Your questions answered

Well, thank you for all your questions, I’ve done my very best to answer them, below. If you have a question that isn’t addressed or answered below, please feel free to contact me and I’ll add it in!

How do you deal with writer’s block?

Writer's block is something which plagues us all, but I don't seem to have a block; rather, my ability to convey my message is challenged by clunky sentence syndrome, or a forgetfulness of the English language.  This is where any author's best friend, the thesaurus, steps in; with one of these, any block can be overcome.  It is, of course, sometimes best to avoid frustration, to set your work down for a while and go and do something else – menial, i.e. the dishes, vacuuming the house etc. – and the answer will sometimes strike you whilst your brain is on “down time.”  However, sometimes, if you’re one for a challenge, it’s best to sit and work at it; to know that you can overcome a block, to achieve your goal, and to beat the challenge can often be better, to enhance your confidence.   

What’s the best thing about being a writer?

The best thing about being a writer is the challenge.  I love: anything that makes my brain ache, that makes me think harder than usual, that forces me to learn about something new to include in my books; anything that makes me consider the nuance and connotations of what I'm writing; the challenge of making a comment on what I see is an issue in society by writing about it, subtly, in my work.  These are the things I really enjoy about writing.  Intelligent people need to give themselves a constant mental challenge in order to avoid boredom and tedium in their daily lives; I’m lucky to be intelligent, but I also work at it.  To coin a famous phrase, I know that I know nothing!  Rectifying that is part of the fun; but, the more you know, the more you know you don’t know which only makes you want to know more!  So, to give myself this opportunity, I write; I could, of course, take no end of courses and gain numerous qualifications and be taught these things by professionals and experts, and I want to – but to allow myself to be adequately read for any of them, in preparation, writing offers me an “in” in terms of grasping a brief understanding of a range of subjects.    

Also, having a creative outlet is a great source of calm and allows for stress relief from daily life.  When you’re a busy teacher, as all teachers are, it’s nice to come to a break away from it occasionally, and put your brain power to something equally as challenging but an entirely different skill-set.  All teachers can be academic writers – we’ve all had to do that for at least two degrees, but to write creatively is to put your brain to use to convey a message to others.  Putting words on a blank page, and then painstakingly crafting them to convey a moral or metaphor, to add in layers and layers of subtext, or secondary stories, to criticise something you see wrong in society, or even to offer a message of hope in a plot or character, is an extraordinary challenge, which takes years of skill-honing and practice.  To do this is great, to do this well is the best part of being a writer!     

What’s your advice for aspiring writers?

Plan what you're going to do before you do it; even if it's just bullet points, it'll help you when you think you're losing your mind.  Research everything before you start writing, because if you find something new that you weren't anticipating, or didn't know about, it could cause you a major setback in terms of having to edit everything you've written so far.  And my last piece of advice would be to build your vocabulary, and research sentence forms, language devices and different structural features, and their effects in as much detail as possible; as I've stated in previous blog posts, the next generation of (British) readers will be trained to interrogate a text in much more depth; run-of-the-mill, formulaic novels will become boring for the next generation who want more out of their choice of read.  Dare to be different: different is good; different should be wooed, courted and included in your work wherever possible.

What are you currently working on?

I'm currently working on a dystopian warning of the dangers of "isms" and a futuristic glance at an imbalance in society if inequality continues.  It's The Handmaid's Tale-esque, but with a twist; I teach Atwood's text at A Level and find it, still, so relevant today that I think more texts of its kind should be written and read by as many people as possible.  Literature is a conduit for social change; it affects people’s thoughts and ideas in their homes, before bed, or on a rainy afternoon, on their journeys to work on the bus, train, or tube, or in the back of a car as they drive to their staycation holiday destination, and, as part of their discussions in book clubs where people delve into the layers of a text, and consider ripple effects of issues, and interrogate ideas.    

How do you get inspired to write?

I usually have something in my head that bugs me enough to write it down, or write about it; I'm extremely opinionated (not always a good thing), and find that my opinions on issues in society bother me enough to want to criticise them.  Sometimes, that criticism is not negative; occasionally, I'll champion something I think we should nurture.  It’s this which makes me want to create a lasting message for others to consider; literature is one of the best ways to enter a discourse with others, most of whom I’ll never meet, in order to get them to consider my ideas.     

