Tag Archives: writingtips

Interview with a Writer ~ Layla Blackwell Part 2

Posted on by vgemmell
Layla with her beautiful dog Mable Photography – Caroline Finn

Welcome back to Part 2 of my Interview with my writing friend, Layla Blackwell. If you haven’t already, you might want to go and read Part 1 first, where you’ll learn a bit more about Layla’s initial writing journey. You can view that post here.

So let’s return to our chat….

What keeps you motivated?

My coaching work. It’s that wee moment, when you’ve grabbed someone and given them a wee golden nugget, and they’ll go away, and they’ll think about that. I’m now able to use my own experiences; experiences that might have been rubbish for me, and I’m now able to help and support others. They’re getting the benefit of my full life experience. I can reassure people that they will find their own way, in their own time.

What led you into Disability Empowerment Coaching?

You know, it’s really funny, the work I’m doing now is the complete opposite to the work I thought I would do. For the first part of my life, I was running away from essentially being a disabled person because I didn’t like the label. 

It wasn’t until I started playing basketball, with the Scottish Women Warriors basketball team, when I was 28, my perspective changed. I’ve written an article about that. (You can read this brilliant article Full Circuit here, published in the Clydesider magazine ).

It changed my life in a second, when I went through the doors of the Gym Hall.

Immediately somebody rolled up to me, which is weird in itself, because you’re looking at people at eye level. This woman rolled up to me, and immediately said, What’s wrong with you? I was thinking, Rude! You could at least say hello.  But then I remember looking at her face and realising, Oh, she’s using this as a way to connect with me. So I told her I have Cerebral Palsy, And she said, Great, and then rolled away again.

The Basketball Team changed my perspective of disability, and that’s effectively what I’m doing now through my coaching. I’m teaching people with disabilities not to run away from the label, but to change what the label means to them. And that’s what I’ve spent this next, best part of my life doing; just redefining what disability means to me.

So, instead of it being a point of shame, it’s now a point of pride. I can tell people, I’m a Disability Empowerment Coach, that’s what I do.  And I mean the middle part (Empowerment), more than I’ve probably ever meant anything in my life.

It was meeting the team that has led here, pushing me past the point I thought I was capable of. I spent about two years trying to say no to everything, and then I got told, ‘Well, that’s not acceptable. And someone’s coming to collect you..’ They wouldn’t let me say no!

How did being part of the Basketball group influence how you approach things today?

Working with the Warriors Basketball Team taught me you can complain, and that’s fine, but if you don’t actually help and make change, then you’re not going to get what you want.

The more I did, the more I also began to understand a couple of things. When it comes to disabilities, mostly people aren’t arrogant, they’re ignorant.  I’m actually asking people to understand something that is out with the realm of their understanding.

So that’s the first thing, and the other thing is people are actually afraid of it, because having a disability is the one group you can join at any time. And so that is actually a problem when it comes to trying to make people think about disabilities as they don’t want to think about that scary prospect.

When you join the disability community, there are a lot of angry people that think society should know about disability and they shouldn’t have to advocate for themselves, and it should all just be done. And I think that’s an arrogant point of view, because again, you’re asking people to have an understanding of something they have no concept of. Because if you think about it in terms of freedom, which is the big one for us, right, independence and freedom is the thing that we all want; having autonomy over our own selves firstly, and then independence, and then freedom.

Freedom is a thing we don’t have, (true freedom), and freedom is a thing you don’t even think about.  So from that perspective, I don’t know how people expect others to just understand.

If we’re not prepared to educate, then we’re just putting up with arrogance and ignorance. So, I just decided, if people are going to listen, I’m willing to educate them. I thought, You know what?  I’m gonna start telling people the way it is.

You can tell people, ‘This is the problem’ but I’ve learned if you don’t actually explain how it affects you, and how to fix it, then they can’t really understand.

When I write articles for the Clydesider, I don’t like to say they’re inspiring, but they definitely have to be positive. When I address a problem, then I will tell you what the effect of that fix would be like. For example, if there were easier ramps on every train, that would mean I could go anywhere, whenever I wanted, which is something I’ve never been able to do. It’s getting better, but it’s still not ideal. People need to understand what the issues are, but also what that means in terms of life. It’s that last bit, that helps people understand more. A lot of disabled representation, depending on what media you access, can be pretty biased.

I feel a responsibility where I have a voice and I have the ability to use it, so that’s kind of why I do what I do. I also think it’s important to do it with a sense of humour. For goodness sake, it needs to have a sense of humour to it, because at the same time, nobody cares, ‘tiny violin playing’ (Layla laughs here), so make it so you’re not just moaning all the time. I’m quite shocked really, the amount of really negative disabled people there are. In a way that gives me great job security (this is some of Layla’s humour coming across here!). It is good to share answers on posts and forums and stuff, about everyday problems, connecting and thinking ‘oh right, that’s normal then’. 

I always say to people: You’ve got two choices. Change it, don’t change it. But you know, complaining doesn’t get you anywhere.

Any more advice you would give to people who want to make a change, or influence change, and maybe don’t know where to start?

Big systematic change is really difficult; you’re not going to be able to do that by yourself. But you can make individual change, every day easily, by having a conversation.

And for me goal setting has been important.

If this year has taught me anything, it’s that I don’t know what my own capabilities are. Every time I achieve something, I’ve got to raise the bar as to what I thought I was capable of. If I don’t know what I am capable of, other people certainly don’t.

It sounds kind of silly, but the answer to do things, is always do it!

I love this. I think all writers need to hear this too! Just do it.

Yes, because if you’ve got nothing to work on, no one can help you. The worst that can happen is you can’t work commas and you come back and go, it’s still a bit shit. You’ve got to start somewhere. Everyone starts at the beginning, you can’t start at the finish. And I think that the three seconds of bravery, (in the basketball hall), follows me, as I don’t put pressure on myself anymore to know what I’m doing. I used to think fear was this negative thing, but what I realised is I can be afraid, and still achieve. I just need to acknowledge that, oh actually, this scares me a wee bit. And then I think about why it scares me, but I don’t let it stop me. I just do it anyway. Stop seeing fear as a problem, see it as a challenge. Everyone’s afraid. Once you’ve done it, you’re not afraid of it again.

Wise words from Layla to end on.

Thanks again, Layla, for sharing so many great insights, and trusting me with your words. My blog is just a small attempt to share your words with a wider audience. I am sure anyone reading this will feel inspired and motivated.

Good luck with your writing and coaching!

Again, if you want to connect with Layla, you can find her here:

Website: https://www.laylabecoaching.com/about

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/laylabecoaching/

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/laylabecoaching

LinkedIn

Interview with a Writer ~ Layla Blackwell Part 1

Posted on by vgemmell
Layla with her gorgeous dog Mable
Photography: Caroline Finn
From the Clydesider Magazine Issue 32

Last week I decided to do something a bit different. I asked my writer friend, Layla Blackwell, if I could interview her for my blog, but this time I wanted to have a more in-depth conversation, so we chatted via Zoom for over an hour. As well as finding out more about Layla’s writing journey, I asked her if she would also tell me about her recent endeavours as a Disability Empowerment Coach, (see Layla’s Coaching website, Layla BE Coaching here). I have to thank Layla for trusting me to transcribe an interview containing over 6,000 words of pure honesty, vulnerability and humour. Not all of our chat made it onto the blog, (we had gossip to catch up on too!), but there was still enough that I wanted to divide this interview into a Part 1 and Part 2, to give Layla’s story the full impact it deserves. So please come back tomorrow evening when Part 2 goes live.

