Ask the Author: Marc Smith
Answered Questions (6)
Marc Smith
Walk or cycle, basically get out of the house and clear my head.
Marc Smith
It can be an unpredictable life but there is still a sense of controlling your own destiny. I've had many jobs in my time and I've always felt that I was being controlled by others, writing is different because it's personal; it creates meaning.
Marc Smith
Write. It doesn't have to be any good at first and it need not be for publication. I write fiction for myself because I love to immerse myself in imagined worlds. It also doesn't matter if you think you're too young or too old because writing is first and foremost about passion. Send pieces to agents and publishers - this is where I went wrong, I assumed that what I was writing was no good and that people would just laugh at me. I didn't take enough risks.
Marc Smith
A number of things. I'm writing about how people acquire what I call their 'academic self', the person they are at school or university. There's more psychology than either of my other books and I'm currently completing a chapter on behaviourism. I've also finished my first draft of a book about daydreaming as well as working on a novel based in Amsterdam.
Marc Smith
By experiencing life as fully as possible. I'll go for long walks in the countryside or spend three days at a heavy metal festival; walk city streets and take photos and capture moments on video. I also daydream far more than is healthy.
Marc Smith
From my pupils. I taught in secondary schools for more than ten years and came to witness how different teenagers coped with the pressures of school. Often their lives beyond the school gates would spill over into their studies and while many were resilient in the face of setbacks, others struggled. I felt uniquely positioned to combine my knowledge of psychology with my experience in the classroom and try to explain how their emotions were impacting on their achievement.
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