What is your name, where were you born and where do you live now?
My
name’s Gill Paul, I was born in Glasgow and now live in London, near Hampstead
Heath. I still feel very Scottish, though.
Did you
always want to be a writer? If not what did you want to be?
I always
wanted to write but got side-tracked along the way by studying medicine and
working in publishing. I briefly entertained the idea of being a psychiatrist,
a cancer researcher or a journalist. I now work as a writer of non-fiction as
well as writing novels.
When did
you first consider yourself as a "writer"?
I was
overwhelmed when Hodder made an offer for my first novel back in 1999. I had to
lie down on the carpet for a while to recover. I think that might be the first moment
I actually believed I was a writer
.
What is
the name of your latest book, and if you had to summarise it in less than 20
words what would you say?
Women and Children First. It’s about the shock and guilt of
surviving the sinking of the Titanic
then trying to rebuild your life again.
Who is
your publisher? or do you self publish?
It’s
published by HarperCollins/Avon Books. I’ve never tried self-publishing,
because I’m sure I would be terrible at self-promotion.
What can
we expect from you in the future? ie More books of the same genre? Books
of a different genre?
I’m
writing another historical novel, due for publication in May 2013. This one is
set in the 1960s and has a Mad Men
vibe.
What
genre would you place your books into?
Historical
fiction.
What
made you decide to write that genre of book?
I’ve
always loved history, and I like reading historical fiction. I like novels that
you learn something new from, and ones that transport you into another era.
Do you
have a favourite character from your books? and why are they your favourite?
I love
Reg Parton, the main character in Women
and Children First, because he is vulnerable and flawed yet still a good
person. He’s deeply traumatised by what he went through during the sinking of
the Titanic and struggling with what
we would now diagnose as post-traumatic stress disorder. I feel maternal
towards him.
How long
have you been writing?, and who or what inspired you to write?
I wrote
all the time as a child, virtually from the moment I could hold a pencil. My
parents weren’t literary but I was always encouraged by an aunt, who still
reads everything I write at an early stage and gives me her very perceptive
comments. A teacher called Mrs Drew was also encouraging in my final year at
school.
Do you
have anybody read your books and give you reviews before you officially release
them?ie. Your partner, children, friends, reviewers you know?
I have a
group of ‘readers’, most of them professional writers, who read and comment on
my novels before I send them to my agent or publisher. There are about six of
them just now, and they each contribute something different but equally
valuable.
How do
you come up with characters names and place names in your books?
If I
need a name for a character, I’ll decide what year he or she was born then look
at the excellent websites that list the most popular names in that year.
Sometimes I change a character’s name at a later stage. Elmore Leonard once
said that if you get stuck in your writing and your main character is called
Jack, try changing his name to Fred and see what happens. I’ve paraphrased the
advice, but it gives you new insights into your characters when you change
their names. Because I write historical fiction, my place names are real ones.
Do you
basic plot/plan for your book, before you actually begin writing it out? Or do
you let the writing flow and see where it takes the story?
I write
a long, detailed outline (the one for Women
and Children First was over 30,000 words) so that by the time I start
writing I have worked out the plot and characters. I’ve tried just starting to
write and seeing where it goes, but I took too many detours that didn’t work
and had to do a lot more rewriting and revising.
How do
you market/promote your books?
I’m
doing a lot of speeches about the Titanic
around the centenary, in Belfast, Southampton and London. I’m tweeting and blogging
as well. Basically I’m an obedient author and do whatever my publicist asks me
to do!
What do
you think makes a book a really good/bestseller ?
I think a
strong compelling story is the most important thing. I buy novels by writers
I’ve never come across simply because I am interested by the story described in
the blurb. For example, I bought Room,
by Emma Donoghue, as soon as I heard the plot because I needed to know how she
had dealt with telling the story of a woman imprisoned in a room from her
child’s point of view. It’s an extraordinary achievement.
Have you
ever suffered from a "writer's block"? What did you do to get past
the "block"?
I didn’t
write fiction for many years before this current novel because I was earning a
living writing non-fiction. I started a few novels then abandoned them because
I didn’t feel passionate enough about them, so I suppose that counts as
writer’s block. Sometimes your inner critic is too noisy and intrusive. The Artist’s Way by Julia Cameron helped
to kickstart my fiction again, but mostly it was finding a subject I needed to
write about.
What do
you do to unwind and relax?Do you have a hobby?
I swim
in the women’s pond on Hampstead Heath, cook (curries especially) and travel
whenever I can. I also try to keep up with quite a large group of friends, and
I’m often the one organizing parties and get-togethers. Party organizing is one
of my hobbies, and so is match-making (I have limited success).
Have you
ever based characters on people you know or based events on things that have
happened to you?
I might
start with a person or event I know, but it will change fundamentally before I’m
finished. I don’t think anyone has ever recognized themselves in one of my
novels, although my sister spotted that I had described her dog in my second
novel.
What is
your favourite book and Why? Have you read it more than once?
This is
hard, because I’d probably opt for different books on different days, but I
love The Poisonwood Bible by Barbara
Kingsolver. She tells the story from the point of view of several different
members of a family and each voice is unique and convincing. It’s a vast,
terrifying, utterly absorbing novel and I’ve read it several times.
What are
you currently reading? Are you enjoying it? What format is it?(ebook, hardback
or paperback)
I’ve
just finished Richard Davenport-Hines’ Titanic
Lives in hardback. It’s an extraordinary work of research covering lots of Titanic passengers I hadn’t come across
before, and it’s very well written.
Do you
think ebooks will ever totally replace printed books?
I hope
not. I love printed books and haven’t yet bought an e-book reader, but I can
see that I will have to at some point because my home is bursting at the seams
with books. I can’t believe art books will ever be replaced as a printed
product, and I hope children’s books will survive so that future generations
have the pleasure of turning physical pages.
Did you
read a lot at school and write lots of stories or is being a writer something
newer in your life?
I was
quite a solitary child and my nose was always in a book. Either that or I was
writing a magazine, full of stories, drawings, crosswords and jokes, which I
distributed to our neighbours.
Did you
have a favourite author as a child?
I loved
the Nancy Drew books. I just googled to find the author and realise they were
written by a variety of authors all under the pseudonym Carolyn Keene.
Do you
have a treasured book from your childhood? If yes, what is it?
Heidi, by Johanna Spyri; and Daddy Long Legs, by Jean Webster.
What
piece of advice would you give to a new writer?
I don’t
think I’m in any position to give advice. Personally, I have followed the very
traditional route of finding an agent who sold my books for me, but am in awe
of writers who have self-published and self-marketed themselves into the
bestseller list.
Do you
or would you ever use a pen name?
I have
done so, yes. It’s a strange feeling and I feel less attached to those books.
If you
could invite three favourite writers to dinner, who would you invite and enjoy
chatting with?
Graham
Greene, Diana Athill and Samuel Beckett. (Does it matter that two of them are
no longer alive? …)
Where
can readers follow you?
Your
blog details? http://gillpaulauthor.wordpress.com
Your web
site ? www.gillpaul.com
Your
facebook page?
www.facebook.com/pages/Gill-Paul/255147971200886?sk=wall
Your
Twitter details? @GillPaulAuthor
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