Having this chat, and then re-visiting Layla’s words as I typed them up for the blog, had me feeling so proud, in awe and inspired. I met Layla way back in 2011 (I think!), at a writing networking event I used to regularly attend in Glasgow, called Weegie Wednesday. (I met lots of great writers here, and have fond memories of the years I attended). I love seeing the amazing things Layla has accomplished so far, and I am in no doubt that the best is yet to come for Layla’s writing and coaching/advocacy career. Watch this space.

Biography

Bravery is often defined as ‘courageous behaviour or character.’ For Layla, it’s been a lifelong practice. Born prematurely in November 1987, Layla weighed no more than a bag of sugar. She wasn’t expected to survive. At age two, Layla was diagnosed with cerebral palsy.

Growing up with disabilities meant Layla was surrounded by professionals, and a protective Mum, who all told her what she wanted, thought, and felt. Layla became a people-pleaser, cautious and fearful of a world that wasn’t designed for her. But the moments that changed Layla’s life all came from facing her fears head-on.

From seeing her first piece of creative fiction in print at the age of 21, to joining a women’s wheelchair basketball club at the age of 28, Layla discovered that disability wasn’t just something to ‘overcome’- it could be a point of pride. She found her voice, strength and a community. It showed Layla she was capable of more than she ever believed.

Since then, Layla has been become a published journalist, an advocate, and now a certified ICF life coach.

Why do you write?

I started writing for two reasons. One; talking frustrates me…as much as I do it, and I do a lot of it, talking frustrates me, because it’s difficult to get words right all the time. And I find that a lot of the time, when I have conversations, like when I have this one today, I’ll probably go away and think, you know, I really wanted to say some other stuff, and I forgot to. Or I’ve gone off on a tangent. When you write, you have time to go back and think; this is what I want to put across.

Secondly, from a disability perspective, writing is one of the careers that puts you on an even keel, because you don’t have access issues, and nobody knows you have a disability unless you declare it. It was one of the only careers where I felt everybody was kind of equal to me immediately.

When did you first start writing?

Professionally speaking, I started writing when I was 21, and when I joined Glasgow Writers’ Group. That’s when I learned what professional writing entailed, and then I got published when I was 21.

That leads me on nicely to my next question; what was your first published piece of work?

A short story which appeared in the anthology, A Thousand Cranes: Scottish Writers for Japan (published in 2011 by Cargo Publishing). One of the members of the Glasgow Writers’ Group had links to Japan, and it’s a charity anthology, raising money to support victims of the Haiti tsunami.

I will say my first piece was heavily, heavily edited by editors. Very kindly done, but heavily edited. I don’t actually remember too much about it, because I wrote it one way, and it turned out another. (Layla goes on to talk about how much she learned from initial feedback during this group later on).

Another story almost didn’t get published when I was 21. This was another anthology, with an Australian Press, and was again through a member of the Glasgow Writers’ Group who put me in touch with their publisher and I wrote a couple of pieces for them. After a couple of submissions, they said they were going to publish my work. The editor had given me lots of edits to work on. At first, my work came back absolutely heaving with red pen. And that’s quite difficult when you start off, because it immediately just knocks your confidence, and you think, I might actually just be rubbish at this. It kind of knocked the wind out my sails a wee bit.

I went back and corrected what he asked, but then accidentally sent through the wrong version for my final submission (making it look like I hadn’t fixed any of the issues!). His response to that was he wasn’t prepared to edit it again, but he did, and it went in (there was a lot going on behind the scenes). It taught me the importance of always responding to things professionally.

What did you learn from your experiences connecting with the Writers group (and editors)?

You very quickly learn not to take the red pen personally.

I had been in the Glasgow Writer’s group for a year and nobody would ever give me feedback on what I wrote. And it really annoyed me, because these were quite well known, successful writers, and I really wanted to learn from them. So eventually I was just like, I never get feedback, and I don’t understand why!

And they said, Well, mostly it’s because we don’t want to upset you. Nobody wants to upset you, because we like you.

And I was like, Right, fine, but at the same time I won’t learn, so what are you trying to say?

And basically, it was because the way I was writing was not great. When I was younger in school, people used to take notes for me, scribing for me (due to Layla’s cerebral palsy). So, I actually didn’t really learn sentence structure particularly well.

When I wrote things for the group to read, it was really long sentences and commas were in places they shouldn’t be. Looking back, it must have really frustrated everybody to the point where they could almost not read my work. Instead of saying to me, they were thinking, We don’t want to upset her, and we don’t want to put her off.

I was like, You should have just said to me, and I could have fixed this a year ago!

So then effectively, what I did was I removed all commas from my work for a year ‘till I learned how they worked, and I just kept the sentences really short.

And then I said, Can you at least read this?  Is it readable? They said yes!

Then I started to put the occasional comma back in…

It was a turning point, and I then actually started to get feedback on things.

People often think I’m this frail wee thing that they need to be careful of. And I’m like, Just tell me!

What’s really nice now is when I submit work to my editors (at the Clydesider), my editor makes me laugh as she tells me she loves it when I send my work as she doesn’t need to do anything to it. That’s great. I mean, when I think back.

We’ve covered some of this question already in the answers above, but, Who, or what, has helped you on your writing journey?

To be honest, you helped with a bunch of things (thank you Layla). There have been a lot of people that have helped me on my journey, like my friend Fleur, who I first met through the Glasgow Writers’ Group, and then she also came along to Weegie Wednesday, the writing network event (where we met). Fleur gave me feedback on a lot of things. I’ve been really, really lucky.

But I think, to be honest, it’s my own ability to ask for help and the desire to improve and to learn that has helped me a lot to develop my writing.

If I’m writing a particular format, like when I started doing interviews, I didn’t just write it. I went away and I looked and learned: This is how you structure an interview. I paid attention to the structure, before I sent it off (to my editor).

Do you have any stand-out experiences relating to your writing?

The most recent interview I did for the Clydesider, with Sister Rita, talking to her about her work at St Margaret’s Hospice in Clydebank.  I was actually front cover for that issue, as I was a featured volunteer in it, and then I had my article with Sister Rita.

I feel like I’ve outdone myself after that. (You can read Layla’s brilliant article ‘A Call to Peace’ here , in the Clydesider magazine).

What advice would you give other writers starting out?

There’s definitely a difference between when you start to write professionally and when you write for fun. And I’m now at the point where people will say to me, you’re a writer, can you look at my work? I now understand how the people in the Glasgow Writers’ group felt when I submitted my work at first.

The first question I always ask is, why are you doing this? Are you doing this for fun? Or are you doing this because you want to be published?

Because if you want to get published, the feedback I would give you is different. If you’re writing for fun, then I’m just going to tell you – the answer is just to write. To be published, you have to look at the format, and different things, that take you from the slush pile to somebody actually taking your work seriously.

