NaNoCreature Interview #2

Finding My Creature presents to you NaNoCreature # 2!  You’ll be seeing this creature again so stay turned.

> CREATURE PROFILE:

Name: Amanda Martin / Writer Mummy

Species/Sex: I’ve forgotten since having kids. I’m just mummy.

Occupation: Mummy / Writer / Artist / Unemployed Marketing Consultant

Location: Northamptonshire, England

Plotter/Pantser: Pantser definitely, though beginning to see the merit of plotting

NaNo username: amanda-martin

Genre: Romance probably, haven’t decided (see above under Plotter/Pantser)

Muse status:  Praying for inspiration/sleep

> CREATURE INTERVIEW

1. Welcome NaNoCreature where is it that you lurk?

I can mostly be found at writermummy.wordpress.com and occasionally, like a rare breed, I can be spotted tweeting @WriterMummy

2. Is this your first time doing NaNoWriMo?

No, I think it’s my fifth

3. How did you prepare for NaNo?

I didn’t! Up until the last minute I wasn’t going to do it, but it’s rather addictive. I thought I’d see what turned up in my brain week 1 and take it from there.

4. What is your NaNoNovel about in 30 words or less?  What inspired you to write this story?

Um, I don’t know yet, I haven’t decided whether to start something new or expand my Mills & Boon reject into a full novel. Probably the latter as I definitely don’t need another half-finished manuscript around demanding to be edited when I hate editing.

In which case it’s called Class Act: A librarian with class prejudices meets a penniless actor, not realising he’s from an upper-class family. She must conquer her past and her preconceptions or lose the man she loves. Yes, I know, it’s terribly M&B. Part of the rewrite will be to make it less cheesy/obvious! Being a Pantser, the entire plot wasn’t inspired by anything in particular, but there are autobiographical elements (she’s an artist, loves books, has lost her father, had bad experiences with upper class people) and the boy-meets-girl plot was inspired by a desire to break into the Mills & Boon market!

5. Do you write with music or in silence?

Silence, definitely. I can’t imagine having music on in the background, unless it’s very familiar classical music or the soundtrack to Transformers or something. I’m very easily distracted and very easily influenced (I would find my novel full of characters from whatever song I was listening to)

6. What is your writing ritual?

Drop the kids at nursery, go to the coffee shop, order a pot of tea with extra water (I’m in for the long haul) and write for at least an hour. That gets the kids out my mind and the writing in, so I can go home and carry on writing around cleaning, laundry, dog walking etc.

7. What is the most memorable piece of writing advice you have received?

You can’t edit a blank page.

> CREATURE CAVE:

Tell us about your writer cave in 5 words

I don’t have a writer cave (I wish). I carry my netbook around and work wherever and whenever I can! My favourite places are the coffee shop and my daughter’s bedroom.

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Thank you Amanda for stopping by and letting us peak into your creative process and stories! I look forward to following your progress 🙂 

Next Thursday we travel to a different part of the world and unveiled NaNoCreature #3.

Love and light,

Anushka xx