Exploring the Creative Process-Part IX: Interview with Abby Vegas

Just in time to bid farewell to another month and celebrate the release of her Lucas North-inspired novel, Clean Break, here’s our interview with Abby Vegas. 

What type of environment do you need to write?

Someplace comfortable! In the summer I write on my screen porch, and in cold weather I write inside by the fire. Background music is a must for getting words on the page, but when I’m editing I usually prefer to work in silence.

How do your ideas come to you? Do you always write them or do you let them disappear?

Clean Break was my first novel and I drew inspiration from so many different places — movies, books, fairy tales, Spooks, real-life experience, and pure imagination. It took some time for the whole thing to come together. In the process I’ve absolutely let some ideas come and go. You can’t pack everything into one novel.

Do you plan a story from the beginning to end or start with an idea and let the chapters come to you as they do?

A little of both, although I think I veer closer to flying by the seat of my pants. With Clean Break I had a definite idea of where I wanted to start and finish, but how I’d get there was still a mystery when I started writing. The characters didn’t really come to life in my head until I had them on the page, talking and moving and thinking, making mistakes and learning from them. And some directions I initially took the story didn’t work, so I had to rethink my approach and try again.

 

Do you prefer writing easy, quick stories or long, layered stories?

 

Both! Short stories are a lot of fun because they don’t take two years to write (and edit and publish.) But there’s something very satisfying about a long-form story, too, and that’s why I wanted to try my hand at writing a novel. There’s freedom to explore in all that space, and I loved bringing in the secondary characters and taking time with some of the thematic elements.

 

Which do you find easier to write: dialogue or description – or are they equally hard/easy?

 

Writing dialogue is definitely easier for me. Description and introspection are a hard nut to crack – but it’s immensely satisfying to nail it, which I hope I do on occasion.

 

Is there anything that you won’t write or feel uncomfortable writing?

 

I wouldn’t say I *won’t* write it, but explicit sex scenes and erotica are not my forte. Given a choice, I’ll leave that to the experts.

 

What do you do to cure writer’s block? What advice can you give to new writers who might be scared to post their stories?

 

The only cure for writer’s block is to write. I’ve learned to embrace the wretched first draft as a necessary part of the process.

 

My advice to a new writer would be: start small. Try writing a one-shot fanfiction, post it on an appropriate site of your choosing, and see what kind of feedback you get. Then repeat the process. Fanfiction is an amazing point of entry for new fiction writers (I call it my gateway drug) because you have this built-in community of voracious readers and fans who are already invested in the characters and their stories. And connect with other writers in your genre! The fanfiction sites are an excellent resource for that kind of networking.

 

What is your favorite book and why?

 

Shining Through by Susan Isaacs — I’ve lost count of how many times I’ve read this novel. It’s a historical romantic spy-thriller chick-lit masterpiece with a kick-ass heroine. It’s just so good.

 

Abby´s Official Website:

http://www.AbbyVegasAuthor.com (includes bonus material for Clean Break + four nonfiction RA fandom adventures)

Twitter:

@AwkwardCeleb

You can get her “Clean Break” at Amazon.com and AmazonUK.

 Visit Abby’s site and read the first ten chapters of the novel for free: FREE SAMPLE

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Exploring the Creative Process-Part VIII: Interview with Hazel Osmond

We’re bidding farewell to April with a new instalment in our Creative Process Series. This time it’s Hazel Osmond’s turn.

What type of environment do you need to write?

It doesn’t have to be absolutely quiet, but it does have to be non-distracting. So somewhere with background noise is OK as long as it’s not too loud. If there’s music playing, it either has to be such a familiar song I’m not really tuning into it, or have no words at all.

How do your ideas come to you? Do you write them down or let them disappear?

In that time between waking up and being fully awake, I often get ideas come to me and usually I have to write them down, having learned that otherwise they flit away.  I like to go out for walks too because there’s something about the rhythm of walking that generates ideas or helps me sort out plot niggles. Those walking ideas stay with me till I can get to some paper.

