Writing is my first real career – I consider everything that came before I published my first book a job, because my heart wasn’t in it, and I was drifting along. Every few years I’d get bored and look for a new job, but it was always the same thing but in a different setting. I was hopeful that one day I would write a book, but after several years drifting in and out of administration jobs, when I finally sat down to write my first book, I worked hard at turning it into a career so that I could get out of my rut.
Sarah Denzil
I always plot by hand – My notes are scruffy bullet points inside a notebook. I often fill up notebooks writing down bits of research to include in the story and descriptions of characters. There’s fancy writing software out there but I still like to write it down in a notebook.
Writing isn’t always a fun process – As much as I love it, there are times when it’s really hard. Life can get in the way of meeting deadlines, it takes a lot of time and energy, and, well, everyone hates editing!
I don’t drive or own a car – it’s public transport for me all the way! I’ve never felt safe behind the wheel, but maybe one day I’ll be brave enough to give it another go.
I write in different genres – as well as psychological thrillers I write young adult fantasy, horror and science fiction. I grew up on Buffy the Vampire Slayer and Point Horror books so it’s a lot of fun for me to write in those genres. Using the Kindle Direct Programme means I can manage two different pen names and have complete control over my books.
I got married this year – It was a wonderful day with friends and family, but trying to balance writing a book and organising a wedding was tough!
I don’t believe in luck – I think we have to carve our own paths and a lot of hard work is written off to luck far too often. Timing is very important and tricky to tame, but just because your success was in part due to timing, don’t write it off to luck, give yourself credit for being ready at the right time.
Somehow I get less organised as I get older – My desk is always a mess and I’m quite forgetful. When I’m working on a book I think about it a lot during the day, which seems to switch the organisational side of me off.
I don’t think anyone should be ashamed of what they read – I still read and enjoy YA. Some of the most beautiful passages I’ve ever read have come from young adult fiction. Adults are allowed to relive their teenage years. Don’t let anyone make you feel bad for that!
I don’t tend to plan ahead – For some reason, whenever I sit down and work out how long a book will take me to write, that estimate ends up way off. I’ve never published to a schedule because I hate deadlines! Sometimes I’m not sure the book is ready until it is, and then it’s a surprise for my readers!
Author Sarah Denzil publishes through Kindle Direct Publishing, Amazon’s independent publishing programme. Sarah’s books are available in print and Kindle formats on Amazon.