Ask the Author: P.I. Alltraine
Answered Questions (7)
P.I. Alltraine
Hi Zara. Thank you for your questions. Yes, I’ve read Woolf’s ‘Mrs Dalloway’. Though Joyce and Woolf are two of my favourite writers, I’m not a massive fan of Modernist Literature. Perhaps, it’s because I don’t have much patience for “stream of consciousness” style of writing, but Joyce and Woolf do it so elegantly, and in my opinion, Mrs Dalloway is one of Woolf’s best work in this style. Here, she allows us to get into the character’s mind, beyond the social façade, and see humanity for what it is: raw, bitter and wonderfully messy.
As for your second question… Yes, I absolutely believe that true love exists. Not only because it’s a theme in my novel—but because I found mine. :)
As for your second question… Yes, I absolutely believe that true love exists. Not only because it’s a theme in my novel—but because I found mine. :)
P.I. Alltraine
Hi Alice, thank you for your question. First, read as much as you can, and then write for yourself. It doesn’t matter if your style doesn’t fit in with the current trend. Write because you want to, about something you enjoy. When you have a completed piece, redraft it, edit it... and edit it some more. When you think it's ready, you can do some research and submit it to agents/publishers who might be interested in your genre. Best of luck on your writing journey! :)
P.I. Alltraine
I love books that make me feel something I can’t explain or change my perspective. When I read anything by Virginia Woolf, for example, be it an essay or a novel, I feel baffled and enlightened all at once. ‘Paradise Lost’ by John Milton, ‘Things Fall Apart’ by Chinua Achebe and ‘Dubliners’ by James Joyce are some of my favourites because these literary pieces pulled me into an unfamiliar world and compelled me to change my perspective. For instance, I was raised Roman Catholic so when I read ‘Paradise Lost,’ I found the sublimity and the epic heroism in a figure I grew up seeing as a one-dimensional villain very enlightening. It was empowering to see how Milton took something a lot of people considered sacred, especially at the time, and manipulated it with such grace, such skill.
P.I. Alltraine
The story came to me and demanded to be written. I know, I know. It’s the most clichéd answer ever, but writers keep saying it for a reason. It’s hard to describe the impact of a powerful idea. When it hits a writer, it’s no longer a choice. You have to write it, or it will drive you mad. In my case, I was minding my own business, and all of a sudden, there was this image in my head. It hit me so hard that I had to stop what I was doing. I picked up a pen and paper and started to scribble. My husband walked in and found me on the floor with pieces of papers around me. At that point, the outline of ‘Heartbound’ was completed—chapter by chapter, from beginning to end.
P.I. Alltraine
I’m currently writing the second book in the Heart Series (sequel to ‘Heartbound’). I’m also working on some poetry (spoken word). I’m building a collection that will hopefully be ready for publication by next year. There’s a video performance available for ‘Unmoving,’ and a few more from the collection should be up soon.
P.I. Alltraine
There’s such delight in creating a whole world.
P.I. Alltraine
When I was younger and they asked what I wanted to be when I grew up, I never said ‘writer’. Writing has always been something that I’ve done naturally. I was the editor in chief of the school paper so I edited and wrote news articles, I wrote and performed school plays, I entered poetry writing competitions, I wrote the speeches I delivered in oratorical competitions, declamation, debates, etc. At the time, I thought I was doing so many different things, but looking back, everything that I chose to do involved writing. However, I wrote a novel not necessarily intending to publish it or make a career out of writing. I wrote it because there was a story I needed to tell.
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