strunk & White to Writing for Dummies to the Elements of Fiction series. I’m never satisfied with my craft and always trying to improve.
Morgen: In which country are you based and do you find this a help or hindrance with letting people know about your work?
Tess: I’m based in the UK and have been almost my entire life. Strangely, most of my work is set in the US, but I’m being persuaded to try locations closer to home. We’ll see. As far as hindrance goes, I live among the electrons (William Gibson, Neuromancer – great book) and don’t find national boundaries a problem – in fact I generally choose to ignore them, travelling at will whenever and wherever I want, either virtually or in reality. One great thing about Europe these days is I can hop on a plane and choose to be in any one of a dozen countries and I don’t need a visa and they all use the same money (apart from Britain). The only hindrance at the moment is that Amazon won’t pay my book earnings into my bank account unless I open a new dollar account with an American Bank (which I’m currently doing).
Morgen: Ooh, that’s something to think about. Are you on any forums or networking sites? If so, how valuable do you find them?
Tess: I’m on LinkedIn and Goodreads and find them invaluable, both for the information provided, the networking opportunities and the chance to meet like-minded individuals.
Morgen: Where can we find out about you and your work?
Tess: If you’re brave enough you can visit my website at http://www.jt-harding.com – although I write “adult” material, I try to keep the site approachable with nothing that’s likely to put people off.
Morgen: Thanks for the warning. Is there anything else you’d like to mention?
Tess: I explained how I chose to self-publish, and I have fairly strong views on this choice. However, at the moment the self-pub market is a minefield. There are people out there – and I was caught out this way – who search websites for stories and publish them in the hope of making a quick buck. In addition, because self-publishing is so easy many people rush into it without spending sufficient time on editing and proofing. However, I have also read books by well-known authors from mainstream publishers that were less well proofread than indie books. Currently the fiction market is like the Klondike during the gold rush, but I think (I hope) it will change. I believe there is a middle ground between big, traditional publishers and small indie self-publishers, where perhaps books can be submitted for a small cost to be stamped as “professional quality”. This would not entail a process such as publisher acceptance, but an acknowledgment that they were of an acceptable standard – layout, proofing, editing. I would like to think this stamp of approval could stratify the market into mainstream, middle ground and indie. At the moment readers have to tread really carefully and often get their fingers burned with poor quality material. But the major publishing houses often seem interested only in “name” writers and it’s hard for anyone else to get a look in. They also concentrate on what they know will sell. This is the way of the world – big business sells what sells, but this attitude cuts out the new and the different.
Morgen: On that cheery note… no, I agree, it’s a new market and like anything it’s got to learn and adapt. Thank you, Tess, very much for taking part and being so thorough, and I wish you well with all your future projects.
UPDATE MARCH 2012: you can read this interview in Italian at http://librini.wordpress.com.
***
If you are reading this and you write, in whatever genre, and are thinking “ooh, I’d like to do this” then you can… just email me and I’ll send you the information. They do now (January 2013) carry a fee (£10 / €12.50 / $15) for the new interviews on this blog but everything else (see Opportunities on this blog) is free.
If you go for the interview, it’s very simple; I send you a questionnaire (I have them for novelists, short story authors, children’s authors, non-fiction authors, and poets). You complete the questions, and I let you know when it’s going to go live. Before it does so, I add in comments as if we’re chatting, and then they get posted. When that’s done, I email you with the link so you can share it with your corner of the literary world. And if you have a writing-related blog / podcast and would like to interview me… let me know.
Alternatively, if you’d like a free Q&A-only interview, I now have http://morgensauthorinterviews.wordpress.com on which I’ve rerun the original interviews posted here then posted new interviews which I then reblog here. These interviews are Q&A only, so I don’t add in my comments but they do get exposure on both sites.
** NEW!! You can now subscribe to this blog on your Kindle / Kindle app!
See http://www.amazon.co.uk/gp/product/B008E88JN0
or http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B008E88JN0 for outside the UK **
You can sign up to receive these blog posts daily or weekly so you don’t miss anything. You can contact me and find me on the internet, view my Books (including my debut novel, which is serialised on Novel Nights In!) and I also have a blog creation / maintenance service especially for, but not limited to, writers. If you like this blog, you can help me keep it running by donating and choose an optional free eBook.
For writers / readers willing to give feedback and / or writers wanting feedback, take a look at this blog’s Feedback page.
As I post an interview a day (amongst other things) I can’t unfortunately review books but I have a list of those who do. I welcome critique for the four new writing groups listed below and / or flash fiction (<1000 words) for Flash Fiction Fridays. For other opportunities see (see Opportunities on this blog).
The full details of the new online writing groups, and their associated Facebook groups, are:
We look forward to reading your comments.
Tags: agent, Amazon, author, author spotlight, Barnes & Noble, biographers, biography, books, characters, children’s, creative writing, crime, critique, erotica, Facebook, fantasy, feedback, fiction, Goodreads, guest blog, guest blog post, guest post, historical, interview, Kobo, LinkedIn, literature, Morgan Bailey, morgen bailey, Morgen with an e, multi-genre, murder mystery, NaNoWriMo, non-fiction, Northampton, novelist, novels, paranormal, paranormal romances, pinterest, poetry, poetry collections, publisher, rejection letters, rejections, romance, science fiction, second person viewpoint, self-publishing, short story group, Smashwords, story author, story authors, story writer, submissions, Tess Harding, Twitter, vampire, western, writer, writing, writing competitions, writing events, writing group, writing magazines, WWII, YA, youtube
Welcome to the twenty-sixth of my blog interviews with novelists, poets, directors, short story authors, bloggers, autobiographers and more. Today’s is with crime / mystery author (and playwright / short story author) Tom Bryson. If you like what you read, please do go and investigate the author further. A list of interviewees (blogged and scheduled) can be found here.
Morgen: Hello Tom. Please tell us something about yourself and how you came to be a writer.
Tom: I was born and grew up in Northern – the North of – Ireland, in the historic city of Derry – Londonderry aptly coined ‘Stroke City’. (Ah, the subtleties of cultural identity). 
Morgen: I presume that’s more ‘oh dear’ than ‘ooh er missus’.
Tom: I’ve lived and worked in the West Midlands of England in engineering, local government and public transport. My specialisms are HR, training consultancy and writing.
Morgen: Ah ha, ‘writing’.
Tom: I live and write in the attractive village of Kinver in south Staffordshire.
Morgen: Not a county I’ve had much experience of (like a lot of people with mine) but it sounds nice.
Tom: I write novels, plays and short stories. I’ve always enjoyed making up yarns, writing them, telling them, since I was at school. Then life and greater things came my way; a wonderful wife, a young family, chasing a career, paying a mortgage – you know, those kind of incredible life forming adventures.
Morgen: I do, except for the wife/family and the only career I’m chasing is this one.
Tom: So, isn’t life just grand!
Morgen: You know Tom, actually yes it is.
Tom: And I still kept on making up yarns, writing stories.
Morgen: Yay! What genre do you generally write and have you considered other genres?
Tom: Mainly crime/thriller novels. My playwriting and short stories are more eclectic – or to put it another way; I write about what comes into my head at the time!
Morgen: That’s a good plan and I’d say that eclectic keeps it from being mundane. What have you had published to-date? How much of the marketing do you do?
Tom: My crime/mystery novel ‘TOO SMART TO DIE’ is now published in print (available from Lulu.com) or as an e-book on amazon for the kindle and other e-readers. I’ve had short stories published in anthologies, some radio broadcasts and plays professionally directed and performed in English West Midlands theatre / arts venues. (Details are on my website www.tombrysonwriter.co.uk).
Morgen: Ah ha, that answers my next question as to whether your are books available as eBooks? If so what was your experience of that process?
Tom: Available? Yes. On Amazon.com as an e-book and on Lulu.com as a print book. (Publisher TJB E-BOOKS). Check out Tom Bryson and TOO SMART TO DIE on both websites. The experience was good. However, you must work at the detail. Layout, margins, indents, fonts, formatting, decisions about HTML, Text, Word, RTF, pdf, epub, et al have to be thought through. If you don’t get this stuff at the start DON’T WORRY but you must be prepared to learn the SPECIFIC STUFF that applies in your case – not all of it does! In fairness it’s not high tech, but depending on what route you go you will have to face these nerdy terms – and take the learning curve. I’m no techie geek – but it’s doable.
Morgen: That’s good to hear. What was your first acceptance and is being accepted still a thrill?
Tom: Yes – an article in a magazine about negotiating pocket money with my kids. Thrills are forever.
Morgen: Ah that’s nice. ‘Nice’, sorry a bit insipid but ‘nice’ gets a raw deal sometimes so I’m going to use it. On the other side of the literary coin, have you had any rejections? If so, how do you deal with them?
Tom: Many. Get over – get on.
Morgen: I love that. So I will. What are you working on at the moment / next?
Tom: My latest novel is nearing completion – once again featuring Birmingham-based DCI Matt Proctor from ‘TOO SMART TO DIE’ – whose murder investigations now take him into the deadly world of sport’s spot-fixing gambling syndicates. Provisional title ‘IN IT FOR THE MONEY’. I’m also developing an e-book publishing venture with the support and encouragement of my (‘long-suffering writer’s’) wife Jane and various offspring expertise.
Morgen: Very, very important. My hound is 100% behind me (unless he’d rather play with a toy or go to the park).
Tom: The support and encouragement I get from my beloved Wolves football team’s performances is another matter! (Mick McCarthy – talk to me, please – hey, Mick, I’ll sell you a copy of TOO SMART TO DIE for a player’s hourly rate!)
Morgen: I don’t follow football at all so I can’t help you but are you talking Wolves or Premier League (or are Wolves in the Premier League?). See, I did say I knew nothing about the sport, so back to what I know… Do you manage to write every day? What’s the most you’ve written in a day?
Tom: Try to, don’t always succeed. When in my novel writing schedule I aim for 1000 words a day. Best? 3000.
Morgen: What is your opinion of writer’s block? Do you ever suffer from it? If so, how do you ‘cure’ it?
Tom: Don’t understand it. Just write. It’s like work – get on with it.
Morgen: Again succinct; something tells me you’re good at editing. Do you plot your stories or do you just get an idea and run with it?
Tom: I get a nugget, a germ of an idea, expand that. I do a short synopsis, expand that. Then I try to focus on the central character and the other main characters, then I outline the story. The main bits – start, key scenes, climax, resolution, end. Then I write a short summary of the major scenes, a few sentences. But I leave a lot of gaps! I need that kind of structure and space to get me going – and I need the gaps – believe me, what happens then when I start to write doesn’t follow the ‘script’.
Morgen: Same with me, and I’d say most writers. Speaking of which, do you have pieces of work that you think will never see light of day?
Tom: Yes. Unless someone turns on the (day) light.
Morgen: Ha ha. Do you write comedy Tom? What’s your favourite / least favourite aspect of your writing life?
Tom: Best: just flying.
Morgen: Ooh not me, I don’t like flying but it gets me to where… ah, you mean… sorry, too early in the morning. Yes, absolutely, get an idea and run with it.
Tom: Worst: a) feeling guilty about being a selfish recluse; b) feeling proud about being an arrogant egotist.
Morgen: The recluse is the bit I like (see earlier references to no family / patient dog). Arrogant egotist? Presumably through your characters of course Tom. What advice would you give aspiring writers?
Tom: Enjoy – and find your voice. Read.
Morgen: I think new writers worry too much about how to find their voice. Just write and it’ll come. We all speak differently don’t we? And you’re unlikely to copy anyone else unless you have their book in front of you and copy specific sections. Just have fun. What do you like to read Tom?
Tom: Novels, some newspapers, well-argued social/political analyses, sports articles, arts/music/innovative ideas.
Morgen: A healthy mixture for a healthy brain.
Tom: I avoid celeb books and cooks, their PR shit, war history (nobody learns).
Morgen: Some people like that stuff; we have a war window in the Red Cross shop every autumn and it’s hugely popular, as are celeb books but I’ve not seen the appeal either.
Tom: I read a lot of other stuff as well.
Morgen: Me too. Are there any writing-related websites and/or books that you find useful and would recommend?
Tom: Yes, see my website. (www.tombrysonwriter.co.uk)
Morgen: And http://www.tombrysonwriter.co.uk/links lists three other recommended websites. In which country are you based and do you find this a help or hindrance with letting people know about your work?
Tom: UK: It’s a great help living here in terms of writing – but UK publishers/agents need to rethink their approach. (I stand to be corrected, please step forward, guys).
Morgen: Hee hee. Let’s hope they’re reading this.
Tom: Listen – the UK industry is sleepwalking into crisis with the explosion of e-books and the kindle and other e-readers. All hail the writer!
Morgen: I’m so glad you think that, some writers are worried (especially when they realise how many of us are trying to do the same thing).
Tom: US: I envy US based crime writers who have so much more help and access than we do.
Morgen: I’d not thought of it like that but I guess being in a bigger country helps? Someone, feel free to correct me with specifics here. Are you on any forums or networking sites? If so, how invaluable do you find them?
Tom: Interesting how you pose the question!
Morgen: You’re not the first person to say that, not sure why I said ‘invaluable’ rather than ‘valuable’ but glad I did now.
Tom: Now what I find ‘invaluable’ (i.e. priceless, above value) is what brings me book readers first then buyers. I’m ‘goal focused’. Listen – there are sound reasons why people do social networking – I’m not knocking it. But ‘invaluable’? I’m on LinkedIn – good writer links there and discussions – good for professional people – but no great help yet in selling my book!
Morgen: Lots of people are there to tout so maybe people are too used to glazing over as soon as they see a link? I think the best thing for any writer to do is keep up with discussions and when asked, tout.
Tom: Wary of Facebook – think it’s for the very young, but hey I may be wrong, how young is young and what’s it for anyway? Twitter – will it bring my books to a wider audience, sell them? You tell me – seems it’s for 140c celebs desperate for publicity and …well, perhaps that’s all they can manage. (Valuable – invaluable?).
Morgen: My site stats say about a tenth of my blog views are from Twitter and Facebook so not huge but for me I like the interactivity as well. Connections will be important when I have something to say but building the audience, for me certainly, is the important / fun bit.
Tom: I’m a member of Bridgnorth Writers Group whose feedback and advice I much appreciate.
Morgen: Aren’t writing groups great? My Monday nighters and I have been together about six years and although they don’t hold back (which is vital) they explain where something’s going wrong or right as point out things I’d never either guess or thought about because I’m too close to the story. Where can we find out about you and your work?
Tom: On my website, http://www.tombrysonwriter.co.uk, amazon kindle, Lulu.com, www.bridgnorthwriters.org
Morgen: Is there anything else you’d like to mention?
