Q: Jenny...what made you become a writer?
A: I
don't remember becoming a writer. Perhaps it would be better to say, I don't
remember becoming a storyteller. As far as I or any of my close family can
remember, I have always been telling stories. My memory being somewhat hazy, I
don't remember when I first sat down and put one of those stories into writing.
I suppose it would have been at school, in a creative writing lesson. Since
then, I haven't ever stopped. I've been scribbling in notebooks and filling
word-processor documents with ideas ever since.
Q:
What is your typical writing day like?
A: I
don't know if there is a typical day for me, to be honest. I fairly frequently
have a long bus journey to and from work, so I may spend part of that journey
either working over ideas in my head, or getting something basic down on my
laptop. If I'm at home, I like to have a cup of coffee on hand and some mood
music playing. By mood I mean something that evokes whatever place or feeling
the scene I'm about to write should convey.
Q:
Do you outline? If so, how extensive are your outlines?
A: Not
a huge amount. I can't write from the seat of my pants, as the saying goes, but
equally I don't like to map every scene out in advance of writing it. I've
actually just this week started a blog post series exploring
the ways that I am applying frameworks from my day job, as a software
developer, to the writing process.
Q:
How many revisions will you typically do on a novel?
A: That's
hard to say. As many as it needs, I should think. My first pass at anything I
write is inevitably littered with grammatical errors and needs a thorough
scouring for any misplaced apostrophes. After that, there's always plenty to
consider in the editing process.
Q:
What is your best tip for editing a manuscript?
A: Get
someone else to look at it for you. Multiple someone elses, in fact. Not that I
don't think there is a lot to be gleaned from setting aside then returning to
your own work, to review and revise, but a fresh pair of eyes—someone else's
eyes— is an invaluable tool.
Q:
Which writing habits and/or tricks of the trade have made you a better writer?
A: I'm
not sure that you could call it a trick, but the word-processing program
Scrivener has served me especially well, when it comes to being able to plot
and plan in a structured but flexible way. In terms of habits, I'd say reading out aloud
what I've written. It's often a great way of getting a feel for whether a
sentence is structured well, or testing whether dialogue sounds believable.
Q:
Do you ever suffer through writer’s block? If so, how do you fight it?
A: I do, and I envy any writer who doesn't. One technique that I have found useful in clearing the blockage, so to speak, is to work on something different. I know it sounds a little counterproductive, but sometimes spending a couple of hours—or days—working on a different creative writing project, or on something not related to writing at all, does wonders for me. If in doubt, though, going for a run has become a sure-fire way of jiggling the blockage out of my brain.
Q:
What drew you to write your preferred genre(s)?
A: It
never occurred to me to chose a genre to write. Fantasy and science fiction are
the genres that I love to read, so it was natural for me to write in those
genres too. I can't think of any other genre that I would want to write. Not
that I don't like to read outside of sci-fi and fantasy, but I definitely have no inclination to write, for instance, a thriller or a piece of literary
fiction. I know where my interest and strengths lie.
Q:
Do you utilize beta readers?
A: I
haven't so far, but it's definitely something that I would consider for
projects in the future. The concept makes a lot of sense to me, since I work in
the software development profession, where we release software into various
stages of alpha and beta before letting it loose on a wider audience. I've seen
firsthand how the feedback of beta users has been key in refining a product
into something better, so I can only imagine the same would be true of using
beta readers on a novel.
Q:
In your most recently published novel, what’s one scene you really enjoyed
writing—and why?
A: I'm
not published just yet, but I can answer this in reference to my novel
Witherfist, which is currently in "funding" on Inkshares. In the very first
scene, the reader is introduced to the central character, Irusai Daud. This
introduction has to do a lot in the way of establishing what the world and its
people are like. I enjoyed writing it, and I'm proud of it, because I think it
struck the right balance between building the readers' understanding of the
world, and progressing the narrative. There is a lot of backstory in place,
for the characters and the setting, but the scene is never weighed down by any
of it. Instead, it's sprinkled here and there with hints and teases in a way
that, I've been told, keeps the reader wanting to know more.
Q:
What makes the main character(s) of your most recent novel so special?
