Hi Georgia can you tell us a little about yourself and what you have been up to since we last spoke?
I am Georgina, I work as a Bid Manager for a large IT company as well as writing. The last interview with you was 06/07/2015! Since then I have released 3 books, Serial Dater, It's Complicated and The Chopper.
Why did you choose to write in your particular field or genre? If you write more than one, how do you balance them?
Well I don't really choose, the stories and characters choose me.
I tend to only write one story at a time (I normally have another in the plan stages though) so balancing isn't an issue.
What was one of the most surprising things you learned in creating your books?
How important self-editing is. I still pay an editor but self-editing has helped me grow as a writer and is invaluable.
What is the first book that made you cry?
Gosh I am not sure at all! That's terrible isn't it that
I can't remember lol
What are common traps for aspiring writers?
Not self editing! Just writing the book and giving it straight to Beta Readers - definitely a big no!
I write the first draft, I self edit, then I give it to a trusted family member to read, I then make changes and this goes round a couple of times until I am happy and then it goes to Beta Readers and then I action any of their comments and then send to a paid editor, then action their comments, self edit and release.
What has your experience been like as a indie author? Bruises, highlights, lessons.
I have enjoyed having the freedom to write, edit and market my work how I'd like. I have met some fantastic people from all variations of the book world.Unfortunately I have noticed it is very hard getting people to support your social media posts to help spread the word about you and your books. I have also noticed hardly anyone leaves reviews anymore which is sad as indie authors give away a lot of books for free and a little review means the world to authors.
Does a big ego help or hurt writers?
Erm, I think it can hurt writers when they ask for help, review comments etc and then just ignore those they get back or tell the person that they are wrong. If you aren't open to others (readers) views then don't ask for them as they are doing it for free and taking time out of their days to help so you should be appreciative of this.
I am not saying you have to accept and agree everything, just don't ignore it.
What is your writing Kryptonite?
Not sure actually.
Did you ever consider writing under a pseudonym?
Yes and I almost did but in the end I decided not to because I wanted to see my name on the books.
If you could tell your younger writing self anything,
what would it be?
Write more! Keep writing, look at editing books and keep reading.
If you could spend the day with a character from one of your books who would it be and what would you do?
I think it would be Lily from Another Life. I would like to spend the day with her and make her feel happy and wanted.
What was the best money you ever spent as a writer?
The £3.29 I spent on the Kindle version of: The Emotion Thesaurus: A Writer's Guide to Character Expression
This book has been a life saver in helping to show not tell emotions. Everyone should have a copy.
How do you balance making demands on the reader with taking care of the reader?
I guess I don't have much demand, I am still fairly unknown so I am not being pressured for the next book. That is good because I can fully appreciate my readers, but it's bad as I'd love to have people eagerly awaiting my next release.
How many unpublished and half-finished books do you have?
4 books in various stages of completeness.
Have you written any other books that are not published?
No, all I've written are published.
What’s the best way to market your books?
Well it's always word of mouth but cover reveals,
release tours etc are useful.
What’s the most difficult thing about writing characters from the opposite sex?
Haha not making them too feminine. I tend to have a bit of myself in every female character so males are a little harder but that's where male Beta Readers come in handy.
What period of your life do you find you write about most often? (child, teenager, young adult)
Teenager and young adult
How do you select the names of your characters?
I go through Facebook and I google random name generators. Then I pick the name that I feel suits my character.
Do you read your book reviews? How do you deal with bad or good ones?
Yes definitely!
I am happy with the good ones and I am sad and disappointed by the bad but I take whatever they have said on board and I learn from it.You have to remember, you can't please everyone all of the time.
Do you hide any secrets in your books that only a few people will find?
No I don't think so.
What was your hardest scene to write?
The bulling scenes in Another Life as it is a horrible thing to make happen to your characters.
That and the tragic end scene of Absolution (book 3 in the Cursed Trilogy), that was truly heart breaking writing that.
Do you Google yourself?
Yes, doesn't everyone?
What is your favorite childhood book?
It would have to be the Point Horror books, mostly
The Carver and The Dark
Does your family support your career as a writer?
Well I guess I have 2 careers, as a manger in the IT sector and a writer. My family support both and my sisters and mum read every book I publish.
If you had to do something differently as a child or teenager to become a better writer as an adult, what would you do?
I would have written more and I would have focused more in English regarding grammar and the little mistakes I tend to find self-editing.
How long on average does it take you to write a book?
I have normally planned my next book whilst writing another, so I can normally release 2 a year.
Do you believe in writer’s block?
Definitely, I have been struggling for 2 months now! :(
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