Ask the Author: Andrew Pender-Smith
Answered Questions (12)
Andrew Pender-Smith
'Dove' is the past tense of 'dive' and, from my understanding, had its origins in America. Many might, therefore, consider it part of standard American English. It is now more broadly encountered and is actually one of my favourites words. I tend to use 'dive' for a dramatic scene and 'dove' for a quieter one. The onomatopoeic qualities of both these words lend themselves to different situations.
'Lighted' and 'lit' are the past tense of 'light'. Both are, from my understanding, equally correct, but their employment by a writer might well depend on what he or she is seeking to convey in a particular context. For example, a poet needing a monosyllabic word could use 'lit' while one needing a bi-syllabic word may write 'lighted'.
Please note: I do not have a strong background in linguistics. A person with a sound knowledge of linguistics would, I am sure, be able to supply a more detailed and satisfactory answer. Thank you for the question.
'Lighted' and 'lit' are the past tense of 'light'. Both are, from my understanding, equally correct, but their employment by a writer might well depend on what he or she is seeking to convey in a particular context. For example, a poet needing a monosyllabic word could use 'lit' while one needing a bi-syllabic word may write 'lighted'.
Please note: I do not have a strong background in linguistics. A person with a sound knowledge of linguistics would, I am sure, be able to supply a more detailed and satisfactory answer. Thank you for the question.
Andrew Pender-Smith
HI Pauline, Thank you for the question. I enjoy choosing names that speak of a character. This is most often the case when I write fantasy, though I do try and extend it to my other works of fiction. In essence, I look for names that are, hopefully to the reader, synonymous with what a character says and does. In THAT'S FANTASTIC!, the Zing-a-Lings and Ting-a-Lings are light, airy, quick-moving and small. I chose names that I hoped spoke of them. The Zeem-o-Zeems take their name from the iSiZulu word for cannibal. Phonetically, it is close to Zeem-o-Zeem. I hope the answer has given some insight into the way I go about choosing names. There are times, however, when a character and a name can just 'pop into being'. That is when a name and character choose me and I find myself on an adventure trying to uncover what they and their life are all about. Andrew Pender-Smith
Andrew Pender-Smith
Hello Pauline,
Thank you for the question. Yes, there are times I feel despondent or frustrated with the writing process. Most often if I have a problem, I stand back from it. This gives me 'emotional distance'. A while later, and it can be anything from a day to several weeks, I come back to the particular piece and I find I have come up with a solution. As I often work on two or three stories at the same time, I seldom actually stop writing. There is always one story or another on the go. The one nearing completion is a story in the horror genre and it is called 'Will You Come?'. It will be up on Amazon very soon.
Thank you for the question. Yes, there are times I feel despondent or frustrated with the writing process. Most often if I have a problem, I stand back from it. This gives me 'emotional distance'. A while later, and it can be anything from a day to several weeks, I come back to the particular piece and I find I have come up with a solution. As I often work on two or three stories at the same time, I seldom actually stop writing. There is always one story or another on the go. The one nearing completion is a story in the horror genre and it is called 'Will You Come?'. It will be up on Amazon very soon.
Andrew Pender-Smith
Thank you for the question. These two novellas plus one other, 'Miss Whoop Whoop! and the Jumping Pumpkin', are due out in 2018.
Andrew Pender-Smith
Hello Pauline. Thank you for the question. Part of the answer lies in that while studying, I needed to work almost simultaneously on different papers and projects for different courses. In so doing, I learnt to decompartmentalise.
Later, when teaching drama, I often needed to create theme programmers or short plays for different groups. This meant working on several creative projects at the same time. When it comes to my current writing, working on two or three different stories allows me to put a distance between each work. When I take a break from one, I return to another. This helps me to see the developing story with fresher eyes when I return to it.
Finally, I often work on a number of different stories at the same time because a story will come to me, and it will keep nagging at me, until the story is told. Stories needing to be told are demanding, often to the point of exhaustion, but it all proves worthwhile when the story finally has life, and the liberty to interact with any reader who encounters it. Regards, Andrew Pender-Smith.
