I'm pleased to welcome another fab author to the blog today to chat about the how's, when's, and where's of the writing life! 

Check it out... 
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The Interview...
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Who are you and what do you write?

I’m Matthew O’Neil and I write sci-fi/horror with some pop-philosophy in between.


Where and when and how did the writing life begin for you?

Writing was something I always did. I started the way most bands or musicians start; you copy the work of those you admire and build your own from there. So it was copying Lord of the Rings when I was in junior high, taking creative writing courses in college and receiving a certificate in the art, and then writing my own serious work starting in 2012.


How has the journey to this point been? Can you give us a basic rundown?

I think I would summarize it as “there’s always room to learn.” A lot of it was patience with myself as I really made my work more intriguing to others and formatted in a way that was easier to grasp. Unfortunately I seem to have a tendency to ramble, so making my points more concise and understanding that there’s weight to every word was important for me. Part of it was also understanding, like music, you have to pay attention to why you like certain things. I had to go and read more authors, picking apart their work, to understand why it was appealing and how to apply it to my own work.


What's been the hardest part of your writing/publishing experience so far? And the most enjoyable?

Sometimes I fall down a rabbit hole while researching different subjects. I get curious about dozens of seemingly insignificant things throughout any process, but when I start looking up things for my writing, I can get lost. So the struggle, for the most part, is remaining focused The most enjoyable part has been the authentic feedback from my publishing and editing team about my work. Even when I’m feeling fairly unsuccessful (which can happen a lot), reading the email exchanges between us helps me feel a lot better about the work I do. They’re great confidence builders!


Would you go back and change anything?

Based on the private feedback I’ve received from the first book, I think there might be some things I’d want to change. Ultimately, this book was filled with a lot of emotions tied to some dire personal circumstances I experienced between “Attrition” and “Cathatsis”. I would only have wished for a more consistent time frame, or even to have waited until the events had passed in their entirety before I had started writing. Ultimately, writing is what helped me through a lot of it, so I don’t think I would like anything to have been different during the creation of this story.


Where would you like to be in 5 years time? And 10?

In five years, hopefully I’ll have finished the Transtemporal series and started on some other story lines I’ve been fleshing out in my notebooks. In ten, maybe I’ll have gone back and added a prequel trilogy to Transtemporal swearing its the end, while planning the true final three. I just hope I’m still writing. Truly, I will finish the series and start work on the ideas I feel are ready for work.


What's one piece of advice you'd give to new writers just starting out?

Write. Every day. Sign up for short story exercises, enter contests, give yourself any excuse to write. And when you’re not writing, you should be reading or taking classes on how to improve your writing. Most importantly, write for yourself. Don’t try to impress anyone except the you who fell in love with story telling. Impress yourself. Make yourself proud. Even if no one else ever reads your work, having that finished book on your shelf is often times reward enough and a powerful reminder of what you’re able to accomplish.


And most importantly...

Ketchup or Mayo? Ketchup
Night or Day? Night
Inside or Outside? Inside
Dogs or Cats? Dogs (pitbulls specifically)
Twitter or Facebook? Can I choose neither? No? Then Twitter.
ebook or Paperback? Nothing beats the feel of a physical book (but ebooks do my back a favor during moves)
Sun or Rain? Rain
Keyboard or Pencil & Notebook? Keyboard
Comedy or Drama? Comedy
Chips or Chocolate? Chocolate covered chips

From the page to the stage, Michelle Macwhirter has always loved telling stories. When she’s not making up stories, you’ll catch her performing in plays or driving her two daughters to dancing. There is No Magic in This Book is her first picture book.

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Who are you and what do you write?

Hello! Although I have been writing for many years, my first book is just coming out now. It’s a picture book called There Is No Magic In This Book and I am beyond thrilled to see it released into the world. Previously, I have also written plays as well as a few young adult manuscripts. I tend to like otherworldy stories that fall into sci-fi and fantasy genres (but not always!).

 
Where and when and how did the writing life begin for you?

Right from childhood, I spent a great deal of time in my imagination. I would always wonder ‘what if’ and so I began to tell stories. I also loved acting and performing on stage. After school, I pursued a ‘proper’ career in marketing, but I kept up my creative pursuits on the side. About 15 years ago, I began taking a more serious interest in writing and started attending conferences and workshops.
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How has the journey to this point been? Can you give us a basic rundown?

Ahhh, it’s been long! I spent many years writing young adult manuscripts on and off (having babies kinda slowed that down.)Then conveniently, after several years of reading picture books to my daughters, the text for a picture book just plonked itself in my head. I submitted it to Catherine Drayton at Inkwell Management and she became my fabulous agent. The book sold to Walker Books and is coming out on 18 November.

 
What's been the hardest part of your writing/publishing experience so far? And the most enjoyable?

The hardest part has been the rejection. There has been a LOT of it, even after getting a publishing contract. It is very disheartening and I have wanted to give up many times. But the stories keep coming to me and I still feel a strong urge to share them with the world, so I keep going! And that brings me to the most enjoyable part of writing. I love nothing better than to sit at my desk with no-one around, with a coffee, a candle burning and some focus music, and just smash out words and create stories. It’s like meditation for me. I pour it all out and then I feel great.

 
Would you go back and change anything?

I would stop worrying about the end result and just enjoy the process. I mean, yes, you do need to know your audience, but focusing on what some future editor and reader will think of your writing can be very limiting and silencing. It’s important to stay focussed on the spark that inspired you to write.

 
Where would you like to be in 5 years’ time?

I would love to publish at least three of my young adult novels and more picture books. I also have an idea for a TV series that I really want to write. I have way more ideas than time so I’d also love to shake off the day job and fully focus on writing. That’s the dream!

 
What's one piece of advice you'd give to new writers just starting out?

Resilience is key. Like I tell my daughters, with any rejection we just play Taylor Swift loudly, get our dance on and ‘shake it off’!

 
And most importantly...
 
Ketchup or Mayo? Mayo
Night or Day? Night
Inside or Outside? Inside
Dogs or Cats? Dogs. (I would have said cats, but then we got a dog, and she is the best.)
Twitter or Facebook? Facebook. 
e-book or Paperback? Paperback, definitely.
Sun or Rain? Sun for fun, rain for writing.
Keyboard or Pencil & Notebook? Keyboard. But I do love pretty stationary.
Comedy or Drama? Drama
Chips or Chocolate? Chips! Always!