Do you plan a story from the beginning to the end or start with an idea and let the chapters come to you as they will? 

I plan, but not too tightly. So I’ll rough out chapters and know how the story will end and the major events along the way. I’ll also make sure I get any timelines right at this stage, so for example, if there’s a seventeen year old appearing in the present day story, I make sure I have birth dates and conception dates right. But it’s loose scaffolding rather than a tight plan. If I plan too much, when I come to write the whole thing, the freshness is gone. Often as I write, new twists and turns develop so there’s room for me to surprise myself.

Do you prefer writing easy quick stories or long, layered ones?

I don’t know if there is such a thing as an easy, quick story! I’m going to say that as a short story writer I do like the snapshot of a life it offers and the way it makes you use every word to the greatest effect. On the other hand, there’s something satisfying in drawing all the different threads of a complicated plot together … Sorry, I can’t decide!

Which do you find easier to write: dialogue or description or are they equally hard/easy?

Definitely dialogue. I’m always eavesdropping on conversations to make sure I get the rhythms right.

Is there anything that you won’t write or feel uncomfortable writing?

I would find it hard to write about child murder or violence against the vulnerable – I became much more sensitive to anything happening to children once I had my own.

What do you do to cure writer’s block? What advice can you give to new writers who might be scared to post their stories? 

The Mysterious Miss Mayhew appears courtesy of Hazel Osmond

Just try to keep writing in the hope that something good will emerge. Because I have spent years as a paid advertising copywriter, I have learned that you can’t wait for inspiration to show up, you just have to get the words on the page and work from there. Having said that, I had a break from writing last year following a number of deaths in the family – I needed the break from mining my own emotions to create emotional stories. Luckily it has passed and I’m writing again.

To new writers – if you’re really scared to post, find a good beta reader who can help you get your story in the best shape and then go for it. And then, well, try to put your fear in perspective … most people are kind and supportive and those who aren’t are really few and far between. And really, should you let what ‘might’ happen stop you from expressing yourself? No … do it!

What is your favorite book and why? 

‘Vanity Fair’ by William Thackeray. Layered, complex plot; intrigue; love; battles and an amoral female protagonist in Becky Sharpe. A huge, witty, satirical blockbuster of a book!

 

 

 

Visit Hazel’s official site: www.hazelosmond.co.uk

Contact her on Twitter

Get her books from AmazonUs or AmazonUK.

Exploring the Creative Process-Part VII: Interview with Charlotte Hawkins

Here’s a new instalment of our Writing Process Series to inaugurate our 2016 posts. This time we get some insight into the matter from Charlotte Hawkins, the published author of a well-known Gisborne trilogy.

Enjoy and get ready for more interviews in the coming weeks.

What type of environment do you need to write?
 
Solitude and quiet. I find it impossible to work when other people are around, and most any noise breaks my concentration.

How do your ideas come to you? Do you always write them or do you let them disappear? 
 
They just pop into my head. I have to write them down or they vanish.

Do you plan a story from the beginning to end or start with an idea and let the chapters come to you as they do? 

I plan everything as it comes to me. My “Muse” dictates everything, so I rarely have a set path to follow.

Do you prefer writing easy, quick stories or long, layered stories?
 
Layered stories, for sure. When a story comes into my head, there are so many images and details floating around in my brain that I can’t contain them all in a short story. I just have too much to say.

Which do you find easier to write: dialogue or description or are the equally hard/easy?

I think I’m much better at writing dialogue. It’s not that I dislike writing description. I love it just as much. But I find that the voices of the characters speak to me in my head. They’re alive and say exactly what they need to. I just write it down.

Is there anything that you won’t write or feel uncomfortable writing?
 
I don’t think I would ever write mysteries or thrillers. I have little interest in the darker topics those kinds of stories sometimes take. I feel there’s too much darkness in the world already.

