1. What is the most valuable piece of advice you’ve been given about writing?
I actually had the most unhelpful advice and that was “no one wants poetry”. I would have two to three times the amount of poems without this advice, but I was too impressionable to realise. For fantasy, the most valuable advice has been to brig out the characters in more depth.
2. What do you think is the best way to improve writing skills?
Experiment and practice, I am always trying to push myself a bit further. For fantasy, it has been in the preparation and having regular writing routine.
3. What advice would you give to help others create plot lines?
With poetry the simplest idea can resonate and have meaning. For fantasy, it takes a while for the plot to take shape, the story tends to be complex but at the heart is what motivates the characters.
4. What has helped or hindered you most when writing a book?
It took a lot of convincing to publish after receiving bad advice, I had been carrying a misconception for years about poetry. For fantasy. it is finding the right part of the story to tell that can either be a blessing or a curse. Each story has its own momentum and style.
5. Does writing energise or exhaust you? Or both?
The actual process is done with enthusiasm and leaves a sense of exhaustion from achievement. There are times when it can be difficult and life can cause a distraction.
THE LEGACY OF ZYANTHIA 