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Favorite Authors: Ah, so many! How can I possibly narrow it down? Okay, so here are a few of my favourites: JK Rowling (obviously!), Holly Black, Cassandra Clare, Scott Westerfeld, Marie Lu, JRR Tolkien, Isaac Marion, Stephen King, Ransom Riggs, Erin Morgenstern, Ray Bradbury - to name just a few!
Bio: I'm a 24-year-old aspiring writer living in Wales (which means I have a very dense Welsh accent). By day I work for a community project that helps people back into employment, by night I stay up really late either reading, writing, or drawing (although never simultaneously, that would be exhausting!). I have a love for animals, adventures, travelling, rugby, and hot beverages (before you ask, milk and two sugars, please!).
Can you explain what your book is all about?
My book is about a girl called Sapphire who can see dead people. Mostly they don't bother her, but one day, a certain spirit does. The spirit of Mona. The two become friends, and as some spooky disappearances take place in her town, Sapphire has to decide whether Mona really is who she claims to be!
Who is your target audience - and why?
Okay so I don't really believe in 'target audiences'. My book is YA, and I do believe that a vast majority of my readers will fit into that bracket, however I like to think that my book - and certainly, ANY book - can be read by anyone. I don't like to categorize it. I'm just thrilled that anybody wants to read my books at all!
What is 'paranormal' about your story?
Apart from the presence of ghosts, spirits and graveyards, you mean? Ah, not too much! :)
Does it contain other genre elements, if so which ones - and why?
Hmm, this is a tough one! I guess you could say that there are elements of mystery and detective work to this story. I think there are mystery undertones to lots of stories that aren't explicitly classified as mystery/detective. There are slight nudges at romance, but I don't think the story relies on romance very much. And of course, paranormal does go and in hand with horror!
Tell us about your writing process - how do you get from story idea to a Wattpad published story?
Wow, okay. My starting point is always different. It can be a character, a setting, or a vague concept. With The Magpie Effect, it was a concept that I've had boiling around in my head for a few years. To tell you the concept would maybe give away a large part of the storyline, so I won't reveal that right now! But I start off with a first draft, which I pour onto the page for months on end until I have something resembling a novel. I am quite sporadic when I do this. I use the first draft to figure out plot, and then I use it as a skeleton for the later drafts. I'm more of a 'pantser' than a 'plotter', so I guess you could say I use the first draft as a plotting device. When it's finished, I rewrite from scratch completely, refining and restructuring, tidying it up and making sure the whole novel works coherently. Once I'm done with that, it's time to start uploading to Wattpad! It's a very long, slow, sometimes both mentally and physically rewarding process - but ALWAYS rewarding!
Did you encounter any challenges when writing, if so - how did you overcome them?
Honestly, the biggest challenges for me are not strictly related to the art of writing. They were related to getting my butt in that chair to write in the first place. I hit motivational blocks, suffered crippling self-doubt and loss of confidence, and it would all jumble together into this horrendous concoction that meant I would often look for chores to do rather than settle down to write. Writing a book is such an enormous mental journey, and people don't realize that. You have to be committed, dedicated - and, perhaps, not take things too seriously. Don't beat yourself up if you miss a day, or if you don't write as much as you could have. But when you do write, turn off the internet and don't compare yourself to anyone. Because nobody writes quite like you!
You often hear that 'writing well' is the baseline for success. What does that mean for you?
I think that writing is obviously very important, but it's something that can be worked on. It's like with any skill, like drawing or swimming or chess. You can be lousy at it, or have lousy days, but that doesn't make you a bad writer. Just keep writing and practicing. However I do believe that a grasp of plot, character and setting are perhaps even more important. People read books for these things, not for the pretty prose!
One final question, this being the Paranormal genre: Have you ever had a paranormal experience?
I really don't think I have, and I wish I had something exciting to share! I am truly open-minded and would love to have a paranormal experience. I'm always asking my partner to go on ghost walks and ghost tours, and he never seems eager! At the moment, my biggest paranormal experience amounts to getting freaky on Halloween!
