Medeas Wray
| Author Interview Form | |
| Tell us your name and where you’re from.: |
Medeas Wray – UK |
| What led to your decision to become an author?: |
I’ve spent my life as a professional writer – copywriter, writer&researcher in short documentary-style video films, marketing executive, information worker etc – but always promised myself I’d turn to fiction some day when the time was right. It’s difficult to do when you’re commissioned to write other stuff and that’s your day job, though I always used to try – and fail. I wrote some short stories which were OK when I was younger, worked for the local newspaper when I was still at school writing the odd bit here and there, did a few other journalism gigs but my author voice was never really there. In recent times, I had something of a breakthrough – it seems fairly obvious now that I’m through that – but I think I was waiting for some inspiration to come from on high and get me going. Then I realized, you have to have some idea of what it is you want to write about, what the story is and the way it’s going to go, how you want to write it, how it wants to be written – and start from there. So now that’s what I do, I write, for me, primarily, to discover where that story will take me – and hopefully for other people’s enjoyment and entertainment. I’d like to make a bit of money from doing that – but so far I’m not holding my breath. |
| Tell us about what you’re currently working on, and what you’ve written in the past.: |
At the moment I’m working on a follow-up to my crime thriller-paranormal novel currently at Amazon/Kindle/other major e-publishers through Smashwords – another e-publication and to be called The Big Maybe, the second in what’s going to be The Eaters of Light series (sci-fi, paranormal crime thriller.) I’ve also got another e-book called The Big Crunch at Amazon/Kindle/etc which is what you’d call urban noir, lad lit, full of shady deeds and humour whilst conveying some dark themes. And then there’s Jabberworky & The Other Odd Story – just recently put up on Amazon/Kindle as an e-book through the Kindle Select scheme and therefore exclusive to them for the next three months. It’s priced at $2.99 like the other two but will be available FREE between June 5th and June 9th so I hope to see readers going for it – and enjoying it. Jabberworky is just 6 chapters long, set in London in the year thirteen hundred and ninety blob on the day of the hanging of Lambkin Simwort, dubious local pie-maker (and old Mrs Cartwright and Mr Slophammer gone missing from the neighbourhood – conclusions have been drawn.) Hope you like it, it’s there for everyone from 16+ – and there’s the other short story thrown in. As for the new book, the one I’m working on right now, it’s going |
| What are some of your strongest points as a writer, and what if anything are you constantly working to improve upon?: |
I actually think I’m a good writer if that doesn’t sound too boastful. I work hard for my readers, I edit and edit and edit, I proofread, I research, I do all I can to improve and I think I’m growing as a writer all the time. My weaknesses are – a tendency to be too verbose (see above for proof, to over-write) and I’m trying to work on that now, taking lessons from people like James Patterson and Stephen King (not personally, you understand.) |
| Are you self published, traditionally published or both? Why did you choose to go that route?: |
I decided to e-publish after doing some research into how difficult it was to get traditionally published in print – though print is not an option I’d ignore if I got the opportunity. E-publishing on Amazon/Kindle/other major e-publishers is of course free, getting a book cover isn’t too difficult and one big advantage is that they’re open 24/7 across the globe for readers everywhere to find. (The disadvantage is that there are millions of title to chose from and your book can get swamped and lost in all of that – and that you have to do self-marketing which most of us writers aren’t good at.) |
| What format are your books available in? Which of these formats do you prefer and why?: |
I believe it’s available in most e-pub formats. That’s all I know. |
| How do you go about marketing your books?: |
Word of mouth, Twitter, joining with other authors and readers, business cards, my web-site at: http;//www.medeaswray.com, trying to pick the right categories for your books on Amazon/Kindle etc Connecting with people like #IAN and getting exposure at sites like yours and @ourawesomegang.com, posting samples of work @writerscafe |
| Have you ever had to deal with harsh criticism in a review, and how do you handle it?: |
I think all criticism is actually useful if you can actually sit back and listen to it – though that’s not always easy. It could be that the process of time actually helps it sink in. |
| What are your favorite genres to both read and write?: |
Favourite genres are fantasy, hard-boiled detective crime thrillers, urban noir though I also like Scandi noir, speculative fiction and some weird fiction. |
| What authors have influenced or inspired you?: |
Mervyn Peake: The Gormenghast Trilogy, Lawrence Durrell ‘The Alexandria Quartet’, Franz Kafka, Herman Hesse, Kurt Vonnegut, Iain Banks, Martin Amis, Val McDiurmud, Ian Rankin, John Steinbeck, H.P. Lovecraft, Gore Vidal, George MacDonald Fraser, Anthony Burgess, William Gibson, Stephen King, James Ellory and John Grisham – and so many others there’s not enough space. |
| What kinds of things do you enjoy doing when you’re not writing?: |
I watch all kinds of movies, try and keep up to date, TV also – currently into Game of Thrones, Da Vincis Demons, Vikings, The Blacklist. Otherwise, I just meet up with friends, read and I like traveling but don’t get to do enough of it. |
| What software do you use for your writing? Did you try others before you settled on the one you’re currently using?: |
Just Windows Word – it suits me. (I’m not very geeky – or at least like that.) |
| What is it that you like about the software you’re currently using that makes it the best solution for you?: |
It’s easy to use and does the job I need it to do. |
| What’s the best advice you could possibly give to your fellow authors?: |
As Stephen King says in his book ‘On Writing’ – I’m paraphrasing ‘write with the door shut, edit with the door open.’ Write because you want to but think about your readers. |
| Where can people find out more about you and your books?: |
My web-site is; http://www.medeaswray.com for further details, news and my simple and free guide to e-formatting for other writers: otherwise just go to Amazon and search for The Big Crunch, Down To Zero and/or Jabberworky by Medeas Wray and you’ll find me. There’s also an author-profile up there – and at Smashwords too and @IAN. Some samples of work are at @writerscafe right now. Or find me on Twitter @medeaswray. |
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The series is now in the KDP Select program on Amazon, and the first free promo day for Origins is Sunday, June 8th.
So what does this mean? Well, it’s available exclusively through Amazon for at least the next 90 days, and every so often I’ll be running a free promo of the first book and doing countdown deals on the rest of the series. These will be announced well in advance.
I’ll be running the first free promo on the first book of the series on Sunday the 8th for anyone who wants to head on over and pick it up.
Also, just as a reminder, I will be offering the books in other formats if you need them. The books are natively written in the .epub format and often have minor formatting errors when converted by Amazon to the .mobi format. So if you see any small formatting issues in the books, that’s why. If you do want the books in any other format, just send me a copy of your Amazon receipt and I’d be happy to e-mail you whatever format you require.
By Duane • Uncategorized 0