What do you do to cure writer’s block?

I wish I had a real cure. Some writer’s have it, but I don’t. I just have to wait it out.

What advice can you give to new writers who might be scared to post their stories?

Find a good beta, preferably a fellow writer. Keep your work between the two of you until you feel comfortable sharing. Then, move on to writing groups. You’ll most likely find that your fellow writers are your best cheering section and your greatest sources of advice. After all, they’re in the same boat as you.

What is your favorite book and why? 
 
Jane Eyre, bar none. I’ve never felt such a spiritual connection to another story.

Visit Charlotte’s official blog: https://fromthequilltip.wordpress.com/

Contact her on Twitter or Facebook.

Get her books from AmazonUs or AmazonUK.

Sample the first Chapters of her latest book, The Grace Emancipation, on her blog: https://fromthequilltip.wordpress.com/the-grace-emancipation/ (updates are found on the blog’s homepage).

Exploring the Creative Process-Part VI: Interview with Catherine Winchester

We bid farewell to another Holiday Season with the sixth and penultimate instalment of our Creative Process series. This time we chat  with  bestselling romance author, Catherine Winchester. 

What type of environment do you need to write?

As long as my emotions are stable, I can write anywhere.

How do your ideas come to you?

Usually at night. I suffer with insomnia so that’s how I entertain myself until sleep claims me.

Do you always write them or do you let them disappear?

I write the ones I remember in the morning. Often I’ll be thinking about how to continue an existing story though, not a new one.

Do you plan a story from the beginning to end or start with an idea and let the chapters come to you as they do?

I know the beginning, the end, and a few plot points I want to hit along the way, the rest I leave up to the characters. I find that if I plan too deeply, the characters stop talking to me.

Do you prefer writing easy, quick stories or long, layered stories?

I prefer longer stories, at least 30,000 words, usually closer to 60,000 plus.

Which do you find easier to write: dialogue or description or are the equally hard/easy?

I find dialogue easier because my characters essentially write that themselves. I think as a side effect of having a dyslexic mind, I find it hard to write evocative descriptive prose.

Is there anything that you won’t write or feel uncomfortable writing?

Not much. My bad guys sometimes do things that I personally find distasteful and I won’t be graphic about things like that, I write to entertain my audience, not frighten them, so I don’t shy away from any topic but I hope I handle them with sensitivity.

What do you do to cure writer’s block?

Read. Other people’s writing usually inspires me.

It’s been harder than usual over the last year, I’ve been blocked a few times because I think I’ve been battling a tiny bit of depression after I lost my favourite dog, but I try to make hay while the sun shines. Right now my muse and I are engaged in battle of wills where I refuse to start anything new until she helps me finish a half written book. I’m not sure who will win at this point.

What advice can you give to new writers who might be scared to post their stories?

It’s worth the risk. There are so few trolls on the internet and most people are kind. Plus, it’s the internet so if you’re really worried, sign up for fanfic.net, Wattpad, AO3 or Tumblr under a pseudonym. No one needs to know it’s you writing.

What is your favourite book and why?

I can’t possibly choose one! Some of them though, are

“The Watchers” by Dean Koontz. I love his writing because before I even understood why some authors turned me off and angered me, he was writing complex, strong female characters that I could relate to. This one also has a dog as a main character. How can you argue with that?

“Pride and Prejudice” is a great example of people not changing exactly, but overcoming their flaws. I believe the best relationships make both parties better than they are alone, and P&P is a great example of that with added (rather cutting) insights into the social mores of the day.

“North and South” – again, for similar reasons as above. N&S also adds a layer of social issues to the plot, which gives more depth to an already interesting story. I love the insights into Margaret in the book too. Thornton is open but Margaret is very reserved and I loved the experience of her seeming rude to Thornton not because she looked down on him (although she did a bit) but simply because she had no idea how to deal with him, like tradesmen were some exotic race that society ladies were slightly frightened of. She has to overcome her sheltered upbringing and prejudices, while Thornton has to open his heart to the plight of his workers, and see that Margaret’s point of view is very valid, if slightly misguided at times.

