On Friday Focus some
authors have answered questions about their writing, so I though it
only fair that I did the same. I've tried to answer questions about my
writing that the other authors didn't answer. Here we go.
The right setting is critical for a
story to work. Have any of your books started out in one setting and ended up
in another? What changes did you make and what made them necessary?
The right setting is critical for a
story to work. Have any of your books started out in one setting and ended up
in another? What changes did you make and what made them necessary?
‘The Sixth Key’ started in a modern
setting, then switched to a medieval style planet with magic. At the end of
book it switches again. This was necessary for the mystery aspect of the story.
How do you come up with the titles for
your stories?
I try to make my titles give some
guidance as to what the book is about. The title has to fit and I have to be satisfied
with it before I’m able to write the manuscript. ‘The Sixth Key’ centred on a
rhyme which had to be followed to solve the mystery. Once I decided on this
title I was able to dive into writing the book.
What was the very first thing you remember
writing?
I believe it was called “Little Lord
Fotheringay”. It was my essay entry for the 11 plus exam in England. It must
have been reasonably good as I passed the 11 plus and went to an ‘A’ stream
grammar school.
Where do you draw your inspiration from? Is
it dreams? Things you see on television or in movies. Books? People you meet?
Anything catches my imagination and a story
forms in my mind. I saw an unusual name on a boat once and have started writing
a book using that name. People in the street, something on television –
anything can supply the basis of a story for me.
How old were you when you finished your
first novel? Is that novel published today?
Oooh a lady never reveals her age. Let’s
just say I was in my forties. This novel was never published as looking back I
realise it needs a lot of editing to make it suitable for publishing. However I
learned my lesson and the second book I wrote was published and is still
available today.
Of all the characters you've created, who
is your favorite and why? Yes, I know you aren't supposed to have favorite
children, but it's okay to have a favorite character. Be sure to tell us what
book they are in.
This has to be Caishel. The first release
of the book was under the title ‘Blue and Silver’ but then I changed publishers
and the second release was called ‘Caishel’. I’m so fond of her that I named my
publishing name after her – Caishel Books. Unfortunately these books are not
available at the moment as I am no longer with the second publisher, but I do
intend to release the whole series of Cloud Kingdoms next year as self-published.
Where is the most interesting place you
have ever traveled? If you haven't travelled much, where would you absolutely
love to go?
I have travelled all over the world when my
husband was at sea, but the one place I remember as being really interesting is
Kuwait. Our family lived there for two years before the troubles with Sadam
Hussein. It was a wonderful place to live and I felt very safe there and made
many friends.
I would really like to visit New Orleans and go up the
Mississippi on a paddle boat to see the plantations etc. Apparently it’s
possible to travel as far as Memphis. Really great.
How do you choose the names of your
characters?
I start off with the initial letter of the
first name then think of lots of names starting with that. Once I find one I
like I change some of the letters around to make it different this is because
my books are fantasy so I need to the names to be a little different. There are
times when the name just pops into my mind. Whichever method I choose it has to
suit the character before I write about them.
What other books or authors do you believe
have influenced your writing? How did they influence it?
Anne McCaffrey and David Eddings. I came
across their books at the end of my teenage years and fell in love with
fantasy. It seemed to be the natural thing when I began to write my own stories
for publishing to head to the fantasy genre. I do also write romance, but my
main love is fantasy.
Has being a writer affected how you read
other books?
Definitely. I pick up any small errors in
books which sometimes spoils it for me. The main thing that puts me off is when
an author hasn’t done the research properly. This is not only new authors but
famous ones can do this too. American authors in particular can fall into the
trap that because the language is similar the settings must be similar too.
What was the best advice you ever received
about your writing? Something you keep in mind still today OR What was the best
writing tip you ever read, learned, etc.
The secret of writing is re-writing.
Sue
has many books published and these area available on various online
bookstores. She lives in New Zealand at the top of the South Island.
Although
her main focus is on fantasy writing, Sue also writes romance books.
Her other interests are family history, aqua jogging and graphic art.