FUNKY FRIDAY - with author Kathryn Player

YAY!  Funky Friday time and, this week, I chat to Indie author Kathryn Player.  You can check out her debut novel 'Moody Not Broody' here.  I did and I loved it!

So, Kathryn, with twin baby girls, how on earth do you organise your writing day?

My writing routine is a bit ad hoc at the moment: I write when the girls have gone to bed, when they're settled and when I've done all the 'mummy' chores. When I open my laptop, I can relax and so my writing time is extremely precious.

How do you deal with a bad day - writer's block, bad review, low self esteem?

I try and remember all the positive things that people have said about 'Moody not Broody' or I put on an episode of 'Only Fools and Horses' because it ALWAYS makes me laugh and, therefore, I can escape the bad thoughts. 

'Moody Not Broody' contained a lot of humour.  Is that something you find easy to write and do you like a good dollop of it when reading?

Thanks for that compliment. :-) I found that writing humour was the natural direction for me. When I wrote 'Moody not Broody' I worked full-time as a teacher, so getting up at 5.30 in the morning to write was sometimes hard. However, writing humour got me out of bed with a smile on my face. When I read fiction I like to read a wide range of genres. Plus, I often read sitcom scripts as I find they are a good source of escapism, too.

So - fantasy time! You're going to be interviewed on a chat show!  Whose is it and why?

This is in a dream world, but I'd love to go on Graham Norton's show because he is incredibly funny.  He'd be the sort of person I'd love to try and have banter with.

Another mad one!  Big Brother are doing an Indie Writers Special - would you?!

Definitely not! I would embarrass myself repeatedly and I don't think I could put my pride back together again.

QUICK FIRE ROUND

Planner or Winger?
Planner.

Night or Morning?
Definitely a morning bird.

Doer or procrastinator?
A doer.

Writing/first draft or editing?
I like editing.

Tea or coffee?
Tea tea tea tea tea!

You can follow Kathryn on Twitter @funnyiswrite, Facebook and her website.

Her next book will be called 'Second Hand' and is based around four characters working in a charity shop.  WATCH THIS SPACE!

Thanks so much for joining me Kathryn.  Next week I chat to author Francis Potts.

NEWSFLASH

 * Fellow chicklit writer Elle Field has released a new novel 'Geli Voyante's Hot or Not' - check it out here.

*  Our first ever FUNKY FRIDAY-er is starting up a new weekly slot called, 'Saturday Surprise' - contact her on Twitter @jenniewriter if you'd like to promote a book or a blog or just to share some writing news.

*  My editing continues to take a back seat as I care for my recovering mum.  I'll/we'll get there but slowly. My Christmas novella SHOULD hit the shelves by the end of the month - thanks to some lovely friends who have been proof reading in my absence, and my full length December novel is being edited sporadically.  Sometimes you have to wear lots of hats and juggle - and sleep on a floor when you can!

FUNKY FRIDAY with Jennifer Bohnet

WOO HOO!  It's my first FUNKY FRIDAY where I get to chat to writers, readers and reviewers.

This week I'm delighted to welcome romantic novelist 

JENNIFER BOHNET

Jennifer lives and writes in Brittany so it seemed only right that we settled with a small glass of wine as we had a 'writerly' gossip - listen in to our chat ...

Jennifer, as a writer of affairs of the heart, what do you do to motivate yourself on a day you're just not feeling it? 

I look through a couple of books I have on writing, maybe do one or two of the mind releasing exercises they suggest, or I flip through a book with lots of pictures, pick one and try to come up with a story about it. I usually end up writing something even if it’s not the next thousand words of the latest novel.

Tell us about your ideal writing day. 

I’ve realised recently that if I don’t start writing first thing after breakfast I get very little done all day. So ideally I’d be in my study by 9.30 and write for the next couple of hours, stop for lunch (cooked by husband) and then walk the dog for an hour before coming back to edit the morning’s work. Answering e-mails and doing social networking I try to do in the evenings.

I have to say that I was a bit jealous about lunch being cooked by your husband and a LOT jealous about the fact that you have a dog to walk!  My cats won't allow me to have one!  So what's the worst thing about writing for you? 

The waiting time between sending stuff out - particularly short stories - and hearing back from editors/publishers.

It's dream time!  Your ultimate dinner party? You can have anyone dead or alive there - who would you have and why? 

Great question as I love entertaining!  Hugh Jackman because - oh just because! Scott and Zelda Fitzgerald so that I could really quiz them about Juan-les-Pins and the Jazz Age down there for a novel idea I have. Elisabeth David - she could help me in the kitchen beforehand and give me all sorts of useful tips. The iceman of Formula 1, Kimi Raikkonen, though I don’t suppose he’d be much of a conversationalist. Erica James because she’s one of my favourite writers and maybe she’d share the secret of how she’s so productive. Dame Maggie Smith because she’s such a brilliant actress and I’m sure she’d have lots of theatrical stories to tell us. Bill Nye because he makes me laugh. Jilly Cooper because I’ve long been an admirer of her writing. And finally I’d have to invite a young, healthy, Muhammad Ali for my husband; they share the same birthday and although not a big fan of boxing he’s always admired him. Should be a great dinner party!

Hmmm!  That's a dinner party I'll attend with bells on!

How do you deal with the dreaded bad review - are you a sulker or a shrugger? 

More of a sulker I’m afraid - it knocks my confidence and I have a hard time getting going again, so I’ve resolved to try and be more of a shrugger and never to look at my reviews again. (Another resolution broken then!)

I'm totally with you on that one but I guess we have to realise that we can't please everyone!  So IF you were offered a squillion pounds to never write again, would you take it?  

If the offer was made when the rejections were pouring in, I’d be sorely tempted and have to say yes! But then I think, No, having all those people in my head trying to tell their stories and not being able to write it down would drive me insane!

Again, I agree!  Once they get in your head they just have to come out, don't they?

QUICK FIRE ROUND

Planner or Winger? 

A winger trying to be a bit more of a planner.

Night or Morning? 

Morning.

Do-er or procrastinator? 

I can procrastinate for England - and France now.

Writing/first draft or editing?

First draft.

Tea or coffee? 

Coffee, coffee coffee.

I'd like to thank Jennifer for being a very brave first FUNKY FRIDAY participant and urge you all to check out her latest book, 'Shadows of Conflict', which is already out in hardback and will also be available as an e-book on 30th September:

Here are the links to her website and Amazon page.

 

You can also follow Jennifer on Twitter @jenniewriter

***** NEWSFLASH *****

FUNKY FRIDAY is now booked out until mid February - thank you all so much for your support.

NICKY WELLS has released 'Sophie's Encore' and has some FAB 5* reviews

KATHRYN BROWN has also released 'Bedknobs and Bachelors' and it's waiting on my Kindle to be read.

MICHELLE BETHAM's romcom, 'Too Much Trouble in Paradise' is FREE on Kindle at Amazon this weekend.  Grab a copy while you can - it's very funny.

JAMIE T DOUGAN's short story, 'The Rubicon Trail' is now available on Kobo as well as on Amazon  He'll be chatting here some time in the New Year.

Next week we welcome to FUNKY FRIDAY an avid reader, reviewer and HUGE supporter of writers, my friend Carol Wright from Dizzy C's Little Book Blog

So that just about rounds up the first FUNKY FRIDAY!   Thanks to Jennifer for dropping by and to all those who have agreed to take part.  Remember, spread the love by Tweeting about this with #funkyfriday