A: I'd
like to think that they're both something you've not seen before. Irusai is a
woman in her late thirties, a mother and a wife; but also an incredibly
accomplished warrior. She was once a provincial governor, in the same vein as
the Samurai lords of feudal China. When a political coup threatened the
country, she and a number of her peers made pacts with spirits to gain the
upper hand in combat. Now, Irusai finds herself permanently bound to a creation that feeds upon the life energy of others. She is effectively in self-imposed
exile, and to return home she must not only find a way of ridding herself of
the spirit tied to her, but also potentially come to terms with the knowledge
that going home means accepting an illegitimate ruler, if only so that she can
be reunited with her husband and young daughter.
The
other central character is Arren, a princess of the Empire that Irusai was
sworn to protect. Her father was overthrown by her mother in the political coup
that drove Irusai into exile. Arren sided with her father in the conflict and
consequently is also a fugitive. At the time of the coup, Arren was outside of
Imperial territory, leading diplomatic and trade negotiations in the desert
sultanates of Isherban. She's an incredibly capable woman, who has been well
educated since childhood, but doesn't have a huge number of friends in the
Imperial court. She is also a lesbian, something that perhaps shouldn't be so
special but to me, as a gay woman myself, actually is. Her sexuality is only a
small part of her character, but it's an important one to me, as someone who
grew up surrounded by images of Disney princesses who never quite represented
me.
Q:
What is your best advice for author self-promotion?
A: Make
it personal. As I'm taking part in a publishing contest for the first time, a
lot of what I've been doing is feeling out what works and what doesn't. I've tried
all sorts, from placing adverts both in print and online, to joining networks
of readers and authors. What has been the most successful, without a doubt, has
been engaging on a one-to-one basis with potential readers.
Q: How do you deal with negative reviews?
A: I'm
always happy to receive constructive feedback, or feedback that amounts to not
much more than "this just isn't my thing." So far, touch wood, I
haven't had any majorly negative reviews from readers. If or when I do, I'm not
sure how I would deal with them, other than to accept that not everyone will
like what I do, and not let that knowledge become a burden.
Q:
What is your favorite aspect of being an indie author?
A: I'd
have to say the supporting community. There are so many of us, all trying to
make our voices heard and share our stories with the world. It can be daunting,
but sharing the experience with others makes it less so. On top of that, I have
found there is a real willingness to help not only promote within the
community, but offer frank and honest feedback on any work you might have in
progress.
Q:
What is your least favorite aspect of being an indie author?
A; Dividing
my time between writing and promotion. Though having a support network in place
is fantastic, you ultimately have to be a one-person promotion machine,
unless you're willing and/or able to sink a bunch of cash into getting someone
to promote for you.
Q:
What is your current writing project?
A: My
current project is the epic fantasy novel Witherfist, which is part of Inkshares. Witherfist is an epic fantasy, the first in a
series of novels. The story revolves around two women, both of whom have been
expelled from an empire they once either fought to protect or, in time, stood to
rule.
Q:
What are three of your favorite novels?
A: This is such a tricky question to answer. After mulling it over for far too long, I've settled on three by some of my favorite authors.
The
Fifth Elephant by Terry Pratchett
The
Great Gatsby by F Scott Fitzgerald
The
Way of Kings by Brandon Sanderson
Q:
If you could have lunch with any novelist, living or dead, who would it be?
What would talk to them about?
A: I think it would be a toss up between two. The first would be George R. R. Martin, since I'm eagerly awaiting his next release and would love to pick his brains. The second would be Brandon Sanderson, whose work I admire and draw a lot of inspiration from. Failing that, Hemingway. I feel like he'd show me a good time!
Q:
What is your best piece of advice for budding authors?
A: Start
writing. Start getting involved with communities of like-minded writers and
potential readers of your fiction. These networks will become invaluable for
you.
Q:
What is your favorite inspirational quote?
A: "Do
or do not, there is no try." Can't go wrong with the wisdom of a Master Yoda!
#
No witches, warlocks or vampires...
just a sexy tale about a guy trying to live the Hollywood dream...
just a sexy tale about a guy trying to live the Hollywood dream...
