Confessions of a Writer Tag

I’ve been tagged by the lovely Aura @ Oxford Writers Lounge to do the Confessions of a Writer Tag! I’m by no means a published author, but I do love to write in my spare time, and with NaNoWriMo going on right now (which I’ve had to start a week late due to life getting in the way…) I thought I’d give this tag a go! Please check out Aura’s blog, and also her awesome book Secrets of Oxford, which is available on Amazon.

In case you were wondering, the photograph is of the beautiful antique miniature writing desk my boyfriend bought me for my birthday this year! The writing paper and quill (possibly the most pretentious purchase I’ve ever made, but whatevs) are from Scriptum, a magical little shop in Oxford full of old-timey writing goodies, which I keep forgetting the name of because I just want to call it Flourish and Blotts, tbh.

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1) When did you first start writing? Was being a writer something you always wanted to do?

In primary school I loved writing stories, although apparently I wasn’t very imaginative, because I ended every single one of them with the same sentence; “And then, they all went to McDonalds.” If I ever finish writing a novel, I’m actually kind of tempted to wrap it up with a trip to McDonalds, in homage to little-kid me, and her authorly aspirations.

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2) What genre do you write?

I haven’t finished a novel, but the short stories I write tend to be a blend of surreal/psychological thriller. I’ve posted a couple on this blog – The Crow and The Box – if you’re interested in checking them out!

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3) Can you tell us a little about your current work in progress? When did you start working on this project?

The novel I’m working on right now is a YA contemporary romance, and my main characters’ names are Calvin Rayes and Olly Branwell. I don’t have a title yet. Most other novels I’ve started have been dark and depressing, so I wanted to write something warm and uplifting for a change. I’m still in the planning stage right now.

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4) What was the first piece that you can remember writing? What was it about?

I wrote this classic poem as a child:

That’s copyright, y’all. No stealin’.

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5) What’s the best part about writing?

Editing! I like polishing up my writing and making it sound better. I’m never happy with my first draft (but who is?!)

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6) What is the worst part about writing?

The feeling of being blocked, staring at a blank page or screen and wondering how the hell you’re going to fill it with something that isn’t shit!

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7) What’s the name of your favourite character and why? (This can be from another author or your own work. Book crushes are perfectly acceptable here as well.)

Bridget Jones! I love that she’s not just a humorous character, but also complex and full of contradictions; she’s constantly striving to be taken seriously, yet almost seems to enjoy playing the person everyone thinks of as a little bit ridiculous… she’s a proud feminist, yet desperately wants to find a man (and worries about whether this makes her less of a feminist). To me, she’s deeply relatable.

Image via Giphy / Tumblr

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8) How much time a day/week do you get to write? When is the best time for you to write (morning or night)? How much time a day/week do you get to write? When is the best time for you to write (morning or night)?

I struggle to write after a day at work, and I’m good for nothing when I first wake up in the morning! Weekends tend to be my most productive. I’m not good at writing in small scraps of time; I need a whole day to get into the flow of a story.

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9) Did you go to college for writing? Or if you haven’t been to college yet, do you plan to?

I did an English Literature degree, but my final dissertation was in Creative Writing! I wrote a gothic retelling of the myth of Oedipus, from the perspective of the mother, set in 19^th century England. If you want to read it, you’re very welcome, although it’s a bit long to post on here.

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10) What bothers you more: spelling errors, punctuation errors or grammar errors?

Spelling errors are the least forgivable, because that’s what spell-check is for!

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11) What is the best writing advice that anyone has given you?

Turn off your ‘inner editor’, and just write! (I am bloody awful at doing this, but it is good advice!)

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12) What advice would you give another writer?

Plan before you write, and work out how your story is going to end! Every time I’ve tried to write without a clear plan, I’ve written thousands of words worth of waffle, before abandoning the story altogether.

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13) What are your favourite writing sites or blogs that you turn to for help, tips or encouragements?

I follow tons of authors on Twitter, and lots of them have blogs where they post writing tips; there’s so much good free advice out there!

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14) Besides writing, what else do you enjoy doing? What are your hobbies?

Blogging (I know this is also writing, but it’s a separate activity to my fiction writing), binge-watching Netflix, and sleeping.

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15) What is the best book you have read this year?

Reviewed here.

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16) What is the best movie you have seen this year?

So clever. So adorable!

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17) What is you favourite book or series of all time? 

The most devastating but beautifully written book.

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18) Who is your favourite author?

Cassandra Clare! I obsessively read everything she writes and I’m in love with the world she has created!

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19) What are your plans for the rest of the year in terms of your writing?

NaNoWriMo probably isn’t going to work out the way I’d hoped, so my goal is just to finish planning my novel by the end of November, and then get writing!

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20. Where else can we find you online?

Twitter. I’ll be opening a Wattpad account soon too!

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I’m not sure who to tag for this, as I don’t know how many of my book-blogging friends are also into fiction writing, but if you are, consider yourself tagged! Also, if you’re doing NaNoWriMo this year, let me know! I’d love to hear what you’re working on this month 🙂