Later, when teaching drama, I often needed to create theme programmers or short plays for different groups. This meant working on several creative projects at the same time. When it comes to my current writing, working on two or three different stories allows me to put a distance between each work. When I take a break from one, I return to another. This helps me to see the developing story with fresher eyes when I return to it.
Finally, I often work on a number of different stories at the same time because a story will come to me, and it will keep nagging at me, until the story is told. Stories needing to be told are demanding, often to the point of exhaustion, but it all proves worthwhile when the story finally has life, and the liberty to interact with any reader who encounters it. Regards, Andrew Pender-Smith.
Andrew Pender-Smith
My favourite fictional couple are Brad and Karl in 'Easter Beside an Estuary' by Craig Carden. Theirs is a first love filled with intimate exploring and caring, a time of carefree bonding as they blossom into greater awareness of themselves and life as they reach young adulthood.
Andrew Pender-Smith
I have always been a writer, even when very young. Writing creative essays in class were among my best times at school. It is not so much that I get inspired to write but rather that I get moved to do so. Like a bird determined to emerge from an egg and begin its news life, so storytelling is with me. Stories arrive. Sometimes I know how they got into my head, with others I take a long time to work out how they got there and were told the way they were.
Andrew Pender-Smith
My most recently published books were written and published in tandem. I taught English, Drama and Communication for many years and used the most creative ways I could to help my students make the very best of themselves. ‘COLOUR ME MORE: Teaching English Language and Literature’ and ‘COLOUR ME MORE: Teaching Dramatic Arts’ were the result.
Andrew Pender-Smith
I am currently working on two pieces. The one is a novella called ‘Where People Once Danced’ and the other is a novelette (possibly a novella) titled ‘WHAT the SUN SAW’. This second is being written under my pseudonym.
Andrew Pender-Smith
Read widely but most particularly in the genres in which you wish to write. Include the writings of older as well as contemporary writers. Write every day and be a traveller and explorer in every sense. Be the best communicator you can be and you are more likely to take your readers with you.
Andrew Pender-Smith
The best thing is that I have the freedom to go on many journeys. I travel and explore unfettered.
Andrew Pender-Smith
I use what some people call the ‘right-brained’ or ‘free flow’ method. I sit down and I write without stopping to analyse my work. When I have taken it as far as I can, I put my writing aside for a while and, when I come back to it, I spend time reading over what I have written. I then continue writing from there. Only when I have finished a work do I start to truly analyse it.
What also helps the ‘free flow’ is that I often think about my story well before I write it. I do a lot of background research, work out the plot and get to know my characters really well. I ask them lots of questions about themselves. I then have a period of incubation, which can vary in length. After that, I begin to write the story. Writing poetry is different. I tend to have an idea and write as soon as it comes into my head. A lot of my poetry for children has come from these ‘inner flashes’ that have immediately written so they are not lost.
My educational books ‘COLOUR ME MORE: Teaching English Language and Literature’ and ‘COLOUR ME MORE: Teaching Dramatic Arts’ offer a lot more insight into my approaches as a writer. As someone who spent years teaching drama, I found that classes in improvisation helped tremendously in letting go and trusting myself as a creator.
What also helps the ‘free flow’ is that I often think about my story well before I write it. I do a lot of background research, work out the plot and get to know my characters really well. I ask them lots of questions about themselves. I then have a period of incubation, which can vary in length. After that, I begin to write the story. Writing poetry is different. I tend to have an idea and write as soon as it comes into my head. A lot of my poetry for children has come from these ‘inner flashes’ that have immediately written so they are not lost.
My educational books ‘COLOUR ME MORE: Teaching English Language and Literature’ and ‘COLOUR ME MORE: Teaching Dramatic Arts’ offer a lot more insight into my approaches as a writer. As someone who spent years teaching drama, I found that classes in improvisation helped tremendously in letting go and trusting myself as a creator.
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