Tom: Probably…next time.
Morgen: Absolutely. Happy to have a re-match.
UPDATE MAY 2012: Tom’s novel ‘Sarcophagus’ is now available from Amazon.com, Amazon.co.uk and Lulu.
***
If you are reading this and you write, in whatever genre, and are thinking “ooh, I’d like to do this” then you can… just email me and I’ll send you the information. They do now (January 2013) carry a fee (£10 / €12.50 / $15) for the new interviews on this blog but everything else (see Opportunities on this blog) is free.
If you go for the interview, it’s very simple; I send you a questionnaire (I have them for novelists, short story authors, children’s authors, non-fiction authors, and poets). You complete the questions, and I let you know when it’s going to go live. Before it does so, I add in comments as if we’re chatting, and then they get posted. When that’s done, I email you with the link so you can share it with your corner of the literary world. And if you have a writing-related blog / podcast and would like to interview me… let me know.
Alternatively, if you’d like a free Q&A-only interview, I now have http://morgensauthorinterviews.wordpress.com on which I’ve rerun the original interviews posted here then posted new interviews which I then reblog here. These interviews are Q&A only, so I don’t add in my comments but they do get exposure on both sites.
** NEW!! You can now subscribe to this blog on your Kindle / Kindle app!
See http://www.amazon.co.uk/gp/product/B008E88JN0
or http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B008E88JN0 for outside the UK **
You can sign up to receive these blog posts daily or weekly so you don’t miss anything. You can contact me and find me on the internet, view my Books (including my debut novel, which is serialised on Novel Nights In!) and I also have a blog creation / maintenance service especially for, but not limited to, writers. If you like this blog, you can help me keep it running by donating and choose an optional free eBook.
For writers / readers willing to give feedback and / or writers wanting feedback, take a look at this blog’s Feedback page.
As I post an interview a day (amongst other things) I can’t unfortunately review books but I have a list of those who do. I welcome critique for the four new writing groups listed below and / or flash fiction (<1000 words) for Flash Fiction Fridays. For other opportunities see (see Opportunities on this blog).
The full details of the new online writing groups, and their associated Facebook groups, are:
We look forward to reading your comments.
Tags: agent, Amazon, author, author spotlight, Barnes & Noble, biographers, biography, books, characters, children’s, creative writing, crime, critique, directing, erotica, Facebook, fantasy, feedback, fiction, Goodreads, guest blog, guest blog post, guest post, historical, interview, Kinver, Kobo, LinkedIn, literature, Morgan Bailey, morgen bailey, Morgen with an e, multi-genre, murder mystery, mystery, non-fiction, Northampton, novelist, novels, paranormal, paranormal romances, pinterest, poetry, poetry collections, publisher, rejection letters, rejections, romance, science fiction, scriptwriting, second person viewpoint, self-publishing, short stories, short story group, Smashwords, story author, story authors, story writer, submissions, Tom Bryson, Twitter, vampire, western, writer, writing, writing competitions, writing events, writing group, writing magazines, YA, youtube
Welcome to the twenty-fifth of my blog interviews with novelists, poets, directors, bloggers, autobiographers and more. Today’s is with historical / romance novelist Charles Weinblatt. A list of interviewees (blogged and scheduled) can be found here. If you like what you read, please do go and investigate further.
Morgen: Hello, Charles. Please tell us something about yourself and how you came to be a writer.
Charles: Writing is arguably my only skill. I’m terrible with math and dangerous with tools. I’ve been writing as long as I 
can remember. However, I had to retire on disability from my university position in 2004, at age 51. Due to degenerative disc disease, I’m forced to be horizontal virtually all of the time. So, since 2004, I’ve been writing – constantly, flat on my back. My debut novel was published in 2007. Since then, I’ve completed three more books, with more in the pipeline.
Morgen: Wow. I thought having sciatica was bad enough. I can’t imagine having to write or type in that position, although novelist Marina Lewycka writes her books in bed and I couldn’t do that. What genre do you generally write and have you considered other genres?
Charles: My novel, Jacob’s Courage, is historical fiction. More than that, it is a passionate coming-of-age love story. Although I prefer to write novels, I also write non-fiction, short stories and even some poetry. I completed a children’s book last year called Runaway Ducks and a non-fiction book called Book Marketing 101. I’m almost done with a science-fiction novel. So, I can cross several genres. But I prefer science fiction, horror fiction and historical fiction.
Morgen: What have you had published to-date? How much of the marketing do you do?
Charles: My first published book was Job Seeking Skills for Students (Kendall Hunt Publishing Company, 1987). This was a short textbook produced via my outplacement consulting practice and through graduate courses in Education at my university (The University of Toledo). Today, this would have been a perfect opportunity for self-publishing. My second published book was Jacob’s Courage (2007, Mazo Publishers) http://jacobscourage.wordpress.com. This is historical fiction. My third book, Book Marketing 101 was self-published (2010, Smashwords). This is a how-to book for novice authors. My fourth book is Runaway Ducks (2011, Smashwords). I call this horror fiction for kids. It’s scary… but not too graphic.
Even though I have a trade publisher for Jacob’s Courage, I do a great deal of marketing on my own. My publisher has done a wonderful job with editing, printing, reviews, stocking and restocking. But I work on marketing every day. I fabricated a video teaser ad and I had a full-length video trailer created for the Holocaust novel. I promote the book via countless social networking sites, appropriate web sites, with blogs, by writing on blogs, commenting on major newspapers and magazines and with some strategic advertising. I tweet about it, I create a Facebook page for my book and I have a constant presence on Goodreads. I created a BookBuzzr account that allows readers to sample large portions of the book before selling it through a variety of retailers. I review books on Amazon and post a link to my book at the end of each review. I tag other books on Amazon and ask other authors to tag my book. I write published articles for The Examiner and other newspapers and magazines. I am a reviewer for several international organizations. I write and publish articles with E-Zine and TRCB and I write articles for Read the Spirit Magazine. I contact and do business with major international Holocaust museums, including Yad Vashem, The United States Holocaust Museum, and museums in Europe and across The United States. My book is used and sold globally with these Holocaust museums. The book is required reading for high school students in Ohio. The task of author marketing is endless. You can count on your publisher for reviews, editing, graphic design and distribution. But the best of publishers will rely on authors to market for as long as the book remains in print.
Morgen: My goodness, I’m tired just reading that list. Do you have an agent? Do you think they’re vital to an author’s success?
Charles: I recently cancelled my contract with a literary agent. It turns out that the principal was not very reputable. One of his employees had the kindness to warn me about him. So, I’m looking again.
Morgen: Sounds like you had a lucky escape. Are your books available as eBooks? If so what was your experience of that process? And do you read eBooks?
Charles: I have three books available as an e-book (Jacob’s Courage, Book Marketing 101 and Runaway Ducks). Jacob’s Courage is also sold in print globally. I read e-books on my computer (via Kindle). Print sales have been fairly steady. E-book sales are progressively increasing. In my opinion, authors of fiction who are not well-known may be better served with a traditional publisher. Mazo Publishers does a terrific job with distribution, reviews and marketing for Jacob’s Courage. Within a month of its publication date, the book was being sold on all major Internet retailers, in bookstores globally and as an e-book with Kindle and with my publisher. Mazo obtained compelling reviews by two of the most persuasive sources in the genre (Jewish Book World and The Association of Jewish Libraries). It was a nice feeling to have my publisher working on editing, graphic design, printing, distribution and marketing, while I was able to continue writing my next books. Of course, self-published authors don’t need to share their net profit with a publisher. But for authors who would rather write than distribute and market, it can be worth sharing with a publisher. I lost no control over any portion of the process and I receive a nice royalty. It should also be noted that trade-published books tend to enhance an author’s platform more than self-published books, especially for fiction. In my opinion, authors are best served publishing both in print and as an e-book. After an author has established a substantial fan base with traditional publishers, he or she can transfer to self-publishing. Unfortunately, there is still a stigma attached to self-publishing, in part because of the poor reputation of many vanity publishers. It is providentially diminishing. But it still remains a fact that anyone can be self-published, regardless of talent. This makes it difficult for readers to sort through the vast wasteland of self-published dreck, in search of the real gems. Also, many of the best review sources, including newspapers and magazines, still will not review a self-published book. As a reviewer myself, I see this repeatedly and I find this a minor reason to seek a trade publisher.
Morgen: What was your first acceptance and is being accepted still a thrill?
Charles: My first trade-publishing contract offer was by Kendall-Hunt Publishing for the textbook, Job Seeking Skills for Students in 1986. I was surprised that they offered a contract at all and shocked that they offered a $1,500 advance (not against royalties)! Yes, it was a terrific feeling. I was pleasantly surprised when I was offered a contract for Jacob’s Courage in 2007. I learned how to construct a publishing proposal and I had the dedication to contact about 100 publishers. That generated four offers, not counting vanity publishers. I’m glad that I waited, because Mazo Publishers was a perfect fit for my book and its genre. It was just as thrilling for me as the first publishing contract, 20 years earlier. I’m proud of being self-published and e-published. But it never feels quite the same as having a traditional publishing company proffer a contract. Anyone can be self-published, apart from of aptitude. But being trade published is a special badge of respect and it enhances an author’s reputation.
Morgen: Have you had any rejections? If so, how do you deal with them?
Charles: Are you kidding? I am, “Mr. Rejection.” After being rejected about 90 times for my Holocaust novel, I was beginning to doubt my talent. But smart authors use rejection as a tool. Many publishers will engage you in a conversation and even offer recommendations, although the book is not their choice for publication. Anyone who can’t take rejection, or who takes it personally, should probably self-publish and save themselves the grief and anxiety. I look upon it the same way as getting a job. The more times you send out a resume (or a publishing proposal), the sooner you will achieve your goal. I also learned that there are now literally thousands of small independent publishers around the world. Many of them specialize in one or two genres. They aren’t seeking you. They don’t know that you exist. You must find them and then submit the perfect proposal for that publishing company. So, the more research that you do, the more proposals that you send, the sooner you will have the best offer. I also learned that the best offer is not likely to be the first one. Be patient. In my case, with my novel, the best offer was the fourth contract offer. I’m glad that waited.
Morgen: What are you working on at the moment / next?
Charles: I will soon complete my science fiction novel. It has been a thrill to write. Although I’ve been successful with historical fiction, I really prefer science fiction and horror fiction. Some of my readers want to buy a sequel to Jacob’s Courage. I left the ending with a natural lead-in for a sequel. But if I say any more about that, I will give away the exciting ending of the novel. Whatever my decision, one thing is certain. I will always be writing something.
Morgen: Do you manage to write every day Charles? What’s the most you’ve written in a day?
Charles: I try to write or research something each day. Some days, with Jacob’s Courage, I wrote several chapters. I tend to get on a roll. When that happens, I don’t want to stop. At the same time, I do not consider myself a professional writer. I am happily retired from higher education and I don’t need to generate another source of income. I write primarily as a hobby. So, I do not place expectations for myself per day. Nor do I have deadlines, except when a book is due for a galley proof. For that, I am grateful. I enjoy a more leisurely pace. I’m certain that if I were trying to earn a living as a published author, or if a publisher placed a deadline on my book, the pace would be substantially swifter.
Morgen: What is your opinion of writer’s block? Do you ever suffer from it? If so, how do you ‘cure’ it?
Charles: Thankfully, I’ve never experienced writer’s block. Of course, some days are more productive than other days. And when the words are not flowing out so gracefully and proficiently, I turn instead to research. Except for my children’s book, I’ve always needed to conduct research. In fact, I devoted more than three years of daily research to Jacob’s Courage.
Morgen: I don’t really get it either but sometimes I struggle to retrieve the correct word (it took me a second to look for ‘retrieve’) and I’m hoping that’s to do with shortage of sleep rather than getting older (I’m 44 in August). Do you plot your stories or do you just get an idea and run with it?
Charles: I do plot my stories. I have certain objectives in mind. Each chapter of each fiction book has content, character development and dialog requirements. So I typically know on any day how to go from point A to point B. That being said, there are many occasions when an idea takes off on its own. I generally allow this to continue unabated and then I return for editing when the chapter is over.
Morgen: Do you have pieces of work that you think will never see light of day?
Charles: I have tons of work that will never see the light of day! I sometimes write poetry. I’m pretty sure that poetry is not my forte. I have stories that I’ve started, but I never finished. Instead, I decide to move on to other concepts. I have stories that started out well, but faltered along the way. Some of the most frustrating are stories that I am certain are priceless and original, only to see the same concept appear in a book, play or movie. That is an exasperating feeling.
Morgen: What’s your favourite / least favourite aspect of your writing life?
Charles: I dearly love to write. I despise editing. I believe that I’m a very descriptive writer. But I sometimes struggle with dialog. I think I am adept with character development. But I sometimes struggle with metaphor and allegory. I believe that the best fiction expresses itself via parable and symbolism. Readers need to become enveloped in imagery. The best books are those in which you can feel, sense, touch and taste the narrative and characters. That’s why one of my most important reviews came from a bestselling author who said, “You see, hear and smell… Hitler’s Third Reich.”
Morgen: Wow. I’m not a fan of editing although research would be lower on my preferences – the writing is where I get my thrill. What advice would you give aspiring writers?
Charles: Whatever happens, never stop writing. Unless you need to do otherwise, write about things that interest you. Never stop working on character development. You can place your characters into situations in which they become heroic, but remember that readers today prefer realism. That means that your characters should be real people, with flaws and imperfections, rather than archetypical heroes or villains. With fiction, readers must know what it feels like at all times. Don’t simply describe what happens. Make the reader sense each situation. It is hot, cold, sunny, cloudy or rainy? Are your characters freezing, perspiring, frightened or nervous? How do they respond to others in the environment? Do they feel secure, anxious, sensitive, numb, powerful, dynamic, etc? Much of this can be revealed via creative dialog. But it is necessary for the reader to feel what each character experiences. This was probably the most difficult part for me of writing about the Holocaust. Knowing that members of my own family perished in Nazi death camps, I had to recreate the sensory experience in detail for my reader. It eventually extracted a toll. When the book is done, have it professionally edited before you try to publish it. No author can really successfully edit his or her own book. You’ll need a new and different set of talented and competent eyes on it. If you can’t afford to hire a professional editor, visit your nearest university English department. Ask if a graduate student could edit the book. Sometimes the student can even earn credit for it. If you try for a traditional publisher (recommended for fiction), forget about Harper Collins. The big publishing houses are only interested in accomplished, recognized authors, or authors presented to them by trusted literary agents. It can be at least as difficult to obtain an agent as a novice author as it is a publisher.
Morgen: Yes, I’ve heard that.
