What is your new project? Share it’s title, and a brief precis of its plot.
So my working title for the series is Round Table Royals. The first book is a re-imagining of King Arthur and his Guinevere. I enjoy writing about adventure, magic, and romance and I feel this story embodies each of these nicely.
How long has this story been growing in your imagination?
I first had the idea earlier this year, around March 2022. I’m a very visual person so more often than not my ideas start with images and creating Pinterest boards.
What was the first spark of inspiration?
I actually was inspired to write about a girl who is under an enchantment and was transformed into a crow. While exploring this idea and the magic I came around to who might have cast the enchantment and I fell into the world of witches and magicians. This lead me on to read more about Morgan, King Arthur’s nemesis and I discovered that in some stories they were siblings. From there my mind ran away with possibilities of epic love stories and happily ever afters. The little crow girl will have a place in the series, she did cause the initial spark of the whole idea. I have outlines for 3 stories with a further 6 in a follow on series.
How long did it take you to write?
So far its been 10 months and I imagine it will easily take a good 9 to 10 months more. A lot of this time has been spent outlining the series and narrowing down character details. This is the first time I’ve seen a series as a whole and I wanted to make sure I thought things through. As we move into 2023 my focus will be solely on book 1 – Arthur and Guinevere.
How do you manage your work schedule?
I can’t claim to be on top of my schedule at all times it’s true. When I decided to take writing more seriously I gave myself the goal of writing 500 words per day. I could fit this in at any time, my preference is in the mornings before my day job as I’m fresher and generally more ‘switches on’ – after coffee at least.
What were the greatest challenges for you while writing it?
I have had a number of challenges including self doubt! It’s not easy to keep pushing through when you have that one little voice that keeps telling you there is no point, you’ll never finish, no one will like it etc We all have those moments and I’m still learning the best way to carry on all the same.
I have two other main challenges, the first being unsure of exactly what to write next. I always want it to be perfect so it can be hard to find exactly what I want to say. This is when I remind myself the story comes together with editing. I need something to start with, tell myself the story so I can then edit it and have it ready for others to read.
My final main challenge is having a new story or series idea and wanting to carry on over on to writing that instead! Ideas seem to come so easily but finishing a story is more difficult. To overcome this I will either start a document with the outline or scene of the idea I’ve had or I start a pinterest board with the vibe I feel works with the idea that started. Sometimes its very clear, I know names, faces, what will happen and how it will end. Other times it’s more a spark of inspiration, like “what if a private investigator fell in love with his assistant but was hesitant to tell her. A new PI joins the firm and seems to like her too!” Its not as clear but I can start pinning images I feel would help me when I come to write it.
How carefully do you plot out your story before you start writing? Please share some of your creative processes.
So far each story has been a very different process. I do prefer to outline the progression of the story so that I make sure it’s exciting and doesn’t fall off track with my enjoyment of world-building. Sometimes the inspiration for a story will come to me in the form of a specific scene, when this happens I start by writing that scene and then I go and outline the rest of the story.
I think about the characters and how I would like to see them interact. One of the things that got me interested in writing my own stories was being able to control how things go. I’ve read books where I’ve thought it would have ended differently so this is my chance to choose the ending.
Are you a daydreamer?
Absolutely. I think I have always had an active imagination that takes me on wild adventures. Daydreaming is a big part of my writing process, it’s how I figure out what comes next.
Have you always wanted to be a writer?
I think the first thing I ever wanted to be was a cook. I loved to help my mum or Nana in the kitchen, mixing things together and creating delicious meals. Playing outside making mud pies and leaf brews. It wasn’t until much later, I’d say during my time at University, that I first considered being a writer. I’d been looking for a very specific kind of book and hadn’t been able to find it. I remember seeing a quote that said if you can’t find the book you want to read you must write it yourself.
Where do you write?
I live in a small house that has a very small study. In this space I have a table and a desk dedicated to my writing and other similar hobbies. It’s usually a mess but it always feels like a creative mess to me.
I do a mixture of handwriting and typing when I am working on a story. Sometimes I have an idea I can quickly type up and add to the main document, other times I need to get away from the distraction of the internet so I’ll use a notebook. I prefer to sit at a table when writing, it’s more comfortable and allows me to dive deeply into my head and forget everything else.
What is your favourite part of writing?
Right now my favourite part seems to be the initial idea, world building, and daydreaming up the plot. I feel like finishing a story and having it published will quickly become my most favourite part but until I get there I’ll have to stay curious.
What do you think makes a good story?
The characters. I’ve read some stories with plot holes and other issues but have kept reading because I need to know what happens to the characters I’ve come to think of as friends. Similarly I can stop reading a book if I don’t feel I’ve connected strongly enough to the character.
What’s your best advice for someone dreaming of being a writer?
The following is the advice that I try to tell myself:
Begin before you feel ready (I never feel ready).
Read.
So much of writing is done by just sitting down at the desk, day after day. Keep showing up. Keep writing. Keep re-writing.
Catherine Croft 