Writerly Wednesday… with Me!

I feel so honoured to have my wonderful friend Carrie Houghton interviewing me today for Writerly Wednesday! Carrie asked me about this AGES ago and it’s taken me a million years to get it uploaded… but today you have the chance to watch me get interviewed. So, without further ado, let me hand over to Carrie!

I’ve read so many of your wonderful Writerly Wednesday interviews, and I am so excited to turn the tables on you today! <Turns on a too-bright overhead light for dramatic effect.>

1. Before we dive into the writing questions, I’d like to talk travel. You are one of the most well traveled people I know. Despite being from across the globe, you’ve been to all 50 US states! Can you tell me about how you first caught the travel bug?

Oooh, that’s a tough question! I don’t think I’ve really done that much travel internationally–I was in my early teens when I went to France with my mum and I loved that experience, but the opportunities to travel overseas again were limited by the time I left school, due to my career. I’ve always wanted to do more travelling (and still do!) and posting to the US for 2.5 years was a brilliant opportunity to do so, and we really grabbed at it with both hands. 

2. You really did! Your blog chronicled some amazing experiences. I know a lot of us liked living vicariously through your adventures. How has world travel impacted your writing?

I think travelling (but most particularly living in the US) reinforced a deep desire to write Australian stories. Many of my writer friends are American and much of Australian pop culture comes from the US and missing home made me realise how much I wanted to capture Australia in my writing. It’s also made me much more cognisant of the cultural similarities and differences across populations, and how certain ideas and problems underpin much of our humanity. 

3. I love that you channeled your homesickness so well. I would’ve probably just cried and watched cable tv movies. When did you first call yourself a writer? 

This is a tough one. I think I probably started in late 2016; I’d left the military and was studying full-time and writing a lot. I read a piece somewhere on the internet (I think it was this one!) about the power in identifying as a writer without demanding publication/fame/payment of yourself in order to do so and that resonated with me. I write, therefore I’m a writer. James was also instrumental. He constantly reminded me that I didn’t need to qualify that descriptor and he encouraged me to introduce myself as a writer when meeting people. His belief was empowering and I just figured, why not?

4. Now I want to read that article, because there is such a power in calling yourself a writer!  Since we are on opposite sides of the planet, I often connect with you online at odd times and wonder what time it is there. So are you a morning bird or night owl? Do you find that you are more apt to be creative at certain times of the day? When do you do most of your writing?

Oooooh tough call! I think years of habit (which started during school for swimming training, and continued in the military) means I tend to skew more towards being an early riser. I hate feeling like I’ve slept in and wasted the day! Even if I stay up late, I tend to get up early and nap, rather than sleep in too much… But that being said, I’ll stay up late if I’m reading a good book and have often lain in bed itching to get up and write, but knowing that if I don’t sleep, the next day will be hard! 

I feel a bit alone among writers because I do a lot of physical training and have a really good understanding of the body and its stressors. There’s no point training hard if you’re not sleeping enough, and it makes training itself more difficult… and it’s a massive stressor to not sleep enough! So, as wimpy as it sounds, I prioritise sleeping and will likely never be the woman working through the night. 

5. You had me at nap. As a proud pantser, I am always curious about other people’s processes. Do you outline your work before you write? Do you know how a story will end before you start typing?

Oh god no, outlining is my nemesis! (That, and titling ANYTHING). I find I can suffer from what I call analysis paralysis–I get stuck focusing on little forks in the road that I can’t choose an answer for. I sometimes start with a general overview, but even then, if I try and plan in detail, I’m tormented by indecision. I find that if I free write, most of those choices will be made for me. I can go back and refine or completely rewrite later on, but I’ve bypassed the agony of making the choice. 

6. So true. Free writing is a great way to have the characters do the decision making. Having read your short stories and flash fiction, I think of you as a fiction writer, but your current work in progress is a biography. Tell me about how that came about.

