Tell us about yourself and how many books you have written.
My name is Melissa, i’m a zombie-loving, video game playing, YA reading mum!
I’ve written three books, part of the Alive? trilogy. The first is already released, and the second two should both be out by the end of this year!
I’ve got the beginnings of countless other books saved on my computer, but as yet nothing else is anywhere near as complete as the Alive? series.
What is the name of your latest book and what inspired it?
Alive? is the story of Violet, a young woman who is bitten by a zombie on the first morning of the zompocalypse. Unlike everyone else who gets bitten, Violet doesn’t die. However she’s not without her own unusual ticks (like accidentally eating people now and then).
The book was inspired when I was in high school. I looked around me and thought “I wonder what it would be like to have to live in a school?” I was just starting out on my road to zombie obsession, and I suddenly started picturing this group of people hiding out in a high school as they attempted to ride out the zompocalypse. I wrote the first draft, but it was missing something to make it stand out, and it struck me that having a protagonist who was half-zombie might be exactly what I needed.
Do you have any unusual writing habits?
I don’t know if this counts as ‘unusual’, but I usually write in the dark. This isn’t so much a habit as a necessity! Once my baby is in bed, i’m pretty much stuck in the bed beside his cot, because he wakes up so frequently, and i’m too nervous to just use a baby monitor! So I keep the lights off and write in the dark. It’s not easy, and there’s a chance i’m doing irreversible damage to my eyes. But if it lets him sleep for a bit longer, then i’ll risk it!
What authors, or books have influenced you?
Suzanne Collins is someone who really inspired me, because I found The Hunger Games so unique and gripping. I’m also so inspired by Margaret Atwood, who wrote Oryx and Crake and The Handmaids Tale. I dream of writing books like she does, but she’s got such an amazing style, I could never hope to create worlds as beautiful and tragic as hers.
What are you working on now?
Right now i’m working through the final edits for book 2 (Still Alive?), while finishing up the second draft of book 3 (Barely Alive).
Once those are done, i’ve got so many other book ideas, that i’ll actually need to take some time out to decide what I want to write next!
What is your best method or website when it comes to promoting your books?
I’m not great at book promotion, because it kind of falls under the banner of self-promotion, which I’m notoriously awful at! I just try to be as active as possible on my Facebook page, and am now posting much more on twitter. I look out for people who are interested in Zombies or YA horror/sci-fi and suggest that they might like my book 🙂
Do you have any advice for new authors?
Don’t give up! I know that’s such a cliche, but it’s so important. If you write, you’re a writer. Don’t stress about whether or not you’re published, just keep writing and honing your style and voice. When you start pitching, don’t give up with that either. Eventually you’ll find your publisher, or you’ll discover you need to polish your work a little more, THEN you’ll find them. Or you’ll self publish. Or you’ll distribute your work just amongst your friends. It’s not about getting your books in stores, it’s about finding the audience who are excited to read your book, no matter who they are.
What is the best advice you have ever heard?
Write for yourself.
When I began writing Alive?, I stressed myself out for so long thinking about who my target audience would be. If I was writing from the perspective of a young woman, did that mean my book would only attract young women? And if so, would many of them be drawn to a story about zombies? Then I heard someone say you should write for yourself, about the things that interest you, and I suddenly decided I was just going to write the book I wanted to read. That meant that even if it never got published, at least there would be one person who enjoyed reading it!
That advice meant I stopped wasting time and actually got on with the writing. The book is out there because I stopped thinking about some imaginary audience and just wrote the story that had always been inside me. One which, hopefully, readers will enjoy too.
What are you reading now?
I’m on my annual Harry Potter binge, and am working my way through The Order of the Phoenix. I read Harry Potter a lot because it’s so comforting, and is so familiar, yet I seem to notice something new each time. It’s also great for reading late at night when my baby wakes up for a feed, because even if I fall asleep halfway through a sentence, I know what’s about to happen anyway!
What’s next for you as a writer?
Once the Alive? series has finished, i’d like to explore other genres. I think I’ll stick to YA, as I just love writing it, but i’d be interested in moving onto a different area of Sci-Fi, such as aliens or ghosts, or maybe even writing a romance.
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?
Probably the last Harry Potter book, as it’s a long one, and covers so much, so it’d keep me busy for a while.
I’d definitely take Oryx and Crake, by Margaret Atwood, as it’s probably my favourite novel of all time. Plus, the main character is alone for the majority of the book, so we’d have that in common!
I’d need something to lift my spirits, so I might take The Secret Diary of Adrian Mole, which is an oldie but such a great book, and still makes me laugh even now.
For the last one (yes, I’m definitely bringing four!), maybe something a bit more high brow, so I can pretend to be an intellectual to anyone who comes to rescue me. Perhaps Jane Eyre? It’s one of my favourite 19th Century novels, and I love a story with a happy ending!
Author Websites and Profiles
Melissa Woods Website
Melissa Woods Amazon Profile
Melissa Woods Author Profile on Smashwords
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