Where did you get the idea for your most recent book?

There's a line in Aaron Sorkin's The West Wing, 'Surely, the code of our humanity is faithful service to that unwritten commandment that says, "We shall give our children better than we ourselves had,"' ('IN THE SHADOW OF TWO GUNMEN PART I') which really struck me when I first heard it.  I'd had a story rattling around in my head for a while, a "what if?" story about a woman coping with her best friend dying; the line from the episode really helped me think about my character development, who I'd make her in the beginning, how I'd challenge her personality, and the paths she might take towards the end of the book. 

However, I was bored of predictable, formulaic novels where we could tell the outcome of the story by page 4, so I altered my text to be a cyclical novel.  At the end, we see the beginning.  At the beginning, we see the end.  The twist in my book is that the reader must decide what the main character does, ultimately.  Having heard her story, and getting to know her, it's up to you, the reader, to decide what happens in her life next, what decision she makes, and why.  Equally, there's almost no dialogue in the novel for the same reason; it's up to the reader to fill in the blanks, to know the characters in their own mind, so that each experience of the book is truly different, and will end with a different outcome.  The more the reader invests into the characters they read about, and attributes different personalities to them all, the more in-depth the reported conversations will be for the individual.  It was a challenge to write, it was so tempting to fill in the blanks, but equally, it was a lot of fun.  However, I don't think I can do it again.  Narratives need to be different, they need to challenge and entertain, and I hope Standards and Duty does that!  If an author doesn’t stretch themselves, challenge their skill set, then the readers suffer a formulaic approach to writing, and become bored and disengaged with literature, missing any point an author is trying to convey because they just won’t pick up their book. 

Do you get into the zone of the character?

I think in order to be a good writer, you must be able to step into your characters’ shoes.  However, there is a danger that you do this too much, and become the character – thereby almost writing an autobiographical piece.  There’s a piece of advice which says, “write what you know,” and to a large extent this is extremely accurate and sound advice.  However, I would suggest that adding a boundary to this is a good idea; otherwise, if you’ve more than one character, it’d be difficult to write them all well if you’re blinded by one perspective.  Even in a third person, omniscient narrative, this might be an unfortunate possibility if there’s a main character. 

So, to answer the question, yes – for some parts of Standards and Duty I did get into the zone of Mimi – especially for the stream of consciousness passage.  I don’t believe it would have been possible to write that section of the text without doing so.  But I had to do that, and then leave it for a while so that the rest of the text wasn’t unduly, negatively, affected. 

When you get proper rich, yeah, are you going to quit teaching? 

I’m not sure I’d know what to do with myself if I didn’t have a full-time job! 

I worked very hard to become a teacher: I worked a full-time job of 50+ hours per week, did a full-time degree at university in English and undertook two school placements (all at the same time) to make sure I could get my hours for my PGCE.  It’d be an awful shame if I gave all that up because my books had done well.  I think I’d miss my job too much, because as fabulous as writing is, it acts as a break from work for me, a relief, and a challenge to keep my brain ticking over and developing.  I don’t know how I’d switch to make it my full-time occupation.  So no, I’d probably not quit teaching – I’d miss my pupils too much!  

Would you describe writing in first person as easier or more difficult than writing in third person?

I think this comes down to an authorial preference, but I believe both must be undertaken in order to keep your skills sharp.  Having spent eight years writing in first person for Standards and Duty, and crafting that book, I’m finding it a challenge to go back to third person narrative for my new novel.  You might wonder how I plan to rectify this?  Well, I think the key is to read more third person narratives to become re-familiarised with the format, although not of the same genre I’m writing, and plan carefully how I’m going to structure my own text after I’m finishing planning it!

How do you create characters’ development? 

This is an interesting question, and it changes from author to author.  For Standards and Duty, I made the main character selfish; so much so her name is Mimi because her life, and personality was, for her, “all about me, me!”  It would have been so easy to give in, and make her magnanimous, generous, and selfless, but I wanted to make the text realistic, and real people can’t change overnight, and don’t change at all sometimes.  It was this that I needed to keep in mind and maintain that selfishness – even though she knew about it and considered it an issue.  Sometimes, taking the easy way out is the worst thing for the text if you want it to strike home with a reader.

