Ask the Author: Susan Fiddes
Answered Questions (8)
Susan Fiddes
The Mystery of Insch Brae House is heavily inspired by my own childhood summer holidays in Scotland and indeed by the genre of books I would devour by torchlight under the covers as a young person. Many parents have told me how relatable my characterisations are to my young readers and listeners.
Susan Fiddes
I have always been a people watcher and must confess I love to listen in on conversations on the bus or train, or wherever I am able (not too obviously of course!) I don't think you can be a writer unless you are curious about the human condition. Many of these strangers unwittingly inspire and inform my fictional characters.
Susan Fiddes
I am currently working on the marketing and sales ahead of my USA launch of my middle grade novel "The Mystery of Insch Brae House" - it can be hard to go from introvert author to extrovert PR person, but thankfully I have a great marketing team around me to help support me on this journey.
Susan Fiddes
Just get started. The best things in life are usually free and so start small to build your confidence. A private journal, a daily facebook update (yes, this counts as a micro-story!), a blog. Googling micro fiction prompts is also a fun way to quickly see fun output flowing!
Susan Fiddes
Receiving positive feedback from my target audience is the best feeling in the world!
Susan Fiddes
Firstly, try not to beat yourself up - I tend to find a work better on creative writing in the winter and better at sales and marketing of my work in the summer. Try to find your routine by trying 10 minutes a day in a journal at different times and see if a pattern of "most inspired time and place" emerges.
Susan Fiddes
I adore the Scottish writer Muriel Spark and although she wrote fiction set in reality, she always manages to capture my imagination with her quirky characters and settings - now retrospective and often London in the 1950s - 1970s. I would love to be a fly on the wall in one of her novels. A Far Cry From Kensington or Robinson are particular favourites.
Susan Fiddes
I have recently become a reviewer for Reedsy, which supports indie authors in search of an audience, and so I am looking forward to discovering some new talent on there.
I also have a huge pile beside my bed TBR. American Dirt and A Tree Grows in Brooklyn are top of my "long reads" list.
I also have a huge pile beside my bed TBR. American Dirt and A Tree Grows in Brooklyn are top of my "long reads" list.
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