Image Credits:-
Many thanks to Lynsey Adams of Reading Between the Lines Book Vlog and Gemma Owen-Kendall for supplying author and book cover pics including from her launch for Red Daisy at The Writers’ Summer School, Swanwick. Other images created in Book Brush using images from Lynsey, Gemma or Pixabay. Screenshots taken by me, Allison Symes, as were the photos of the grounds from The Writers’ Summer School, Swanwick.
As you know, one of my highlights of my writing year is to go to The Writers’ Summer School, Swanwick held at The Hayes in Derbyshire in August. As well as enjoying the fabulous workshops and courses (and having had the privilege of leading some there too), the other biggest joy is in getting to meet other authors.
Why? Because it is so liberating to share the joy of creative writing with others who “get it”. There is no need to explain why you write here. We just do and we share many tips and tales of our writing lives with each other during this event.
In 2024, Gemma Owen-Kendall got to launch her debut novel, Red Daisy, published by SpellBound Books, at The Writers’ Summer School in their wonderful Book Room.
Many congratulations, Gemma, on this and welcome to Chandler’s Ford Today. It is always a joy and privilege to discuss writing journeys with other authors here but before I put some questions to Gemma, please find below her author bio and a blurb for Red Daisy. This interview is part of a book blog tour organised by Lynsey Adams of Reading Between the Lines Book Vlog.
AUTHOR BIOGRAPHY
Gemma is a writer from North East Lincolnshire, UK. Graduated at the University of Lincoln in 2009, she studied a degree in Drama. However years later Gemma has discovered writing is her hobby and passion. She hopes to one day to be able to go back to University to study creative writing. As well as her own writing, Gemma is a huge supporter for writers within her local area.
BLURB
What if the girl who wore the red coat fell in love with the wolf?
Grace Kennedy was once a quiet teenage girl, growing up in a rural area with her parents. When Grace turns sixteen, she moves to a new town to live with her grandparents to study a diploma in Dance at the local college.
It’s there that Grace’s life changes when she meets the polite and charming Daniel and also encounters the dark and mysterious Ben.
But are both boys truly who they say they are…
Dealing with the sudden strange events happening to her and a complicated love triangle, Grace’s world implodes when she learns that werewolves and spellcasters do truly exist.
That sounds an amazing plot, Gemma. I love fairytales and Red Daisy sounds perfect for any adult who still loves reading them. But now over to the questions.
1. Can you share how you discovered a love for creative writing? What drove you to write your own tales? And why fantasy and fairytales especially?
I have always loved to write since I was at primary school. My English teacher, Mrs June Evans, encouraged me to keep on writing. She always told me I had such an active and wild imagination. My Dad has also helped me with my influence for the fantasy genre as he introduced me to Warhammer Fantasy Battles. The characters from this game helped to develop my fantasy imagination.
2. Red Daisy is the kind of book I love reading given I write what I call fairytales with bite in flash fiction and short story formats. I see these as those fantastical stories which appeal to adults, who know fairytales are anything but twee. Where does your own love of the fairytale come from? Why did you focus on Little Red Riding Hood here – what was it which made you realise your book had to draw on this particular fairytale for inspiration? Would you say it was your favourite fairytale? What is it you love most about fairytales in general?
As a child my parents would read bedtime stories to me and my sisters. These would often be fairytales. Also Walt Disney over the years has helped with its influence of their own fairytale films. I believe this probably helped develop my love for fairytale retellings. One of the first fairytale retellings I read was Hunted by Meagan Spooner (a Beauty and the Beast retelling).
I chose Little Red Riding Hood as I was influenced by the film Red Riding Hood (2011 starring Amanda Seyfried) as well as my love for the Twilight films. The idea of my own adaptation of Red Riding Hood came to me one day in 2013 whilst I was out driving and wearing a red coat.
3. How long did it take you to write and edit Red Daisy? What did you learn from the editing process? How did you find SpellBound Books, your publisher? Can you share something of your writing journey to date and to your launch at Swanwick 2024? What have you found to be the most useful advice when preparing for book launches?
I first started writing Red Daisy back in 2013 after having my epiphany. It was a long process as I was at a full time job as well as doing promotions and events work casually. I had to try find time to fire up my laptop and write more for this book. During the first lockdown in March 2020 I was furloughed from my job so this gave me the time to write. I used all this extra free time to focus on completing the book.
It was originally titled Girl In The Red Coat. It was first edited by Fallon Gold, a local editor from my area, I believe she did a brilliant job on editing my book. In January 2021 I was furloughed yet again so I self-published Girl In The Red Coat. This book has always been my baby. However I felt like it needed more to it. I wanted this book to reach many readers internationally.
I was lucky to have my chance meeting with Sumaira and Nikki from Spellbound Books Ltd during Swanwick Writers Summer School (August 2023). Sumaira was kind enough to download the book onto her Kindle and read it that way. I was over the moon she enjoyed it and asked if I could do another two book follow on from it. At this moment in time I’m working on book two titled Black Rose.
My writing journey has faced many challenges including to the points where I believe I’m not good enough and will readers enjoy my stories.
Allison: It may be some small comfort but most writers do have these moments. Imposter Syndrome is a pain to all. You have to hold on to the belief you can do it. The support of other writers helps so much here.
Gemma: I was over the moon with my book launch at Swanwick 2024. Everyone was so supportive of my book and I ensured I had plenty of copies for the day of its official release. They all sold out which I didn’t expect. I did also arrange for a local book launch in Cleethorpes in September 2024 so my family and friends could attend. I had organised an in-person conversation with a talented poetic performer, Pete Cullum.