I’m sure once I sent this I’ll think of a dozen more but for now, I’ll leave it at 3 favourites.

Visit Catherine’s official site: http://www.cswinchester.net/

You can also find her on Twitter. To purchase any of CatheRine’s works, including her North & South novels, go to AmazonUS or AmazonUK.

Exploring the Creative Process, Part V: Interview with Julia Daniels

We welcome the last fortnight of 2015 with the fifth instalment in our Creative Process series. This time we chat  with  another published romantic author, Julia Daniels.

What type of environment do you need to write?

I have two wonderful teenagers in my house. I thought when they finally reached this age, they would be less needy of my time, but I was wrong! I try to be wherever they are, because I want to be around them as much as I can before they leave home!

So, to avoid distractions and still be somewhat accessible, I wear headphones and listen to music to drown out the noise from their video games and whatever Netflix show my daughter happens to be watching. I create a playlist for whichever book I am writing at the time, with a certain theme to the music. For example, when I wrote Master of Her Heart, I used a lot of British tunes, classical music they may have listened to at the time, or music with lyrics that reminded me of scenes from the book or mini-series. It usually puts me in the right frame of mind as I write, too.

How do your ideas come to you?

My ideas usually start with the characters. I think about what odd situations I can create for them to fall into. Mr. Thornton is hard to manipulate much, he’s pretty perfect the way he is, but Miss Hale… now she definitely needs her head adjusted from time to time!

My latest idea came about in such an odd way. A friend of mine develops cross stitch, rug hooking and needle punch patterns. She was selected as a finalist in a contest Martha Stewart was running at her website for “Handmade in America” products. Well, my friend didn’t win, but the company that did is a family-run sock manufacturer in a sleepy town in the south. Alarm bells went off in my head and immediately I had Thornton as a sock manufacturer in the south and Margaret a snooty gal from the north. This one will be a contemporary novel. I cannot wait to write it!

Do you plan a story from the beginning to end or start with an idea and let the chapters come to you as they do?

I started using a new software called Scrivener that lets me skip around. So, on the current book I’m working on for my upcoming Mill Master’s series, I had all these scenes way later in the novel suddenly popping in my head. With this software I can add whatever I want and not get lost in the storyline.

Usually, I have the major plot points and characters in my head from start to finish, but there are often scenes and incidents that suddenly appear as I write, so I have to be flexible to let the characters lead the story!

Which do you find easier to write: dialogue or description or are the equally hard/easy?

Good dialogue is the key to a good book! It shows the interaction of the characters, and characters are the driving force of the book. Description, of course, draws the pretty picture of the scene, but without strong characters and snappy dialogue the book falls flat for me.

Is there anything that you won’t write or feel uncomfortable writing?

I am not a big fan of erotica or sexually explicit romance. That’s not to say there won’t ever be flush-worthy scenes in my novels, but sex for sex sake won’t happen. I’m also not very comfortable with child abuse or graphic incidents of harm to animals or people.

What advice can you give to new writers who might be scared to post their stories?

Go for it! I’m hungry for new stories, and new authors. Remember there is no “grade” associated with your submission and the comments I have received are very kind and supportive. Take a risk, you will be really glad that you tried! Just make sure you are willing to keep up with your stories. I get super frustrated when I get addicted to a story and then it’s never updated.

What is your favorite book and why?

Oh so many! The Little House on the Prairie Series, Sarah Plain and Tall, Pride and Prejudice and of course North and South (although I do like many of the adaptations better!).

Visit Julia’s official site: https://juliadaniels.wordpress.com

You can also find her on Facebook and Twitter. To purchase Master of her Heart or any of Julia’s works, go to AmazonUS or AmazonUK.

Sample the first chapters of her latest North & South story, “Milton’s Mill Master: A Variation of North & South”, on Wattpad.

