Holly Kingston
A Cinderella Christmas is set backstage in a theatre and follows our heroine Lucy as she tries to catch the eye of Ryan Aspall, the famous star of the show. Lucy has a bit of a hard time of it though. She’s not exactly been given her ideal role, and this Christmas is turning out to be quite tough for her...Oh, and there’s a really cute dog in it too...ooh...and a couple of rather attractive men.
If you wanted to write books from when you were little why did you deviate into Marine Biology?
I went whale watching on a tiny zodiac boat whilst on holiday in Canada. It was dawn, I had a very unattractive bright orange woolly hat wedged on my head, and was gripping onto my life vest for dear life...it was not a high fashion moment. Our little rubber sea vessel buzzed out to the middle of the St Lawrence River and...WOW, simply incredible. Observing those magnificent creatures was amazing. If I were a travel agent I would send everyone in the world there. So it's probably best for eco-tourism if I stick to writing.
At what point did you realise that it was not for you and change to Psychology?
I was staring at a Benzene ring whilst studying Chemistry A-level. They’re quite pretty...but I didn't have a clue how to work out the chemical formulas. I realised then that the mechanics of science was probably not my forte.
Please tell us about your time with Scriptwriting North.
Writing is solitary. Sometimes you feel like you should escape to a wood cabin, make friends with the bears, and grow a beard. With Scriptwriting North, not only did we learn the fundamentals of writing for screen, but we also had a community where we could discuss our writing. We’d read through each other’s scripts and provide feedback. It was a fabulous experience. Writing scripts teaches you to produce fast paced work. You can lose your audience very easily if you write something that isn't engaging.
You sent for first novel to The Marsh Agency, so how did you feel around this time?
Terrified! It's scary enough asking a close friend to read your work, but when it flies off to the professionals you just cross all the fingers you can and hope that your dream won't end up being sent back to you with RUBBISH written all over it in red pen.
When did your love of fairy tales begin?
My Dad used to make up stories to tell me at night time. I had a favourite teddy bear which he bestowed with superhero powers. He created all kinds of adventures for her, she was pretty awesome! Sadly my Dad passed away thirteen years ago. But I think he'd be proud that his love of storytelling has been passed on.
What is your writing process?
I like to find somewhere quiet and cosy where I can focus all my attention, but usually all that goes round my head is "um" for about twenty minutes, while I convince myself that I can’t write anything again...LIKE EVER. Then I remind myself that good writing is rewriting, so if I just write fifty words, and they're rubbish, then at least I've accomplished something. I normally then end up in a meditative fug, the real world disappears and my house could probably be demolished by a huge yellow JCB without me even lifting my head from my laptop.
What is next for you?
I'm currently halfway through my second full length novel. It’s another rom-com and I’m really excited about finishing it. The lead character is rather mischievous so it’s proving great fun to write. I can't wait to find out what readers think of her!