Charles: Instead, focus on small, independent publishers globally. Find those who specialize in your genre. For example, conduct an Internet search on, “Publishers Historical Fiction.” Carefully examine each of their submission guidelines. They are all listed on the agency web page. Then learn how to create a winning publishing proposal. The publisher will want only a sample of your writing, not the entire manuscript. Your proposal should also present at least one page each for the following critical topics: sales attributes, marketability, a biography, synopsis, market analysis, competitive analysis and marketing strategies. In essence, your proposal should tell the publisher who will buy your book (demographically), where these readers are, why they will buy it and why your book is better than others in the genre. It should also explain anticipated marketing strategies and techniques. Learn how to use e-mail and fax blasts. Most importantly, learn how to embed Internet links of your creation for publishing proposals. We all fear opening an attachment from a stranger, including publishers. Yet, almost all of us will open an Internet link. See http://cweinblatt.wordpress.com, for recommendations on how to embed hyperlinks into your e-mail publisher proposal.
Morgen: That’s great, you’re a gem. What do you like to read?
Charles: I enjoy a fairly wide range of books. At any given time, I’m reading at least one fiction and one non-fiction book. I review books for some international organizations. One of them, The New York Journal of Books, seems to have made me their Holocaust, Jewish and WWII expert. Frankly, I’m not sure if there is a genre that I dislike, although I’m not really into children’s books. I wrote one because I had devoted four years of daily life researching and writing about the Holocaust. I had to clear my mind with something very different. If I had to list my favourites, it would be: 1) Science fiction, 2) Horror fiction and 3) Historical fiction.
Morgen: Are there any writing-related websites and/or books that you find useful and would recommend?
Charles: All novice authors must use the following two sites when they are ready to publish: 1) Predator & Editors and 2) Writer Beware. Although they offer a very comprehensive list of publishers and agents to avoid (for fraud, or as scam artists), both sites also offer a wealth of information about writing resources. They provide valuable information on manuscript services, e-publishing, copyright and legal issues, POD, literary agents, journalism, conventions & conferences, contests, workshops, resources, screenwriting, promotion, signings, opinions, bookstores, chats, web sites, professional alerts, poetry, the craft of writing, vanity and subsidy publishers and all manner of other writer’s services. With the understanding that countless other inexperienced authors attempt to publish books without much prior knowledge of the publishing process and various publishing opportunities, I produced a blog about everything that I learned about publishing and author marketing. You can read it here: http://cweinblatt.wordpress.com. You can create your own FREE 30-second teaser ad video trailer at Animoto.com. My teaser ad is here.
Morgen: Ooh, now that’s interesting. I’ve heard of authors doing trailers / teaser ads but imagined it being quite complicated. I’ll definitely check that out. In which country are you based and do you find this a help or hindrance with letting people know about your work?
Charles: I live in Ohio, USA. Although I am rather limited physically, because of my disability, I still managed to do some local public speaking. In addition to explaining about your book, you can typically sell copies at the end of your speech. I also discovered that public speaking can generate useful regional publicity. Two local newspapers, the Toledo Blade and The Toledo Free Press generated very nice articles about my writing, my books and the public speaking events. Those articles vastly increased attendance (and sales).
Morgen: I’ve been a volunteer at two UK literature festivals and have found that the majority of authors have had books for sale, a great incentive for them, and they charge less for their presence, although most I’m sure like to meet their readers and are happy to inform and in many cases, entertain. Are you on any forums or networking sites? If so, how invaluable do you find them?
Charles: I discovered that book sales can be pushed higher by being interviewed on widely read blogs and web sites. In my case, interviews with BookBuzzr, Wandering Educators (http://tiny.cc/f7bsv and http://tiny.cc/3uehm), Joey Pinkney, Mike Angley and Jewish Literary Review each bumped up my landing page visitors and purchases). I have had a huge number of hits from participation in many different writing and publishing groups at LinkedIn. I also have generated interest with Facebook, Twitter and Goodreads. Be careful not to spam your audience. Instead, provide them with useful, relevant information. Another good way to generate interest in your published book is by writing published articles. Two of the best places to do this are E-Zine and TRCB. Write about anything of expertise or interest. I’ve had at least 30,000 article views from the two sites listed above. Many of them also visited the landing page for my novel.
Morgen: Absolutely, spamming is not good. Few people are interested in those who can only talk about what they have for sale – it often leads to Twitter de-follows. Where can we find out about you and your work?
Charles: The landing page for Jacob’s Courage is http://jacobscourage.wordpress.com. The video trailer is here. I have a blog with some essays at: http://cweinblatt.blogspot.com. I write about publishing and book marketing here: http://cweinblatt.wordpress.com. I have a brief Wikipedia Page and Smashwords page.
Morgen: A Wikipedia page, wow! I’d think I’d have made it if I had a Wikipedia page (seeing as we’re not allowed to create our own). Is there anything else you’d like to mention?
Charles: Learn as much as you can about all types of publishing. I have a footprint in traditional publishing, self-publishing and e-publishing. There is a time and a place for everything. Very few self-published books will ever reach a retail store shelf, where almost half of all books are still sold. Of course, if you can sell thousands of books on your own or via the Internet, that’s not very important. Learn which format is best for each of your books.
Morgen: That’s what I’m doing at the moment; looking at different options – I have some agent meetings next month so will know better then.
Charles: Then, be persistent, dedicated and committed. Some authors lack the self-esteem to contact traditional publishers. I find that sad, because most small independent publishers take a chance on unknown authors every day. Know when to trade publish, when to self-publish and when to e-publish. Then, whatever you decide, be willing to spend time marketing your books virtually every day. Even trade-published authors must devote considerable time and effort on marketing. Do not vanity-publish unless you can sell thousands of books on your own, or you do not care about sales (ex. memoir authors). If you do, don’t count on any meaningful assistance with marketing, sales, stocking and restocking.
Morgen: Thank you so much for such wonderful information. I wish you all the best for your future projects, and of course your health.
Update April 2012: A link to this interview can be found (External links) on Charles’ Wikipedia page.
***
If you are reading this and you write, in whatever genre, and are thinking “ooh, I’d like to do this” then you can… just email me and I’ll send you the information. They do now (January 2013) carry a fee (£10 / €12.50 / $15) for the new interviews on this blog but everything else (see Opportunities on this blog) is free.
If you go for the interview, it’s very simple; I send you a questionnaire (I have them for novelists, short story authors, children’s authors, non-fiction authors, and poets). You complete the questions, and I let you know when it’s going to go live. Before it does so, I add in comments as if we’re chatting, and then they get posted. When that’s done, I email you with the link so you can share it with your corner of the literary world. And if you have a writing-related blog / podcast and would like to interview me… let me know.
Alternatively, if you’d like a free Q&A-only interview, I now have http://morgensauthorinterviews.wordpress.com on which I’ve rerun the original interviews posted here then posted new interviews which I then reblog here. These interviews are Q&A only, so I don’t add in my comments but they do get exposure on both sites.
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Welcome to the twenty-fourth of my blog interviews with novelists, poets, short story authors, bloggers, autobiographers and more. Today’s is with fantasy / science-fiction writer Mark Tierno. If you like what you read, please do go and investigate the author further. A list of interviewees (blogged and scheduled) can be found here.
Morgen: Hello, Mark. Please would you tell us something about yourself and how you came to be a writer.
Mark: Well, I have a Masters in Physics, second BS in Math, spent half my life taking care of first my Dad who had Parkinson’s Disease then my Mom until she passed away as well, and have never really had a social life so I guess that’s perfect for being a writer.
Morgen: A tough way of being one but a positive out of a negative.
Mark: I guess a part of me has known since at lest age 12 I’d end up as a writer, though I had to wait until word processors were invented as the physical labour of handwriting everything in my head or using a normal type writer was just too much.
Morgen: I find writing by hand almost painful now… I’m so lazy.
Mark: In 7th grade I began taking mental notes of different authors I’d read and how they did things, then let it percolate in my head for a while. Eventually I decided what my style would be… as soon as I’d dream up what to write. Finally one day a friend was doing up a cyberpunk-inspired fanzene of his own – the kind that gets run off of a Xerox machine and distributed to maybe 6 people- and he needed some stories. I thought up an off the wall take on the genre and everyone liked it. The magazine didn’t make it past issue zero but I kept writing more stories of that same character. Eventually I got a chance to sit down and start on my big project, of which “Maldene” is the first novel.
Morgen: Shame about the magazine but “yay” for you. What genre do you generally write and have you considered other genres?
Mark: Fantasy, SF, and a mix of the two. I write what I like to read, and since I don’t like to read romances or westerns then that leaves those out.
Morgen: I have an amazing 70-something F/SF writer who’s never read a word of it; it amazes me every time I hear her read her work. What have you had published to-date? How much of the marketing do you do?
Mark: Maldene is the first in my fantasy epic, put out by my publisher in two volumes (their decision, certainly not mine).
Morgen: Ah, darn publishers… who’d have one?
MT: It is the first in a rather long series, so I need this book going first. I also have some other stuff awaiting publication. As far as marketing, I have a web page, tried releasing a few press releases at free PR sites, did a couple of author signings at 1 bookstore and 1 library, but basically I stink at that sort of thing… unfortunately so does my publisher.
Morgen: Oh dear. Maybe this is the perfect question: Do you have an agent? Do you think they’re vital to an author’s success?
Mark: I sure could use one. Unfortunately by the time you’re successful enough for an agent to take you on, you probably don’t need one as bad. For someone lacking in his own PR skills, I believe an agent is essential, assuming you can get one to sign on.
Morgen: Are your books available as eBooks? If so what was your experience of that process? And do you read eBooks?
Mark: Haven’t read any ebooks yet, and no my books aren’t available as ebooks. For one, to make them so available my publisher wants to charge me money for the privilege (technically, they insist I buy a certain minimum number of copies of my own book to activate this feature).
Morgen: That’s not great. What was your first acceptance and is being accepted still a thrill?
Mark: “Maldene” was my first acceptance, and I still have the dollar bill they sent me framed.
Morgen: $1… ouch. I have my lovely coloured £10 cheque, although not in a frame but a display book.
Mark: It was a thrill that my Mom got to see me speak about my book and read a chapter at a local library. A bigger thrill would be for another publisher with some serious ambitions to accept me.
Morgen: I was thinking that but didn’t like to say so. I can now. Yes, Mark, you need a publisher with a heart for your work. I have an aunt (actually my only aunt, thinking about it) who writes brilliant books about her town (multiple book signings every issue) but an appalling publisher who “says” they don’t make any money (despite me seeing their other lovely glossy books in my town) and want her to do more books (which take months of research) yet will only pay her in… books. So she’s been paid (much too little in my opinion) in books and is selling them herself. Just a thought. Ah, yes, see earlier reference to being rubbish at marketing (she and my photographer uncle have a ‘local’ stall on their market).
Mark: I can’t ever see a day when being accepted will cease being a thrill.
Morgen: Oh yes, sorry, back to the subject in hand. Have you had any rejections? If so, how do you deal with them?
Mark: Rejections, yes! When I was trying to find an agent, between mailing, emailing, and hone calls, I submitted to around 150 agents, only about 12 of which bothered to send me a rejection. As far as dealing, I just kept on writing.
Morgen: Ouch. But yes, that’s the thing to do. What are you working on at the moment / next?
Mark: Right now, unfortunately Probate (I’m executor for my mom) + no 9-5 means my own projects are on hold. No fear, 
though, because in total I have Maldene (13-book series), Cyberdawn (5-book series), Flaatphut (1 short story + 5 novellas and novels), + Maldene Origins (2 books, a prequel to Maldene). That’s about 8 million words strewn throughout a decade of work. I have notes on what my next world will be, but I have to get the personal issues of my life solved first.
Morgen: Wow, that dwarfs my c. 1 million. Do you manage to write every day? What’s the most you’ve written in a day?
Mark: My typical writing schedule is first day of a new chapter I write from about 7:30AM to around 5PM, sometimes more, go to health club, then that night edit what I wrote. Second day, finish up the chapter by noon, edit at night, then day three go over the entire chapter once more, spell check, and outline the next chapter. Once in a while I’ll get an entire chapter done in a single day. On average, for that first day of the cycle, I do between 12,000 and 13,000 words, and I’ve hit 14,000 words in one day on several occasions. The most I’ve written was for a climatic chapter of the last book in the Maldene series: 15,700 words. I just couldn’t stop, it was really good and I wanted to see how it ended (plus there was a movie I wanted to see the next day). I was editing until after 1AM that evening.
Morgen: That puts my 9,337 in the shade. What is your opinion of writer’s block? Do you ever suffer from it? If so, how do you ‘cure’ it?
Mark: Writer’s what? Never had it. I just put on my music (movie sound tracks; think John Williams and such), and zone out for around 8 hours or so. Sort of Zen Typing, I guess.
Morgen: Mine’s Erik Satie… I always thought I’d be old when I liked classical music (I’m coming up to 44 and have liked it for a number of years) but it’s all I write to (no lyrics to distract me). Do you plot your stories or do you just get an idea and run with it?
Mark: Both. I always make sure to have an outline of the entire book done up before I start, though if I get any good ideas along the way that fit within this general guideline then I’ll run with it.
Morgen: Do you have pieces of work that you think will never see light of day?
Mark: I hope not. I have a lot of stuff that people agree is all gold. If I write anything I’m not sure of then I’ll rewrite and edit until I am sure of it. A couple of poems that probably won’t ever get me anything, and one short story that may be too unusual for most people; it’s entitled “The Man In The Red Suit” and is a very quick take on my idea of what if Santa Claus was an alien from another planet.
Morgen: Oh that sounds good – you must do something with it. What’s your favourite / least favourite aspect of your writing life?
Mark: Favourite: the writing, the creative part. Least favourite: the fourth or fifth edit. Complete non-favourite: finding a good publisher and marketer.
Morgen: I’m hearing that a lot. What advice would you give aspiring writers?
Mark: Write what you love, don’t write the market. If you aren’t excited about what you write, it will show. Also, a day job or someone to support you until you “make” it.
Morgen: That would be useful. I enjoy my (job-share) day job but could, oh so, do with the extra 2.5 days. What do you like to read?
Mark: Fantasy and SF for the most part. From Heinlein to the present.
Morgen: Are there any writing-related websites and/or books that you find useful and would recommend?
Mark: Not really, though Linkedin.com has been proving useful for getting contacts. As far as “how-to” books, if the people writing them really knew how to really be successful, then they’d be too busy being successful to write a little How-to book. Ever seen any books for starting writers from the likes of Jerry Pournell, Normal Spinrad, or J.K. Rowling? A friend showed me one book from a noted SF author with advice for writers and I disagreed on a lot of the “how-to-write” stuff.