But also it just changed my mentality from writing for the sake of writing, to how you write to be published, and actually also the level of detachment you have to have to actually get published. Being really precious about what you’re writing, to a certain extent, is stupid, because it’s going to go through various versions.

What experiences were pivotal for you to expand into different types of writing (moving away from fiction), and also into your coaching work?

When I went through a breakup this year, I decided, right, if you’re going to implode your entire life, then you better make the next bit you do better, like, psychologically. I’d say to myself, Being afraid isn’t necessary anymore, because you faced kind of the worst.

You know, I’ve done a lot this year that I never really thought I was capable of. I’ve done some speaking engagements where I spoke in front of 70 women. (Layla gave me permission to embed an extract of a video she sent me of the intro to the talk she delivered during International Women’s Day. See the bottom of the post for this video).

That experience kind of changed my life. It was weird how it came about. I had been in counselling and wasn’t quite ready to go things alone, so my counsellor introduced me to her daughter, Anne, who is a life coach, who could support me, but also tell me a bit about how to do coaching (something I was becoming interested in).

I think I had been Anne’s client for about a week, and this is the magic and scary thing about life coaching, how this all transpired for me…

Anne said, ‘What goals do you have?’ I told her I wanted to be an advocate for disabled people, but that I’m shit scared of public speaking. It really scares me. I don’t like doing it, but I told her, I need to do it.

Anne came back to me, and said, I’m running an event for International Women’s Day, and I need a speaker.

At first, I was like, Oh, that’s nice.

Then Anne said, That speaker is you.

My initial response was, I beg your pardon?

Anne related it to me saying I wanted to do coaching and explained to me that This was coaching. I set a goal; I achieve the goal.  She told me she would help me go through my speech so I felt ready and happy to do it, and then on the day, she was going to be there to support me. She said, So you’re going to be able to achieve that goal. That’s coaching.

I realised this is what I’d been wanting my entire life, is literally somebody to go, You’re afraid of doing that. So, I’ll help you, and go with you. Then it’s less scary.

The thing that really changed my life that day was in the section of my talk, called, Ask a disabled person a potentially embarrassing question. (Layla joked this really needs an acronym.)

I thought I would get silly questions like, ‘Do you sleep with your wheelchair?’ Which I had once and I chose not to answer, because it filled me with rage. So anyway,  I expected silly questions, and then a woman stood up and said, ‘I’ve got a son with disabilities, and I’m just wondering if you have any advice as to how to advocate for him properly?’

One of the things I remember in this moment was everybody was kind of in my eye level (as we were sitting facing one another), which was nice, and strange. And I remember looking at her face, and in my brain, I thought ‘Oh!’,  because I was just really expecting a silly question.

I admitted this to her, and then said,  ‘But you’ve asked me a really important question, so if you don’t mind, I’m going to take a wee minute so I can give you a good answer, rather than just the first answer that pops into my head.’

And so I took a wee minute and I said, ‘Look, the best answer I can give you, and is the same answer I actually told my sister in regards to my niece, because my niece has a disability. The advice I gave to her is essentially to teach your child who they are; backwards, forwards, upside down, in every situation.

‘Teach your son who he is, I said, ‘Because the world is going to spend all of its time telling him who he should be, what he wants, what he needs, what that means, what his life should be like, and if he doesn’t know the answers for himself, he’s not going to be able to live the life that he deserves to live. That’s all my 38 years of experience in every room I have been in.’

I had a wee moment where I was choked up because I realised I’d hopefully just changed that wee boy’s life, even although he’ll never meet me.

I’m sure you would have had the whole room in tears (Layla confirmed she did).

I know you’ll be changing lots of people’s lives with your words, Layla.

Here’s an extract of a video from the introduction of Layla’s inspiring talk from that day:

Layla at an International Women’s Day talk, earlier in the year

I’m going to finish Part 1 of Layla’s interview here.

Part 2 will be going live tomorrow evening. Please come back to read more about another pivotal moment in Layla’s life, which she refers to as her ‘three seconds of bravery’, where her perspective about her disability changed, which ultimately led her down new pathways with her writing, and to become a Disability Empowerment Coach.

You can connect with Layla on these platforms:

Website: https://www.laylabecoaching.com/about

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/laylabecoaching/

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/laylabecoaching

LinkedIn:

Interview with a Writer ~ Catarina Lilliehöök

Posted on by vgemmell

This week I’m delighted to welcome Swedish writer Catarina Lilliehöök to my blog feature. I connected with Cat through a Facebook ‘Write Magic’ group, where writers support one another and seek advice on our publishing journeys. I’m halfway through Catarina’s spellbinding fantasy adventure The Spirit Dragon’s Keeper (Book 1 of the Polar Saga series), which combines Sami folklore and Eastern philosophy and mythology. Catarina’s biography below will give you a flavour of her beautiful writing style!

Author Biography

Catarina Lilliehöök was born in Stockholm Sweden. A former journalist and the author of two books on China, she spent over twenty years wandering ancient cities, tracing dragon lore through winding alleyways and temple shadows. Fluent in Mandarin and steeped in the cultural myths of the Far East, Catarina weaves real-world knowledge into fantasy worlds that feel lived-in and vast.

She always had a pull toward the Sámi lands (Indigenous People of the Arctic)—where the wind speaks in riddles and reindeer cross frozen lakes under star-swept skies. Now settled in Switzerland, beneath towering alpine peaks and forests thick with legend, she writes at the edge of reality. Her stories are gateways—to places where rivers remain unnamed, where memory and magic blur, and where dragons still rule the sky.

When did you first start writing?

Omg—ages ago! Too long ago to even remember, lol!

What do you write?

Epic fantasy.

What was your first published piece of work?

I was a freelance writer for many years, but that was papers and magazines. My first book was about China and cultural differences. It’s in Chinese and was published in China. Then it got translated to Japanese.

Why do you write?

You mean there’s an option? 🙂

What, or who, has helped you on your writing journey?

My teachers! I have been studying for years with several mentors from the US. Courses, workshops and writer’s retreats have all been great and super helpful. I strongly believe in investing time and money in your writing journey.

Share a writing low with us. What did you learn from this?

Sometimes a teacher can be pretty brutal. I had one in particular who was very harsh in her feedback. Once I got a manuscript back from her and completely broke down in tears, flopped over my desk and cried (yes!) I felt so useless. This wallowing misery lasted for about two weeks. Then I picked myself up and began again. I have learnt from this (and several similar episodes) that it’s usually good to put aside your hurt and pride and do what the teachers suggest. Perhaps not always, but… very often… they are right…!

Share a writing high?

Every time I am in any of my fantasy worlds—woohoo! I LOVE hiding in there, especially when all the heavy lifting is done and all I have left is fine tuning. That last bit of tweaking… I could go on forever. DO NOT DISTURB 🙂

Share some of your favourite lines from reviews, or comments you have received about your work, which boosted your confidence (tell us what piece of work it relates to)

Here are a few of my favourite feedbacks on the first instalment The Spirit Dragon’s Keeper in my current fantasy series, The Polar Saga:

Great to get the China validation:

  • Having lived in Asia for 26 years, I was especially enchanted by the vivid portrayal of ancient China and its timeless traditions. The writing was so immersive, I could almost taste the vegetarian baozi!

