books – Page 16 – Lyndsey Hall

Beautiful People – Author edition

Welcome to the latest edition of Beautiful People, hosted by the fabulous Sky at Further up and further in and Cait at Paper Fury! Beautiful People is a monthly link up for writers that helps us get into our character’s heads by answering ten different questions about them each month. This month’s questions are a little different, though. In July, we’re zooming in on the author with ten questions about our writing process.

Let’s get started, shall we?

How do you decide which project to work on?

So far I’ve written one novel and started another, and I keep my plot bunnies saved in OneNote for when I’m finished with the project I’m currently working on. I actually combined a few ideas from my notes to create the second MS, so I guess it was a case of choosing which plot bunny felt the most intriguing and trying to flesh it out by interweaving other ideas. Luckily, several of my plot bunnies could be combined, which made my choice so much easier!

My first novel is fantasy, and the second is a sort of contemporary with elements of magical realism/fantasy. I want to try a few different genres until I really find my niche. I might try horror next!

How long does it usually take you to finish a project?

As I’ve only written one novel so far, I’ll say about nine months, because that’s how long it’s taken me, but to be honest it isn’t finished yet. I’m submitting it to Pitch Wars in the hopes a mentor will work with me to edit and revise my MS until it’s near perfect, and that will take until November. Even then, an agent or publisher might require more edits. So a long time. But I’m hoping that with each project I’ll get faster and faster at drafting and revising.

Do you have any routines to put you in the writing mood?

I make a cup of tea, make sure I’m comfortable and have everything I need at arm’s length so I won’t have to get up for a while, and I’m one of the odd people who need background noise so I put something on Netflix. If I’m struggling with a scene or plot point I like to take the dog for a walk and think about it while I get some exercise and appreciate nature. Maybe that’s strange, I need silence to think about my story, and noise to create it.

What time of day do you write best?

I am such a night owl, I don’t even function early in the morning, and if I’ve had a bad night’s sleep forget it. I love long and quiet weekends to just sit at the laptop for hours on end (with breaks to walk the dog and eat, of course), but generally I don’t get into a groove until late afternoon, early evening, and then I can keep going until the early hours.

Are there any authors you think you have a similar style to?

I honestly couldn’t say! I’d love to be compared to a famous author, it would be the greatest compliment, but I’m not sure who I think my writing is similar to.

Why did you start writing, and why do you keep writing?

I’ve always written, whether short stories or poems as a kid, blogs and essays as an adult. Novels have always been one of my favourite things in the world, but I never imagined I could write one until about a year ago. I started to get an idea for a story, and the more I thought about it (while walking the dog, doing the dishes, waiting to fall asleep) the more I knew I needed to write it. I realised I can Google absolutely anything when I need an answer to a question or a tutorial for fixing something, so surely there must be blogs and articles about how to write a novel. I was right, the internet is full of amazing bloggers and writers sharing the craft. So I started to read everything I could, using it to outline and plot my novel, and eventually I stumbled upon the writing community on Twitter, discovered NaNoWriMo, and all the other online competitions for writers.

In a nutshell, I started writing because I got an idea for a story that nagged me every waking minute and wouldn’t go away, and I keep writing because I’ve fallen in love with the craft and found my tribe.

What’s the hardest thing you’ve written?

It would have to be something about myself, my Uni application personal statement or a job application, because I’m absolutely horrible at selling myself, I’m so shy and anxious. Writing fictional stories is easy in comparison to writing something true and honest about myself.

Is there a project you want to tackle someday but you don’t feel ready yet?

I’d absolutely love to write a multi book series, but it’s so daunting. The way authors like J.K. Rowling and Sarah J. Maas weave hints and foreshadowing through early books about what will happen much later into the series, it’s an art form and I’m nowhere near skilled enough to plan that far ahead and execute it well at the moment. One day, hopefully! At the moment, I’m thinking one book at a time, as debut authors almost never get multi book series deals, so my MS The Fair Queen is ‘a standalone with series potential’ and I’ve got a few ideas for the sequel(s) up my sleeve.

What writing goals did you make for 2017 and how are they going?

I only started writing this time last year, so my goals weren’t really conscious or set in stone, but I wanted to complete my first novel, revise it, and start querying by the end of 2017. I’m entering Pitch Wars next week (submission window opens in 3 days!!!) so I’m a good way to achieving my goals, as if I get in I’ll get to work with a mentor for two months and then pitch agents in November. If I don’t get in, I’ll work on my MS for a couple more months anyway and start querying before Christmas.