For my next book, character development has taken the form of lots and lots of notes, historical questionnaires and careful consideration of some of the characters’ educational backgrounds.  There are two time periods in Revolting, so each era of characters will behave and be influenced by many different factors.  This is a massive challenge for me, and currently it’s still in the planning and research stage, but I am making a lot of notes – especially around their role models/inspirations may be.      

How do you create the book cover? 

I found Fiona Kristo online, and saw her work and loved it.  We video chatted over Instagram about what I’d want in a book cover, some key plot points and how we could link these to what was on the front of the text.  We had ideas of silhouettes, half a crying face, we knew I needed the title to seem as though it had been officially stamped upon the book – because that relates to a plot point, and I knew the colours had to be specially chosen, also.  The initials at the back of the image, SAD are an abbreviation of the name, Standards and Duty, but also a warning: the text is not a happy/cheery one, it is a sad text.  If you were looking for a smiley book, mine is not it! 

How much do you get for your book?

How much you get depends on how you sell it; if you self-publish like I did, you get to decide the percentage received per book, depending on how much you want to charge for it.  Kindle Direct Publishing takes you through it all, and there are some videos on YouTube as well which help to break things down.  I get 70% of the royalties for each book sold, currently.

If you want to change your book, how much will it cost you?

Nothing!  I’ve self-published through Kindle Direct Publishing, which means that if I wanted to alter/update my text – which I have for formatting and the odd tweak here and there – it’s cost me absolutely nothing!  It also means that everyone who’s bought their copy so far gets the updates as their Kindle syncs, so they don’t have to pay for anything extra, either! 

Why did you begin writing books?

I was ill in 2010 with a badly sprained ankle; I’d walked with pins and needles (silly me) and overturned my ankle both to the side and the front.  I’d heard it crack and thought I’d broken it, and was on crutches and off work for twelve weeks.  It was at the end of the first year of my degree, and, as I said earlier, I’d had a “what if?” story rattling around in my head for a while.  It was during this time off that I became bored and thought, “If I don’t do this now, I never will.”  To be perfectly honest, I never thought the story would become a book – I’d dabbled in some Fanfiction short stories, but never really taken on anything of significance of my own work.  Until summer 2010.  So, I began writing, and put it down for a while, and then picked it up off and on for a few years.  It wasn’t for a long while, when I was researching legalities, that I thought I might complete the book. 

How do you create a memorable ending without it being a death? 

Not all deaths occur at the end of texts – some at the beginning, some at the climax of a tragic story (according to Aristotle’s structure of tragedy theory).  Deaths often create the pivot of a plotline, and the aftermath is as intriguing as how the death occurred.  It depends on what genre you’re writing; if it’s a crime text, a thriller, a murder-mystery, where you put the murder differs.  Do you want to place it into your exposition, or the climax?  Do you wish to create a cliff hanger at the end of your text for a sequel, or just to leave your reader in suspense?  In my next novel, I imagine there will be deaths throughout!

Did you ever get fed up with the book you were forming? 

All the time! 

There were times when I thought I’d never finish Standards and Duty, there were times when I was too impatient for its conclusion that I couldn’t be bothered to write and go through the process of creating it.  At the start of writing, I didn’t think I’d ever finish it as a book – I just thought it was a story.  I’m very fed up of the amount of research I’m having to do for my next novel, but I know it’ll be worth it in the end; the more I can research, the more I know about the topics I’m writing about, the better quality my work will be.  Yes, it’s frustrating, but seeing the bigger picture, and end result, is vital in a writer’s life! 

Where do the names of your characters come from? 

As I mentioned before, in Standards and Duty the main character is called Mimi because she’s so selfish.  I wanted to convey both her class and personality through her name.  Robert’s name changed – originally, he was called Chris, but I didn’t like it.  I’m glad of the find and replace function in Word! 

The names in my next novel go along the same lines – I want to convey a stereotype, as clumsy as this may be – in order to help the reader expect certain characteristics from the characters, as well as including clues in dialogue and description.  Characters need to be layered and must have names which suit them.  If you’re stuck, random name generators are always useful! 

Would you ever base a book on real life events or people?

