Ask the Author: Sue Copsey
Answered Questions (8)
Sue Copsey
Am I allowed Winnie the Pooh and Piglet? "Sometimes the smallest things take up the most room in your heart." – Pooh
Sue Copsey
Hi there Darren - oh no! Yes I was very good, I posted the books as soon as I heard from Goodreads. I've just checked back and your prize was posted on 4 September, so you should certainly have had it by now. The address I had was: 8 Granite Drive, Salisbury NB E4J 3G2, Canada.
Maybe give it another week and if you still haven't received it, let me know and I'll send you another one.
Well it's 11.20pm here in NZ and the clocks go forward this evening, so I shall be off to bed and wish you goodnight :)
Sue
Maybe give it another week and if you still haven't received it, let me know and I'll send you another one.
Well it's 11.20pm here in NZ and the clocks go forward this evening, so I shall be off to bed and wish you goodnight :)
Sue
Sue Copsey
Well, touch wood ... never had it!
Sue Copsey
Easy - getting letters from children telling me how much they loved my book.
Sue Copsey
It's not an original answer, but it's the most important: read, read, read, and write, write, write. Take advantage of online sites like Wattpad and Readwave to practise your writing and get feedback on your work. Write a blog - even if no one apart from your mum reads it, this will help you find your voice and style and give you lots of practice. And as an editor, I can't emphasise enough how important it is to edit your work time and time again, before pressing that 'publish' button. Many aspiring writers are so keen to share their work that the moment they've finished a story, they publish it. DON'T! Leave it a while - weeks, even - then come back to it. Rewrite, edit. Then do the same again. Check for clarity and consistency, as well as the obvious things like spelling mistakes and typos. The end result – a polished, professional-looking story - will send the message that you are taking your writing seriously.
Sue Copsey
Mostly other people's books :) My day job is editing, plus I'm a member of two writing groups so there's the critiquing for those. I've also been experimenting with Booktrack, which is a fantastic resource that enables writers put a soundtrack onto their stories. I'd always wanted to add thunder, slamming doors, spooky music etc to the ebook versions of my stories, so I couldn't wait to have a go. I have soundtracked all of The Ghosts of Young Nick's Head, a sample chapter of The Ghosts of Tarawera, plus I've written a short story called The College Street Ghost. If you'd like to have a listen/read (it's free), have a look on Booktrack.com
Sue Copsey
The inspiration is always there, I have a notebook full of ideas. But for them to fly I have to get away from the computer, as I'm forever being distracted by the likes of Goodreads and Facebook! The shower is a great place for inspiration, ideas just pop into my head. And a brisk walk round the park - all you need to do is clear a space in your mind and inspiration will pop in.
Sue Copsey
My most recent book (the sequel to "The Ghosts of Young Nick's Head", and still at the will it/won't it be published stage) was inspired by a visit to Rotorua, in New Zealand's North Island. It's a volcanic hotspot, with bubbling mud, geysers, steaming lakes ... all manner of stuff going on beneath your feet. Nearby is a partially excavated village that was buried by mud during the eruption of Mt Tarawera in 1886. Eleven days before this eruption, a phantom Maori canoe was spotted on Lake Tarawera - there were many witnesses. The legend goes that the canoe will reappear if another eruption is imminent. So, of course, I thought, 'What if my heroes, Joe and Eddie, saw the canoe?'
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