Tell us about yourself and how many books you have written.
I have written have had lots of short stories, flash fiction and poetry published in literary magazines, but my memoir ‘Piece by Piece’ is the first full-length work I’ve had published. I am currently looking for representation for my first novel, while writing my second.
What is the name of your latest book and what inspired it?
‘Piece by Piece: Remembering Georgina: A Mother’s Memoir’ is my account of losing my 15 year old daughter Georgina to cancer. Georgina died only 4 short months after being diagnosed with liver cancer, and I poured my thoughts and feelings into a diary while she was ill, and for months afterwards, to help me cope. Lots of people have asked how I have managed to survive this loss, so I decided to share my diaries. Georgina was a talented singer-songwriter who had a posthumous hit single with one of her own songs entitled ‘Two Thirds of A Piece’ and I have written about trying to put my life back together, ‘piece by piece’. Georgina was very supportive of my writing, so I hope she would be proud of the book.
Do you have any unusual writing habits?
Most writers seem to get up early in the morning, but I do ‘evening pages’, followed by writing stints late into the night. I am a grumpy, slow individual in the mornings. I also love sitting in coffee shops, imagining my fellow customers’ stories. I make notes on them in the style of shopping lists, so they (hopefully) don’t know what I’m doing!
What authors, or books have influenced you?
Fiction-wise, I loved Carys Bray’s ‘Song For Issey Bradley’ and Emma Healey’s ‘Elizabeth is Missing’. I also love Jeanette Winterson’s ‘Why Be Happy When You Could Be Normal?’
What are you working on now?
I am working on a novel set in a North Yorkshire fishing village. It’s about a family who loses their son in mysterious circumstances. As well as being a story of loss, it’s about finding your voice and yourself.
What is your best method or website when it comes to promoting your books?
I blog about writing at http://www.helenvictoriaanderson.co.uk but I also post regular updates and snippets on http://www.facebook.com/helenvictoriaanderson. Increasingly, I am active on Twitter, too http://www.twitter/helenvanderson.
Do you have any advice for new authors?
Just to keep at it – as I am doing! And enjoy yourself.
What is the best advice you have ever heard?
Stephen King’s “If you don’t have time to read, you don’t have the time (or the tools) to write. Simple as that.” Plus pretty much everything he says in his book ‘On Writing’.
What are you reading now?
Right now, it’s Max Porter’s ‘Grief Is The Thing With Feathers’. A complex but worthwhile read.
What’s next for you as a writer?
Gluing myself to my desk chair until I’ve finished my novel.
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?
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