Describe your writing process in 3 words or a gif!

If you’re just starting out as a writer or looking for blogs to help you improve your craft, check out some of my favourite writer/bloggers and their amazing words of wisdom:

Faye @ Writerology
Kristen @ Well-Storied
Christine @ Better Novel Project

If it weren’t for these three awesome ladies I wouldn’t be anywhere near ready to enter Pitch Wars and I’d probably have given up writing after 10k words.

I’m hoping to have more time to post once my Pitch Wars submission has gone, but if I get in I might be a bit AWOL for most of September and October too (plus I’m going to Asia for ten days in September! So excited :-D)

Lyndsey

This or That Book Tag

I was tagged by the lovely Bella @ Bella Blogs Because Books for the This or That Tag, if you don’t already follow Bella go check out her awesome blog right now. Are you back? OK, let’s get started with the questions…

Reading on the couch or in bed?

Definitely in bed, but propped up on loads of cushions because nobody likes getting hit in the face by an 800 page tome when it slips through your fingers.

Male MC or Female MC?

As a girl, I find it easier to relate to female MCs, but I love reading from the boy’s perspective because it’s like an insight into the mind of a guy. I read more books from a female POV, but that’s not necessarily intentional, I get the impression more YA books are written from a female POV, so I definitely need to hunt down more male perspective YA books. I’ve been loving getting into Jorg’s head in the Prince of Thorns series, and I know there are some amazing YA contemporaries from a guy’s perspective, like Aristotle and Dante discover the secrets of the universe by Benjamin Alire Saenz, and everything by Adam Silvera, which are all on my TBR.

Sweet or salty snacks?

Ooh I like a bit of both, salt and vinegar crisps and chocolate, preferably Maltesers or some kind of Galaxy bar. And ice cream. With coke. Or wine. Or tea. Now I’m hungry. And thirsty.

Trilogies or quartets?

I love a really, really long series, like The Mortal Instruments or Throne of Glass, so I’m going to vote for quartets, as I find that trilogies often drag out plot lines that could have been wrapped up more effectively in a duology. At the end of the day, if a story is still compelling and well written, I’m still reading, but if it loses its thread and just seems to drag on for no real reason other than book sales, I stop reading.

First or third person POV?

I honestly don’t have a preference on POV, I’ve read plenty of both and it’s never occurred to me that one feels more natural than the other. However, I do much prefer past tense than present. “I opened the door” just feels smoother to me than “I open the door”. I can get past it, it doesn’t stop me enjoying a really great book (The Hunger Games was written in first person present and is still one of my favourite series), but it takes longer for me to become absorbed in the story.

Reading at night or in the morning?

I tend to read more at night, because mornings are busy times in my daily life, plus I love a lie in if possible, but on holiday I prefer reading in the morning. Waking up and picking up my current read to dive back into the story while my husband is still asleep is such a pleasure. I love long lazy mornings when we’re on holiday, we almost never make it to breakfast!

Libraries or bookstores?

Libraries, all the way! If libraries sold coffee and cake my life would be perfect. It’s not necessarily that bookstores expect you to pay for the books whereas libraries don’t, it’s more that bookstores are designed for you to pop in and out, whilst libraries are laid out so you can spend a few hours browsing, reading, using the computers, etc. They encourage you to stay, whereas I feel like shops want you to come, pay and leave so they can move onto the next customer. I also love that libraries allow those who can’t necessarily afford to buy lots of books to still enjoy reading, and if we all request the newest releases then our favourite authors are still getting paid. Win, win!

Books that make you laugh or cry?

Both, please. Preferably simultaneously, or at least alternately. Books should make you feel something, whether that’s happiness, sadness, anger, frustration, joy, amusement or hope. If a book doesn’t make you feel, or think, then is it even a book?

Black or white book covers?

Being that I’m a huge fantasy fan, my book shelves are full of books with predominantly black covers, and I need to continue in that vein or they won’t coordinate pleasingly. So, black book covers for that reason, but I actually love books in a rainbow of colours, especially pastels (I need to read more contemporaries!). The only books with white covers I can think of are Throne of Glass, and I only own the audiobooks, so…

Character or plot driven?

