Award-winning romance novelist Margaret Kaine worked as a lecturer at further education colleges before deciding to focus on writing. Her short stories have been published in women's magazines in countries that include Australia, Norway, South Africa and Ireland. Her first novel, Ring of Clay, won the Romantic Novelists' Association New Writer's Award in 2002, and the Society of Authors' Sagittarius Prize in 2003.
Other novels include Rosemary (Poolbeg Press, 2003), A Girl of her Time (Coronet Books, 2004), Friends and Families (Hodder Paperback, 2006) and Roses for Rebecca, which is coming out in 2007.
Margaret Kaine spoke about her writing and what she strives to achieve with each new book.
When did you decide you wanted to be a writer?
I always wanted to write, but found it impossible when I was younger. Working as a lecturer in further education and with a young family, there just wasn't the time to devote to it. I began to write when my son left to go to university.
Who would you say has influenced you the most?
To be honest, I don't think any one person. But when I was younger, I used to love Catherine Cookson's novels.
How have your personal experiences influenced the direction of your writing?
I think my close contact, through teaching, with women of all ages and backgrounds has influenced my writing enormously.
What would you say are the biggest challenges that you face?
As with any published writer, that the next novel should be as good as, if not better than the last.
How do you deal with these?
By always being aware of the challenge.
What is your latest book about?
My most recently published novel, Friends and Families, tells the story of two girls, from different backgrounds, growing up in the inspiring period of the 1950s. It contrasts their family lives, and describes the social and moral climate of the time. When men and romance enter their lives, their close bond becomes more important than ever before. The novel has been described as a compelling love story - a feel-good book.
How long did it take you to write it?
I always allow myself 18 months to write a novel of 105,000 or 120,000 words.
Which aspects of the work that you put into the book did you find most difficult?
Perhaps trying to describe one of the minor characters, John. I wanted the reader to wonder whether he was autistic — a diagnosis which was virtually unknown at that time — yet only to give subtle hints.
Which did you enjoy most?
Writing about the ballroom scenes at Trentham Gardens, in Staffordshire. Such nostalgia for me as I met my own husband at a dance there in the 1950s.
What sets the book apart from the other things you have written?
I think it is the most light-hearted book I have written, and perhaps the most "romantic."
In what way is it similar?
With its descriptions of working-class life in the Potteries during that period.
What will your next book be about?
Roses for Rebecca, due to be published by Hodder & Stoughton in March 2007, begins with the story of a young woman left orphaned and homeless at the end of the Second World War. The book, set initially in the East End of London, describes how Rebecca, on the verge of happiness, encounters further tragedy. Left alone and pregnant, she faces an agonizing choice, and her courage then, and throughout the novel, is the main theme of the book.
,,,,
Friday, May 4, 2007
Wednesday, May 2, 2007
[Interview_1] Jay Mandal
Jay Mandal’s novels and short stories are written with the gay audience in mind.
So far he has written three novels and over 200 short stories.
His books, which include the novel Precipice and the collections of short stories, A Different Kind of Love, The Loss of Innocence, and Slubberdegullion, have been well received. His debut novel, The Dandelion Clock has sold over 1,000 copies, mostly through online sales. His latest novel, All About Sex, is currently at number six on the Amazon (U.K.) gay romance section.
In an email interview that took place in August of 2006, Jay Mandal spoke about his writing, his newly released novel, the challenges emerging writers face and how new technology is changing the publishing industry.
When did you decide you wanted to be a writer?
It was something that happened gradually. As a child, I'd make "books" by folding sheets of paper, and I'd make up episodes of shows I watched on television. It wasn't until about 10 years ago that I began to write short stories with the aim of getting them published.
As a writer, my main concern is probably that of every author: I want readers to enjoy what I write whether it's serious or humorous.
Who influenced you the most?
My favorite authors are Douglas Adams, John Steinbeck, Bill Bryson and Armistead Maupin, and my favourite books are Il Gattopardo, Wuthering Heights and To Kill A Mockingbird.
It was The Tales of the City books that encouraged me to start writing again and not to give up until I had a publisher. Armistead Maupin's books were written in the sort of style that I liked, and they had a track record. There was humor and pathos, and I wanted to attempt a British equivalent.
How have your personal experiences influenced the direction of your writing?
I've suffered from depression and in Precipice I explore its effect on one of the main characters. Overall, though, it's not a depressing book.
Precipice is about coming to terms with cancer, and learning to live with the disease and its consequences.
The novel took about a year -- I let it languish in a drawer for a considerable length of time before sending it anywhere. It was published in 2005 by BeWrite Books.
Which aspects of the work that you put into the book did you find most difficult?
The chapter dealing with depression took a lot of work. I'd jotted things down as they occurred to me, and had to get them into some kind of order and not overload the reader.
What sets Precipice apart from the other things you have written?
The very first word is "Cancer." Right from the start the reader knows it's not going to be a comfortable book to read. But despite the theme, there is a lot of humor in the novel.
Which themes will you be exploring in your next book?
My next book is entitled, All About Sex, which gives a clue! But it'll be classified as romance rather than erotica on Amazon, so loyal readers should not be put off by the title. It's due out in the autumn.
How did you get there?
I try to write 100 words every day. It's not a vast amount, but it soon adds up. It allows you to continue with your daily routine -- few authors make enough to live on their earnings. And I was lucky enough to find a publisher willing to take a chance on an unknown writer.