ETA: Julia’s posting a Christmas story that will serve as an epilogue to her North & South novel “Master of her Heart”. You can find it on Wattpad: “A Mill Master’s Christmas”

 

 

Exploring the Creative Process, Part III: Interview with Emma Marlow

We welcome the weekend with the third instalment in our Creative Process series with an interview featuring another published author, Emma Marlow.

What type of environment do you need to write?

Emma Marlow

I prefer to write when I’m alone – that’s when I work best – but I often have to write at the kitchen table whilst my daughter covers everything in hummus. I can’t write if someone’s got music or the TV on. If my husband wants to watch TV, I have to relocate to a different part of the house.

How do your ideas come to you? Do you always write them or do you let them disappear?

Ideas usually just come to me. I tend to get one or two key “scenes” which just pop into my mind. I let the image play on repeat and then slowly flesh it out a bit until it’s something I can’t forget. I never write an idea down – even if I get an idea just after I’ve started on a new project, and it’s therefore something I won’t be able to work on for months. I find writing it down tends to sap the life out of it, and I lose my passion for the idea. So far – touch wood! – I’ve never forgotten an idea.

Do you plan a story from the beginning to end or start with an idea and let the chapters come to you as they do?

I never plan a story; I just have those one or two key scenes as landmarks. I just start writing and meander along until I get to that scene I’ve known that I wanted to write. Sometimes the scene has to change a little because of how I’ve written the story, but the premise is always the same. I never know how a story is going to end when I start writing it. I like the ending to surprise myself. I like it to naturally unfurl, rather than trying to make my writing fit something I’ve pre-planned.

Do you prefer writing easy, quick stories or long, layered stories?

I’m not keen on stories much below 90k words because I tend to feel that they’re under-developed. That said, I’m not the most concise writer ever, so other people could probably write my stories much more succinctly. No matter the length of the story, I like to always have something that’s a bit on an ensemble piece. I like to layer my stories so that there are little sub-plots, and not just the main storyline of the protagonist.

Is there anything that you won’t write or feel uncomfortable writing?

I’d give anything a try. So far I’ve tried my hand at historical fiction, romance, chick lit, mystery/crime thrillers, sci-fi, drama and a bit of erotica. I tend to prefer writing about things that are real, past or present, so fantasy, sci-fi, monsters or talking animals… I don’t really enjoy that so much.

What do you do to cure writer’s block?

In the first instance, I quiz my husband. We are completely different creatures, so he always looks at plots etc. from an entirely different perspective. He’s helped me out a few times, and managed to get me back on track. If talking it through doesn’t solve the problem, I set the story aside, and start a new project. The story will either come or it won’t, and if I persevere when it’s just not coming to me, I’ll end up with something I’m unhappy with. It means a few stories which have been abandoned about about 90k words, but some of them I intend to come back to one day.

What advice can you give to new writers who might be scared to post their stories?

Read all the time. I think the more you read, the better you’ll be at writing. If you read other people’s work – self-published or otherwise – and think that your writing is just as good, why shouldn’t you share it with people? If you’re anxious about how your writing will be received, pick a pen name. You don’t even have to tell your friends or family that you’re writing. When you can self publish eBooks, post on writer’s forums and the likes of wattpad, you have a certain anonymity which can take away the fear for a new writer. If you do decide to share your stories, don’t get too hung up on critical feedback; you can’t please everyone.

What is your favourite book and why?

For me, the best books are those I read as a teenager; books which have left a lasting impression more than a decade later: North and South, Jane Eyre, The Count of Monte Cristo, Bridget Jones’ Diary. Each story was immersive and emotionally engaging. I feel a fierce loyalty to those books and could read them time and again. The best thing I’ve read recently is probably Prue Batten’s Gisborne Saga; the history, the research, the intrigue – it’s incredible!

