Dive into a captivating collection of conversations with the winners of the prestigious Elpida Awards. This book provides a unique glimpse into the minds and creative processes of some of the most talented authors in the literary world.
Cover by @la...
Oops! This image does not follow our content guidelines. To continue publishing, please remove it or upload a different image.
1. Tell us a bit about yourself as an author and as an individual.
I joined Wattpad in 2022 after spending most of lockdown reading and writing to keep myself relatively sane. I'm the author of the Lindensea series, which consists of light historical fantasies set in a world closely resembling ours, but with a few twists. I'm planning seven novels, with some companion volumes added here and there (perhaps).
I live in a small coastal town in Australia, usually very pleasant and sunny. Right now it's the middle of winter, and freezing winds are coming straight up from Antarctica. I'm surviving by wrapping myself in a big blanket in front of the heater and watching the Tour de France.
2. How long have you been writing? What inspired you to start writing?
I started writing stories and poems when I was in primary school. As far as I can remember, I got bored or frustrated with the very rigid writing assignments given in school, and started creating stories based on my own interests. I loved fantasy stories, so it seemed natural to write my own.
3. Are you a plotter or a pantser?
I'd call myself mostly a plotter – I write out an outline of the story and mark out the important plot points before I begin. However, there always seems to be plenty for me to be surprised by once I actually start writing. I have a terrible habit of making throwaway comments that need to be followed up later, or introducing minor characters and realising I now have to give them a story too.
4. What was the most difficult thing to write in your book? How did you pull that off?
Between Life and Death is a piece of fanfiction about the comedy duo The Mighty Boosh, imagining them in a fantasy setting. The hardest bit by far was the section where the story switches to real life.
I had to do an awful lot of research as to how that specific part of their lives actually happened, going through interview after interview that they gave about it, and using their own words in the dialogue. I also downloaded a plan of the building it occurs in, and looked at a ton of old photos.
5. If you could take only one book with you to an island, what would it be?
The Death of the Heart, by Elizabeth Bowen. It's a novel that seems like a different story each time you read it, as there are so many different ways of analysing the characters and their motivations.
6. Who is your favourite author?
Virginia Woolf. I quite often use her letters and diaries for historical research for my stories because they are so detailed.
7. What tips would you give someone who is just starting out?
The best tip I could give is to get into a consistent daily writing routine. Whether you commit to writing for one hour a day, or 400 words a day, the discipline will really pay off.