What are the biggest challenges that you face?
Publicity is a huge challenge, but it's one that writers are now expected to undertake themselves to some extent. Not only is there a flood of manga on the market, but there are also very few independent bookshops left. Manga refers to the mostly Japanese graphic books. In the top 20 of my genre, 14 books (70 percent) are manga ("yaoi").
The chains are unwilling to take a chance on books by relatively unknown authors, and content themselves in a cut-price war of bestsellers that the small publisher can't hope to compete with.
The big chains refuse to take advantage of the new print-on-demand technology, as the latter means they have to pay upfront for books and can't simply return unsold ones for pulping.
Of course, self-publishers using print-on-demand may not have access to the same level of editing and proofreading expertise, so some errors or poorer writing may slip through. Also, the print-on-demand books have so far been a bit more expensive than those produced by mainstream publishers, as printers are not always able to take advantage of the economies of scale.
What effect does this have on readers and writers?
Readers who obtain their books from high street shops are forced to buy bestsellers and books by celebrities. New, unknown authors aren't stocked, which means that publishers are even more reluctant to take a chance on them.
It's a vicious circle.
Writers are now following the self-publishing route more and more which, in turn, means there's less likelihood of their books being stocked and promoted.
Unless a new way of selling develops, readers are likely to find even less choice in the future.
What is print-on-demand technology? How does it work?
Print-on-demand means books are printed as and when ordered, and is the technology used by some book publishers. This does away with stockpiles in publishers' warehouses or authors' garages and spare rooms, and means capital is not tied up in unsold books. It's more efficient, and a book never becomes out-of-print.
Self-publishing describes the whole process of producing a book, including editing and proofreading, and is paid for by the author himself. It may use either print-on-demand technology or the more traditional larger print-runs.
Print-on-demand technology -- used by publishers rather than directly by writers -- is still in its infancy but is growing fast, fueled by the large number of books written.
In time, quality can only improve and quantity increase. Different outlets -- such as cyber cafes -- may offer facilities for downloading books.
How do you deal with the challenges that you face?
I read writing magazines as well as the books sections in national newspapers -- these give you ideas.
There are also writers' Web sites to which I belong. Members often draw attention to writing competitions and literary festivals being held. Most of my books are sold online, where print-on-demand is not a problem.
Do you see a time when online booksellers will replace the traditional bookseller? Why is this? What effect will it have on readers and writers alike?
Nothing compares with the pleasure of browsing and of actually being able to hold the book in your hands. However, there are few independent bookshops left, and very few chains, too, and the latter rely heavily on bestsellers.
Online bookstores offer a vast range and are able to include reviews of many books -- not just those that win prizes or have been written by celebrities or those reviewed by newspapers and magazines at their editors' discretion.
Then there are e-readers -- hand-held electronic devices that store numerous books -- which could replace textbooks in schools. But I hope there will always be a place for the traditional bookseller.
Related books:
,,
Related article:
Jay Mandal [Interview: Part 2 of 2], Conversations with Writers, September 13, 2010
So far he has written three novels and over 200 short stories.
His books, which include the novel Precipice and the collections of short stories, A Different Kind of Love, The Loss of Innocence, and Slubberdegullion, have been well received. His debut novel, The Dandelion Clock has sold over 1,000 copies, mostly through online sales. His latest novel, All About Sex, is currently at number six on the Amazon (U.K.) gay romance section.
In an email interview that took place in August of 2006, Jay Mandal spoke about his writing, his newly released novel, the challenges emerging writers face and how new technology is changing the publishing industry.
When did you decide you wanted to be a writer?
It was something that happened gradually. As a child, I'd make "books" by folding sheets of paper, and I'd make up episodes of shows I watched on television. It wasn't until about 10 years ago that I began to write short stories with the aim of getting them published.
As a writer, my main concern is probably that of every author: I want readers to enjoy what I write whether it's serious or humorous.
Who influenced you the most?
My favorite authors are Douglas Adams, John Steinbeck, Bill Bryson and Armistead Maupin, and my favourite books are Il Gattopardo, Wuthering Heights and To Kill A Mockingbird.
It was The Tales of the City books that encouraged me to start writing again and not to give up until I had a publisher. Armistead Maupin's books were written in the sort of style that I liked, and they had a track record. There was humor and pathos, and I wanted to attempt a British equivalent.
How have your personal experiences influenced the direction of your writing?
I've suffered from depression and in Precipice I explore its effect on one of the main characters. Overall, though, it's not a depressing book.
Precipice is about coming to terms with cancer, and learning to live with the disease and its consequences.
The novel took about a year -- I let it languish in a drawer for a considerable length of time before sending it anywhere. It was published in 2005 by BeWrite Books.
Which aspects of the work that you put into the book did you find most difficult?
The chapter dealing with depression took a lot of work. I'd jotted things down as they occurred to me, and had to get them into some kind of order and not overload the reader.
What sets Precipice apart from the other things you have written?
The very first word is "Cancer." Right from the start the reader knows it's not going to be a comfortable book to read. But despite the theme, there is a lot of humor in the novel.
Which themes will you be exploring in your next book?
My next book is entitled, All About Sex, which gives a clue! But it'll be classified as romance rather than erotica on Amazon, so loyal readers should not be put off by the title. It's due out in the autumn.
How did you get there?
I try to write 100 words every day. It's not a vast amount, but it soon adds up. It allows you to continue with your daily routine -- few authors make enough to live on their earnings. And I was lucky enough to find a publisher willing to take a chance on an unknown writer.