Visit Emma’s official site

Follow her on Facebook

Get her novels from AmazonUK and AmazonUS

Sample her work, including her North & South-inspired fic “Shadow in the North” on Wattpad.

 

 

 

 

 

Exploring the Creative Process, Part II: Interview with Georgia Hill

Today we continue our series about the creative writing process by asking author Georgia Hill about how she works.

Armitage Author Georgia Hill with spaniels Bert and Georgie.

What type of environment do you need to write?

It depends what stage of writing I’m at. If it’s the first draft or I’m at the jotting ideas down stage, I can write just about anywhere and using anything! When I get to the second and subsequent drafts (which I always find far more difficult), I have to sit at my desk in my study. I have the radio on very low and hunker down. I have a huge sheet of paper stuck on the wall with a plot outline and a notebook next to me. It reminds me where I’ve got to, how each character speaks, what they look like, their mannerisms, the place names of the setting and other details which I’m inclined to forget!

How do your ideas come to you? Do you always write them or do you let them disappear?

Sometimes ideas arrive in dreams. It’s only when I write them down that they seem too crazy to work. Often a story is suggested to me by the characters turning up in my head. They won’t leave me alone until I’ve written them down. I lived with Rachel and Gabe, Hetty, Richard and Edward in While I Was Waiting for a long time. In my next book, Matt came along more or less fully formed. I know exactly what he looks and sounds like and even what he wears. The heroine is vaguer but, as I write, she’s coming into better focus. I have an image board immediately in front of me, which helps. I have a ton of notebooks full of messy jottings. I don’t let ideas for stories disappear exactly but I’m guilty of writing them down and then forgetting all about them. I found an outline for a story about two sisters at the weekend and really can’t remember recording it. Sounded quite good too!

Do you plan a story from the beginning to end or start with an idea and let the chapters come to you as they do?

I’m most definitely not a planner. It’s my undoing now I’m writing novels with more complicated plots and dual narratives. Hence the notebook and plot outline – colour co-ordinated to show the different time frames. But – I’m writing romance, so I know the beginning and the end – it’s the soggy middle I have most trouble with.

Which do you find easier to write: dialogue or description or are the equally hard/easy?

I don’t find anything particularly easy to write although novellas take less time – from the first draft through to the final edit simply because there are fewer words to wrangle. I love writing layered, more complicated novels as those are the stories I most like to read. My first draft is almost entirely comprised of dialogue. I add any necessary description in later, when I sit down and attempt the second draft. I often come across notes: ‘Add more detail here’ is usually what I’ve told myself!

What advice can you give to new writers who might be scared to post their stories?

I sympathise. Posting something the first time is terrifying. However, my advice would be to go for it. It took nine or ten years but putting my writing on a forum led to me getting a publishing contract. The first step is never easy but it can develop your writing career – and a reading audience. And, you never know, they may absolutely love your writing.

What is your favourite book and why?

I have lots of favourite books but I suppose my all time fave is Pride and Prejudice. I love Lizzy Bennet, the wit, Jane Austen’s insights into her characters – and the plotting is sublime.

 

Find Georgia’s works at her Amazon author page here.

Amazon UK page here.

Our previous interview with Georgia can be found here.

EXPLORING THE CREATIVE PROCESS- PART I: An interview with Prue Batten, author of “The Gisborne Saga”

When Trudy and Julia invited me to join their blog last April, I was thrilled about the opportunity to collaborate on an endeavour that seeks to celebrate creativity within Richard’s fandom and acknowledge with a grateful nod the man whose wonderful characters have been an inspiring muse to budding and experienced authors alike.

Being a writer myself, I’ve always been interested in the process of creation and how it’s approached by my fellow authors. Although there are dozens of manuals in the market with tips and recipes to write a novel, there’s nothing like going to the source, the novelists themselves, to unveil the magic behind the stories and characters that invite us to dream, feel and think.

A few years ago, while writing for another fandom, I was asked some really interesting questions on my writing process, and they somehow made their way into my introductory interview for Armitage Authors. In the end, Trudy and I agreed on leaving them out and planned instead several articles to explore the topic with a few guest authors.