Morgen: Then it sounds like you don’t need one. I think, to a certain extent, you can’t beat reading and practicing. In which country are you based and do you find this a help or hindrance with letting people know about your work?
Mark: California, U.S.A. I sometimes think that if I’d been born in abject poverty would have given me more of a chance at success, since they have a higher tendency to break out and become millionaires than the Middle Class.
Morgen: But it sounds like you have the drive so that’s what’s important. Are you on any forums or networking sites? If so, how invaluable do you find them?
Mark: Again, Linkedin.com has been getting my attention more and more for finding other writers to talk with, find others that better understand what I go through and why I don’t just give it all up for a paper-hat job.
Morgen: I love that expression; we call it ‘McDonalds’ over here. Where can we find out about you and your work?
Mark: www.maldene.com contains info on all stuff Maldene, including the first chapter free to read, a few downloads (map, Maldene font file, etc.), links to reader reviews and places you can order the book, and a few other things. I also have a personal site at http://members.tripod.com/~dr-strange for those interested in that sort of thing, or maybe you’d want to go there to read a couple of my poems or some of the other nonsense I have posted.
Morgen: Ooh, I love strange. Is there anything else you’d like to mention?
Mark: Live Long and Klatu Varata Nikto.
Morgen: Thank you, I think. Ah… http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Klaatu_barada_nikto. Thank you Google.
***
If you are reading this and you write, in whatever genre, and are thinking “ooh, I’d like to do this” then you can… just email me and I’ll send you the information. They do now (January 2013) carry a fee (£10 / €12.50 / $15) for the new interviews on this blog but everything else (see Opportunities on this blog) is free.
If you go for the interview, it’s very simple; I send you a questionnaire (I have them for novelists, short story authors, children’s authors, non-fiction authors, and poets). You complete the questions, and I let you know when it’s going to go live. Before it does so, I add in comments as if we’re chatting, and then they get posted. When that’s done, I email you with the link so you can share it with your corner of the literary world. And if you have a writing-related blog / podcast and would like to interview me… let me know.
Alternatively, if you’d like a free Q&A-only interview, I now have http://morgensauthorinterviews.wordpress.com on which I’ve rerun the original interviews posted here then posted new interviews which I then reblog here. These interviews are Q&A only, so I don’t add in my comments but they do get exposure on both sites.
** NEW!! You can now subscribe to this blog on your Kindle / Kindle app!
See http://www.amazon.co.uk/gp/product/B008E88JN0
or http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B008E88JN0 for outside the UK **
You can sign up to receive these blog posts daily or weekly so you don’t miss anything. You can contact me and find me on the internet, view my Books (including my debut novel, which is serialised on Novel Nights In!) and I also have a blog creation / maintenance service especially for, but not limited to, writers. If you like this blog, you can help me keep it running by donating and choose an optional free eBook.
For writers / readers willing to give feedback and / or writers wanting feedback, take a look at this blog’s Feedback page.
As I post an interview a day (amongst other things) I can’t unfortunately review books but I have a list of those who do. I welcome critique for the four new writing groups listed below and / or flash fiction (<1000 words) for Flash Fiction Fridays. For other opportunities see (see Opportunities on this blog).
The full details of the new online writing groups, and their associated Facebook groups, are:
We look forward to reading your comments.
Tags: agent, Amazon, author, author spotlight, Barnes & Noble, biographers, biography, books, characters, children’s, creative writing, crime, critique, Erik Satie, erotica, Facebook, fantasy, feedback, fiction, Goodreads, guest blog, guest blog post, guest post, historical, interview, J.K. Rowling, Jerry Pournell, Kobo, LinkedIn, literature, Mark Tierno, Morgan Bailey, morgen bailey, Morgen with an e, multi-genre, murder mystery, non-fiction, Normal Spinrad, Northampton, novelist, novels, paranormal, paranormal romances, pinterest, poetry, poetry collections, publisher, rejection letters, rejections, Robert Heinlein, romance, science fiction, second person viewpoint, self-publishing, short story group, Smashwords, story author, story authors, story writer, submissions, Twitter, vampire, western, writer, writing, writing competitions, writing events, writing group, writing magazines, YA, youtube
Welcome to the twenty-third of my blog interviews with novelists, poets, directors, bloggers, autobiographers and more. Today’s is with speculative fiction novelist and privacy / civil rights campaigner Irene North. If you like what you read, please do go and investigate the author further. A list of interviewees (blogged and scheduled) can be found here.
Morgen: Hello, Irene. Please tell us something about yourself and how you came to be a writer.
Irene: I’ve been writing for as long as I can remember. I had a tou
gh high school English teacher who I learned more about the written language than any college professor that I had. Although I didn’t major in English in college, I took almost all the creative writing classes I could. By the time I finished college, I knew I wanted to write, but never took the initiative until about 8 years ago due the strong desire to work for money to get food.
Morgen: I was like that only I didn’t know it until six years ago. What genre do you generally write and have you considered other genres?
Irene: I have written a speculative fiction novel (http://www.thegaven.com) and I also maintain a blog that covers privacy and civil rights issues.
Morgen: What have you had published to-date? How much of the marketing do you do?
Irene: Currently, my novel is unpublished, but I am actively “shopping” it out to find an agent and/or a publisher. I also maintain a blog called Loss of Privacy (http://www.lossofprivacy.com), which I have written for the last 5 years. I also am a contributing author to The Daily Censored (http://www.thedailycensored.com). If you know about any of my work, it’s because I have done all the marketing, which is quite difficult sometimes.
Morgen: The not-so-fun definition of ‘shopping’. Do you think agents are vital to an author’s success?
Irene: I think that, while agents are becoming less vital as we move to a more digital landscape in publishing, they are still relevant as they know more people, have connections, and can help get your foot in the door.
Morgen: Absolutely. Are your books available as eBooks? If so what was your experience of that process? And do you read eBooks?
Irene: I have my novel available to download as a PDF for free (http://www.thegaven.com/index.php/read-the-entire-novel/). It’s an older version as I’ve made some revisions, fixed typos, etc. since I first put it online. If you’re familiar with bittorrent, you can down the torrent (http://h33t.com/details.php?id=7b7211b71b38dab41b91308e20d9a967f517a1b7&hl=%2Bthe+%2Bgaven) as well. I do read eBooks, but I still prefer paper copies. There’s just something about paper that I enjoy more. I usually use eBooks for rarer books you just can’t get anywhere else. I have to admit, they are much easier to read than10-15 years ago. I absolutely hated reading anything long on a computer back then.
Morgen: I think many of us had little to do with them that long ago (I vaguely remember my brick of a first laptop) . What was your first acceptance and is being accepted still a thrill?
Irene: I’m still waiting for that illustrious day, but I suspect that, if I’m too happy, I might scare the neighbors.
Morgen: If they know you write, they’ll hopefully be delighted for you and join in. We’ll have a virtual party instead. So I assume you’ve had some rejections? If so, how do you deal with them?
Irene: I have had roughly 40 rejections. I stopped counting after 26. I usually swear at the rejection and then move on. I wrote my novel for people to read and enjoy, not to become a millionaire. Although I would like to get paid a liveable wage so I can keep writing.
Morgen: That’s how I feel; it’s all about the passion not the cash (although both would be lovely). What are you working on at the moment / next?
Irene: I am seriously considering a sequel as many folks who have read The Gaven have commented that they want to see more and see what happens.
Morgen: Yay!
Irene: I am currently attempting to fashion together a sort of memoir of my journey from being a Christian to an Atheist as well as writing about my daily life working in a public school systems.
Morgen: Memoirs are incredibly popular and they sound particularly interesting (OK, I may be a little biased). Do you manage to write every day? What’s the most you’ve written in a day?
Irene: I do write every day. Usually it’s a post for my blog, but I always have a notebook nearby to jot down ideas and notes that could possibly be fleshed out later. A typical day, I write about 2 pages. On a day like today, when items in the news are pertinent, I can write much more.
Morgen: A little bit adds up to a lot in a year. What is your opinion of writer’s block? Do you ever suffer from it? If so, how do you ‘cure’ it?
Irene: When I do suffer from writer’s block, I usually start reading the news. There’s usually something there that makes me angry enough to start writing. Then, I write and attempt to take all the anger out of it. I find that once I do that, I can get back to my novel writing without a problem.
Morgen: Distractions do sometimes have their uses. Do you plot your stories or do you just get an idea and run with it?
Irene: It depends on what I’m writing. In The Gaven, I had all the ideas plotted out and a rough idea of where everything was going to go. For the non-fiction memoir, I’m just writing essays to get everything down and will assemble it into a more coherent fashion once I’m finished.
Morgen: Do you have pieces of work that you think will never see light of day?
Irene: Probably my poetry. Although I did have one piece of poetry published in the mid-1990s, I don’t write it any more and no-one will ever see it unless they come to my house and pull the notebook off my bookshelf.
Morgen: That’s pretty much how I feel about my poetry. I say to my writing group (which contains two incredible poets) that I don’t ‘get’ poetry which really is no excuse. I should go on a course for it and see what it’s really all about although I’m not sure it would get me to write any more (one of my more personal ones is on http://morgenbailey.wordpress.com/my-writing so readers can judge for themselves). What’s your favourite / least favourite aspect of your writing life?
Irene: I like that I can write what I like to write about and no one is handing out assignments of what you “need” to write about.
Morgen: I’m tempted to be pessimistic and say that may well change when you get an agent but I won’t.
Irene: The least favorite is that I don’t get paid and that, as a shy person, it’s extremely difficult for me to market and be out in front of people.
Morgen: Talking money is hard. I’m fairly rubbish at it. What advice would you give aspiring writers?
IN: Keep plugging away. You may one day be an “overnight sensation”, but there are actually years of hard work behind that.
Morgen: Like a lot of the more mature musical artists (and look at Howard Jacobson only now coming to serious acclaim because of his Booker win), and invariably they’re better off for it (as we are because we’ve had all those years’ practice and experience). What do you like to read?
Irene: I’ll read just about anything, however, my favorite topic in non-fiction is History and in fiction is any dystopian novel. As an American, we don’t get a lot of detail in our History classes so I spend what time I can learning the details of the basics I received in school. Dystopian fiction just appeals to me. I enjoy reading about how things could be and take them to be lessons we should learn or else we’ll turn those societies into reality.
Morgen: I don’t read enough. I’ve cancelled plans tonight (two writing-related events… tut tut) because I’m interviewing crime writer Adrian Magson (in the flesh) on Monday and still have 1/3rd of his book to go… not through not wanting to but struggling to find the time. Are there any writing-related websites and/or books that you find useful and would recommend?
Irene: The only place I generally check out is the sub-reddit (http://www.reddit.com/r/writing) on writing at reddit. The users will usually point me to something good.
Morgen: Thanks Irene. I’d not come across that before but it looks really interesting and the forums not dissimilar to the LinkedIn ones we belong to. In which country are you based and do you find this a help or hindrance with letting people know about your work?
Irene: I am based in America and I find it more a hindrance than a help because so many people are trying to do the same thing as me and it’s easy to get lost in the din of too many voices. I’ve heard the slush piles are gigantic with little help of getting anywhere unless you know someone in the publishing world.
Morgen: The old ‘who you know, not what you know’ (again both would be great). Are you on any forums or networking sites? If so, how invaluable do you find them?
Irene: I am on LinkedIn, which I just joined last week. I’m still feeling my way around there, so it wouldn’t be fair to make a judgement on the site just yet. I am also on twitter. My personal account is lacking as I tend to spend more time on my twitter account (http://twitter.com/LossofPrivacy) for my blog (http://www.lossofprivacy.com). I have found twitter to be very good to me. I’ve made connections there and increased my blog’s presence online a lot since posting there.
Morgen: Where can we find out about you and your work?
Irene: I think I’ve plugged every place I am online already. Would it be overkill to list them all again?
Morgen: Not at all, here we are: Twitter account (http://twitter.com/LossofPrivacy) Blog (http://www.lossofprivacy.com). Is there anything else you’d like to mention?
Irene: I love to travel and, if you ever ask me about it, I probably won’t shut up for about three hours or until you hit me. Whichever comes first.
Morgen: I’m not a violent person (unless it’s aimed at my computer; which I don’t so much having bought a Mac last summer) so I’d be happy to sit and listen although I can talk for England (as the saying goes) so if Germany, Cyprus or Brighton come up in conversation you may have met your match. Thanks Irene for taking part and I wish you all the best with getting an acceptance.
***
If you are reading this and you write, in whatever genre, and are thinking “ooh, I’d like to do this” then you can… just email me and I’ll send you the information. They do now (January 2013) carry a fee (£10 / €12.50 / $15) for the new interviews on this blog but everything else (see Opportunities on this blog) is free.
If you go for the interview, it’s very simple; I send you a questionnaire (I have them for novelists, short story authors, children’s authors, non-fiction authors, and poets). You complete the questions, and I let you know when it’s going to go live. Before it does so, I add in comments as if we’re chatting, and then they get posted. When that’s done, I email you with the link so you can share it with your corner of the literary world. And if you have a writing-related blog / podcast and would like to interview me… let me know.
Alternatively, if you’d like a free Q&A-only interview, I now have http://morgensauthorinterviews.wordpress.com on which I’ve rerun the original interviews posted here then posted new interviews which I then reblog here. These interviews are Q&A only, so I don’t add in my comments but they do get exposure on both sites.
** NEW!! You can now subscribe to this blog on your Kindle / Kindle app!
See http://www.amazon.co.uk/gp/product/B008E88JN0
or http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B008E88JN0 for outside the UK **
You can sign up to receive these blog posts daily or weekly so you don’t miss anything. You can contact me and find me on the internet, view my Books (including my debut novel, which is serialised on Novel Nights In!) and I also have a blog creation / maintenance service especially for, but not limited to, writers. If you like this blog, you can help me keep it running by donating and choose an optional free eBook.
For writers / readers willing to give feedback and / or writers wanting feedback, take a look at this blog’s Feedback page.
As I post an interview a day (amongst other things) I can’t unfortunately review books but I have a list of those who do. I welcome critique for the four new writing groups listed below and / or flash fiction (<1000 words) for Flash Fiction Fridays. For other opportunities see (see Opportunities on this blog).
The full details of the new online writing groups, and their associated Facebook groups, are:
We look forward to reading your comments.