What are the biggest challenges that you face?
Publicity is a huge challenge, but it's one that writers are now expected to undertake themselves to some extent. Not only is there a flood of manga on the market, but there are also very few independent bookshops left. Manga refers to the mostly Japanese graphic books. In the top 20 of my genre, 14 books (70 percent) are manga ("yaoi").
The chains are unwilling to take a chance on books by relatively unknown authors, and content themselves in a cut-price war of bestsellers that the small publisher can't hope to compete with.
The big chains refuse to take advantage of the new print-on-demand technology, as the latter means they have to pay upfront for books and can't simply return unsold ones for pulping.
Of course, self-publishers using print-on-demand may not have access to the same level of editing and proofreading expertise, so some errors or poorer writing may slip through. Also, the print-on-demand books have so far been a bit more expensive than those produced by mainstream publishers, as printers are not always able to take advantage of the economies of scale.
What effect does this have on readers and writers?
Readers who obtain their books from high street shops are forced to buy bestsellers and books by celebrities. New, unknown authors aren't stocked, which means that publishers are even more reluctant to take a chance on them.
It's a vicious circle.
Writers are now following the self-publishing route more and more which, in turn, means there's less likelihood of their books being stocked and promoted.
Unless a new way of selling develops, readers are likely to find even less choice in the future.
What is print-on-demand technology? How does it work?
Print-on-demand means books are printed as and when ordered, and is the technology used by some book publishers. This does away with stockpiles in publishers' warehouses or authors' garages and spare rooms, and means capital is not tied up in unsold books. It's more efficient, and a book never becomes out-of-print.
Self-publishing describes the whole process of producing a book, including editing and proofreading, and is paid for by the author himself. It may use either print-on-demand technology or the more traditional larger print-runs.
Print-on-demand technology -- used by publishers rather than directly by writers -- is still in its infancy but is growing fast, fueled by the large number of books written.
In time, quality can only improve and quantity increase. Different outlets -- such as cyber cafes -- may offer facilities for downloading books.
How do you deal with the challenges that you face?
I read writing magazines as well as the books sections in national newspapers -- these give you ideas.
There are also writers' Web sites to which I belong. Members often draw attention to writing competitions and literary festivals being held. Most of my books are sold online, where print-on-demand is not a problem.
Do you see a time when online booksellers will replace the traditional bookseller? Why is this? What effect will it have on readers and writers alike?
Nothing compares with the pleasure of browsing and of actually being able to hold the book in your hands. However, there are few independent bookshops left, and very few chains, too, and the latter rely heavily on bestsellers.
Online bookstores offer a vast range and are able to include reviews of many books -- not just those that win prizes or have been written by celebrities or those reviewed by newspapers and magazines at their editors' discretion.
Then there are e-readers -- hand-held electronic devices that store numerous books -- which could replace textbooks in schools. But I hope there will always be a place for the traditional bookseller.
Related books:
,,
Related article:
Jay Mandal [Interview: Part 2 of 2], Conversations with Writers, September 13, 2010
Monday, April 30, 2007
[Interview_1]Tabitha Suzuma
Emerging novelist Tabitha Suzuma studied French Literature at King's College in London and has taught English as a Foreign Language. She has also worked in I.T., and has done some translation work as well as worked as a Year 1 teacher in Slough. She wrote her debut novel, A Note of Madness while she was teaching full-time.
In 2003 Suzuma left classroom teaching and divided her time between writing and peripatetic teaching. This gave her time to write three more novels for teenagers and young adults, From Where I Stand (a psychological thriller), Without Looking Back, and A Song for Jennah (a sequel to A Note of Madness).
She is currently working on her fourth novel. She says she decided she wanted to be a writer when she was about six years old. "I remember discovering the magic of books at that age and saying to my mother 'I want to be able to do that.' I then found an exercise book and started writing my first story."
The authors she read as a teenager, particularly K.M. Peyton and S.E. Hinton, also influenced her. "I would write to my favorite authors telling them how much I loved their books and many of them wrote back, encouraging me with my own writing," she says.
It took her six months to write A Note of Madness. "I found writing the whole book quite easy, to be honest," Suzuma says. "I had no idea that it would be published so I was very unselfconscious and just wrote whatever I wanted. I think the beginning of a book is always the hardest, but once you get into it and gain some insight into your characters and your story, it gets much easier."
The writer also found that, in itself, writing was therapeutic. "I loved writing the dialogue between the three main characters. I loved writing about their friendship, and how it evolved. I also enjoyed writing about the hero's experience of depression and mania," she adds. "It was very therapeutic."
Suzuma says she drew on a lot of her own personal experiences when she was working on A Note of Madness. "This was influenced by my love for music, my brother who is a pianist, and my own experiences with severe clinical depression," she says.
The three other novels Tabitha Suzuma has written are due to be published over the next three years. "Each book is very different from the last. A Note of Madness is perhaps the most personal as it is based on so many of my own experiences. My next book, From Where I Stand, is coming out in May 2007. It is a psychological thriller about a deeply disturbed teenager hunting for his mother's killer."
She says that, as a writer, her main concerns are whether people will want to read her books, whether the stories she wants to write will be the stories that people want to read and whether she will ever be able to earn enough from writing to make it her full-time occupation.
