Second Author Interview
Hello and welcome to my blog, Author Interviews. My name is Fiona Mcvie.
Let's get you introduced to everyone, shall we? Tell us your name. What is your age?
Sarah: I’m Sarah Wallace but I use Xanxa Symanah as my author name. I’m 51 years old.
Fiona: Where are you from?
Sarah: I was born in the South East of England but I’ve moved around a lot since then.
Fiona: A little about your self (ie, your education, family life, etc.).
Sarah: I come from a small family. I only have one sibling, my younger brother. Both of us were lucky to have a very good education. We’ve both had good jobs but I had to give up work in 2007 to become a full-time carer for my disabled husband. I fit my writing in around caring for him.
Fiona: Tell us your latest news.
Sarah: I’m currently working on revising and editing “Probyt’s Progress”, the first in a new series of urban fantasy novels. I’m also involved in two collaboration projects. One is a murder mystery that I’m writing with four other authors. The other project is part of a long-term collaboration with one writing partner. It’s the fifth project we’ve done together, a fantasy novel combining her characters and settings with my characters and settings. I’m also due to participate in the Cover Wars contest on the Author Shout site, beginning on 21st July 2019.
Fiona: When and why did you begin writing?
Sarah: As soon as I learned to wield a pen. Before I learned to read and write, I’d make up stories in my head and recite them aloud, or act them out with dollies and teddy bears. Being able to write allowed me to record my stories in a more permanent form.
Fiona: When did you first consider yourself a writer?
Sarah: I’ve always wanted to be a writer, even in early childhood. I suppose I started taking the craft of writing more seriously in my twenties and thirties. That’s when I started paying attention to style and structure, trying to shape my earlier rambling efforts into something more coherent.
Fiona: What inspired you to write your first book?
Sarah: My first book “The Bingo Caller” was a murder mystery. I’d always been fascinated by detective stories and the analytical process involved. I love the structure of the murder mystery novel, the deliberate attempts to mislead the readers and give them what I call “forget to breathe” moments when the truth is unravelled.
Fiona: How did you come up with the title?
Sarah: No great mystery there. “The Bingo Caller” is a practical title. It’s about the gambling and leisure industries, how the corporations manipulate ordinary people into gambling.
Fiona: Do you have a specific writing style? Is there anything about your style or genre that you find particularly challenging?
Sarah: I changed genre after that first novel. I write epic and urban fantasy in a modern-day setting. When it comes to style, I’m very much a maverick. I don’t adhere to some of the usual conventions when it comes to writing. I do use adverbs and I do believe in maintaining a balance between showing and telling. I steer away from the trend of “Show what the camera sees” because I believe that a book can’t be a movie, no matter how hard the author tries to make it so. In the speculative genres like fantasy and sci-fi, more scene-setting is needed, therefore the dreaded and much-maligned info-dumps can’t always be avoided.
Generally speaking, I’ve always been on the margins, writing what I enjoy instead of catering to popular trends in fantasy.
The most challenging aspect of fantasy writing is creating something that stands out in a crowded market. I chose to use modern-day settings instead of the traditional medieval settings. I write lengthy family sagas spanning decades and generations.
Fiona: How much of the book is realistic and are experiences based on someone you know, or events in your own life?
Sarah: The urban settings stay fairly close to real-life cities. Some of the city scenes in my earlier novels are based on areas of London where I used to work and socialise. I worked as a legal secretary for many years, so I often include lawyer characters in my novels. I also incorporate prison and courtroom dramas into my fantasy universe, taking real-world elements and adapting them to fit in with my fictional universe.
I’ve never based a character specifically on anyone I’ve known, but I have taken some personal experiences and reinterpreted them in some of my novels.
Fiona: To craft your works, do you have to travel? Before or during the process?
Sarah: It’s not necessary to travel to conduct research for building fantasy worlds. When I was younger, I used to enjoy leisure travel and some of my experiences have gone into my novels. But it’s more of a happy coincidence than anything I’ve consciously set out to do.
Fiona: Who designed the covers?
Sarah: I did. Given that I’ve got a limited budget and couldn’t afford to pay a professional artist, I taught myself basic image manipulation. I had a little help from friends and online tutorials but I’ve mostly done everything by experimenting.
Fiona: Is there a message in your novel that you want readers to grasp?
Sarah: I don’t set out to convey any specific moral or spiritual messages with my novels. I think the main concept behind all my novels is that everything is open to interpretation. One person’s hero is another person’s deadly enemy. It’s all a matter of perspective.
Fiona: Are there any new authors that have grasped your interest? Who is your favorite writer, and what is it about their work that really strikes you?
Sarah: The newest author to grab my attention has to be Tomi Adeyemi. I’ve recently finished reading her debut “Children of Blood and Bone”. I really felt that book. I felt all the pain and conflict she put into that story. I love her world-building and the way she portrays her characters.
Joe Abercrombie is another author I love. He writes grimdark fantasy with plenty of flawed characters and bloody battle scenes. The raw intensity of his writing and the complexity of his plots fascinates me.
Another recent discovery is Jay Kristoff. I’m reading his “Lotus Wars” saga at the moment. Japanese Steampunk is a new genre for me and I’m loving it. Again, his world-building is stunning. He also carries a strong environmental message about how humans are destroying the planet.
Fiona: Outside of family members, name one entity that supported your commitment to become a published author.
