Ask the Author: Sheila Bugler
Answered Questions (7)
Sheila Bugler
My most recent published novel is All Things Nice. The central character is a damaged alcoholic. She had a terrible childhood and, despite her best intentions, has grown up to be every bit as bad a parent as her own mother was. Beyond doubt, the inspiration for this book was Philip Larkin's wonderful poem This Be the Verse. A poem which, incidentally, my wonderful mother photocopied when I was a teenager and distributed to myself, my brother and all her nieces and nephews!
Sheila Bugler
That's such a difficult question for me. I write because I have to write. My head is so full of characters, stories and locations that the real challenge is finding the time to get it all down on paper. I'm inspired by people and our different motivations. Why do we do the things we do? What are the factors in our lives that had led us to become the people we have become? I think people are endlessly fascinating.
Sheila Bugler
I write a lot and always have several novels on the go. At the moment, I'm making the final changes to my first stand alone novel (scary but exciting too!). It doesn't have a title yet as my agent hasn't liked any of the ones I've suggested so far. All things going well, this novel may be out in autumn 2017.
Sheila Bugler
Write as much as you can, never stop believing in yourself but also do please take the time to learn how to write properly. Learn your craft and constantly learn from other writers too. Read as much as you can and always remember you are doing this because you chose to do it.
Sheila Bugler
Gosh, what a good question! I don't think I have many mysteries, really. The plot of my first novel, Hunting Shadows, was actually based on something that really happened. Years ago, a friend of mine was sharing a flat with a woman he didn't know very well. One day, the woman arrived home with a baby. She told my friend the baby was hers but later that evening we discovered a baby had been taken from outside a local church. My friend went to the police and, of course, the baby had been stolen. The child was returned to its parents and all ended well but I couldn't stop thinking about that poor woman and what would have driven her to do that. Over the years, I kept thinking about it and - eventually - a novel was born!
Sheila Bugler
ah... everything! Seriously, I came to writing later in life and after MANY different careers. Once I started writing properly, I realised all the other things I'd done had been because THIS is what I was looking for. I really believe that being a writer is 'the thing I'm meant to do with my life.' I love it and I'm incredibly lucky. It gives me great pleasure and I hope that never changes.
Sheila Bugler
You've got to write your way through it - it's the only way. Because I have a job, I have to squeeze my writing time in whenever I can. So every session has got to be really focused. I have a word count which I stick to, even if some days what I'm writing is really complete rubbish.
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