"I write gritty teen fiction with a psychological slant. My first book is about mental illness," she explains. "I don't want to be a typically 'commercial' writer but at the same time I need my books to sell well so that I can continue doing what I love."
As a first-time author Suzuma worries about if she will be able to earn a living solely from writing and getting her books publicized. "People won't go into a bookshop saying 'I want to buy Tabitha Suzuma's latest novel' because they won't have heard of me. It is also a challenge writing for the teenage market," she says.
Her books are aimed at older teens and young adults, but in the United Kingdom teen fiction is still under the umbrella of children's fiction and is usually found in the same corner of the bookshop. "A lot of teenagers are understandably reluctant to browse in the children's section, which means that older teens and young adults are missing out on a book that was written essentially for them," Suzuma says.
In an effort to deal with these concerns, the writer tries to do her own publicity. She has approached the press and given some interviews. She has contacted mental health charities about her book and she has created her own website.
Suzuma is now working on a book for adults to keep herself from being trapped in just one section of the writers' market. "The book I am currently working on is a book for adults about a custody battle between a biological and a non-biological father," she explains.
In spite of her fears, and if the success of her debut novel is anything to go by, Tabitha Suzuma is set to become one of the most influential writers for teenagers and young adults.
A Note of Madness, which was published in May 2006 by Random House in London, received glowing reviews and has also just been shortlisted for the NASEN & TES Special Educational Needs Book Award.
Related books:
,,
Related article:
Tabitha Suzuma [Interview_2], Conversations with Writers, July 20, 2007
In 2003 Suzuma left classroom teaching and divided her time between writing and peripatetic teaching. This gave her time to write three more novels for teenagers and young adults, From Where I Stand (a psychological thriller), Without Looking Back, and A Song for Jennah (a sequel to A Note of Madness).
She is currently working on her fourth novel. She says she decided she wanted to be a writer when she was about six years old. "I remember discovering the magic of books at that age and saying to my mother 'I want to be able to do that.' I then found an exercise book and started writing my first story."
The authors she read as a teenager, particularly K.M. Peyton and S.E. Hinton, also influenced her. "I would write to my favorite authors telling them how much I loved their books and many of them wrote back, encouraging me with my own writing," she says.
It took her six months to write A Note of Madness. "I found writing the whole book quite easy, to be honest," Suzuma says. "I had no idea that it would be published so I was very unselfconscious and just wrote whatever I wanted. I think the beginning of a book is always the hardest, but once you get into it and gain some insight into your characters and your story, it gets much easier."
The writer also found that, in itself, writing was therapeutic. "I loved writing the dialogue between the three main characters. I loved writing about their friendship, and how it evolved. I also enjoyed writing about the hero's experience of depression and mania," she adds. "It was very therapeutic."
Suzuma says she drew on a lot of her own personal experiences when she was working on A Note of Madness. "This was influenced by my love for music, my brother who is a pianist, and my own experiences with severe clinical depression," she says.
The three other novels Tabitha Suzuma has written are due to be published over the next three years. "Each book is very different from the last. A Note of Madness is perhaps the most personal as it is based on so many of my own experiences. My next book, From Where I Stand, is coming out in May 2007. It is a psychological thriller about a deeply disturbed teenager hunting for his mother's killer."
She says that, as a writer, her main concerns are whether people will want to read her books, whether the stories she wants to write will be the stories that people want to read and whether she will ever be able to earn enough from writing to make it her full-time occupation.
"I write gritty teen fiction with a psychological slant. My first book is about mental illness," she explains. "I don't want to be a typically 'commercial' writer but at the same time I need my books to sell well so that I can continue doing what I love."
As a first-time author Suzuma worries about if she will be able to earn a living solely from writing and getting her books publicized. "People won't go into a bookshop saying 'I want to buy Tabitha Suzuma's latest novel' because they won't have heard of me. It is also a challenge writing for the teenage market," she says.
Her books are aimed at older teens and young adults, but in the United Kingdom teen fiction is still under the umbrella of children's fiction and is usually found in the same corner of the bookshop. "A lot of teenagers are understandably reluctant to browse in the children's section, which means that older teens and young adults are missing out on a book that was written essentially for them," Suzuma says.
In an effort to deal with these concerns, the writer tries to do her own publicity. She has approached the press and given some interviews. She has contacted mental health charities about her book and she has created her own website.
Suzuma is now working on a book for adults to keep herself from being trapped in just one section of the writers' market. "The book I am currently working on is a book for adults about a custody battle between a biological and a non-biological father," she explains.
In spite of her fears, and if the success of her debut novel is anything to go by, Tabitha Suzuma is set to become one of the most influential writers for teenagers and young adults.
A Note of Madness, which was published in May 2006 by Random House in London, received glowing reviews and has also just been shortlisted for the NASEN & TES Special Educational Needs Book Award.
Related books:
,,
Related article:
Tabitha Suzuma [Interview_2], Conversations with Writers, July 20, 2007
Friday, April 27, 2007
Interview _ Emma Lee
Leicester is home to some of the most exciting emerging writers in the United Kingdom. One of these is poet, short story writer and novelist Emma Lee, who has had poems nominated in competitions that include the Forward Best Poem Prize. Other poems by Emma Lee have been published in anthologies, magazines and webzines and broadcast on BBC Radio 4.
Her short stories are proving to be just as significant. "Restoration," was runner-up in Writing Magazine's Annual Ghost Story Competition while "First and Last and Always," another of her short stories, is appearing in Extended Play, a new anthology of music-inspired pieces.