Tags: agent, Amazon, author, author spotlight, autobiography, Barnes & Noble, biographers, biography, books, campaigner, characters, children’s, civil rights, creative writing, crime, critique, erotica, Facebook, fantasy, feedback, fiction, Goodreads, guest blog, guest blog post, guest post, historical, interview, Irene North, Kobo, LinkedIn, literature, Morgan Bailey, morgen bailey, Morgen with an e, multi-genre, murder mystery, non-fiction, Northampton, novelist, novels, paranormal, paranormal romances, pinterest, poetry, poetry collections, privacy, publisher, rejection letters, rejections, romance, science fiction, second person viewpoint, self-publishing, short story group, Smashwords, speculative fiction, story author, story authors, story writer, submissions, Twitter, vampire, western, writer, writing, writing competitions, writing events, writing group, writing magazines, YA, youtube
Welcome to the twenty-second of my blog interviews with novelists, poets, directors, bloggers, autobiographers and more. Today’s is with multi-genre (poetry, lyrics, novels) author Nigel Paul. If you like what you read, please do go and investigate the author further. A list of interviewees (blogged and scheduled) can be found here.
Morgen: Please tell us something about yourself and how you came to be a writer.
Nigel: From a young age I have always had an interest in books, particularly fiction. Music has always been very important 
to me and it was my interest in music that lead me to write. In my teens I became particularly interested in the lyrics of contemporary music, so much so that I started to write myself. I was always on the lookout for new and interesting subject matter and read more and more because of this. Now that I am in my forties I have become increasingly drawn to the idea of writing novels as an outlet for my creativity.
Morgen: What genre do you generally write and have you considered other genres?
Nigel: I have a broad range of interests that include media theory, politics, culture, psychology and sociology. I am keen to explore the relationships between these through novel writing. I am particularly interested in dystopian novels and satire.
Morgen: What have you had published to-date? How much of the marketing do you do?
Nigel: Nothing major as yet…watch this space: www.ndpworld.wordpress.com.
Morgen: What are you working on at the moment / next?
Nigel: I have a number of projects on the go. It’s the way I prefer to work, it helps me to maintain my interest. I have two novels that I am working on. One is an exploration of personal relationships in a cultural and media driven environment. The other is a dystopian novel that contemplates global segregation. I am also working on as portfolio of artwork and some photography too.
Morgen: Do you manage to write every day? What’s the most you’ve written in a day?
Nigel: I try to work on a 5 day, 9 to 5 basis. I aim for 2000 words a day on average. On a good day I have been known to write up to 10000. On a bad I just noodle around with pastels.
Morgen: What is your opinion of writer’s block? Do you ever suffer from it? If so, how do you ‘cure’ it?
Nigel: I know that writer’s block exists but I’m not sure if I have ever suffered from it. As I said earlier, I always have more than one project running concurrently. This allows me to change from one to the other and so maintain my interest. I am a great believer of writing for writing’s sake. I like to keep writing regardless of the quality or quantity. Sometimes it is very productive, sometimes not so. Either way, at least I am writing and therefore learning.
Morgen: Absolutely. It’s practice. Do you plot your stories or do you just get an idea and run with it?
Nigel: Kind of. When I get an idea I just write lots until I can write no more. Then I go back and organise plots and characters and the like.
Morgen: Do you have pieces of work that you think will never see light of day?
Nigel: Plenty. I write a lot of poetry / lyrics that I doubt will ever be published. These are usually made up of ideas and scribblings that are not good enough to fit into my main projects.
Morgen: What’s your favourite / least favourite aspect of your writing life?
Nigel: I love the feeling you get when you are on a creative roll. At these times I can’t write enough, draw enough, photograph enough. The buzz you get when you are being prolific and productive is a very pleasing feeling. I get very frustrated when I can’t find the space, time and/or peace required to work.
Morgen: I know that feeling and I’m sure most authors reading this can relate to it. What advice would you give aspiring writers?
Nigel: Get your idea, find some space and go for it. Write, write, write.
Morgen: Sounds good to me. What do you like to read?
Nigel: Classics, dystopias, satire, biographies and comedy.
Morgen: Are there any writing-related websites and/or books that you find useful and would recommend?
Nigel: I always go back to Orwell’s ‘Why I Write’ essay, it inspires me and reminds me of why I have the desire to write.
Morgen: In which country are you based and do you find this a help or hindrance with letting people know about your work?
Nigel: I live in Cornwall in the UK.
Morgen: Oh nice. Daphne du Maurier county… bleak winter, landscapes, sea, pasties. Are you on any forums or networking sites? If so, how invaluable do you find them?
Nigel: I am a member of LinkedIn and have joined a few writers groups. I find the discussions on these useful and interesting and sometimes reassuring.
Morgen: Where can we find out about you and your work?
Nigel: As mentioned above: www.ndpworld.wordpress.com.
Morgen: I love your article ‘Dirtying the clean blank page’. Is there anything else you’d like to mention?
Nigel: Thank you.
Morgen: You’re very welcome. Thank you for taking part.
***
If you are reading this and you write, in whatever genre, and are thinking “ooh, I’d like to do this” then you can… just email me and I’ll send you the information. They do now (January 2013) carry a fee (£10 / €12.50 / $15) for the new interviews on this blog but everything else (see Opportunities on this blog) is free.
If you go for the interview, it’s very simple; I send you a questionnaire (I have them for novelists, short story authors, children’s authors, non-fiction authors, and poets). You complete the questions, and I let you know when it’s going to go live. Before it does so, I add in comments as if we’re chatting, and then they get posted. When that’s done, I email you with the link so you can share it with your corner of the literary world. And if you have a writing-related blog / podcast and would like to interview me… let me know.
Alternatively, if you’d like a free Q&A-only interview, I now have http://morgensauthorinterviews.wordpress.com on which I’ve rerun the original interviews posted here then posted new interviews which I then reblog here. These interviews are Q&A only, so I don’t add in my comments but they do get exposure on both sites.
** NEW!! You can now subscribe to this blog on your Kindle / Kindle app!
See http://www.amazon.co.uk/gp/product/B008E88JN0
or http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B008E88JN0 for outside the UK **
You can sign up to receive these blog posts daily or weekly so you don’t miss anything. You can contact me and find me on the internet, view my Books (including my debut novel, which is serialised on Novel Nights In!) and I also have a blog creation / maintenance service especially for, but not limited to, writers. If you like this blog, you can help me keep it running by donating and choose an optional free eBook.
For writers / readers willing to give feedback and / or writers wanting feedback, take a look at this blog’s Feedback page.
As I post an interview a day (amongst other things) I can’t unfortunately review books but I have a list of those who do. I welcome critique for the four new writing groups listed below and / or flash fiction (<1000 words) for Flash Fiction Fridays. For other opportunities see (see Opportunities on this blog).
The full details of the new online writing groups, and their associated Facebook groups, are:
We look forward to reading your comments.
Tags: agent, Amazon, author, author spotlight, Barnes & Noble, biographers, biography, books, characters, children’s, Cornwall, creative writing, crime, critique, Daphne du Maurier, erotica, Facebook, fantasy, feedback, fiction, George Orwell, Goodreads, guest blog, guest blog post, guest post, historical, interview, Kobo, LinkedIn, literature, lyrics, Morgan Bailey, morgen bailey, Morgen with an e, multi-genre, murder mystery, Nigel Paul, non-fiction, Northampton, novelist, novels, paranormal, paranormal romances, pinterest, poetry, poetry collections, publisher, rejection letters, rejections, romance, science fiction, second person viewpoint, self-publishing, short story group, Smashwords, story author, story authors, story writer, submissions, Twitter, vampire, western, writer, writing, writing competitions, writing events, writing group, writing magazines, YA, youtube
Given how popular the blog interviews are becoming (see http://morgenbailey.wordpress.com/blog-interviews), I shall be cutting down on the in-person or Skype author audio podcast interviews (currently two per month) so am considering a new feature for my weekly ‘Bailey’s Writing Tips’ podcast episodes: red pen critiquing.
In a similar vein to http://www.youwriteon.com and http://authonomy.com, would any authors reading this be interested in submitting to me their work-in-progress complete short stories (preferred) or extracts (max c. 1000 words in either case) for me to ‘red pen’ then talk about in my podcasts? It’s a feature that Australian podcaster ‘Paula B’ (Paula Berinstein) offers in her c. 45-minute Writing Show ‘Slushpile workshops’ and I enjoy listening to them so am now thinking of doing the same thing. My episodes would be about half an hour long and probably every other Monday, in between the regular Monday mixed hints & tips episodes (standard episode 33 at the bottom of the Google’s Feedburner page is a typical example) and/or event review.
I’ve been critiquing my writing group for the past three years and love editing other people’s work as I don’t know the thought or meaning behind the writing and see it with fresh eyes (if I’ve not had a late night) – plus short stories are my first love. In every case the copyright of the writing remains with the author (and I will attribute each piece to them) but the podcasts are listened to worldwide so please bear this in mind (plus the podcast has a ‘clean’ rather than ‘explicit’ rating).
If you are very protective of your work, sensitive to negative but constructive feedback then this may not be for you but it doesn’t mean that you wouldn’t learn something from listening to the episodes (links to the various ways of listening / subscribing are in the left-hand ‘Where to find me’ menu). If I have some willing volunteers then I can start recording in the very near future. If you are interested then feel free to email me and we’ll get the ‘red pen’ episodes rolling.
Tags: critique, podcast, red pen, short stories, writing
Visits to this blog hit the grand milestone of 3,000 today (since launch 31st March 2011) and I’d like to take this opportunity of saying a big “thank you” (from the bottom of my clichéd heart) firstly to everyone who’s stopped by, especially those who have stayed long enough to leave comments, but also to all my blog interviewees (listed on http://morgenbailey.wordpress.com/blog-interviews) because without them it would be half the blog (literally) it is today. I’m having such fun talking to new writers and going through their replies then talking to other writers (and readers) who are enjoying the posts and telling us so. I intend to keep posting interviews for as long as I have them coming in so if you’re reading this and write (to any extent, published or otherwise) then seriously, feel free to email me (morgen@morgenbailey.com) and get involved. I don’t bite and you get total choice as to which questions you answer (from a Word document) and how long it takes you to do so, and you never know you might even find it fun. So “thank you” for your support to-date and “thank you” in advance for the interview you know you’ll ultimately be too tempted not to take part in.
Tags: blog, hits, interview, subscribe, writing
Welcome to the twenty-first of my blog interviews with novelists, poets, directors, bloggers, autobiographers and more. Today’s is with thriller / western writer David Mathew. If you like what you read, please do go and investigate the author further. A list of interviewees (blogged and scheduled) can be found here.
Morgen: Hello, David. Please tell us something about yourself and how you came to be a writer.
David: From as early on as when the choices were realistic, I had wanted to be a writer when I grew up. Prior to that, as a child, I had wanted to be Hutch in Starsky and Hutch.
Morgen: I LOVED Starsky and Hutch and named two guinea pigs after them, one was blond (tan) like David Soul (Hutch), although I was more of a Michael Glaser (Starsky) fan (especially his cardigans). I loved David Soul’s music (Black Bean Soup / Ladybug of Love… ah fond memories) and saw him a few months back when he came to Northampton’s Chicago Rock Café; sadly he played mostly new stuff other than Silver Lady. It was good to see him though.
David: Then I wanted to be a dentist.
Morgen: Ah yes, we’re doing an interview here, aren’t we?
David: About the age of 15 or so I was determined that I would be a writer. At the time I was mostly influenced by fantasy fiction (Piers Anthony, David Eddings) and I was moving onto horror fiction. I got Stephen King’s It for a present on my fifteenth birthday and I was sold.
Morgen: I blame Stephen King for me wearing glasses (reading his books with a torch under the duvet as a teenager).
David: Coincidentally, Clive Barker came along at around the same time, and I was into The Books of Blood, The Damnation Game and Weaveworld, convinced that this was the sort of writer I would be. In the summer between finishing my A Levels and going to university in Bangor, Gwynedd, I wrote a full-length fantasy / horror manuscript. It was pantaloons, needless to say; utterly unsellable anywhere, I am sure (although I didn’t really try to submit it any further than the first two or three rejections took me). However, I had finished a novel; and in the meantime, I’d had a short story published (the acceptance had been about a year earlier; see below in this interview). So I was fairly certain that I was on to something if someone wanted a short story. It was heady and exciting and I knew that I wanted more. Throughout my three years at university, reading English Literature, I wrote another full-length manuscript, much, much longer than the first one had been. It was marginally better (but not much) than the first one; but I aware, instinctively if by no other way, that I was writing some of the bad stuff out of my system.
Morgen: Absolutely, it’s practice.
David: You have to start somewhere. Or I did, anyway. After university, I wrote mostly journalism and short stories for quite a while. These days I divide my writing life between novels, the occasional short story, academic papers, occasional journalism, education materials, and correspondence. I don’t write a blog. While I wouldn’t say that I’m against the writing of blogs (I’m not), I have plenty to keep me busy without them, and I would worry that writing one might take me too far away from the core writing business. After all, people tell me that writing a blog is quite addictive. And even if I did eventually write a blog, I would like it to be a blog about something, as opposed to an open-to-all personal diary, which is what a lot of blogs seem to be. Fair enough if you want to write such a blog (although I’ve always wondered why, to be honest), and fair enough if you want to read such a blog; but I’d prefer to write in my more comfortable fields.
Morgen: I started a blog because I was hearing that it a good thing to do but I’m selective with the content; if it doesn’t interest me as a writer, it doesn’t get screen space. What genre do you generally write and have you considered other genres?
David: O My Days is published as a supernatural thriller. That’s a description that would cover much of my fiction, though I’ve ventured into horror (briefly), so-called ‘mainstream’ prose (a manuscript that will need another draft next year), and even the Western. Writing the Western was one of the most fun things I’ve ever done. Unfortunately, when I moved house it got lost, so it never did see the light of day. I was proud of it. The ironic thing, possibly, is that a lot of O My Days is strictly speaking factual. The novel is from the point of view of a prisoner in a Young Offenders’ Institute. Personally, some years ago, I worked as a manager in the Education department of a Young Offenders’ Institute. I changed the location and a good deal else, but a lot of the dialogue was recorded by me, at the time, in a notebook. And they’re true. As far as non-fiction goes, I’m writing a suite of academic papers about anxiety and cyberbullying. The intention is to publish them, one day – eventually – as a book. Well, I say ‘intention’. Maybe the word ‘dream’ is closer to it.
Morgen: What have you had published to-date?
David: Approximately 600 articles and short stories. A collection of short stories called Paranoid Landscapes in 2006. O My Days (a novel) in 2011. Some academic work in things like The St James Guide to Horror, Ghost and Gothic Writers (about 20 entries, as I recall); a chapter in a book on Jack Vance. Hundreds of educational materials.
Morgen: Wow. Do you have an agent? Do you think they’re vital to an author’s success?