Love the specifically singled out stuff…

  • Favorite Quote: “But in a name rests power.”

Who doesn’t love to hear this in a series?

  • I genuinely can’t wait for the next instalment – please, please tell me its coming soon!

Any tips for new writers?

Get a teacher. Do a course. Sign up for a workshop. Do all of the above.

And for all writers; any tips for keeping motivated? And how do you find time to write?

I never have a problem with motivation or focus. I think mainly because I just “write whatever comes.” I don’t stop to think or analyze as I don’t want my brain to get involved. Then it would probably instantly stall most of my ideas. I love to change it all around later, and in any case, I find it much easier to scrap than to add on.

Do you have a regular writing routine, or do you write in frantic bursts?

I usually write five days a week depending on what I am doing (which phase). But I always take time for workouts and cooking healthy food (I’m vegan. If I want anything healthy and yummy I have to cook myself). Non negotiable. I love to work out and I love to eat.

Where do you write? (A dedicated space, or on-the-go)

Always by my desk. This is very important: good chair, good computer, good light, preferably some sort of nature view (I have moved a lot so not always possible). Peace and quiet.

Any stand-out books you have read recently?

Right now I’m  reading A Discovery of Witches by Deborah Harkness & absolutely love it! It currently runs as a series on Netflix. I’ve watched it three times.

Where can we find out more about you, and your books?

Author Website: www.lilliehookbooks.com

You can buy The Spirit Dragon’s Keeper directly from Bookhub here

Social Media (Instagram, Facebook, Tik Tok) @ catarinalilliehook

Interview with a Writer ~ Denise Brown

Posted on by vgemmell

This week I’m delighted to welcome writer Denise Brown to my blog. Denise writes Young Adult mystery thrillers and when I read her debut I am Winter a few years ago, (now re-released as We Know What You Did), it stood out to me as it was so raw and real, with well drawn and believable characters. I always get excited when I come across other YA mystery writers who base themselves in Scotland, and loved finding out more about Denise’s writing journey, and tips! (Note to self: keep my phone off when I’m writing). It’s reassuring to discover I’m not the only one who doesn’t always follow a structured plan. Read on to gain an insight into Denise’s writing world…

Denise Brown is a freelance ghostwriter, proofreader, and copy editor, who still pinches herself some mornings that she gets to sit at her desk and write stories for a living. She often wishes that she could go back and tell her eight-year-old self that it’s okay to daydream because that’s where the magic happens.

Born in East London, Denise has now settled in Scotland where she feels certain she must’ve lived in a previous life. She loves dogs and snow globes and has a teensy obsession with Jack Skellington.

Her debut YA murder mystery I Am Winter was published by Hashtag Press in 2021, relaunched in November 2024 as We Know What You Did. Her second novel, It All Started with a Lie, followed in February 2024. Her third murder mystery No One Keeps a Secret was published in August 2025.

When did you first start writing?

I always loved books. I suffered from chronic shyness as a child – still do to be honest – and books were my escape from having to interact with people. It was the same with writing stories. But when I left school, writing wasn’t an acceptable career choice for a teenager from East London, so life took over, as it does. I got married, had babies, and repeated the process a second time. So, it wasn’t until later in life, when my children were growing up that I realised it was finally time to focus on me. I began studying for an English literature degree with the OU, took an advanced creative writing course, and have been writing ever since.

What do you write?

Personally, I write mystery thrillers for young adults, although I’m also working on a middle grade book too right now. As a ghost writer – I’ve been writing full-time since the pandemic – I mostly write niche romance and some omegaverse.

What was your first published piece of work?

It was a gritty YA novella called The Devil on Your Back, published by Salt. This was fresh out of my creative writing course and was a huge ego boost!

Why do you write?

Because writing is now like breathing. I can’t imagine a world without books or writing. I’ve been writing every day for the last twelve years, and stopping now would be like giving up food or air or my dog!

What, or who, has helped you on your writing journey?

My children have always been extremely supportive. They believed in me even when I had no belief in myself. Impostor syndrome is still there, but I think I’ve learned to deal with it more effectively these days. But I think the real turning point for me was being longlisted for the Bath Novel Award. It was the justification I needed to carry on despite the rejections because someone liked my writing and believed that my story was worth reading.

Share a writing low with us. What did you learn from this?

My first book I am Winter was noticed by a couple of people. A literary agent requested the full manuscript but decided not to proceed because she felt that it was too young adult for her list. Then I signed a contract with a relatively new publishing company, only to find a few months later that the book was too mature for their list.

What I learned from this is that a book will be discovered by the right person at the right time, and no amount of querying will ever alter this. If it isn’t a right fit for both author and publisher, then it is time to walk away and try again.

Share a writing high?

Well, the first one has to be the day I received an email from Helen and Abiola of Hashtag Press, telling me that they wanted to publish my first book I am Winter. Without them, and their relentless passion for their authors, I wouldn’t be sitting here now talking to you.

But I’d like to share another one with you also. In December 2023, I attended an Indie Book Launch with lots of other indie authors at Foyle’s Charing Cross to promote my second book It All Started with a Lie. While I was there, a reader came over and told me that she’d come specifically to meet me because she loved my first book so much. It was the best feeling, knowing that someone had read my book and enjoyed it that much!

Share some of your favourite lines from reviews, or comments you have received about your work, which boosted your confidence (tell us what piece of work it relates to)

A reader wrote this about my first book I am Winter, and it literally brought tears to my eyes because it was more than I could’ve ever hoped for when I first started writing:

“This YA novel has my heart, and Summer all my love.” (Summer is the main character)

But this (below) has to be one of my favourite quotes for It All Started with a Lie, simply because it’s honest and straight to the point, and it made me laugh:

“Every character was likeable, except the murderer. And Jed. F**k Jed. But everyone served a point (even Jed).”

Any tips for new writers?

Write every day, even if it’s a hundred words. No writing is ever wasted. And read for pleasure every day too. Because while you’re reading, your brain is subconsciously absorbing what works and what doesn’t.

And for all writers; any tips for keeping motivated? And how do you find time to write?

I write full-time, so the second question doesn’t really apply. But what works for me to keep me motivated is to never have a fixed outline to follow. I realise that this won’t work for everyone, but I find that I get easily bored if I don’t allow the characters to do their own thing within a loose storyline. Also, switch off your phone! My phone is always on silent. Which annoys my daughters when they’re trying to get hold of me while I’m working.

Do you have a regular writing routine, or do you write in frantic bursts?

I follow the Pomodoro Technique of writing in twenty-five-minute bursts and then taking a break from my laptop for five minutes to make a cup of tea, or do some hoovering, or cuddle the dog!

Where do you write? (A dedicated space, or on-the-go)

At my desk. Since my daughter recently moved out, I now have an entire room dedicated to my workspace, with views of the woods in the distance which is lovely. Unfortunately, I’m not one of those people who can write anywhere. I’ve tried writing on train journeys, but I suffer with motion sickness, so it simply doesn’t work for me, and cafés are too distracting.

Any stand-out books you have read recently?

The Mermaid of Black Conch by Monique Roffey. It’s a retelling of The Little Mermaid, and is so charming, and so beautifully written that I didn’t want it to end.