Emma Lee talked about her concerns as a writer.
When did you decide you wanted to be a writer?
It chose me. I spent a lot of time alone as a child — I wasn't lonely, it's just a reflection of the circumstances I found myself in — and frequently made up stories as entertainment. Later I filled exercise books writing my stories and branched out into poems. Although I didn't call myself a writer until I reached adulthood and began getting poems and stories published.
Who would you say has influenced you the most?
At school we mostly studied the War Poets, Heaney, Wordsworth, Coleridge, Ted Hughes... which left me with the impression that either women didn't write poetry, which I didn’t believe, or that women's poetry wasn't worth studying - which was discouraging to say the least.
A friend showed me Ted Hughes's "You Hated Spain" and it spoke to me: I identified with the woman who hated Spain. After reading Ariel, Sylvia Plath had me firmly hooked. Here at last was proof women did write and were worth studying.
How have your personal experiences influenced the direction of your writing?
Fifteen years of music reviewing have provided a rich seam of inspiration and some of my poems and stories have started from exploring a personal experience - not always directly, sometimes from overhearing or reading a news story.
What would you say are the biggest challenges you face?
Finding time to write around a full-time office job (necessary to pay the bills as writing, especially poetry, doesn't pay) and family commitments.
Poetry magazine editors are so generally overwhelmed with poems most are rejecting 98 percent of submissions, which means increasingly my writing time is spent dealing with submissions rather than writing new material.
How do you deal with these?
Planning ahead so that as much as possible of my writing time is spent actually writing rather than "warming up" and thinking about what needs to be written next. Taking advantage of any "spare" time — lunch breaks, waiting for appointments, etc. Ensuring that as soon as a batch of poems is returned by an editor, they are out again with another editor within a couple of days.
What is your latest book about?
Yellow Torchlight and the Blues is about musicians, the pressures of performing and relationships with fans and general hangers-on. It's also about relationships, loss and what makes people who they are.
How long did it take you to write it?
The publisher approached me with a view to publishing a collection of my poems. The poems within Yellow Torchlight and the Blues actually span 16 years.
Where and when was it published?
By Original Plus in Fall 2004.
Which aspects of the work that you put into the book did you find most difficult?
Deciding which poems to leave out. Poetry collections work best when the poems are inter-linked in some way, perhaps by theme or subject, rather than merely being a collection of loosely gathered poems. So some poems that deserved to be in a collection had [to] fall by the wayside because they didn't fit in this particular collection.
What would you say has been your most significant achievement as a writer?
Nothing beats seeing your name on the spine of a book. Giving live performances at, for example, poetry readings are great experiences as the audience give you instant feedback and reassurance. But a book says "you've arrived, you really are a writer."
How did you get there?
Persistence: building up a long list of publishing credits in magazines and competition successes plus a couple of nominations for the Forward Poetry Prizes, giving readings where opportunities presented themselves and establishing a reputation as a reviewer as well as continuing with other writing projects. Success breeds success: you are more likely to get published if you've been published and in poetry it's not unusual for the publisher to approach the poet - many presses won't consider unsolicited work. Initially Yellow Torchlight and the Blues was accepted by another publisher, but the publisher's sad, untimely death meant searching for an alternative publisher.
,
Her short stories are proving to be just as significant. "Restoration," was runner-up in Writing Magazine's Annual Ghost Story Competition while "First and Last and Always," another of her short stories, is appearing in Extended Play, a new anthology of music-inspired pieces.
Emma Lee talked about her concerns as a writer.
When did you decide you wanted to be a writer?
It chose me. I spent a lot of time alone as a child — I wasn't lonely, it's just a reflection of the circumstances I found myself in — and frequently made up stories as entertainment. Later I filled exercise books writing my stories and branched out into poems. Although I didn't call myself a writer until I reached adulthood and began getting poems and stories published.
Who would you say has influenced you the most?
At school we mostly studied the War Poets, Heaney, Wordsworth, Coleridge, Ted Hughes... which left me with the impression that either women didn't write poetry, which I didn’t believe, or that women's poetry wasn't worth studying - which was discouraging to say the least.
A friend showed me Ted Hughes's "You Hated Spain" and it spoke to me: I identified with the woman who hated Spain. After reading Ariel, Sylvia Plath had me firmly hooked. Here at last was proof women did write and were worth studying.
How have your personal experiences influenced the direction of your writing?
Fifteen years of music reviewing have provided a rich seam of inspiration and some of my poems and stories have started from exploring a personal experience - not always directly, sometimes from overhearing or reading a news story.
What would you say are the biggest challenges you face?
Finding time to write around a full-time office job (necessary to pay the bills as writing, especially poetry, doesn't pay) and family commitments.
Poetry magazine editors are so generally overwhelmed with poems most are rejecting 98 percent of submissions, which means increasingly my writing time is spent dealing with submissions rather than writing new material.
How do you deal with these?
Planning ahead so that as much as possible of my writing time is spent actually writing rather than "warming up" and thinking about what needs to be written next. Taking advantage of any "spare" time — lunch breaks, waiting for appointments, etc. Ensuring that as soon as a batch of poems is returned by an editor, they are out again with another editor within a couple of days.
What is your latest book about?
Yellow Torchlight and the Blues is about musicians, the pressures of performing and relationships with fans and general hangers-on. It's also about relationships, loss and what makes people who they are.
How long did it take you to write it?