David: I do not have an agent. In my life I have had two agents and neither of them managed to do anything more than I have subsequently done by myself. I parted from them both on good terms but I remember thinking that it was their names that I was relying on. It was their names (and the reputations connected to those names) that was doing the real work. My general view on this, although I am happy to be challenged on it, is this. In the early years of a writer’s working life, an agent offers little that the writer cannot do for himself. Then one of two things might happen. If the book is published and does well, an agent becomes very useful in respect of the negotiations for the next book, and so on. If the first book bombs and smells like roadkill, no self-respecting agent might want to look at you or your work ever again. If you’re not going to make money, there’s nothing in it for an agent to slug it out against indifferent market-buyers and bulk-buyers for our slowly-dwindling numbers of actual, physical, real-time bookshops: not if that agent is not going to get twenty per cent of something substantial in return for his/her labours. Of course, if you’re a Big Name (if you’re on the A List) you will probably need an agent to keep on top of foreign rights negotiations, reprints, film tie-in deals – all of that stuff. But speaking as someone who is unlikely to be pestered by calls from Hollywood (or even Holyhead!), I can run the show on my own for now. Unless there are any film producers reading these words, of course….
Morgen: Of course, although it does sound like you’re coping pretty well on your own. Are your books available as eBooks? If so what was your experience of that process? And do you read eBooks?
David: Yes, both Paranoid Landscapes and O My Days are available as modestly-priced eBooks. Roll up, roll up… O 
My Days, is available from Triskaideka Books. Click here for information. (Hardcover, paperback or e-book versions are available.) Paranoid Landscapes can be purchased here or here or the e-book is here. (Sales pitch over. It’s got to be worth a try!) Electronic publishing is the future, whether we like it or not. And I speak as someone with (I must admit) somewhat ambivalent feelings. Friends of mine think it ironic that I do so much work online, often in the field of online learning, and yet I ‘still prefer’ a book made out of paper. But I don’t think there’s anything ironic about it. For me, a book is made out of paper… but this does not mean that don’t read fiction online. I just don’t do it often. Non-fiction, on the other hand, I read online often: not so much books in their entirety, but certainly psychoanalytic papers, journalism, book news, the news news, that kind of thing. To be clear about it, I certainly don’t dislike eBooks. They perform an excellent and important function, especially for people on the go (commuting to work, going on holiday); but if I had the choice, I’d take a paperback or a hardback. And maybe this choice is partly down to the fact that I look at the screen a lot when I’m working. Incidentally, someone told me the other day that he’d read O My Days on his commute to work (as an eBook), and that made my week!
Morgen: I met thriller / crime novelist Graham Hurley a few months ago and was reading his first novel ‘Nocturne’ when I was writing my big (as in content 117,540 words) chick lit novel – great contrast – so I had my character, Izzy, reading it too and wanted to include references to it, so I emailed Graham and he was delighted, saying that it was like watching someone on a train read your book… only better, which I loved. I’m presenting it (and a shorter book) at a couple of agent pitch meetings next month so I hope to be able to send Graham a copy.
David: The other good thing about electronic publishing is that when you buy a mobile phone these days, you often get something that’s out of copyright already loaded onto it. This means, in theory at least, that for those who might not ordinarily read fiction, there might be a temptation to do so, and one of the classics to boot! I like this idea.
Morgen: I knew that was the case with eReaders, I hadn’t realised with mobiles – mine’s only 6 months old, maybe I should check it. What was your first acceptance and is being accepted still a thrill?
David: My first acceptance happened when I was seventeen. If memory serves, the magazine was called New Visions, and the acceptance was for a short story called ‘New Arrivals, Old Escapes’ – I remember it fondly. I even remember writing most of it, if not all of it, in a cafeteria in Luton. The cafeteria’s long gone, but would you like to know about nostalgia and coincidence? Despite having worked all over the place – in England and abroad – in the intervening years, as I type these words right now I am sitting at a desk in Luton, in the Centre for Learning Excellence at the University of Bedfordshire, where I work. My desk is no more than a minute’s walk from where that old cafeteria used to be.
Morgen: Ah, that’s nice, but sad. I guess it could have been worse and been a bookshop.
David: It is always a thrill to be published. It is always a thrill to be accepted for publication as well. The two things don’t necessarily connect, of course. What with publishing houses closing down, and recessions, I have been accepted for publication a good few more times than I have actually been published.
Morgen: Have you had any rejections? If so, how do you deal with them?
David: Have I had any rejections? Forgive my winsome smile… Oh yes. Ohhh yes. Oh yes indeed… One or two. Hundred. While I can honestly say that a rejection has never particularly bothered me (you hear stories of those who spend half the week following a rejection in a state of apoplexy or despondency, wondering where it all went wrong, but that sort of introspection has never been me), I obviously do not enjoy them any more than anyone else does. I basically say ‘Sod it’ and try again somewhere else. If you happen to be someone with a thin skin, you’re probably going to get hurt in this industry, somewhere along the line. But what do you do? You can’t help having thin skin, of course.
Morgen: But hopefully it grows thicker (now there’s a horror story – feel free to pinch it!). What are you working on at the moment / next?
David: I’ve just finished Residua, a 10,000 word novella that will appear in The HA of HA, an anthology that will be edited by D.F. Lewis, later in 2011. Slightly earlier than that I completed a 280,000 word novel called The Parry and the Lunge, which is with a publisher for consideration as I write. So I’m doing a few tweaks on those. While juggling a couple of projects as I usually do, the next novel that I’ll complete is currently called Ventriloquists. It’s a somewhat surreal tale of kidnapping, urban anxiety… and adventure on the high seas. It’s hard to say how much I’ve done because I write first drafts in longhand (fountain pen, hardback A4 notebook), but it feels like about 30,000 words that I’ve done. So about a third of the way done. As I’ve mentioned elsewhere in this interview, I’m also working on some papers about bullying on the Internet, and anxiety and things like that.
Morgen: You did; second question. Do you manage to write every day? What’s the most you’ve written in a day?
David: I write every day except Christmas Day. Not necessarily a great deal (it depends on how easy or difficult things are at that point), but something gets done: usually using a fountain pen and a hardback A4 notebook. I type things up later on, generally. The most I’ve ever done in a day is about 6,000 words a day for two weeks when I was on the concluding part of O My Days. When I was finishing The Parry and the Lunge it was about 4,000 words most days (handwritten). Generally speaking, I’m much faster as I approach the final straight.
Morgen: Wow. That’s good going. What is your opinion of writer’s block? Do you ever suffer from it? If so, how do you ‘cure’ it?
David: I’m happy and relieved to say that I’ve never suffered from writer’s block. This might be because I tend to have four or five projects in development at any one time. Sometimes more. The moment I get a bit stuck on something, I can move to something else, painlessly, and harmlessly to either of the projects. It keeps the work fresh; it forces you to climb up or down a gear – I’m all for challenges that one sets oneself as a writer – and although it means that each particular thing takes slightly longer to finish than you had planned, it also means that you tend to finish four or five things at approximately the same time. That said, of course there are slow times: there are weeks when it’s not flowing as well as you’d hoped it would; afternoons when you hit the final full stop of what you’d intended to complete before lunch. There are snags. There are problems. There is life stuff, which insists from time to time in getting in the way of all your best laid plans… Recently, when I finished The Parry and the Lunge, I felt as though I wouldn’t write any fiction for a while. The Parry… is a long novel (280,000 words), and it had taken two years to write. At the end of it I felt ‘dry’ of fiction. I wouldn’t have called it then, and I do not call it now, writer’s block; but there seemed to be something unconscious telling something conscious to have a break from it for a while. So I did. Not because I was blocked exactly (I had plenty of energy for other non-fiction matters to deal with) but because it seemed like the right thing to do. Then I read that D.F. Lewis was editing an anthology and I wanted to be in it. So I wrote Residua over the next two months, and it’s been accepted, I’m delighted to say… I suppose what I’m saying is that little spurs along the way are a good thing.
Morgen: You’re not the first to suggest diluting with other projects. Do you plot your stories or do you just get an idea and run with it?
David: The most enjoyable experiences are the ones where you get an idea… and you’re still chasing that idea six or eight or twelve months down the line. The Parry and the Lunge was like that. It wasn’t until about three quarters of the way through that I realised what it was really ‘about’ – or rather, how I was going to end it – and so I had to go back and perform some minor surgery; but I wouldn’t have changed that spirit of exploration for the world. I have never stuck to a plan rigidly in my life.
Morgen: I try not to. Do you have pieces of work that you think will never see light of day?
David: I suppose so. In the early 90s I wrote a couple of novels, the very first of which I recently unearthed in order to cannibalise a portion of it for something else. Needless to say, I found it execrable! That said, I do like parts of the story of that old thing, which I finished in 1990, when I was a mere slip of a lad… Ha ha. So who knows? If your question is asking if it will ever see the light of day as it currently reads, the answer is no. Not unless a publisher decides to take the wrong medication for a month and comes up with the loopy idea of only publishing execrable drivel (over 600 printed pages). However, I will be using part of that very first manuscript to fuel…
Morgen: I thought you were going to say your ‘lounge fire’ for a second…
David: …another long novel in the near future, so technically, I suppose, the answer to your question is also yes. I wrote three novels in the early 90s – or rather three novel-length manuscripts. These are very much juvenilia. But as I say, perhaps I will open the boxes one day and see if there is anything worth kissing back to life inside them. Even if there is, I suspect it will be some of the plot ideas only; I doubt there’ll be much in terms of character development. Maybe I’ll get lucky with some of the earthiness of the dialogue; we’ll see. I keep meaning to find them and take a peek. What is about my fear of what I’ll find that prevents me from doing so, I wonder. Maybe I should write a psychoanalytic paper about it. Something about the fear of being seen… No, wait a minute: John Steiner’s beaten me to it. But I digress.
Morgen: I’m good at that.
David: That very early stuff was heavily influenced by whoever I was reading at that moment, most regularly Stephen King and early Clive Barker. I was producing the sort of material, my memory insists, that would have featured heavily on the late-lamented, much-missed CrapAuthors website. (I wish that was still around. Did you ever see it?
Morgen: Unfortunately not, no.
David: It was a work of genius. I never did find out who was behind it, lampooning the truly dreadful of the publishing world, with copious examples!) I’m happy to say that I’ve improved a bit since then. Well, I hope so, anyway…
Morgen: With practice. What’s your favourite / least favourite aspect of your writing life?
David: My favourite aspect is the sense of flight that I get when everything is going well. It is bliss – it’s the best feeling. I can’t really answer the second half of your question. I wouldn’t complain about anything negative at the moment. It’s all going well. If anything, it would be nice to have a bit more energy in the evenings, after dinner, so that I might be able to squeeze out a few more paragraphs, but then again, I’m not twenty-one anymore! In the evening I’ll often watch a drama or read some psychoanalysis for research. Or have a pint of beer in the garden.
Morgen: My weekly trips to the cinema are ‘research’ (actually the only time I sit and do nothing). What advice would you give aspiring writers?
David: Can I borrow Billy Joel’s, please? “Don’t take any shit from anybody.”
Morgen: You certainly can. I feel like a presenter on ‘Desert Island Discs’. What do you like to read? (Which book would you like to take with you on your island – the Bible and Complete Works of Shakespeare are included)
David: I tend to have about ten books on the go at any one time. First I have a set of books by the side of the bed for a read before I sleep, and they vary wildly. At the moment I’m about halfway through Saul Bellow’s Humboldt’s Gift, having recently finished The Complete Letters of Sigmund Freud to Wilhelm Fliess (edited by Jeffrey Masson). But the bed books are usually novels. In recent months there have been William Burroughs, Samuel Beckett, Anthony Burgess, J.G. Ballard… any male author with a surname beginning with B, it would seem. I also read Alias Grace by Margaret Atwood, and thoroughly enjoyed it. Who else? Thomas Pynchon, Stephen King, Stephen Gallagher, Martin Amis… Then there are the books that I carry in my case to work, to read on the bus/train (depending on where I’m going). For the journey there I usually read psychoanalysis; for the journey home I usually read fiction. And then there are the books that I have on the go in my study, which are either directly related to some work that I’m doing, or they’re supposed to be! As I say, it’s about ten things at any one time; but I’ll also let something slip past in the fast lane, just for a fun read that I hadn’t expected. Recently I read Air Mail by Terry Ravenscroft in that spirit. Hilarious! A guy I was working with recommended it and it was something light-hearted to break up the difficult and sometimes troubling subject matter that is often covered in psychoanalysis.
Morgen: Are there any writing-related websites and/or books that you find useful and would recommend?
David: Stephen King’s On Writing springs to mind. If you haven’t read it, it’s part-lesson, part-autobiography, part-miscellanea: a wonderful read, as I would have expected from a master storyteller, of course. The problem with a lot of writing-related books, I have gathered, is that they are not (ironically enough) particularly well written. Now it’s fair to say that I am not referring to any recent examples of the genre, but I used to read a few, now and then, about a decade ago. Or start to read them, anyway. To me it seems common sense that if you would like to teach someone how to write, or to help them with the craft of writing in some way, you should yourself, as a teacher, have an excellent command of your subject matter. And that was something that I didn’t often use to see. Perhaps it’s all changed for the better now. I would hope it has. As for writing-related websites… sorry, I can’t really help you there. I don’t look at them. I hope they’re useful to someone, or somebody is wasting a hell of a lot of time and cyber-resources to maintain what is basically a folly.
Morgen: One that springs to mind for me is http://www.jbwb.co.uk (lots of guidelines and market information, although sometimes a bit out of date). In which country are you based and do you find this a help or hindrance with letting people know about your work?
David: I live in the south of England, just outside a town called Leighton Buzzard (Bedfordshire). It’s an interesting question you’ve asked because I’ve never considered how the place where I lived might be influential in letting people know about what I’m doing. Influential for other reasons, certainly; but not for the reason in your question… The simple answer is that my location doesn’t really affect much, one way or the other; but it’s got me thinking. If I lived in complete isolation (in a desert, say) would I be disadvantaged in any way (in the context of your question)? These days, everything is connected via the miracle of the world wide web. Even if I lived next door to a volcano, it might be dangerous, but as long as there was an internet connection… Actually, living in an exotic location might make readers more interested in your work. Then again, I’m not aware of many Greenland authors, so possibly I haven’t thought this through properly…
Morgen: I know Leighton Buzzard. I drive past it (as many people do with Northampton) to visit family in Tring. Are you on any forums or networking sites? If so, how invaluable do you find them?
David: I’m on a few LinkedIn sites for those who work in writing, editing and/or psychoanalysis. It’s nice to be in the company of like-minded individuals, even those who (unfortunately) seem to be present with the sole agenda of making trouble and arguing that black is white, that two plus two is three. If this kind of cheese-eater wanted to be in your company in a physical sense, you could tell him where to go. For some reason, in an electronic format, we tend to tolerate bad behaviour. When people are playing nice, however, it’s good fun. I wouldn’t say they are ‘invaluable’, but it’s nice to chat things over.