So, here we are at last, ready to share with you the first November instalment in a series of interviews devoted to published writers who’ve found inspiration in Richard’s work. I could write a long platitude about the lady that’s opening this series, but I’d rather leave her own words to speak for themselves.

Our gratitude to Ms. Prue Batten for granting our request at such short notice and being so generous with her time, and to Mindy, who came up with these questions on Naughty-Seduction.net once upon a time.

Ms.Prue Batten

What type of environment do you need to write?

Just peace and quiet. I work in two separate places (city and coast) so have a little laptop that comes with me wherever I go. The amount of research I have to carry is a bit of an issue though and because I have neck issues, I also carry a wifi-keyboard and mouse so that I can set up a standing station when I need to.

How do your ideas come to you? Do you always write them or do you let them disappear?

Ideas come anytime, anywhere – often in the bath! And frequently, just before I go to sleep. I have a notebook and always try to record the idea before it becomes lost in the mists of time. One never knows when it will be handy.

Do you plan a story from the beginning to end or start with an idea and let the chapters come to you as they do?

I start with an idea and once the first couple of hundred words are written, I sit and create character profiles. After writing eight novels, I realize my characters tell me what they think should happen and I’m just a cipher. There is, however, a loose plan (perhaps one A4 page) which details the story outline, but it’s fairly flexible.

Do you prefer writing easy, quick stories or long, layered stories?

I prefer to write layered novels from between 90-110,000 words. It’s strange how the story arcs itself into exactly that amount of words without any deliberate effort on my part. However, I’m sometimes commissioned to write little short stories for a miniature book press and it’s like a quick shot of caffeine and really good practice in getting an idea across with the minimum of fuss!

Which do you find easier to write: dialogue or description or are they equally hard/easy?

I love both. When I write dialogue, it feels to me as if the characters are right by my side. They say what they want to say.

As for description, I adore it. It is the colour on a black and white etching. I have an affection for the late Rosamunde Pilcher’s work and she describes things from the soul. Gorgeous!

Is there anything that you won’t write or feel uncomfortable writing? 

I have a notoriously weak stomach and hate writing violent scenes. The difficulty is that my timeframe, the twelfth century, was indeed a violent era and to exclude it from a story would so wrong and would make the storyline one-dimensional.

What do you do to cure writer’s block?

To be honest, I’ve never really had what one would call writer’s block. I write all the time, no matter how I feel. For me, it’s a kind of blessed escape, like embroidery or walking on the beach. Maybe that’s the secret. Make it a part of your life.

What advice can you give to new writers who might be scared to post their stories?

I think the main thing is to have someone read the story first and give a totally unbiased opinion. If they say it needs work, don’t be offended. Ask them in what way and then go away and work on improvement. No story should ever be posted without the most basic requisite groundwork.

Then have a good hard edit. That might be from a capable friend, or you might pay for the service. It honestly does make a difference and it also respects the reader whom you hope will read your story.

It might seem a lot to do, when all you want is to post a story, but we have all been there and it was advice given to me before I published and I honestly did heed it. I wrote a trilogy when I first decided to write seriously and it sits in the office cupboard and will never see the light of day. I worked with a London consultancy on it for an extended period and it was truly my training ground. Lots of editorial reports and advice and I learned so much.

Just remember that you birthed your story and like giving birth to a child, you owe the story the best of care.

The only other thing I would say is never be impatient. Just take your time.

What is your favourite book and why?

I have a favourite author and I love all her work. She is the late Dorothy Dunnett and wrote fourteen historical fictions that are simply breathtaking. She is my icon for her wordage, her astonishing breadth of research and knowledge, her storylines and her stupendous imagination.

Visit Prue’s Official Website: http://pruebatten.com/

Get “The Gisborne Saga” and/or any of her works from Amazon.com and AmazonUK.