The publisher approached me with a view to publishing a collection of my poems. The poems within Yellow Torchlight and the Blues actually span 16 years.
Where and when was it published?
By Original Plus in Fall 2004.
Which aspects of the work that you put into the book did you find most difficult?
Deciding which poems to leave out. Poetry collections work best when the poems are inter-linked in some way, perhaps by theme or subject, rather than merely being a collection of loosely gathered poems. So some poems that deserved to be in a collection had [to] fall by the wayside because they didn't fit in this particular collection.
What would you say has been your most significant achievement as a writer?
Nothing beats seeing your name on the spine of a book. Giving live performances at, for example, poetry readings are great experiences as the audience give you instant feedback and reassurance. But a book says "you've arrived, you really are a writer."
How did you get there?
Persistence: building up a long list of publishing credits in magazines and competition successes plus a couple of nominations for the Forward Poetry Prizes, giving readings where opportunities presented themselves and establishing a reputation as a reviewer as well as continuing with other writing projects. Success breeds success: you are more likely to get published if you've been published and in poetry it's not unusual for the publisher to approach the poet - many presses won't consider unsolicited work. Initially Yellow Torchlight and the Blues was accepted by another publisher, but the publisher's sad, untimely death meant searching for an alternative publisher.
,
Wednesday, April 25, 2007
[Interview] Lilian Masitera
Lilian Masitera is a woman of many talents.
She is a lecturer-in-charge in the Mathematics Department at Belvedere Technical Teachers College in Harare, a novelist, short story writer and poet.
In 1989, while teaching at Queen Elizabeth High School in Harare, she formulated a way through which the vertical angles of cones could be calculated. The formula was accepted as original by the University of Stanford in the United States and is now widely used by high school students.
In 1994, she was among a group of women who published the first anthology of poems and short stories by Zimbabwean female writers. The anthology was described by local critics as "a landmark in the history of Zimbabwean literature." In 1997, she received a merit award from the International Society of Poets for her poem, "Enter the Teetotaler," which also appears in Militant Shadow (Minerva Press, 1996).
In an interview which was published in Mahogany (November/December 1999), Lilian Masitera talked about her writing:
What made you publish Now I Can Play on your own?
I submitted the seven stories that make up Now I Can Play to a local publishing house a year or so ago. The editor who was handling the stories later informed me that the publishing house was not in a position to publish a collection of short stories from a single writer. Instead they wanted to do an anthology from a number of different writers. Some of my stories would be included in the anthology. Another four were going to be used in an English textbook for secondary schools. The publishing house had also taken another story, "Eleven Twice" and translated it into Shona for publication in a Shona textbook. Although I let them keep my stories and choose what they wanted, I am tired of anthologies. I have been in so many of them with my poetry, so I decided to go solo and publish the collection of short stories on my own.
Did you ever consider sending the manuscript to another publisher?
Minerva Press wanted to publish it. They had accepted the manuscript but I have a problem with being published abroad. My readership is here in Africa but the books don't get here. For them to be available locally, for them to be read here I have to order them myself and it's expensive.
Why Now I Can Play?
Because the whole collection is about women who have fought, won or lost and who say Now I Can Play. For example, there is a schoolgirl who gets raped by her teacher and ends up having an abortion. The story looks at events that led to the abortion.
How autobiographical are your writings?
A lot of what I have written is, to some degree, autobiographical. They are things I have experienced, things I have rubbed shoulders with. I believe I am writing better because of this first-hand experience. Also, it is not too difficult for me to figure out how other people I work with, people I live with, people who were in my childhood, feel. I use them as ingredients in many cases. It is going to be difficult for me to write something totally fictitious.
When did you start writing?
I was writing when I was at school. When I gave what I wrote to other people to read, they enjoyed it. One or two people were shocked by what they read. I remember a composition I wrote once, when I was at secondary school. I went to a girls' school. At the bottom of my composition the teacher wrote, "See me."
When I went to see her, she pointed out some paragraphs which she said were indecent. I remember she told me, "Nice girls don't write like that."
Did you deliberately try to be shocking?
No, not at all. In my composition I had said something about gonads. I didn't realize the impact it would have on the white nun who took us for English. At that time I thought I could write about anything, especially when you write in English — things don't appear as rude or as shocking as when you write them in Shona.
Why do you think this is so?
I suppose it has to do with the place of certain words in culture. You find that in Shona we do not have any words on the reproductive system that can be spoken. You don't refer to certain parts of the anatomy, even to breasts, without causing embarrassment, but in English when I came across them it was in the context of Biology where you draw diagrams and labelled them. Also, some people who use English as their mother language casually throw sexual swear words in their association with people who use English as their second language. So we have learnt them as things which are not vulgar.
What would you say compels you to write?
There are many reasons. I want to share my experiences with others. I want people who read my books to know that what they go through is also experienced by others. I want others to experience the same joy I experienced when I read other people's books, and yes — writing is a compulsion, an addiction.
She is a lecturer-in-charge in the Mathematics Department at Belvedere Technical Teachers College in Harare, a novelist, short story writer and poet.
In 1989, while teaching at Queen Elizabeth High School in Harare, she formulated a way through which the vertical angles of cones could be calculated. The formula was accepted as original by the University of Stanford in the United States and is now widely used by high school students.