4. What do you love most of all about the writing process? Do you like editing or see it as a necessary evil? Can you share three marketing tips you’ve found useful?
First of all, promote your book before it is even finished. Do this through your social media platforms. Get your readers hyped up for your upcoming book. Once your book is on sale, post the hell out of it for the first week, then gradually to once a week to then once a month. I also love being a part of book tours and believe this is a brilliant marketing strategy to promote your book.
As for editing, to me it is a necessary evil but it must be done. I always miss and overlook things which is why I try to get a couple of beta readers to read my WIPs.
5. What brought you to The Writers’ Summer School, Swanwick? What have you enjoyed most here? What would you recommend other writers look for in schools like this, workshops etc in general? What do you look to “get” from a workshop? I look to learn, of course, but what I love about Swanwick is how writers support and encourage each other here. How do you support other writers in your area? This is so important given we are writing away at our desks alone for so much of our time. I know I’ve greatly appreciated the support I’ve had along the way (and still do).
Thanks go to Joy Wood and Dave Bromley who both introduced me to Swanwick Writers Summer School. I know they both have been coming to Swanwick for a number of years. My first time at the Summer School was in August 2022. I booked on a part time basis just to dip my toe in and see what it was all about. I loved it and couldn’t wait to book for the full duration the following year. I do also love how supportive and encouraging other writers are at Swanwick.
I’m a big supporter of local writers in my area of North East Lincolnshire. Since March 2019 I have volunteered my time every Tuesday evening to run a writers night. It is called The Globe Writers. The name was founded from the coffee shop in Cleethorpes where my writing group began. It was called The Globe Coffee Shop. Sadly this place closed in October 2023 but my writing group has rehomed twice since but continues to meet on Tuesday evenings.
6. You self published before going to SpellBound Books, including your Innocent Times, which again is very strong on the fairytale/other world elements. Now there you wrote short stories and flash fiction (which are of course brilliant to do!), but how did you find the transition to writing the longer form work, Red Daisy. (Link for Innocent Times).
Thank you for mentioning Innocent Times. This was the first book I released (May 2020). I had a notebook full of short stories and thought I would put a collection of them together into a book and see if readers liked what I wrote. I do find the transition from writing longer difficult as I start a story and can go on longer with it but then when I want to write longer it always ends shorter. I can never find a right balance.
7. Both short and long form fiction have their own joys and challenges and some authors can do both, others focus on one. Did you know from the start you would write both forms? Or was Red Daisy a natural development from having written short stories? I know authors where one idea would not go away and needed more than the short story form to do it justice.
I always wanted Red Daisy to be more of novel than a short story. However in my book Innocent Times, the first short story inside that is part of an idea I eventually want to go back to and develop into a longer piece of fiction.
8. What drew you to writing for the Young Adult market? Which books and stories for YA have most appealed to you and why?
One of my first YA books I read was Philip Pullman’s His Dark Materials. This developed my love for Young Adult books and films. I truly loved the Twilight Saga by Stephenie Meyer.
9. Now Red Daisy is Book 1 in your Spellcaster Trilogy. How are you progressing with the other two books in the series? What have you found so far to be the joys and challenges of writing a series? Do you have to have a spreadsheet, or something like that, to help you ensure characters are portrayed correctly throughout (e.g. no sudden changing of eyes or hair colour etc)? When do you hope the other books, especially Book 2, will be out? And how do you fit in writing amongst the other demands on your time? I have to plan out when I’m writing so I can make best use of the slots I have available. What do you find works for you?
I just write on the spot. If I get an idea it tends to stick with me. I’m currently working on Book 2 of the Spellcasters Trilogy. I have got the first chapter about completed and I also have the ending in concrete. I know I will have to have a copy of Red Daisy to hand to ensure my characters are still portrayed correctly. If I can complete Book 2 quite soon I’m hoping it will be released later this year.
10. I’ve long thought characters make or break a story. I’ve got to get behind the characters and will them on to win, or in the case of a villain, will them on to lose! But what you are your thoughts on the character -v- plot debate? Yes, you do need strong characters and a strong plot, but I take the view without the characters, there is no plot but I know others think from the plot comes the characters! So where do you stand here? And, confession time, who are your own favourite characters? Who are your favourite characters written by other writers and what draws you to them?
I always tend to write my main character to include traits of myself and also traits of what I wish I could have done back in my teenage years. Like in most books someone has to win and someone has to lose. I know this always brings a shock to readers but I hate having to kill a character off. Sadly one of my co-characters dies in Red Daisy and I will give a small tiny spoiler, a character from Red Daisy will also die in Book 2. (That is all I will share for now).
Allison: Quite right too, no spoilers here!
11. Last but not least, do share something of where you hope your writing journey will take you. What one piece of advice has helped you keep going during the tougher times?
I’m hoping my writing journey will take me to having my love of writing as a full time job. Or ideally as a part time job at least and still work part time doing what I’m currently doing. I have just left one job and I will be starting my new job on 27th January. My new job has better working hours so I’m hoping I will have more time to fit in some writing on a weekly basis.
What has kept me going during tougher times is my writing group. As much as I support them, they all support me as well. They have all kept me going when times have been tough for me, I have blossomed many friendships with my regular members.
Conclusion
Many thanks, Gemma, for a fabulous interview. Good luck and congratulations on the publication of Red Daisy. Please see below for buy and social media links.
SOCIAL MEDIA LINKS
Instagram – Gemma Owen-Kendall
Related Posts:-
Read interviews with Chandler’s Ford writer Allison Symes: Part 1 and Part 2.
Read blog posts by Allison Symes published on Chandler’s Ford Today.
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