May contain writing

May was supposed to be the month of dreams. Well, dragons anyway (have I mentioned how hard it is to write fantasy?) but alas, it wasn’t to be.

That’s OK, though. There are no hard and fast rules about writing, which is most of the attraction.

Some other exciting things did happen during May.

Prose For Thought – Victoria Welton runs this weekly linky on her blog and encourages people to link up with their creative works. It’s a lovely community.

The Prompt – run by Sara who gives us a great prompt every week to get the creative juices going.

Paperswans – a monthly journal and closeknit community run by Sarah and Stephanie. Hint: I may have been published in issue 2.

These are excellent ways to flex your writing muscles and share with groups of open-minded people.

My entries for Prose For Thought and The Prompt can be found at The Muddled Manuscript.

An interview with Aimee Horton

Mothers Ruined

Aimee Horton, author of the Survival Series, talks to me about writing and her new novel – Survival of the Ginnest: Mothers Ruined. 

Her first book, Survival of the Ginnest, began the story of Dottie Harris and is presented to the reader in social media status style, making it one-of-a-kind. The only problem with this is that it leaves you thirsty for more Dottie. Aimee, not wanting to disappoint, released a witty short at Christmas and has now placed Dottie and her family in their own full length novel. This time, Dottie’s having another baby (while her husband is away on business), moving house and using what she’s accidentally overheard on the baby monitors to forge new friendships with her neighbours.

The Survival series

Me: Tell us what it was like to examine Dottie’s personality in more detail.

Aimee: I love Dottie! She’s like a nicer more loving version of me. It was interesting to see how she built her relationships with her friends and children.

Me: How did you use your own experiences in your writing?

Aimee: I have a feeling all my characters have some of my tendancies and personalities, that’s why I know them so well. I always try and laugh at things rather than get upset, so it’s in my nature to make everyday life a bit more exaggerated and comical.

Me: Your blog is packed with wit. How do you hold on to the humour in the darker moments?

Aimee: Gin. Other times I just have a good old cry and feel better!

Me: Tell us a bit about your writing ambitions.

Aimee: I think they’re fairly boring – I just want to write stories that make people laugh or think. If people enjoy what I write (and I can afford to feed my children!) I’m happy.

Me: How do you break good ol’ writer’s block?

Aimee: Music, have a dance around the room! Or go shopping – it’s an excellent excuse to look at shoes.

Me: What do you do when you’re writing and you get an idea for another novel?

Aimee: I write it down, I have to at least get a few hundred words down somewhere otherwise it won’t leave me alone!

Aimee is also a busy mum to two boys. She blogs about her experiences with touching insight and unwavering humour at www.passthegin.co.uk
Her books can be found on Amazon.