Other books that I absolutely adore are:

Imaginary Girls by Nova Ren Suma (quite possibly my favourite book ever)

We Were Liars (of course!) by E. Lockhart

And more recently:

The House in the Cerulean Sea by TJ Klune

Happyhead by Josh Silver

Where can we find your books, and find out more about you?

Denise’s books can be bought in Waterstones, WH Smiths (now TG Jones) and on Amazon

Author website: About | Denise Brown Author

Instagram: Denise Brown Author (@denisebrownuk)

Interview with a Writer~Yasmin Hanif

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Today I’m really excited to welcome my friend and writer, Yasmin Hanif, onto my blog. I first met Yasmin at an informal Writers’ meet up group, where we do writing sprints and chat about our projects, and the ups and downs of the writing life in general! (and drink nice tea and eat snacks). Yasmin has been so encouraging about my own books and writing; a real cheerleader for other writers, and this has helped me stay motivated (more than she probably realises!). I was so delighted when Yasmin told me her amazing news that Floris were going to publish her debut picture book, Abdullah’s Bear Needs A Name! and even more delighted to attend her launch at Waterstones the other week (thank you Yasmin’s Mum for the very tasty Samosas and Pakoras, and to Floris for the cake!). It’s a beautiful book and I wish Yasmin lots of success with her writing career. Read on to find out more about Yasmin’s writing journey, with links to buy her book at the bottom of the post.

Yasmin is a Scottish writer and educator, specialising in children’s literature. She was shortlisted for the Kavya Arts Prize in 2023 for her story which became her debut picture book, Abdullah’s Bear Needs A Name! (Floris, 2025). She has contributed to various poems in anthologies including ‘Daisy’s Mum’ in Stay At Home (Cranachan Publishing, 2020). She was a writer in residence at a primary school and worked on their project to promote diversity and inclusion within children’s writing and publishing, which won the SAMEE Aspiring Writers Award and the Scottish Education Curriculum Innovation Award 2022. 

When did you first start writing?

I don’t remember exactly when I first started writing but I remember that I started storytelling from a young age. My sisters and I would make up stories and act out the characters that we had created when we were little. I think that started my love for stories and writing.

What do you write?

I write all genres of children’s writing from picture books, poetry, middle grade to young adult. I also delve into short stories and poetry for adults too.

What was your first published piece of work?

I think my first written, fictional piece of work was a poem called ‘Daisy’s Mum’ in the Stay at Home anthology by Cranachan Publishing. This was a collection of specially curated poems and stories by 40 writers based in Scotland to help children aged 8-12 deal with the lockdown during the pandemic.

Why do you write?

There are so many reasons why I write from seeing the joy on people – especially kids’ faces – to the connection it brings between people, ideas, and experiences. I love the sense of humanity it brings out – the connectivity through emotions. I also love engaging with people when writing is performed whether that’s through readings or the discussions it brings about.

On a broader stroke, I think writing and bringing literature to as many people as possible is important for education and improving literacy levels; particularly making children more critical thinkers, and for them to be empowered for their future. Finally, I also enjoy creating something from scratch and I hope that my words have a positive impact on those reading them.

What, or who, has helped you on your writing journey?

So many people and things from writing communities to courses. However, I think the biggest thing that has helped me is finding like-minded people who also write in your chosen genre. They have been very supportive and it’s useful and encouraging to speak to different people at different stages of their writing career. I also worked with a local primary school in the West of Scotland when I started out as a writer. The experience I gained from that was also invaluable.

Share a writing low with us. What did you learn from this?

I had been subbing out my stories for a while and at that time I had also become unemployed from my main (non-writing) job. I kept getting rejection after rejection and it really felt like I was going nowhere. I was just about to give up when I got an email from a publisher saying they loved my book and were taking it to an acquisitions meeting. I really needed that. I learned that hard times can last a long, long time but the most important thing is that they don’t last. So never give up or at least keep going.

Share a writing high?

I recently had my debut book launch at Waterstones, and it was a real dream come true for me. I had friends and family there and did a Q&A and reading from the book. It was a surreal moment being on that stage answering questions and engaging with the audience. There was also homemade food which was themed with the Eid feast in the book and a bookish cake with good chatter. I was on a high from it for about 2 and half days after it!

Share some of your favourite lines from reviews, or comments you have received about your work, which boosted your confidence (tell us what piece of work it relates to)

As I mentioned, I recently had my debut picture book, Abdullah’s Bear Needs A Name! published (illustrated by the very talented Sophie Benmouyal) and received a wonderful review by Kids’ Literature Scotland:

“A beautiful and necessary book. It is wonderful when Scottish children from all cultural backgrounds see themselves reflected in stories…This gorgeous picture book is an encouraging step on that journey.”   

Any tips for new writers?

I would say keep writing, learning, experimenting in your practice and meeting like-minded people. Soak it all up and enjoy the process – from that will come your creativity and possibly your best pieces.

And for all writers; any tips for keeping motivated? And how do you find time to write?

Motivation and finding the time to write can be two of the most challenging things. Through motivation you write, and conversely through writing you find motivation, so it goes hand in hand. As I mentioned about find likeminded people to write with, whether that’s informal creative writing groups, workshops, retreats – somewhere where others are writing too, which helps you stay motivated and accountable.

Do you have a regular writing routine, or do you write in frantic bursts?

I do write in frantic bursts! I always use the phrase, ‘I try to steal time if I can’ – what that means is finding little pockets of time whether that’s 5mins or 25mins!

Where do you write? (A dedicated space, or on-the-go)

I mostly write at home, but I find I do need to switch it up occasionally to keep inspired so I’ll write in my local library or with a friend in a public space like a university or café.

Any stand-out books you have read recently?

I like reading autobiographies and memoirs, and really enjoyed Matthew Perry’s memoir, Friends, Lovers and the Big Terrible Thing. I found it incredibly honest, raw and captivating.

For children’s literature, I’m currently reading The Highland Falcon Thief by M.G. Leonard and Sam Sedgman. I’ve only started reading it but so far so good!

Where can we find your book and find out more about you?

Links to buy Yasmin’s book here: Yasmin Hanif books and biography | Waterstones

Abdullah’s Bear Needs a Name! – DiscoverKelpies

You can follow Yasmin on Instagram:  @yhwrites

Interview with a Writer ~ Lynsey Helen Mitchell

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Today I’m delighted to feature debut author Lynsey Helen Mitchell on my blog. Lynsey is a friend and colleague. We work in different offices now, and I was excited when I found out Lynsey had completed her Young Adult horror book. Not for the faint-hearted, The Dark Twin, is a perfect tense read for when the nights draw in, and you want to scare yourself a bit…. Here’s Lynsey’s interview below, and I wish her lots of luck with her writing career (have to add I admire the motivation to write in the morning before work!). Links to Lynsey’s social media and where to buy her book are at the bottom of the post.

Biography

Lynsey was born in Clydebank and studied Creative Writing and English Literature at Middlesex University, graduating in 2011. She is employed as a careers adviser, and lives in the West of Scotland with her boyfriend and cat and they are expecting their first baby boy. Lynsey recently released her YA horror, The Dark Twin, which is her debut book.