In 1994, she was among a group of women who published the first anthology of poems and short stories by Zimbabwean female writers. The anthology was described by local critics as "a landmark in the history of Zimbabwean literature." In 1997, she received a merit award from the International Society of Poets for her poem, "Enter the Teetotaler," which also appears in Militant Shadow (Minerva Press, 1996).
In an interview which was published in Mahogany (November/December 1999), Lilian Masitera talked about her writing:
What made you publish Now I Can Play on your own?
I submitted the seven stories that make up Now I Can Play to a local publishing house a year or so ago. The editor who was handling the stories later informed me that the publishing house was not in a position to publish a collection of short stories from a single writer. Instead they wanted to do an anthology from a number of different writers. Some of my stories would be included in the anthology. Another four were going to be used in an English textbook for secondary schools. The publishing house had also taken another story, "Eleven Twice" and translated it into Shona for publication in a Shona textbook. Although I let them keep my stories and choose what they wanted, I am tired of anthologies. I have been in so many of them with my poetry, so I decided to go solo and publish the collection of short stories on my own.
Did you ever consider sending the manuscript to another publisher?
Minerva Press wanted to publish it. They had accepted the manuscript but I have a problem with being published abroad. My readership is here in Africa but the books don't get here. For them to be available locally, for them to be read here I have to order them myself and it's expensive.
Why Now I Can Play?
Because the whole collection is about women who have fought, won or lost and who say Now I Can Play. For example, there is a schoolgirl who gets raped by her teacher and ends up having an abortion. The story looks at events that led to the abortion.
How autobiographical are your writings?
A lot of what I have written is, to some degree, autobiographical. They are things I have experienced, things I have rubbed shoulders with. I believe I am writing better because of this first-hand experience. Also, it is not too difficult for me to figure out how other people I work with, people I live with, people who were in my childhood, feel. I use them as ingredients in many cases. It is going to be difficult for me to write something totally fictitious.
When did you start writing?
I was writing when I was at school. When I gave what I wrote to other people to read, they enjoyed it. One or two people were shocked by what they read. I remember a composition I wrote once, when I was at secondary school. I went to a girls' school. At the bottom of my composition the teacher wrote, "See me."
When I went to see her, she pointed out some paragraphs which she said were indecent. I remember she told me, "Nice girls don't write like that."
Did you deliberately try to be shocking?
No, not at all. In my composition I had said something about gonads. I didn't realize the impact it would have on the white nun who took us for English. At that time I thought I could write about anything, especially when you write in English — things don't appear as rude or as shocking as when you write them in Shona.
Why do you think this is so?
I suppose it has to do with the place of certain words in culture. You find that in Shona we do not have any words on the reproductive system that can be spoken. You don't refer to certain parts of the anatomy, even to breasts, without causing embarrassment, but in English when I came across them it was in the context of Biology where you draw diagrams and labelled them. Also, some people who use English as their mother language casually throw sexual swear words in their association with people who use English as their second language. So we have learnt them as things which are not vulgar.
What would you say compels you to write?
There are many reasons. I want to share my experiences with others. I want people who read my books to know that what they go through is also experienced by others. I want others to experience the same joy I experienced when I read other people's books, and yes — writing is a compulsion, an addiction.
Monday, April 23, 2007
[Interview] David Bedford, children's author
Over the past six years, David Bedford has published 30 books, with translations in 20 languages. The books range from best-selling picture books such as Big Bear, Little Bear, to The Team series of short comic novels for 7 to 11-year-olds about a struggling football team that enlists the help of a professor and her football-playing robot.
Bedford has a Ph.D. in Gene Cloning from the University of East Anglia and is a member of the National Association of Writers in Education (NAWE) and the National Centre for Language and Literacy.
He spoke about his writing and the direction it is taking.
When did you decide you wanted to be a writer?
When I first became an avid reader, around the age of 16, I read Tolkien's Lord of the Rings and decided to have a go myself... much later, while I was a scientist at Stanford University in the U.S., I began writing seriously, with the idea of making a career out of it.
Who would you say has influenced you the most?
I mainly write children's picture books, and the most influential writer for me in this genre is Martin Waddell, who wrote Owl Babies and many other great books.
What are your main concerns as a writer?
I try to write stories that are "true," that reflect real life. Because I write for children, this means that my stories are set thoroughly in a world children understand; my stories are concerned with the daily issues children encounter.
How have your personal experiences influenced the direction of your writing?
My first books for children were published before I had children of my own - these were mostly traditional entertaining kinds of stories, to make people laugh. Since my children were born, my writing has moved in new directions and my books are now, more than ever, attuned the world of children, and often the relationship between parents and children.
What would you say are the biggest challenges you face?
Each book has its own rhythm and structure, and each time I write a story I have to find out what rhythm and structure suits it best. And so each time writing a new book it is the biggest challenge.
How do you deal with these?
When I'm writing a book I focus on it and give it all that I have. I can only make it as good as I can make it - and that's what I try to achieve.
What is your latest book about?
Masters of Soccer is the sixth book in a series I write about a soccer team. There's not too much soccer in this one, and the books are in any case more about the team of boys and girls who play together, about their characters. In this book, two boys from the football team are being forced to perform ballet at school - and for them, it is going to be the most embarrassing experience of their lives.
How long did it take you to write it?
Only three weeks. It was the fastest book of this length (7,000 words) that I've written. It was published in June this year in the U.K. and Australia. The first four books of the series are published also in the U.S., and the first three in Thailand, so hopefully this new book will be available in more countries soon.
Which aspects of the work that you put into the book did you find most difficult?
