Having just finished reading The Forest of Adventures which is a YA Arthurian novel, by a UK author, I'm pleased to say Katie M. John agreed to be interviewed.My review of The Forest of Adventures can be seen HERE.
Katie is offering 6 lucky readers the chance to win a copy of The Forest of Adventures...1st prize is a copy of the book (currently being printed, so it'll be hot off the press!) the other 5 lucky readers will receive The Forest of Adventures as an ebook.
Katie, welcome to Clover Hill Books Reviews, it's lovely to have you here!
How long have you been writing?
Growing up I was always more into writing poetry than stories. There was something about the way that poetry condenses ideas and crystallizes complex emotions into imagery that fascinated me. I think this was a good discipline for my more recent venture into novel writing and I think that the poet is still very evident in the novelist.
How long did it take you to self publish?
I set about self publishing six months ago when I discovered, (the hard way) that the more traditional publishing route is an incredibly locked world unless you have contacts.
Is this your debut novel?
This is my debut novel. It was a pledge to myself to have written and completed a novel by the end of my thirtieth year. - For those of you taking part in Kristi's 2010 Debut Author Challenge, I've checked with Kristi, and The Forest of Adventures can be included in the 2010 challenge!
Where did you draw the inspiration for your characters?
My obsession with pre-Raphaelite art and Tennyson’s poetry as well as the other Romantic poets. Most importantly the work Morte De Arthur by Mallory has been a major influence and throughout the novel there are direct passages that act as a homage to Mallory; especially the combat scenes. I found it fascinating how Mallory could convey such energy in his descriptions of battle. More recently Stephanie Myer’s Twilight has been a great influence on my work.
Who is your favourite character from the book?
You don’t know her yet as I know her, and you might not possibly do so until the end of Book Two, but the character I have most affection for and would class as my favourite character is Delta. I love her attitude and complexity. Of course Morgan is awesome in that she gets to be all the evil I could never be but sometimes fantasize about.
If the book was made into a film, who would play the key character?
Blake would have to be someone like the very handsome Adam Brody and Emma Watson would make an excellent. Mina. Kiera Knightly could make a brilliant Morgan Le Fay in a slightly left field kind of way.
When not writing what are you reading?
I love the modern flux of Paranormal Romance / Urban Fantasy, Fitzpatrick, Kate and Meyer etc. I also love Dystopia and political science fiction; I grew up on the works of Orwell, Huxley, Golding, Margaret Atwood and that kind of stuff. I’ve always been a bit of a Goth at heart and have great fondness for the original Gothic literature movement.
What are you reading at the moment?
Crescendo book 2 in the series of fellow Goodreads author, Becca Fitzpatrick. Just read Shiver, Linger, Hush Hush, Fallen, Wings, Forest of Hands and Teeth and Ash in the last month, all of which were really good..
Chocolate or books?
Books – no contest. If you’d said books or good rare steak, that might have been a different matter.
Any tips for budding writers?
Firstly, writing is primarily about discipline and having the understanding that writer’s have a responsibility to their readers to write the best that they can.( I know both those words don’t kind of work with the whole Romantic notion of authorship) It takes me on average 2 ½ years from draft to final edit (3years if you include research time.) It’s about crafting and refinement – that’s the poet in me I suppose – don’t splurge outpourings and then offer them up. The splurging is just the first part.
Secondly – Be aware of the dreaded purple prose – a trap for most new writers. Don’t use ten words when three well executed ones are better. I always set my challenge to trim my word-count rather than expand it. True beauty is found within simplicity.
Thirdly - read from a broad range of genres and times – learn from the best. .
When is the next in the trilogy released?
It’s written as is the third. It now has to go through the rigor of editing – knowing me this could take a while. I am hoping to have it ready by Autumn 2011.
Any plans for future books?
The complete trilogy is drafted and so I have just started to think about what might come after. I have the seedling of two ideas but we’ll have to see when the time comes.