Morgen: Where can we find out about you and your work?
David: The new novel, O My Days, is out now from Triskaideka Books. Click here for information. Hardcover, paperback or e-book versions available. Paranoid Landscapes orders are here or here or the e-book is here. A happy, informative review is here. Interview with me is here. Selected interviews I’ve done are at Infinity Plus (scroll down a bit). Selected bibliography here. And so on… There’s other stuff, but if anyone gets through that lot and is still interested in learning a bit more, feel free to say hello, either via Linked-In, Facebook, or direct to me: david_mathew@hotmail.co.uk.
Morgen: Is there anything else you’d like to mention?
David: It’s been a pleasure. Thank you very much for the platform.
Morgen: You’re very welcome, you’ve been very informative (and entertaining). Thank you.
***
If you are reading this and you write, in whatever genre, and are thinking “ooh, I’d like to do this” then you can… just email me and I’ll send you the information. They do now (January 2013) carry a fee (£10 / €12.50 / $15) for the new interviews on this blog but everything else (see Opportunities on this blog) is free.
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Welcome to the twentieth of my blog interviews with novelists, poets, short story authors, bloggers, autobiographers and more. Today is with romance author Cristina Istrati aka Christina Wittelsbach. If you like what you read, please do go and investigate the author further. A list of interviewees (blogged and scheduled) can be found at here.
Morgen: Hello Cristina. Please tell us something about yourself and how you came to be a writer.
Cristina: My name is Cristina Istrati and I write under Christina Wittelsbach pseudonym. I began writing four years
ago. I’d say my entrance into the world of writing is a bit uncommon, because it happened due to a… dream. In one summer night, back in 2007, I had a dream in which I saw myself writing books. The next day, I grabbed the pen and with some white sheets, I started writing. As I was doing that, the pleasure and joy were coming over me minute by minute and the outcome of that was my first book, a romance novel called Seductive Ambiguity. Today I know that everything that started with a simple dream, turned out to be my biggest passion and love. Today I know that writing is my vocation.
Morgen: That’s great (and how I feel). What genre do you generally write and have you considered other genres?
Cristina: I generally write romance. This is my favourite kind of literature and I have to say that it expresses me the most. I love to write romance. Of course, I’ve considered to write other genres and as a matter a fact, I’m quite looking forward to starting. I’m curious about finding out how is it to be writing drama, psychology, history or any other genre.
Morgen: What have you had published to-date? How much of the marketing do you do?
Cristina: I published in 2009 my first romance novel. It was a 28-chapter novel and I wrote it in six months. I don’t really do all that marketing part but I have my site and I’m managing that.
Morgen: And it’s clearly working as you have approaching 5.000 friends on Facebook (the limit, so I found out when visiting your site). Six months for a book is impressive too. I’ve completed http://nanowrimo.org (50,000+ words in a month) three times but that’s where the hard work begins. Do you have an agent? Do you think they’re vital to an author’s success?
Cristina: No, at this moment I don’t have an agent but I’m in the search of having one. I already sent queries to the literary agencies and hope to hear from them soon. To have an agent is a good thing nowadays and surely helps you in your writing career. I think every respectful writer should have one. And yet, I don’t think that an agent is vital to an author’s success. A writer can very well write without having an agent too. If we look to mankind’s biggest writers from a century or so ago, they didn’t had an literary agent and still they wrote amazing, everlasting books. Victor Hugo didn’t have an agent, William Shakespeare didn’t have an agent and yet they became famous writers. I think it’s all about how much you invest in yourself and how serious you are regarding your writing.
Morgen: Are your books available as eBooks? If so what was your experience of that process? And do you read eBooks?
Cristina: No, my books are not available as e-books, at least, not for the moment. Yes, I read e-books.
Morgen: What was your first acceptance and is being accepted still a thrill?
Cristina: My first acceptance was good, didn’t even expect to be like that. I was given a beautiful surprise. Of course, being accepted will always be a thrill. Maybe not like the first one but definitely, it is a continuous thrill.
Morgen: Have you had any rejections? If so, how do you deal with them?
Cristina: Yes, I had rejections too. It’s a part of the process, you can’t stop or avoid them. At first, I was getting upset when I faced them, as I wanted for all the people to love what I was writing but that period is gone now. I understand now that people are free to do and say whatever they want and really, it`s not something personal. Some of them won’t like what you write. What’s the problem? None, as long as you see it that way. Don’t let that get to you and keep on writing.
Morgen: Exactly. It’s very easy to let negativity take over but it’s just one person’s opinion, and not the person for that particularly project. What are you working on at the moment / next?
Cristina: I finished writing my second book, which is a 50-chapter romance novel. It will be published in September. Having this done, I’m enjoying now a small break and after this I will start my third novel. Don’t know exactly the whole story but I’m pretty sure I’ll place it somewhere in the Oriental part of the world. I’ve just returned from Austria (this was the country where the second novel was set) now, I’ll go to a sunnier place.
Morgen: All in the name of research. Do you manage to write every day? What’s the most you’ve written in a day?
Cristina: No, I don’t manage to write every single day as I have also classes to attend and sometimes I simply don’t feel like writing, don’t have that natural, abundant flow and at that moment, I know it’s better for me to do something else instead. The most I’ve written in a day was four hours.
Morgen: What is your opinion of writer’s block? Do you ever suffer from it? If so, how do you ‘cure’ it?
Cristina: Writer’s block is a very common thing among writers and I know it can be so annoying at times. I remember I had it once, for about five days. I couldn’t write anything and I was so upset as I was getting so close in finishing the novel on which I was working at that time. Eventually, I let it go, I embraced my lack of inspiration and soon after, I could write again. That was the first time I’ve “suffered’ out of writer’s block but that experience didn’t repeat itself again. Usually, inspiration comes easily to me. If I see something beautiful or looking for reasons to praise, it’s enough to trigger my desire to write. When I write on a book, it’s that eagerness and excitement to see what’s the next step of the story that keeps my inspiration flowing.
Morgen: Do you plot your stories or do you just get an idea and run with it?
Cristina: Usually, I get the idea and run with it. Everything else unfolds to me as I write.
Morgen: Doesn’t it just (and isn’t that great?). Do you have pieces of work that you think will never see light of day?
Cristina: When it comes about my books, I’m sure all of them will see daylight. But, I also have a notebook where I write and it’s that that I’m not sure it will see it because there are works very close to my heart, very private. It’s the place where I literally write whatever I’m feeling and I think I should keep it in a more hidden form.
Morgen: What’s your favourite / least favourite aspect of your writing life?
Cristina: My favourite aspect of my writing life is that I can create my own stories, places and characters. I love to create destinies and to play with my imagination. The least aspect is the typing process. It’s like reading the same book twice.
Morgen: What advice would you give aspiring writers?
Cristina: If they love to be in service for others, have a burning desire to do a hard work but rewarding and mostly, an unshakable wish to write, they should do so. Otherwise, they will give up on the first moment when writer’s block comes.
Morgen: What do you like to read?
Cristina: I like to read good books, related to history, self-improvement, spirituality, romance. Also, I like to read well-written novels, almost on any subject.
Morgen: Are there any writing-related websites and/or books that you find useful and would recommend?
Cristina: Yes. There are several writing sites: http://www.writers.com, http://www.fictionfeedback.co.uk/index.php, http://www.everywritersresource.com and http://www.pw.org/magazine. As for the books, there are three that I particularly like: Brian Tracy’s ‘Eat the Frog’, Allan Pease’s ‘Questions are the answers’ and Donald Trump’s ‘Think big and kick ass’.
Morgen: Ooh, lots of new websites for me to check out. In which country are you based Christina, and do you find this a help or hindrance with letting people know about your work?
Cristina: I am from Romania. Yes, it can be helpful in letting people know about my work.
Morgen: Are you on any forums or networking sites? If so, how invaluable do you find them?
Cristina: Yes, I am on Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn and MySpace. I think they are a great way to promote yourself and your books, to tell the world who you are.
Morgen: Where can we find out about you and your work?
Cristina: You can find everything you want to know about me from my site, www.christinawittelsbach.com.
Morgen: Is there anything else you’d like to mention?
Cristina: I’m most happy for taking part in this interview. I had a good time answering the questions and I hope they will be an advantage for those writers that already have a background, as well like guidance for those that are at their literary beginning. Thank you!
Morgen: You’re very welcome. I’m sure they will, thank you.
***
If you are reading this and you write, in whatever genre, and are thinking “ooh, I’d like to do this” then you can… just email me and I’ll send you the information. They do now (January 2013) carry a fee (£10 / €12.50 / $15) for the new interviews on this blog but everything else (see Opportunities on this blog) is free.
If you go for the interview, it’s very simple; I send you a questionnaire (I have them for novelists, short story authors, children’s authors, non-fiction authors, and poets). You complete the questions, and I let you know when it’s going to go live. Before it does so, I add in comments as if we’re chatting, and then they get posted. When that’s done, I email you with the link so you can share it with your corner of the literary world. And if you have a writing-related blog / podcast and would like to interview me… let me know.
Alternatively, if you’d like a free Q&A-only interview, I now have http://morgensauthorinterviews.wordpress.com on which I’ve rerun the original interviews posted here then posted new interviews which I then reblog here. These interviews are Q&A only, so I don’t add in my comments but they do get exposure on both sites.
** NEW!! You can now subscribe to this blog on your Kindle / Kindle app!
See http://www.amazon.co.uk/gp/product/B008E88JN0
or http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B008E88JN0 for outside the UK **
You can sign up to receive these blog posts daily or weekly so you don’t miss anything. You can contact me and find me on the internet, view my Books (including my debut novel, which is serialised on Novel Nights In!) and I also have a blog creation / maintenance service especially for, but not limited to, writers. If you like this blog, you can help me keep it running by donating and choose an optional free eBook.
For writers / readers willing to give feedback and / or writers wanting feedback, take a look at this blog’s Feedback page.
As I post an interview a day (amongst other things) I can’t unfortunately review books but I have a list of those who do. I welcome critique for the four new writing groups listed below and / or flash fiction (<1000 words) for Flash Fiction Fridays. For other opportunities see (see Opportunities on this blog).
The full details of the new online writing groups, and their associated Facebook groups, are:
We look forward to reading your comments.
Tags: agent, Amazon, author, author spotlight, Barnes & Noble, biographers, biography, books, characters, children’s, Christina Wittelsbach, creative writing, crime, Cristina Istrati, critique, erotica, Facebook, fantasy, feedback, fiction, Goodreads, guest blog, guest blog post, guest post, historical, interview, Kobo, LinkedIn, literature, Morgan Bailey, morgen bailey, Morgen with an e, multi-genre, murder mystery, MySpace, non-fiction, Northampton, novelist, novels, paranormal, paranormal romances, pinterest, poetry, poetry collections, publisher, rejection letters, rejections, romance, Romania, science fiction, second person viewpoint, self-publishing, short story group, Smashwords, story author, story authors, story writer, submissions, Twitter, vampire, western, writer, writing, writing competitions, writing events, writing group, writing magazines, YA, youtube
Welcome to the nineteenth of my blog interviews with novelists, poets, directors, bloggers, autobiographers and more. Today’s is with supernatural mystery/horror/scriptwriter and fellow Litopian Julia Kavan. If you like what you read, please do go and investigate the author further. A list of interviewees (blogged and scheduled) can be found here.
Morgen: Hi Julia. Please tell us something about yourself and how you came to be a writer.
Julia: I have always been very quiet and as child found I was far more confident as a writer. I enjoyed challenging people’s ide
as on paper. This changed a little when I was a teenager – and I challenged people with my appearance and attitude, I never could fit in. My experience of life and the way I thought meant I was outside the safe zone in which my peers existed. Most people where I lived didn’t know what to make of me – and they probably still don’t! I calmed down when I was twenty. Marriage and children followed and I finally returned to writing around ten years ago. I have worked as a creative writing tutor for most of those years and, although I have pursued publication on and off during that time, it is in the last couple of years that I have really applied myself.
Morgen: Me too, I dabbled for a while then realised that it was actually (pretty much) all I could think about (OK, all, even during the day job). What genre do you generally write and have you considered other genres?
Julia: I usually write horror and supernatural mystery. I also write screenplays – one of which is a fantasy comedy drama. I’ve just started experimenting with other genres – but anything published outside of horror will be under a pen name.
Morgen: Good plan. Once your readers get to know you they expect the same genre from you (which is why Ruth Rendell also writes as Barbara Vine; Joanna Trollope as Caroline Harvey etc.). What have you had published to-date? How much of the marketing do you do?
Julia: My first story to be published is Dreaming, Not Sleeping – an erotic horror short published by Etopia Press and available on Amazon for Kindle. It will also be available as part of an anthology later in the year. I’m still finding my feet when it comes to marketing… getting to know what works and what doesn’t.
Morgen: I think most people are… especially electronically. Are your books available as eBooks? If so what was your experience of that process? And do you read eBooks?
Julia: Dreaming, Not Sleeping is only available as an eBook at the moment and any future publishers I approach are likely to be ePublishers. I have a Kindle and love being able to download books at any time. I read a lot of samples – and I love that option of being able to try before you buy.
Morgen: Like hotel shampoo sachets. What was your first acceptance Julia, and is being accepted still a thrill?
Julia: My first acceptance for publication for was a real thrill – I was very tentative about submitting Dreaming, I was unsure of the recept
ion it would get – so I guess I was thrilled and relieved! Each time I submit something new I’m nervous. I have a couple of WIPs almost ready to go – I’m sure I will be just as excited if they make the grade.
Morgen: Have you had any rejections? If so, how do you deal with them?
Julia: I’ve had more rejections as a screenwriter – simply because I have approached more production companies than publishers. However, I’ve always had really good feedback and now have two scripts with a production company in London. Of course I’m always disappointed if something is rejected – but you just keep going, taking on board any useful comments.
Morgen: You do. What are you working on at the moment / next?
Julia: I am finishing a supernatural mystery novel – and experimenting with some new shorts.
Morgen: I love shorts (though not in the trouser sense of the word, my legs are too pale). Do you manage to write every day? What’s the most you’ve written in a day?
Julia: I try and write every day. I work in a hospital in the mornings, edit and work on internet related bits and pieces in the afternoons and write in the evenings. I would probably write into the early hours – I very often have to make myself go to bed.
Morgen: Bed? Oh yes, that rectangular thing in the other room. Do you plot your stories or do you just get an idea and run with it?