Sometimes it's difficult for me because I put my characters — who I love — into very difficult situations. The difficult part is that I have to find a way for them to get out of that situation, and that can be very hard to do. Though the more I write about them, these characters — Harvey, Darren, Rita — speak for themselves and find their own way out.
Which did you enjoy most?
I enjoyed writing about the emotions of fear and awkwardness that embarrassment can bring. I am using my own experiences as a guide!
What sets the book apart from the other things you have written?
It is funnier, faster and more intense than the other books in this series. When the book was finished and printed, and I read it through, I was breathless - I had forgotten to leave some time for the reader to stop reading for a moment and breathe! But it is supposed to be a page-turner, so probably I can call it a success.
In what way is it similar to the others?
All of the books in this series (we call it The Team Series) are about the main character, Harvey, having a problem to solve. The series starts with him being no good at soccer, and his neighbor, Professor Gertie, helps him by inventing a robot. Every book now has Professor Gertie and her robot trying to help out - usually causing more mayhem and disaster.
What will your next book be about?
I have written a bedtime book for my daughter, called Time for Bed, Isobel. In fact it has just been published in the U.K. and Australia, and it is doing so well I have been asked to write a sequel.
What would you say has been your most significant achievement as a writer?
The moment of becoming a writer was the biggest achievement, simply saying to myself that I was a writer and being brave or foolhardy enough to dedicate a significant amount of time to writing.
How did you get there?
I left my career in science behind even before I had published a book, and I worked at writing for two years before I sold my first stories. So I'd say there was dedication and focus at the heart of it. And perseverance. And never being able to think of a serious Plan B.
,,,,,
Bedford has a Ph.D. in Gene Cloning from the University of East Anglia and is a member of the National Association of Writers in Education (NAWE) and the National Centre for Language and Literacy.
He spoke about his writing and the direction it is taking.
When did you decide you wanted to be a writer?
When I first became an avid reader, around the age of 16, I read Tolkien's Lord of the Rings and decided to have a go myself... much later, while I was a scientist at Stanford University in the U.S., I began writing seriously, with the idea of making a career out of it.
Who would you say has influenced you the most?
I mainly write children's picture books, and the most influential writer for me in this genre is Martin Waddell, who wrote Owl Babies and many other great books.
What are your main concerns as a writer?
I try to write stories that are "true," that reflect real life. Because I write for children, this means that my stories are set thoroughly in a world children understand; my stories are concerned with the daily issues children encounter.
How have your personal experiences influenced the direction of your writing?
My first books for children were published before I had children of my own - these were mostly traditional entertaining kinds of stories, to make people laugh. Since my children were born, my writing has moved in new directions and my books are now, more than ever, attuned the world of children, and often the relationship between parents and children.
What would you say are the biggest challenges you face?
Each book has its own rhythm and structure, and each time I write a story I have to find out what rhythm and structure suits it best. And so each time writing a new book it is the biggest challenge.
How do you deal with these?
When I'm writing a book I focus on it and give it all that I have. I can only make it as good as I can make it - and that's what I try to achieve.
What is your latest book about?
Masters of Soccer is the sixth book in a series I write about a soccer team. There's not too much soccer in this one, and the books are in any case more about the team of boys and girls who play together, about their characters. In this book, two boys from the football team are being forced to perform ballet at school - and for them, it is going to be the most embarrassing experience of their lives.
How long did it take you to write it?
Only three weeks. It was the fastest book of this length (7,000 words) that I've written. It was published in June this year in the U.K. and Australia. The first four books of the series are published also in the U.S., and the first three in Thailand, so hopefully this new book will be available in more countries soon.
Which aspects of the work that you put into the book did you find most difficult?
Sometimes it's difficult for me because I put my characters — who I love — into very difficult situations. The difficult part is that I have to find a way for them to get out of that situation, and that can be very hard to do. Though the more I write about them, these characters — Harvey, Darren, Rita — speak for themselves and find their own way out.
Which did you enjoy most?
I enjoyed writing about the emotions of fear and awkwardness that embarrassment can bring. I am using my own experiences as a guide!
What sets the book apart from the other things you have written?
It is funnier, faster and more intense than the other books in this series. When the book was finished and printed, and I read it through, I was breathless - I had forgotten to leave some time for the reader to stop reading for a moment and breathe! But it is supposed to be a page-turner, so probably I can call it a success.
In what way is it similar to the others?
All of the books in this series (we call it The Team Series) are about the main character, Harvey, having a problem to solve. The series starts with him being no good at soccer, and his neighbor, Professor Gertie, helps him by inventing a robot. Every book now has Professor Gertie and her robot trying to help out - usually causing more mayhem and disaster.
What will your next book be about?
I have written a bedtime book for my daughter, called Time for Bed, Isobel. In fact it has just been published in the U.K. and Australia, and it is doing so well I have been asked to write a sequel.
What would you say has been your most significant achievement as a writer?
The moment of becoming a writer was the biggest achievement, simply saying to myself that I was a writer and being brave or foolhardy enough to dedicate a significant amount of time to writing.
How did you get there?
I left my career in science behind even before I had published a book, and I worked at writing for two years before I sold my first stories. So I'd say there was dedication and focus at the heart of it. And perseverance. And never being able to think of a serious Plan B.
,,,,,
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Lauri Kubuitsile writes romances novels; crime fiction; books and stories for children and teenagers; and, literary fiction. She was shor...