How do you find or make time to write?
Following on from the question last week where I talk about my day job, this is topical question. Given that I have a day job, I'm also a single Mum, and have a house to run, how do I find time to write? I've found that having challenges, such as the Chapter Book...
If you didn't like writing books, what would you do for a living?
Right now, I have a day job - I work as the business manager for my family's business. The business runs conferences and does the administration for a number of not-for-profit organisations. I dream of the day my books will be my living, however I know that right now,...
What are you working on at the minute?
This is a timely question as the Chapter Book Challenge Lite is just beginning. I've got a few ideas buzzing around in my head right now, just need need settle on the one to focus on this month, as well as promoting my crowdfunding project. One idea is turning a play...
Do you aim for a set amount of words/pages per day?
The number of words I aim for depends on what I'm working on. The only time I really have a daily goal is during the Chapter Book Challenge. I use a website called 750words.com and aim to write a chapter a day of at least 750 each day. This way, I get my draft done...
How much research do you do?
The amount of research I do depends on the story I'm writing. For most flash fiction pieces, I do minimal research, however for my fractured fairy tales in Teapot Tales, I did read a lot of fairy tales. For Swallow Me, NOW! I did quite a bit of research about...
What were you like at school?
I was pretty quiet at school and a bit of a book nerd. When you consider I read Gone with the Wind in class during Year 7, that might be a bit of a clue. I went to seven primary schools in two different countries, and one high school. Moving around like that, I never...
Have you ever hated something you wrote?
At the time, yes, I have. There have been some stories that I thought were great at the time, and now not so much. I recently found a file that had a number of stories I had written years ago. Some of them I had hated at the time, but reading them again about 20 years...
Do you write an outline before every book you write?
Before I sit down to write a book, I like to have an idea of where the story is going to go, however I don't have a detailed outline of the story. I have tried to write detailed plans, however they don't work very well for me. On the other hand, if I have no idea...
Do you ever experience writer's block?
This is easy - yes, I do experience writer's block. Often when I experience writer's block, there are other factors at play, such as being unwell, overwhelmed by life, have sick kids, or there are other things happening that mean I struggle to focus on my writing. To...
When did you start writing books?
This is a tough question to answer. I have been writing as long as I can remember. I have copies of books I wrote when I was in about grade 1 or grade 2 (age 6 or 7). These were published by my teacher and are complete with illustrations. Throughout school, I...