Today, I am joined by the lovely Susie Medwell to talk about being a writer and her latest novel, Text Me, Tweet Me, Need Me.
Writer's block? Do you get it and how do you get over it? I do – more often when I’m writing the first half of a story. It usually means I don’t know my characters well enough, so I go back to looking at their GMC and after a day of prodding them I’m usually off again! I also do all my plotting and planning with pen and paper and I sometimes think just the physical act of writing rather than typing kick starts me. Ultimate story you'd like to write? Several years ago I had an idea for a story I really wanted to write – but the time was wrong. When the time is right (and I have plenty of it!) I intend to sit down and write what I think could be a difficult story. It is about someone whose whole identity is thrown into doubt – everything she believes in, the person she thinks she is suddenly has a question mark over it. It’s part romance, and how having the right person can help you through anything, and partly about how important it is to understand who you really are. What is your definition of romance? Loving someone for who they are, being there for them, and always remembering to show them how much they mean. Keeping things fresh and never getting complacent is what keeps romance alive – that spark of excitement and mystery combined with a real desire to put someone else first. What do you do when a flash of inspiration hits you at an inopportune moment? I’ve got scraps of paper everywhere – but I usually have to take notes on my mobile (and then try and decipher what they mean!). How do you unwind? I love cooking, sharing a bottle of wine and playing guitar with my other half. If I’m on my own a long walk, or curling up with a book or good film works wonders. What and/or who inspired your wip/publication? Social networking and the internet – it intrigues me how people can actually make really deep connections without meeting someone in person. Maybe we’re more open when there’s a distance, so there are no layers of pretence. Or of course there is the other side -when the person is a complete fabrication – how do you know if you’ve hit the jackpot or the fraudster? When and where are you most productive when writing? I like writing when it’s quiet, and the best time at the moment seems to be the afternoon- I’ve just got into the swing of it when I have to pack up and go to work! Have you become more or less romantic as you grow older? More romantic! I was always fairly logical about everything, including relationships when I was younger – very careful about getting involved and giving my heart away! Why do you write? I can’t not! I’m constantly reading or seeing things that spark off a story that needs to be written. Someone once said to me that they thought the hardest bit of writing must be coming up with new ideas – my problem is having too many new story ideas whizzing around in my head. Each author has a unique voice. How would you describe yours? A bit quirky! My writing isn’t always grammatically correct – I try not to analyse it too closely, but I think it is because my characters thoughts, as well as their dialogue, are fairly colloquial. I started off writing in quite a formal, correct style (as I’d been taught at school) but the story just didn’t flow for me – I didn’t own it. For me, the characters have to lead the story – and most people don’t think/speak in a grammatically correct way all the time. Correct isn’t real enough if that makes sense! How do you deal with reviews that aren't as positive as others? I try and remind myself that writing is an art, subjective, and that not everyone likes the same thing – I’ve started lots of stories that I’ve not enjoyed enough to read to the end. When that doesn’t work, I pick a bestselling author and read a few of the best and worst reviews for one of their books! I once read that if you aren’t getting bad reviews, then you aren’t widely read, which is a neat way of looking at it. What is the one thing you can't do without when writing? Coffee! What is more realistic in this day and age, Happy for now to happy ever after? Explain! I’d always go with Happy Ever After – because if someone really, truly believes they are in love then they have to think it is for ever – even if, sadly, that isn’t always the case these days. When is it out? Now! ‘Text me, Tweet me, Need me’ came out on May 6th. Who is your publisher? Lyrical Press What attracted you to them? I knew one of the editors – I’d worked with her before and knew she’d do a brilliant job and wouldn’t try and edit out my voice! They also struck me as a professional company, with some great writers and ‘wow’ covers. What's next? A long list – it’s scary! I have several ‘Zara Stoneley’ projects on the go and have another contemporary romance planned out, provisionally called ‘Laptops and Lovers’, it’s a work in progress at the moment but I will be finishing it later in the year. My ideas folder just has too many things in it! Please provide me with your social media links Website - http://www.susiemedwell.com Blog – http://susiemedwell.blogspot.com Twitter - @susiemedwell Facebook – http://www.facebook.com/susie.medwell Thanks, Susie, for stopping by and good luck with Text Me, Tweet Me, Need Me. Tx
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