Quiet Little French Girl. [h.s.]

Authors Q&A

How did you decide that her name was going to be Odette?
Well originally the character was going to be named 'Ophelia' inspired by a character in Shakespeare's 'Hamlet', I loved the thought of having a female character's name beginning with an 'O'. I searched online for Female French names, narrowed it down to the O's and I instantly fell in love when I saw it.

Where/how did you come up with the plot for the book?
I really wanted to be able to create a book that was completely out of convention. I wanted something that was so different to what I had written before, that's when I thought of Odette's disability. When I did some research into it I found so many roads I could go down and decided to stick with it.

You write the story from Harry's point of view, was that difficult?
Not as much as I thought it would be actually. Harry in reality seems so private, but every time I see him in interviews it changes my perception. I realised that he could be both in his own right; this character analysis of Harry is as close to the kind of person that I personally think he is. I believe him to be strong, cheeky, driven, supportive, encouraging, humble, and so much more, and I wanted to convey that in my writing.

Were you worried what people would think of the plot?
Not exactly. I mean, when you start a book you're always wondering how it's going to turn out. Whenever I read other peoples books I always find their writing so passionate and heartfelt, and I just wanted to make sure that my readers experienced that too. I wouldn't say I was worried though, even if everyone hated it as long as I was proud of it I would have been happy, you guys are just a wonderful bonus!

How do you write in such detail and then remember it later on? I can't do that at all, I always have to go back.
When I first think of a storyline for a book I write it down. I do a character summary for each main character and then a chapter summary afterwards. It's basically a large index. Whatever I want to include about a character I add it to their summary. It seems really complicated but it's not, I'm not explaining it very well, sorry.

How do you know so much about the characters jobs? Harry's for example?
Well of course I have experiences in my everyday life that I am able to relay, but a lot of the time it's just hard research. It's the same with the cochlear implants - I did a lot of research on that to make sure my writing could be authentic and realistic for you all.

You've mentioned in comments that your chapters made you cry. Which one would you say you cried at the most?
I'd say the ones that stick out the most are when Odette first speaks to Harry when he throws a vase at the wall, and the second more recent one was when Odette took off her engagement ring and Harry was fighting for her. Those were the worst.

First I want to say that your story is amazing! And my question is, did you have anyone that you thought could play Odette?
Aww thank you, that's so sweet, I really appreciate it! Yes, I must admit I did have someone in mind when I was writing, and the reason why I didn't make it public was because I didn't want my interpretation of the character to cloud the judgement of my readers. Odette is whomever you think she should be, I have given you a brief outline but it's up to your complete imagination to make the character your own.

Did you ever put any of your own attributes into Odette's character? Or characters from your other books?
Naturally as an author I think that you write what you know, so yes there are a few personality traits of some characters, especially Odette's, that are similar to myself. Looks however, I am nothing like any of my characters unfortunately.

I've read all of your books and they're sooooo good, but which would you say is your favourite?
Wow! That's incredible, thank you so much for reading! As an author I find that to be quite a difficult question. I love my first book because it was the first one I'd ever written here, but I love QLFG because of its character progression. Also, this is the only book that has been edited properly and I am most definitely proud of it, it has been fun to write due to being faced with such a challenging character as Odette, and writing from Harry's point of view was something I was excited to do.

Are you going to write an Epilogue?
As of yet, no. An Epilogue to me signifies the end of a novel. If I were to write an Epilogue then I wouldn't be able to write a sequel.

Are you going to write a sequel?
Haha I knew someone would ask me this. That is yet to be determined. Writing a book to me takes a lot of time, thought and research; I would first have to create a summary of a plot, prepare chapters, write chapters and finally edit them before publishing. I would have to do all this in conjunction with work and day to day life so it's a lot to think about. Currently my answer is maybe, I have an alternative idea of maybe rewriting the entire book but from Odette's point of view, but my readers would have to let me know if they'd be up for that suggestion.

This isn't a question but I think it's really amazing that you reply to all the comments that people write, I'm so happy that you're such a great writer but seem like a really cool person too.
Thank you so much! The way I see it is, I write this book not only for myself but for all of you as well, I like to think my writing takes you on as much of a journey as it takes me and I love hearing your reactions. You all inspire me to be a better writer, your comments are incredible and your passion for reading is wonderful. I'm so lucky to have such an amazing support system, so the least I can do is message you back.

I like that there's no 'bad guy' or ex girlfriend or whatever. I like that it's just about two people and their relationship.
I never wanted a 'bad guy' as you say, or an ex. I've written that before and it seems like it's repeated in every book I read now. I wanted this book to be completely different from that. I didn't want convention. I wanted to create two characters that fell in love and were telling their story to the world, nobody else mattered to them but each other, and I truly hope that I conveyed that. Their turmoils and the decisions that they face are an emotional rollercoaster in themselves, with Odette's disability and Harry's unequivocal love for his 'beautiful neighbour' are parts of their personalities that I could expand on, their characters were endless, and that's all I needed.

What made you want to be an author?
I've always loved writing, it was a complete no-brainer. I saw the chance and I took it. Of course my earlier works need desperate editing which I'm fully aware of; however, I also look back on them and see how much my writing has progressed and it makes me want to leave them as they are. We'll see in time.

How long did it take you to write QLFG?
A while. Probably about two years from start to finish, perhaps more. Like I said it's been difficult with my life running parallel.

What books are you reading currently?
I've just finished reading Pride & Prejudice and I've moved on to Emma now. I love the classics.

Are you planning on writing any other books?
Yes! I did start one and have written two reaaaally long chapters, but again I've had a lot going on and they've been left to simmer. Currently I'm not writing anything, but fingers crossed I will.

If you could describe Odette and Harry's characters in one word, what would they be?
Odette's would be courageous, and Harry's would be devoted.

Who was your favourite character in QLFG apart from Odette or Harry?
Ooooh, that's a good question. Possibly Julia, she is everting I envisage a mother to be. With a caring personality, and a willingness to do what is right by her family no matter what the cost; she is a strong and fun character that is able to empathise with not only her daughter, but Harry's character as well, and her helplessness sometimes is really heart wrenching.

Do you have any writing tips for aspiring writers?
A synonym dictionary. It's been an absolute godsend to me, whenever I get writers block, can't think of a word, or have used the same word too much I always refer to a synonym dictionary. Another tip is to use a wide range of punctuation, I know it may sound really boring but seriously, brush up on it. It completely opens doors.

Thank you for all of your questions you wonderful readers, if you have any more please don't be afraid to message me or comment and I will add them to this page.

All the love,

- PG