Tell us about yourself and how many books you have written.
I’m never particularly good when it comes to telling people about myself, which is actually highly ironic, given that the book I just published is a non-fiction book and is pretty much me telling everyone about myself! In general, I am a person who has always loved books and writing; literature is a huge part of my life, and I find so much pleasure in it. Although my latest book is my only book currently active, I did try my hand at writing and self-publishing a few things when I was younger, which didn’t really work out very well (largely owing to the fact that I was 14, and had absolutely no idea what I was doing!). But I do have a couple of short stories and poems out there somewhere.
What is the name of your latest book and what inspired it?
My latest book is called, ‘The Act of Constant Drowning,’ and this was very much inspired by events that were taking place in my life at this time. I began writing this book while I was in the midst of a pretty bad MS relapse, and I needed a way to keep my mind active when my body couldn’t be. What this then led to was me finding a sort of outlet for all of my emotions and the struggles that I’ve been dealing with in my life due to a mixture of chronic illness and depression. I found ‘writing through it,’ as it were, to be very cathartic, and I really wanted to be able to describe the things that I go through in order to not only provide relatable content to others who struggle with health issues, but also to raise more awareness about aspects of physical and mental health conditions.
Do you have any unusual writing habits?
I’m not sure how unusual they are, but I certainly have habits that I like to stick to. I am very much a planner, and I like to have all of my works planned out – from inspiration to completion, I have numerous lists, hints, and areas of extra detail that I keep in very organized files on my computer. I like being able to find everything in its proper place, and structure my ideas in order to help with the process of actually writing then coherently.
What authors, or books have influenced you?
I am a huge fan of Virginia Woolf and Sylvia Plath – in fact, each chapter in my latest book begins with an epigraph in the format of a Sylvia Plath quotation. However, I am slightly unsure whether it’s specifically the writing styles of these great female authors that have influenced me, or just the similarity I seem to find in them in regards to my own personality. Either way, I think they are incredible.
What are you working on now?
At the moment, I am working on a novella that I originally wrote six years ago, and yet have never done anything with. I am hoping that it might amount to something more substantial over the next year or so.
What is your best method or website when it comes to promoting your books?
To be perfectly honest, I am very bad at promoting my books. I have a tendency to just push my book at all of my friends and family members until they give in and buy it. This is not the best method in the world.
Do you have any advice for new authors?
Considering that I am pretty much a new author myself, I don’t have a great wealth of knowledge to share. However, one I will say is to never stop trying. As someone who has had total flops in the past, I know what it’s like to feel totally disheartened by an outcome that was pretty much the polar opposite of what was intended, but I do think that it’s important to just keep learning, and writing, and sharing what you love.
What is the best advice you have ever heard?
I have the memory of a goldfish. I have heard many pieces of good advice; I remember very little.
What are you reading now?
Right now, I am reading ‘Confederates in the Attic,’ by Tony Horowitz. Not the sort of thing I usually read, but it’s humorous and I’m certainly learning some stuff about something I’ve never really thought about very much before.
What’s next for you as a writer?
Hopefully, finally completing my novella to a standard I actually think is decent enough, which I have been working on for the past six years!
If you were going to be stranded on a desert island and allowed to take 3 or 4 books with you what books would you bring?
Hmm, what a question… I think I would definitely bring ‘The Time Traveler’s Wife’ by Audrey Niffenegger, ‘Jane Eyre’ by Charlotte Brontë, and probably a few books by Angela Carter.
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