When did you first start writing?

I started writing when I was a child, always enjoying any opportunity to write stories as part of my school work, and spending time at home writing stories. I would enjoy writing stories and poems about the family pets and different friends and family members.

What do you write?

I mainly enjoy writing fiction – short stories and longer pieces. I love horror and thrillers, so all of my stories are around this genre.

What was your first published piece of work?

The Dark Twin is my first published piece of work, although I’ve been published on a website for winning a short story competition before.

Why do you write?

Because I love it. I find it therapeutic to just get lost in my story and switch off from the real world.

What, or who, has helped you on your writing journey?

Speaking to other writers, like Vikki and learning about their experiences. The book On Writing by Stephen King gave me a lot of insight into the mind of one of my favourite writers and how they found their (very successful) writing style. Taking part in challenges like NaNoWriMo help me to become productive. While it doesn’t produce a finished product, it helps to start a first draft and to get a proper feel for my story.

Share a writing low with us. What did you learn from this?

After losing my mum in 2013, I had so much going on, that the last thing I could think of was sitting down to write. I took the opportunity the following year to take part in NaNoWriMo to get myself motivated again and this helped me to rediscover my love of writing.

Share a writing high?

Publishing The Dark Twin. It was the NaNoWriMo project that sat on my shelf for far too long, so I was proud of myself for finally getting it published.

Share some of your favourite lines from reviews, or comments you have received about your work, which boosted your confidence (tell us what piece of work it relates to)

Some of the comments I received about The Dark Twin include:

“I couldn’t sleep a wink after reading it.”

“Couldn’t put it down.”

Any tips for new writers?

Find a routine and style that works for you. Some writers advise to write every day, but that doesn’t work for me. I prefer to write when I feel inspired.

And for all writers; any tips for keeping motivated? And how do you find time to write?

Like I’ve said, challenges like NaNoWriMo help to motivate me to sit down and write. In the last few years, I’ve found myself being more productive in the mornings, getting up a little earlier before work and getting some writing in before I start.

Do you have a regular writing routine, or do you write in frantic bursts?

I’m definitely more of a frantic burst kind of person. If I love what I’m writing, the story comes. Sometimes I feel like I need to write it down before I forget it!

Where do you write? (A dedicated space, or on-the-go)

I definitely don’t have a dedicated space. It doesn’t work for me. Sometimes it’s the kitchen table, sometimes the couch. Just wherever I feel most comfortable.

Any stand-out books you have read recently?

A few great books I’ve read recently include Keep it in the Family by John Marrs, Incidents Around the House by Josh Malerman and A Good Girl’s Guide to Murder by Holly Jackson.

Where can we find your book, and find out more about you?

A link to buy The Dark Twin: https://www.amazon.co.uk/Dark-Twin-Lynsey-Helen-Mitchell/dp/1068161507/

Author Website: https://lynseyhelenmitchell.co.uk/

Instagram: lynseyhmitchellauthor

TikTok: @lynseywrites

Learn your craft (blog post 2 of series)

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In my last post I mentioned that a big part of my writing life has consisted of attending writing conferences, groups, talks, and workshops. Over the years I absorbed hints and tips and learned a lot about ‘the rules of writing.’

If you are serious about getting published, or sending your work out into the world, my advice to you is to take your time perfecting your craft.

You don’t always have to know what you’re doing for a good story to take shape as I think natural talent and instinct have a big part to play when letting a story unfold. But it can all get a bit messy if you don’t have a fundamental knowledge of the rules which lie beneath it all; like structure, pacing, dialogue, and character development. If you develop confidence in all of these areas I firmly believe this will help you actually complete that book you maybe keep starting, and never quite finish.

If you want to start submitting stories to journals, magazines, competitions, or books to agents and publishers, then you also have to pay attention to submission formatting rules and perfect your grammar. This is where structured writing groups in particular can be really helpful as there’s usually a good mix of experienced writers in attendance who will happily share their knowledge.

To prepare this post I looked through old USB sticks (tip: if you encrypt your USBs make sure you know where you’re saved the passwords!!), emails and notebooks, looking for advice I had noted down from experienced writers over the years. Here’s some highlights I want to share with you:

Structure and Pace:

Alexandra Sokoloff delivered one of the best workshops I’ve ever attended at the Scottish Association of Writers Conference back in 2015. Before writing novels, she wrote for the screen, and gave us an insight into her ‘Screenwriting Tricks for Authors’ which you can read about fully in her book and you can see a summary outline on her website/blog: Alexandra Sokoloff | Bestselling Author. I loved the way she showed us how our novels could be aligned to a three-act screenplay type structure, highlighting in particular the importance of climaxes throughout to keep readers turning the pages, and ramp up tension/conflict.

A summary of Act 1 (this is on her website so not giving away too much here): Meet the character, show the reader their ordinary world, give hints of their inner/outer desire, give them a problem and a call to adventure, and then add in a climax. She then went on to describe the components of Act 1 and 2.


At the York Writers Festival back in 2013 Julie Cohen delivered a fantastic workshop on the importance of pace:

  • To keep a novel going you need conflict
  • You need to create atmosphere, emotion and show character development
  • Nothing should be wasted; each scene should have two or more purposes
  • Functions (purposes) = Move the Plot forward, Move the Subplot forward
  • Similar to Alexandra’s workshop she mentions Conflict as Hooks – end each scene/chapter with a hook so your reader doesn’t want to put the book down

Emotion:
During workshops on Characters’ emotions- A tip: Sometimes we tend to stick in the safe ‘middle ground’, not going deep enough

Dialogue – use it to reveal more about your character. The way characters talk to one another can tell you a lot about their relationship and how they feel in situations.

Tips on all key things from an agent:
Julia Churchill, one of the biggest UK Children’s Book agents offered Twitter followers the chance to join an hour long zoom workshop (This was back in 2022 when Twitter existed and was a useful platform for writers!) I also heard Julia talk on a panel at the York Writers Festival and she sounded very professional and knowledgeable. She was one of the first agents to request a full read of my YA mystery Follow Me, but decided ultimately it was too dark for her.

  • Characters: A good character needs to come to life.  What do they want and why? And how do they achieve this? Give them a dilemma – a huge stakes thing. What is at stake? Think through the stakes of your story. It needs to have clarity. Character really matters to invest the reader. Think about your favourite character – what makes them special? She gave as an example Charlie, in Charlie and the Chocolate Factory – it was his integrity that mattered.
  • Setting – Think about incredible, vivid, sense of place settings. Setting can add a lot to the story.  
  • Theme – You want to leave the reader with something. A feeling. A message. She gave examples of books which had at the heart ‘being true to oneself’
  • Voice – This plays into a part of you at whatever age the book is targeted at. As a nine-year-old – the sense of magic, warmth, and adventure you want to feel. Teens – takes you back to sense of angst etc. Agents are always looking for authors with a ‘voice’  

Show, Don’t Tell

What does it mean? I talked about this at a workshop with Greenock Writers last year.

If you do too much ‘telling’ in a story it can slow it down, and keep the reader too removed from the action/emotion. ‘Showing’ helps your story come alive. A mix of showing and telling is okay but you need to engage the reader and help them see the story unfold in some way.