Julia: Sometimes I have a rough idea of where a story is heading – but often find myself going in a different direction. I can also be a bit of a jigsaw puzzle writer. I can be in a particular frame of mind and write scenes which come easily at those times – I then end up with some random passages which are linked into the main story later on in the writing process.
Morgen: Yep, sounds like me. Do you have pieces of work that you think will never see light of day?
Julia: Yes. Good stuff it is too…
Morgen: Maybe you could sneak it out somewhere when no-one’s looking. What’s your favourite / least favourite aspect of your writing life?
Julia: Writing is a solitary affair. I like my own company and enjoy shutting myself away to write, but it can sometimes feel lonely – although I’m never really alone thanks to the community of writers I’ve discovered online. There are often writers I know on Twitter and Facebook – and it’s nice to say hi to someone doing the same as you when you think you are on your own.
Morgen: I love being alone, but yes it’s great having people online, especially when they know what we go through. What advice would you give aspiring writers?
Julia: Seek honest feedback – but don’t try to change to suit everybody. Trust in your own voice. Don’t worry too much about the rules.
Morgen: Rules? What are they? What do you like to read?
Julia: Horror – mostly psychological. Aside from that… anything that makes me think or question what I believe I know. If a writer can leave me unsettled or unsure about something I thought I knew about myself they’ve done a good job. I like to be surprised and/or shocked…or maybe even made to fall in love!
Morgen: A good story provokes a reaction and/or makes people think for a while afterwards. Are there any writing-related websites and/or books that you find useful and would recommend?
Julia: Stephen King’s Danse Macabre and On Writing.
Morgen: Ah yes, On Writing again. A very popular choice; maybe I should buy some shares. Are you on any forums or networking sites? If so, how valuable do you find them?
Julia: I have been a member of Litopia Writer’s Colony (http://www.litopia.com) for two years – that’s where you are most likely to find me lurking (as Seneca) when I’m writing. It’s a brilliant place to spend time with writers from all sorts of genres – and I don’t think there is a better site to get feedback on your writing.
Morgen: It is isn’t it? I just wish I’d found it months before I did. Where can we find out about you and your work?
Julia: You can read about me, and find excerpts from Dreaming, Not Sleeping and other work on my website (http://www.juliakavan.com), and Twitter (http://twitter.com/Seneca24) is where you’ll find me rambling in the evenings.
Morgen: Thanks Julia, lovely to ‘meet’ you again. As Julia mentioned, we know each other through the online radio station ‘Litopia’ (http://litopia.com); c. 60-90 minute live author panel / chatroom shows every Friday 8pm (UK time) and phone-in / Skype-in / game / chatroom shows every Sunday evening 6.30pm (UK time). We have such fun and it’s writing-related so do come by… and you never know we could be chatting for real on a Sunday night (it doesn’t take much to get me to Skype in… and I was their first video guest last Sunday).
***
If you are reading this and you write, in whatever genre, and are thinking “ooh, I’d like to do this” then you can… just email me and I’ll send you the information. They do now (January 2013) carry a fee (£10 / €12.50 / $15) for the new interviews on this blog but everything else (see Opportunities on this blog) is free.
If you go for the interview, it’s very simple; I send you a questionnaire (I have them for novelists, short story authors, children’s authors, non-fiction authors, and poets). You complete the questions, and I let you know when it’s going to go live. Before it does so, I add in comments as if we’re chatting, and then they get posted. When that’s done, I email you with the link so you can share it with your corner of the literary world. And if you have a writing-related blog / podcast and would like to interview me… let me know.
Alternatively, if you’d like a free Q&A-only interview, I now have http://morgensauthorinterviews.wordpress.com on which I’ve rerun the original interviews posted here then posted new interviews which I then reblog here. These interviews are Q&A only, so I don’t add in my comments but they do get exposure on both sites.
** NEW!! You can now subscribe to this blog on your Kindle / Kindle app!
See http://www.amazon.co.uk/gp/product/B008E88JN0
or http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B008E88JN0 for outside the UK **
You can sign up to receive these blog posts daily or weekly so you don’t miss anything. You can contact me and find me on the internet, view my Books (including my debut novel, which is serialised on Novel Nights In!) and I also have a blog creation / maintenance service especially for, but not limited to, writers. If you like this blog, you can help me keep it running by donating and choose an optional free eBook.
For writers / readers willing to give feedback and / or writers wanting feedback, take a look at this blog’s Feedback page.
As I post an interview a day (amongst other things) I can’t unfortunately review books but I have a list of those who do. I welcome critique for the four new writing groups listed below and / or flash fiction (<1000 words) for Flash Fiction Fridays. For other opportunities see (see Opportunities on this blog).
The full details of the new online writing groups, and their associated Facebook groups, are:
We look forward to reading your comments.
Tags: agent, Amazon, author, author spotlight, Barnes & Noble, biographers, biography, books, characters, children’s, creative writing, crime, critique, erotica, Facebook, fantasy, feedback, fiction, Goodreads, guest blog, guest blog post, guest post, historical, horror, interview, Julia Kavan, Kobo, LinkedIn, literature, litopia, Morgan Bailey, morgen bailey, Morgen with an e, multi-genre, murder mystery, non-fiction, Northampton, novelist, novels, paranormal, paranormal romances, pinterest, poetry, poetry collections, publisher, rejection letters, rejections, romance, science fiction, second person viewpoint, self-publishing, short story group, Smashwords, story author, story authors, story writer, submissions, supernatural, Twitter, vampire, western, writer, writing, writing competitions, writing events, writing group, writing magazines, YA, youtube
Welcome to the eighteenth of my blog interviews with novelists, poets, directors, bloggers, autobiographers and more. Today’s is of novelist/short story writer Philip Neale (a.k.a Neal James). If you like what you read, please do go and investigate the author further. A list of interviewees (blogged and scheduled) can be found here.
Morgen: Hello Philip. Please tell us something about yourself and how you came to be a writer.
Philip: I am an accountant turned writer and began the ‘evolution’ in 20
07. I’m 59 this year and loving every minute of the new skills I’ve discovered. I’m married (34 years) and have two grown up children. The writing began with an international competition sponsored by a local newspaper – my story finished in the top ten entries.
Morgen: Well done, I bet you were chuffed. What genre do you generally write and have you considered other genres?
Philip: Novels are, for the moment, crime, but the next one will be science fiction (I’m an avid fan of Asimov). My short stories, however, cover not only these, but also fantasy, horror, romance, humour and adventure.
Morgen: Great to have variety to capture a wider audience (and I love short stories – thank you for sending ‘Rose Cottage’ through; I really enjoyed it). What have you had published to-date? How much of the marketing do you do?
Philip: Three books: ‘A Ticket to Tewkesbury’ (ISBN9781905809349), Short Stories Volume One (ISBBN97819058
09608) and ‘Two Little Dicky Birds’ (ISBN9781905809936). I do all of the promotional work myself, and have a database of contacts which I target on a regular basis.
Morgen: Do you have an agent? Do you think they’re vital to an author’s success?
Philip: No, I don’t, and it’s not for the lack of trying. Large-scale success is heavily dependent upon a professional agency approach.
Morgen: It certainly can be and yes, you have to keep plugging away. Are your books available as eBooks? If so what was your experience of that process? And do you read eBooks?
Philip: Not at the moment, but my publisher is currently going down that route with other titles. I read them when I can get my hands on my son’s Kindle………..
Morgen: What was your first acceptance and is being accepted still a thrill?
Philip: ‘A Ticket to Tewkesbury’, and yes, just writing to you about it three years after the fact makes the hairs on the back of my neck stand up. It’s something that you just never forget. It’s just the same every time.
Morgen: Ah… I still remember receiving the cheque from Woman’s Weekly for my short story (a beautiful coloured cheque which was so nice I never cashed it; a colour photocopy wasn’t the same… and no, I’m not that mad or rich, it was £10 for a 60-worder!). Have you had any rejections? If so, how do you deal with them?
Philip: Not from my publisher, but not one agency accepted anything I sent to them.
Morgen: What are you working on at the moment / next?
Philip: I have a number of novels at the ‘finished’ stage. ‘Threads of Deceit’ is with the publisher as we speak and is due out in July. ‘Full Marks’ will be next, in 2012. Then will come ‘Day of the Phoenix’, the sequel to ‘A Ticket to Tewkesbury’. Then ‘The Rings of Darelius’, the sci-fi novel I mentioned earlier. Finally, for the moment, ‘Dreamer’, a trip into the paranormal. I also have a second volume of short stories ready and waiting to go.
Morgen: Do you manage to write every day? What’s the most you’ve written in a day?
Philip: No, not every day. The most? Probably three chapters (about 8,000 words), and that was when ‘Day of the Phoenix’ started to take off.
Morgen: That’s good going. Mine’s only just a bit more (9337 – yes, I’m nerdy enough to have an Excel spreadsheet to refer too… oops I’m talking to a former accountant. OK, scratch that bit. ) but that was a http://nanowrimo.org day and I had to catch up. What is your opinion of writer’s block? Do you ever suffer from it? If so, how do you ‘cure’ it?
Philip: It is real. I don’t suffer from it, as I tend to have several different styles on the go at the same time. If it gets to be a problem, I simply pit the writing aside for a while.
Morgen: I’ve had a few people say that. Writing a variety does sound like a good idea. Do you plot your stories or do you just get an idea and run with it?
Philip: The idea comes first. I then decide how to draw it out. Do I start with the end and figure out how to get there? Do I start with the ‘meat’ and run it both ways? Do I just invent a plot and see where it takes me? It’s a mixture.
Morgen: Do you have pieces of work that you think will never see light of day?
Philip: Just the one: ‘Talk About Laugh’ – a very personal trip through our family life, covering over 30 years.
Morgen: People love autobiographies, although I can relate to a project I did which was too personal (good therapy at the time though). What’s your favourite / least favourite aspect of your writing life?
Philip: Favourite: The thrill of finishing a book and seeing it in a shop or on a library shelf. Least Favourite: The struggle for a correct word or phrase.
Morgen: But you get there eventually hopefully. What advice would you give aspiring writers?
Philip: Keep the faith, trust in your ability and never forget what is motivating you to try.
Morgen: If they’re realistic, passion over money. What do you like to read?
Philip: Crime (Patterson, Wingfield, Deaver), Sci-fi (Asimov, Frank Herbert), Horror (James Herbert, Poe), Humour (Jasper Fforde, Pratchett)
Morgen: You’re my Red Cross shop’s perfect audience. Are there any writing-related websites and/or books that you find useful and would recommend?
Philip: Emerald Dragon, Critters, New Writers UK, Writing East Midlands, and, if you can invited, The Crime Writers’ Association, of which I am a member.
Morgen: I hear such good things about the CWA but I don’t write crime – I’m not sure I could write something clever enough to be believable or original… but I like reading it so I know I’ll try one day. In which country are you based and do you find this a help or hindrance with letting people know about your work?
Philip: England. The internet means that is no longer the barrier that it once was.
Morgen: Absolutely, isn’t it great! Are you on any forums or networking sites? If so, how valuable do you find them?
Philip: I am on a number: Twitter, Facebook, MySpace, LinkedIn. Their value depends upon how much I am prepared to put into each one. I am not a full-time writer, have a regular ‘day job’ as an accountant.
Morgen: You’re still an accountant… oops. Definitely scratch my earlier ‘nerd’ comment. Where can we find out about you and your work?
Philip: You asked for it:
Morgen: I did.
Philip: www.nealjames.webs.com, http://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=1541515015 and www.pneumasprings.co.uk.
Morgen: That was painless. Is there anything else you’d like to mention?
Philip: All of my three books to date are freely available in UK libraries, are stocked by Waterstone’s, and can also be obtained via WH Smith, Amazon and, in the USA, Barnes & Noble. I have given numerous talks to reading and writing groups, and September will see me at the Walsall Central Library. In the meantime ‘Threads of Deceit’ will be the main focus of a BBC Radio Nottingham interview at 2.15pm on Tuesday 30th August.
Morgen: Yay! I’ll try and catch it – I hope it goes well. Thanks Philip, it’s been great reading your answers and thanks again for taking part.
***
If you are reading this and you write, in whatever genre, and are thinking “ooh, I’d like to do this” then you can… just email me and I’ll send you the information. They do now (January 2013) carry a fee (£10 / €12.50 / $15) for the new interviews on this blog but everything else (see Opportunities on this blog) is free.
If you go for the interview, it’s very simple; I send you a questionnaire (I have them for novelists, short story authors, children’s authors, non-fiction authors, and poets). You complete the questions, and I let you know when it’s going to go live. Before it does so, I add in comments as if we’re chatting, and then they get posted. When that’s done, I email you with the link so you can share it with your corner of the literary world. And if you have a writing-related blog / podcast and would like to interview me… let me know.
Alternatively, if you’d like a free Q&A-only interview, I now have http://morgensauthorinterviews.wordpress.com on which I’ve rerun the original interviews posted here then posted new interviews which I then reblog here. These interviews are Q&A only, so I don’t add in my comments but they do get exposure on both sites.
** NEW!! You can now subscribe to this blog on your Kindle / Kindle app!
See http://www.amazon.co.uk/gp/product/B008E88JN0
or http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B008E88JN0 for outside the UK **
You can sign up to receive these blog posts daily or weekly so you don’t miss anything. You can contact me and find me on the internet, view my Books (including my debut novel, which is serialised on Novel Nights In!) and I also have a blog creation / maintenance service especially for, but not limited to, writers. If you like this blog, you can help me keep it running by donating and choose an optional free eBook.
For writers / readers willing to give feedback and / or writers wanting feedback, take a look at this blog’s Feedback page.
As I post an interview a day (amongst other things) I can’t unfortunately review books but I have a list of those who do. I welcome critique for the four new writing groups listed below and / or flash fiction (<1000 words) for Flash Fiction Fridays. For other opportunities see (see Opportunities on this blog).
The full details of the new online writing groups, and their associated Facebook groups, are:
We look forward to reading your comments.
Tags: agent, Amazon, author, author spotlight, Barnes & Noble, biographers, biography, books, characters, children’s, creative writing, crime, critique, erotica, Facebook, fantasy, feedback, fiction, Goodreads, guest blog, guest blog post, guest post, historical, interview, Kobo, LinkedIn, literature, Morgan Bailey, morgen bailey, Morgen with an e, multi-genre, murder mystery, non-fiction, Northampton, novelist, novels, paranormal, paranormal romances, Philip Neale, pinterest, poetry, poetry collections, publisher, rejection letters, rejections, romance, science fiction, second person viewpoint, self-publishing, short stories, short story group, Smashwords, story author, story authors, story writer, submissions, Twitter, vampire, western, writer, writing, writing competitions, writing events, writing group, writing magazines, YA, youtube