I would never purposely set out to base a book on a real person, and I would probably try only to be inspired by events rather than base a book on them.  I like to base my books on issues, and larger philosophical ideas and questions, rather than anything in real life.  By doing this, I believe that there is more scope for a wider range of people to be able to identify with, and enjoy, the text.  It also doesn’t limit a text to its era; timeless literature continues to challenge and provoke.    

Is it better to sit and plan a book or sit and wait until you get a brainwave? 

I think this depends on what kind of writer you are, and how you’re inspired.  I believe a brainwave is necessary to have the initial idea, but planning a book helps.  Standards and Duty was planned in my head, but Revolting is far too intricate, because of its different time frames and about twenty characters, for me to keep every minute detail straight in my mind.  So, I’ve taken to planning everything, in a notebook, and I will type up my story when my research and planning is completed. 

Was it worth waiting those eight years before your book was finished? 

On the whole, yes, it was worth it.  I’ve learned a lot about the writing craft, accomplished something I never set out to do, nor think I could ever do, and I’ve caught the writing bug!  It’s helped me become a better teacher, and introduced me to a wide circle of other writers on Twitter to discuss writing with!  I wish I’d found the Writing Community sooner, but I may also have taken longer than eight years to complete my book through being distracted!    

Is there something significant in your life which helps you stay motivated?

I’m a stubborn woman, and have been stubborn all my life; when I put my mind to something I don’t stop until I’ve achieved it.  When I decided I was going to write a book, it was a fait accompli’ in my mind; there was never a question of not completing it. 

Why would you encourage someone to write a book? 

Why not?  It’s free, bar the electricity to power a laptop, and perhaps some pens and paper to plan.  It’s educational, you learn more than you ever thought possible.  It’s fun, which a lot of people struggle to have nowadays, and it helps you become a better person, more rounded, more compassionate, more intelligent, more intellectual.  What’s the harm?  Go for it!   Everyone has a voice – it’s up to you how you use it.

Why did you decide to write a book?  Was it: money, fame, or self-satisfaction? 

Mostly, self-satisfaction.  I like to comment on things that bother me enough to say something, so I did.  I also wanted to put my degree in English to more than one use (being a teacher).  It’s a lot of fun for me to stretch my brain; I feel better if I go to bed mentally drained as well as physically.  The brain, although it is an organ, certainly has muscular properties; whilst I might not exercise many of my other muscles, I do like flexing the cerebral one!

Is it going to become a regular thing for you to publish a book?

I hope so!  I’m working on Revolting right now, and then after that I might have another story in my head batting around that might be worth a short story/novella.  But, one at a time – and Revolting is too complicated to attempt alongside anything else, so the other one will just have to wait! 

How do you find the perfect publishers?

I’m not sure – I never explored traditional publishing, knowing I wouldn’t have the time to pursue it around work.  I self-published through KDP because it was quick, simple, and easy to do, for me.  I know it’s not for everyone, but it works for me! 

Did you self-edit, or hire an editor, and why?

I edited my book as I went along; every word has been carefully selected for its connotations, subtext, and wider scope.  Every sentence form has been sculpted to add to the plot and the emotion of the text.  I was very protective of this, so I wanted to edit my work myself.  I’d have loved to have been able to afford an editor, but I’d have been very selective over who I chose, if I was in a position to do so; as I’ve said before, I’d want to see intelligence, intellect and qualifications to ensure that the person who examined my work was able to see the nuance I’d added into it.  So, I edited it myself.  I printed it off, sat in the pub for three days straight and took a red pen to it.  It was here that I realised I’d missed a trick, an entire chapter, and the inclusion of two key characters which helped enhance the dynamic of the book.  So, this is where I added in those last, key details.  After this, it was a case of uploading and proofreading via my phone.  There were a couple of mistakes during this copying and pasting process, which (hopefully) have been all sorted now, but I’ll keep looking! 

I know that editors provide a vital role, especially for people who haven’t got a background in literature.  And, I’d love to offer editing services myself, at some point.  But when you’ve crafted your work, and you know you’ve done it well, relinquishing it to someone who doesn’t see what you’ve included must be a horrific experience, one that I am – as of yet – unwilling to undertake. 

Thanks for reading!

Until next time,

Louise.