Some examples: (From Reedsy and the Writing Pro)

Telling: Michael was afraid of the dark.

Showing: As his mother switched off the light and left the room, Michael tensed. He huddled under the covers, gripped the sheets, and held his breath as the wind brushed past the curtain. 

Telling: When Mary failed her test, she was embarrassed.

Showing: When Mary saw the big red F on her work, her cheeks flushed. She crumpled the test and hid it in her desk, hoping no one noticed.

Telling: The forest is scary.

Showing: The forest is full of staring eyes. The branches look like gnarled hands, reaching out to grab me. Leaves crunch under my feet as I try to find my way home. The air smells like mildew and decay.

My tip:

Read lots, and read widely. You can learn a lot about the craft of writing simply by reading a well-written book or story. Pay attention to the structure, pacing, characters. Why do you love it? Why do you want to keep reading?

Find writers who have broken the rules; books with weird punctuation and strange structures, because once you develop confidence, you can then break the rules and be a bit experimental and creative with your style. When I read Jack Kerouac’s On the Road in my twenties, I found it quite difficult to read but I liked that his stream of consciousness style, with erratic punctuation, was carefree and raw, and it made me realise I was being too ‘self-conscious’ in my writing.

If I am too conscious of trying to write a story, it’s not working. It’s not until I have that feeling of being lost in the story and letting the characters and a subconscious part of my brain take over that I know things are clicking into place.

So follow the rules, learn your craft, but then let go, and just write!

SAW conference photos

On my next post I’ll share some favourite books which focus on Learning your Craft

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Happy 2025

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I was lucky enough to extend my festive holiday this year and flew off to sunny skies just as my office was re-opening. A dose of sunshine and relaxation was the perfect way to recharge and have space to reflect on my writing and what I want to achieve in 2025.

I often find when I’m away from everyday life the creative and ‘ideas’ side of my brain really wakes up. I even managed to ‘type’ a short story in my phone while I was sitting out on my balcony in the sun. Having space to think properly also allowed me to reflect on how I could use my blog here in a bit more of a consistent and creative way.

A lot of young people (and adults!) I come into contact with who have an interest in writing are yet to find supportive communities, and don’t know where to start when delving into the world of writing.

Often when I do school or community workshops I’m asked questions around the practical side of writing, as well as my own experiences and how I have approached things.  I realised there is a lot I could write about on here, starting with where my writing journey began, and all of the different experiences and creative projects/competitions/workshops I have found to be helpful along the way.

I am no expert by any means within the industry, or a big success, but what I’ve had are real experiences – mostly good, sometimes deflating- over a large period of my life, a lot of which I was lucky enough to be introduced to thanks to being immersed in a supportive writing community (which started with a supportive writing Mum).

Over the years I’ve submitted short stories to competitions/journals, and then started to pitch books to a range of agents/publishers, met with them face to face, made it to publication then changed course so had to go back out on submission; had zoom pitches, a chat with an editor when I made the final seven in a big competition. I’ve faced numerous rejections, been ghosted, and most recently delved into independent publishing. I’ve attended writing festivals/workshops/talks/retreats, absorbed advice from top authors, agents, publishers and other writers of all levels of experience.

After my first book was released I started to deliver creative writing workshops and talks in schools, libraries, community venues, small book festivals, rooms to an audience of three… Adjudicated competitions for writing groups, bigger conferences (and even adapted my workshop to an online version during an unexpected lockdown!). I’ve organised in-person and online book launches, written press releases, been interviewed for a magazine and over the phone by a journalist.

I’ve kept my creative momentum going by setting myself numerous silly and engaging creative challenges over the years, which is good to remind myself about, as often when writing starts to feel too serious/stressful it’s good to take some time out to remember how to be creative. I know a massive challenge of any creative is staying motivated.

That was a bit of a brain dump list but introduces some themes I hope to focus on.

I remember reading once that writing should be treated like an apprenticeship; that it’s a journey of learning. I started my ‘apprenticeship’ way back in primary school and I am still very much learning. Every new writing project I start, I want to be better.

This year I hope to start a new type of writing project, and plan to go back out on submission again to try to secure an agent, which I am sure will bring a whole lot of new experiences and learning.

You can get all of my posts into your email inbox if you subscribe (on my homepage).

I plan to give honest insights into the behind the scenes of what a writing life for me has looked like so far (and new experiences going forward), with links to any interesting groups or writing related sites/comps I come across.

The first post will be going live next week.

Wishing you lots of success in your own writing this year, and just a reminder it’s okay not to feel dynamic in January. If you are still Wintering, take that time to relax and recharge!

Deviate from the plan

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I often say I know a book is working when my characters start to take over. This is why I believe you can plan a rough outline and key aspects of the plot, but you have to give your story and characters permission to deviate from the plan. Just like real life, you can try to plan ahead but often external factors will throw your plans into chaos, or often throw up something better/unexpected.

When creating fully formed characters, until you get to know them properly they’re not always going to fit into your plotlines. You’ll often see writers suggesting you construct ‘characters studies/profiles’ in advance – like what’s their favourite band, foods, key moments from their childhood, are they are a morning/afternoon person? Which can all be helpful, but until they turn up on your page and get stuck into the action of your story and start interacting with your other characters none of that is going to tell you much about where they fit in to the bigger picture of your plotlines.

For my first two YA mysteries my characters told me what was going to happen, meaning I had to deviate from my planned endings. Neither of the original endings felt right. They were both written in and left there for quite a while. I couldn’t quite figure out why the endings didn’t sit well with me until I asked myself ‘but would that character actually do that?’ And then I realised I hadn’t stayed true to them and as soon as I understood this and let go of my own pre-conceived ideas, and really listened to my subconscious, it was obvious they’d already laid out all of the clues for me. Yes, we writers really do have voices talking to us in our heads. An acceptable kind of madness, in this mad world of novel construction.

During the planning stages for Young Blood I always knew I would have two main teen protagonists, Ana and Hope. I wanted to have two contrasting personalities and two contrasting situations. Ana and Hope’s narratives run through alternate chapters. 16 year old Ana is part of a tight-knit family and hasn’t really faced many challenges in life, which gives her a bit of a self-absorbed naivety. The uncertainty of her mum’s potential early-onset dementia diagnosis really shakes up her world. She is also upset when her new friend Hope disappears, and tries to find out what happened to her.

When I first started to plan the story I always thought Ana would dominate as her determination to find out what happened to Hope is a key driver of the plot. But then when my character Hope started to take shape I think she took over a bit!

15 year old Hope’s world was torn apart when she lost her mum three years previously and she finds herself in the care system. Her experiences have been lonely and unsettling and Hope welcomes Ana’s friendship until she’s taken from school one day and finds herself in the ‘House.’

I found writing Hope’s character emotional and her strength and fire, along with her vulnerability, was something I tried really hard to capture throughout the book. Her close bond with Seb in the house, and other key characters inside, also helped to flesh out other aspects of her personality and I started to grow very fond of and protective of her. So far she is probably one of my favourite characters I have written.

Throughout the book Hope finds strength from her family’s tarot cards.