Sarah: I’d say the first group to support me were the members of the now defunct Write On community. I’ve stayed in contact with some of them and we’ve built a new community since the demise of the old one. We’re now known as Writers’ Rock. We’ve stayed small and we know each other fairly well. None of us have met in real life, since we’re all spread around the world, but we network and support each other.
Fiona: Do you see writing as a career?
Sarah: I consider myself a professional writer but because I self-publish, I can’t see me making enough from my sales to be able to support myself and my husband. It would be lovely if that did happen, but the reality is that most authors don’t make millions from their sales. I consider it a career because it’s something I’ve done all my life and I couldn’t imagine ever giving it up.
Fiona: If you had to do it all over again, would you change anything in your latest book?
Sarah: The last book I published was “The Unborn Child”. I’m happy with the way it turned out, but I did struggle with the beginning. Because of how the story carries on from where “Malachi’s Law” ended, I had to find a way of incorporating certain events from one story into the next. I dealt with it by way of a father reminiscing about the unusual way his daughter came to exist. Starting a book with a reminiscence isn’t my favourite way of writing but I thought it the best way to deal with that particular scene.
I wouldn’t want to go back and change anything in either book, but the issue has made me think about how to structure future books.
Fiona: Did you learn anything during the writing of your recent book?
Sarah: I never stop learning. Every book I write teaches me something new. During the process of writing “The Unborn Child”, I had to work hard at making sure my female lead character didn’t turn into a too-perfect Mary Sue stereotype. I made her disobedient and rebellious. I made her fail a few times and I plagued her with self-doubt. I also gave her a spiteful streak and a form of addiction.
Fiona: If your book was made into a film, who would you like to play the lead?
Sarah: I’d choose Robert De Niro to play Lyle, the father, and his real life daughter, Drena De Niro, to play Anwyn, the daughter.
Fiona: Any advice for other writers?
Sarah: I’d say write something that you want to read. Write for yourself first. Pour your heart and soul into your story. If you don’t believe in what you’re creating, you can’t expect others to take that leap and invest their time and money into buying and reading your books.
Fiona: Anything specific you want to tell your readers?
Sarah: I’d like to thank them for choosing my books. There are billions of books to choose from and I’m honoured that they’d choose mine.
Fiona: What book are you reading now?
Sarah: “Kinslayer” by Jay Kristoff, the second novel in his “Lotus Wars” series.
Fiona: Do you remember the first book you read?
Sarah: To my shame, I can’t. I’ve always been an avid reader. Leaving aside the learning to read books that I had to read at school, I’d say my earliest reading material was probably Enid Blyton’s children’s books, along with traditional fairy tales like Grimm’s and Hans Christian Anderson. I also loved Richard Scarry’s books with all the wonderful illustrations and his cute animal characters.
Fiona: What makes you laugh/cry?
Sarah: My emotions are always close to the surface. I cry when I read disturbing news articles about injustices, wars, famines and all the terrible things that we humans do to ourselves, to other animals and to the planet in general.
I have an oddball sense of humour so it’s hard to define the kinds of things which make me laugh. I do enjoy puns and double-entendres. I like observational comedy and misheard song lyrics as well.
Fiona: Is there one person, past or present, you would love to meet? Why?
Sarah: It’s hard to narrow it down to just one. There are so many authors, actors and musicians whom I admire. I think I’d probably choose the late great Frank Zappa. I’ve read his autobiography and I love his music. I think he’d be more interesting to meet than some of my other heroes. From what I know of him, he’d be a challenge to converse with.
Fiona: Do you have any hobbies?
Sarah: Reading, obviously. Back when I was single, I enjoyed foreign travel. I love exploring different cultures and finding out how other people live. I’m an avid people-watcher and I often try to imagine their life stories and how they came to be in the same place as me. I also like socialising and meeting new people. My quieter hobbies are doing colouring patterns and experimenting with image manipulation.
Fiona: What TV shows/films do you enjoy watching?
Sarah: My favourites are sci-fi and fantasy related. Babylon 5 is probably my favourite sci-fi. I also love Doctor Who, Star Trek, Merlin, Supernatural, Once Upon a Time, Game of Thrones and Hannibal.
I also like watching gangster movies, psychological thrillers, zany comedies and period dramas.
Fiona: Favorite foods, colours, music?
Sarah: I enjoy Indian, Chinese and Italian foods. I love hot spicy dishes.
My favourite colour has always been purple, from as far back as I can remember. I also like various shades of green, aquamarine, turquoise and so on. And you can’t go wrong with black.
I’m mostly a rock chick, harking back to the 70s with classic and progressive rock. I also love world music, Latin beats and some disco and electronica.
Fiona: Imagine a future where you no longer write. What would you do?
Sarah: That wouldn’t be a very happy future. I can’t imagine not writing. I suppose I’d concentrate on learning more about graphic design. I’d have to do something creative. I’d probably also learn Spanish and Italian, which I’ve been wanting to do for a long time but somehow never find the time or the opportunity of fitting it in.
Fiona: You only have 24 hours to live how would you spend that time?
Sarah: I’d try to see as many of my loved ones as possible. Those I couldn’t see face to face, I’d chat to over the phone. 24 hours isn’t enough to tick items off a bucket list, so I’d prioritise with seeing the most important people in my life.
Fiona: What do you want written on your head stone?
Sarah: I’ve never thought about it. But I’d probably choose a quote which appears in several of my novels. “The wind turns green and the Goddess smiles. Everything will be the right size”. That’s a roundabout way of saying that everything will turn out fine. I’d like to leave a positive message for my loved ones.
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