I prefer character driven books, I can excuse a predictable or slightly cliche plot if I fall head over heels in love with the characters, but a great plot can rarely save a bunch of 2D, unlikable or boring characters. Witty dialogue trumps thrilling action scenes in my book!

I tag…

Breeny @ Breeny’s Books
Sarah @ Between the Pages
Tanya & Shanya @ Twin Bookmarks
Anyone else who hasn’t done this tag and wants to!

I have so much to tell you all, I’m going to have to do a writing update soon to let you in on what’s been going on in my writing life! I’m off to FRIENDSfest this weekend, which is where the film sets from FRIENDS travel around the world and you can take photos, buy merchandise, and sit on the Central Perk sofa, so I’ll take hundreds of photos and post them here on Sunday so you can all enjoy!

Lyndsey

Review: The Woman in Cabin 10 by Ruth Ware

I’d heard The Woman in Cabin 10 by Ruth Ware mentioned a few times before it popped up as the Audible Daily Deal, and it actually turned out my Mum read it on holiday last year! I love a good thriller/mystery so I downloaded it straight away for when I’d finished The Raven King and needed to dive straight into something easy-listening to stave off the book hangover. It definitely did the trick.

TL;DR Lo Blacklock is a travel journalist on a private, luxury cruise who thinks she witnesses a murder. The only problem is, cabin 10 was always supposed to be empty, and no one else saw the woman before she vanished. Is Lo losing her mind, or is something more sinister going on in the Fjords?

As a big cruise fan I couldn’t wait to listen to this audio book and imagine myself on board the ship, cruising the Norwegian Fjords with the characters. I haven’t done a Fjords cruise yet, but my Mum’s been a few times and I’ve seen the photos, so I could picture the setting no problem. The ship was a little more difficult, as it’s only a ten cabin mini cruise ship, like a large yacht really, but with the same finery inside, just on a smaller scale. I don’t get claustrophobic on cruises, but I can imagine feeling really uncomfortable and panicky on a ship that small with the same ten other people every day, and that’s before the events of the story take place!

The overall feel of the story is very Agatha Christie – a small number of people in a remote location with nowhere to go and no escape from the murderer in their midst. Think And Then There Were None and Murder on the Orient Express. There are also elements of The Girl on the Train, Lo is quite a heavy drinker to begin with and it’s her drinking that leads her to question what she saw and whether she imagined or dreamed the whole thing. It’s well paced and tense throughout, and there are a couple of really surprising twists that I didn’t see coming!

At the beginning of the story, Lo’s flat is burgled while she’s sleeping, and when she gets up to see what’s going on the burglar slams the bedroom door in her face and locks her in. This encounter is pretty terrifying, especially for a woman who often sleeps alone when my husband is away with work (luckily we have a dog so I live in hope she’d scare off any potential attackers). I wanted the burglary at the beginning to have deeper implications than it did, but ultimately it served to put Lo on edge from the very beginning, seeing danger and threats everywhere and explaining some of her reactions later.

In addition, Lo suffers from anxiety and takes medication, which has no bearing on her state of mind at the time of the incident, but is used against her by some of the other characters when they find out. I think this is quite a good representation of the stigma mental health issues can suffer, as well as showing that her mental illness doesn’t impact on the plot or make her an unreliable narrator.

The Woman in Cabin 10 is a pretty easy read, perfect for holiday reading and anyone who likes a good murder mystery a la Christie and Hawkins. Lo isn’t always a very likeable character, she’s quite standoffish and rude, and coupled with her heavy drinking she did remind me of Rachel from The Girl on the Train. Ultimately though, I did find myself rooting for her, as I wanted to know what was really going on onboard the cruise ship and whether she was going to be the next victim, or if it was all an elaborate hoax.

I gave the book 3.5 stars, because I did enjoy it and got through it quite quickly, and the twists towards the end were surprising to me, but it wasn’t quite up to the standard of Gone Girl or The Girl on the Train.

Have you read The Woman in Cabin 10? What did you think? Am I the only one who obsessed over Judah? Please tell me I’m not alone!

Lyndsey

I am a member of the Book Depository affiliate program, so if you click through and buy any of the books mentioned in this blog I might make a little commission, but I am not paid to review books and all reviews are my own opinions!