My sister-in-law who makes beautiful handmade silver jewellery (see ImiandtheDeer here) gave me great support with the structural edits of Young Blood (she is a former English teacher!) and half-joked about designing a necklace inspired by Hope as part of a new collection. I was blown away when she gifted me the beautiful ‘Hope’ pendant below at my book launch. The pendant is a one-of-a kind – a ruby set in the middle of a gold sunburst, inspired by the back of Hope’s tarot cards which have a ‘ruby red jewel in the centre of blazing suns burning bright.’

That’s me wearing it on a recent trip to Arran. It’s so lovely to have a piece of jewellery to wear inspired by one of my characters! It makes Hope seem even more real to me.

I’ll leave you with a longer extract from a scene with Hope below. Links to buy Young Blood are here

“A reassuring warmth flowed through my body as I was greeted with the familiar image of a lion with magnificent orange mane, a goddess with flowing fair hair gripping the chain wound around his neck. Strength: You have more strength, power, and courage than you know. I felt the tight knot of anger I’d been carrying around the past few weeks start to unravel as I remembered Mum’s instruction, any time she drew this card for me, tugging on my hair which matched the fire of the lion’s mane. You are the lion AND the goddess. You remember that.
I tucked the card into my schoolbooks for a good luck charm.
Tomorrow I was going to try to be both.”

Interview with a Writer ~Rosemary Gemmell

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Today I am using the prompt ‘Interview someone who inspires you’ and I’m excited to have my very own writer Mum, Rosemary Gemmell, on my blog today. There was no better person I could think of to interview for this post as my mum has definitely been my biggest inspiration and support over the years, introducing me first to the world of books, then writing.

A talented and prolific writer since she put words to paper many years ago, here’s a wee insight into Rosemary’s world of writing.

When did you first start writing?

I first wrote poetry when a teenager in high school but I didn’t write anything else creative until after having my two children. Then I started experimenting with all kinds of writing, including academic essays as a mature student.

What do you write?

A little of everything (almost)! I mainly write short stories, articles, poetry, novels and novellas, with occasional children’s fiction.

What was your first published piece of work?

My very first published writing was a letter to a magazine, followed by several more. My first longer piece was an article in a Scottish Women’s Rural magazine. My first published short story was after winning the Short Story Competition at the Scottish Association of Writers conference, adjudicated by the then editor of My Weekly who bought the story for the magazine! My first novel, Dangerous Deceit, was published by a small Canadian company.

Why do you write?

I write partly to communicate and to entertain anyone who likes to read, as well as trying to make sense of all the ideas in my head that clamour for expression. When my imagination is stimulated, I explore it in fiction. But I also write because it’s fun, especially sending work out and waiting to see if anyone wants to buy or read it!

What or who helped you on your writing journey?

The single most useful and helpful decision I made for my writing was to join a local writing group at Erskine, near where I used to live. A wonderful writing tutor, Sheila Lewis (now sadly deceased), came to deliver a six-week session to get us started and ended up staying on as a valued member. She was probably my biggest influence, encouraging me all the way to publication. Lots of other writers have inspired me over the years, especially when attending the SAW conference and entering competitions. Strangely enough, my daughter (thank you, Victoria) also inspires me to be a better writer whenever I read her beautiful and often profound writing.

Share a writing low with us (if you feel comfortable doing so). What did you learn from this?

Although I was lucky to have my first novel published, it went through a few rejections first. The same with short stories – many published but many that just weren’t good enough. Now and then, it was discouraging but it taught me perseverance, to keep going and that the rejections were not personal; it was only a particular piece of writing that didn’t fit that time.

Share a writing high

Winning that short story competition with my first submitted story, then having it published in a well-known magazine, was one of the highlights of my writing career. It was followed by several other competition wins, including one where I was presented with a £1000 prize and a silver cup at a ceremony in Harrogate (Writing Magazine Love Story Winner – those were the days)! But nothing beats that initial confirmation that maybe my writing was good enough. The other main ‘high’ was getting my first full-length novel published as I wasn’t sure I could write longer fiction. Every success is still special.

Share some of your favourite lines from reviews/feedback of your work which boosted your confidence: (tell us what piece of work it’s about)

This was one of the many lovely comments for my first novel, the Regency-era Dangerous Deceit, which really made me want to continue writing books:

“I’ve just finished Dangerous Deceit and wanted to let you know how much I loved it. I feel incredibly guilty for racing through the pages when so much hard work went into them, but I couldn’t wait to see what happened. Feel a little sad now it’s over to be honest.”

And one from my most recent full-length Gothic suspense novel set in Scotland, HIGHCRAG:

“The characters and the plot blend seamlessly and, like Cate, the reader is unsure who to trust but in the ending all threads of the plot are skilfully brought together in a most satisfying way.”

Any tips for new writers?

First, read as much as you can. If you want to write short stories, read those published. Same with novels – we absorb the ‘how to’ while we read, much more than when reading ‘how to’ books (in my opinion). And read a variety of writing for inspiration.

Second, never give up writing and experimenting with different types and genres until you find the one that is just right for you. If your aim is to be published, keep sending work out – it maybe wasn’t the right piece at the right time to the right person.

And for all writers; any tips for keeping motivated?

Use any short snatches of time to get ideas and sentences down, without the pressure of having to sit and produce a set number of words, as they all add up. A good writing magazine is full of motivation and might help to get you going again. Reading can also help to motivate our own writing, and I find music good for stimulating ideas.

When do you write? Do you have a regular routine, or do you write in frantic bursts?

I’ve never really had a regular writing routine, although I do find my creativity is best in the mornings. I tend to write in short bursts and like going back to a piece to redraft it. I find it too boring to sit at the computer for long so I write shorter items in between novels!

Where do you write? (A dedicated room, or on-the-go)

Although I have a very pleasant room I call my study, with a desktop computer, I write far better with pen and paper when out and about, especially on trains and in cafés. The words seem to flow when writing, or scribbling, longhand and I can easily shut out distractions. I then redraft while typing it up at home. I wrote one of my first novellas almost entirely in longhand while out and about and enjoyed it far more than sitting at the home computer (until redrafting it!).

Any stand-out books you have read this year?

I loved Madeline Miller’s two fictionalized books about Greek mythological figures and their stories, Circe, and then Achilles. They inspired me to finally do an online course to learn Ancient Greek! I also read the wonderful complete Ruth Galloway series by Elly Griffiths, and my favourite LJ Ross DCI Ryan books. There were lots more in paperback and on kindle, of course.

Please share links to your website and where to buy your work so that people can find you

Website: https://www.rosemarygemmell.co.uk

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/rosemary.gemmell.3/

Twitter: https://twitter.com/RosemaryGemmell

Amazon Author Page: http://www.amazon.co.uk/Rosemary-Gemmell/e/B00U19Z4H4

Thanks to Rosemary for taking the time to answer my questions and for the lovely comment about my writing. I really enjoyed reading about your writing journey.

The Amazon link above will take you to all of Rosemary’s fabulous full length novels, novellas and short story collections. Also, if you are a People’s Friend fan then look out for their 2024 Annual in newsagents now where you will find one of Rosemary’s Christmas short stories

I’m hoping this ‘Interview with…’ spot might be something I continue to feature on my blog for future posts as I think it’s really interesting reading about fellow writers’ (and creatives) journeys and tips!