James and I were visiting my grandparents over Christmas in 2015 and I asked them how they’d met. As they were telling the story, it dawned on me how little I knew about them and their lives. This was made more impactful by the fact that my grandad was a famous equine vet and did incredible things for the Australian horse industry. I decided then to think about writing his biography, but didn’t start until early 2017 when a uni subject prompted me to actually DO something. He died very suddenly not long after, but his incredible story had already gripped me. I loved him and admired him very much, and I believe he has a story worth telling–I just hope I can do him justice. 

7. I have absolutely no doubts. One of the things I’ve always admired about you is your ability to write beautifully descriptive scenes. Are you able to use your signature craft moves when writing nonfiction? 

Thank you!! That’s a good question. The answer is, I don’t know–or, more accurately I don’t know in this project. I’ve written a few short memoir pieces and enjoyed using language quite descriptively in there, but I’m still really finding my feet with this biography. I guess I feel much more constrained about being factual, which means I’m not doing so well with the telling/creating the story. I’m hoping I’ll get better at that as I go along and when revising it! 

8. Speaking of revising, in 2016, you started drafting your first novel, Argravia. Tell me about that. What’s your goal for that book?

Argh, Carrie, you’re pulling out some really tough ones! Argravia is my first book, and I love the concept–it’s about a teen girl who discovers a strange, ancient book in the Queensland State Library. The book begins to alter her appearance and she ends up falling through the library into another world: Argravia, a six-nation realm torn apart by civil strife and class divides, and ruled by two powerful and brutal twin sisters. It is… a work in progress. My long term goal would be to publish it. When, I don’t know. I’m currently about 30% through the second draft and it still needs a LOT of work. Sadly! (This is why I wish I slept less). 

9. Haha, no, get your rest. The story is not going anywhere. It sounds like a great premise, by the way! As a writer, I’ve found that 750-1500 words is my sweet spot. My stories just tend to be shorter. Your work varies a lot in length, from flash to novel. Do you have a sense of how long a piece will need before you start, or does it evolve as you write?

This is another great question (seriously, you’ve managed some doozies, teach me yours ways!). At the moment, I really don’t want to look at doing any more book-length work: I have so many in-progress projects to finish off! Flash is not my default setting and I tend towards longer works; but that being said, I generally allow the feel of a piece and its intentions to guide me. I have quite a few 2000ish word short stories and then some that are 8000-10000 words long, and that was the length that allowed me to deal with whatever I wanted to deal with. 

10. I  am *borrowing* your question. I think that’s allowed if I am interviewing you, right? What is one book you think is seriously overrated and why?

I think my question is normally underrated, but regardless, I suck at these kinds of questions. As evasive as this is, it really depends on how you qualify the way something is rated: public approval? (Because there are certainly some popular books/authors that I don’t really like.) Awards? Even region — there are books that the whole of America seems to have read and no Aussies have really touched, and gorgeous Aussie writers/books that don’t really make it internationally. I do remember a lot of people going gaga for Illuminae a couple of years ago and I really didn’t like it… and to be honest, I found Fight Club kind of repugnant. 

Not sure if I’ve answered the question, but there you go. 

11. Now I want you to recommend a brilliant Aussie book (not sci-fi!) that the world needs to read! You stay incredibly busy with travel, work, fitness and writing. But what do you do when you want to totally veg out?

I nap. Like… I love to nap. But otherwise I also love to curl up with James and our cats on the couch and watch some really easy TV. Parks & Rec, The Office, Brooklyn 99: shows that I don’t have to think about too hard and can just relax and have a laugh at. Reading is another big escape, especially when it’s a book that I just can’t put down. 

End: Sounds amazing! Especially the nap. Thanks so much for letting me flip the script on you, Ana! It’s been lovely.

A big round of applause to the incredible Carrie Houghton for interviewing me for Writerly Wednesday today!

See you all again soon.

A.