Recently I was surprised and thrilled when contacted by NFReads.com, a general interest website with an “Author Interviews” section, featuring both fiction and nonfiction authors. Authors from a wide variety of backgrounds, genres and writing experience – such as a Pennsylvania state representative who debuted with mental health-themed science fiction, a former NASA space missions spokeswoman with over 25 children’s educational books, and a UK politician-turned-thriller-writer with 330 million book sales, have contributed their experiences of writing, creativity and publishing. “We constantly scour the web for interesting authors with inspiring stories and would love to publish an interview about your writings” the email said. At the time, I was deep in revising my current manuscript, tentatively called Florence & Lucy, which explores the relationship between illegitimacy and inter-generational trauma, and the resultant disadvantage and poverty – in this case, by following the true lives of my grandmother and great-aunt, so I set the request aside for the moment.
Well I’m pleased to say my manuscript is back with my professional editor, and I turned my attention to the NFReads Author Review. It was a perfect opportunity to cast my mind back to how I had written my first (and so far only) book, I Belong to No One. Florence and Lucy, when finished, will be a prequel to I Belong to No One.
Thank you NFReads for reaching out to me, and here is a link to the article on their website.
https://www.nfreads.com/interview-with-author-gwen-wilson/
The Reluctant Retiree 
Catching up on posts, Gwen. Very much enjoyed your interview. xx ps. love your new photo.
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This interview is a perfect piece of advice or a ‘how to…’ for upcoming writers.
My grandfather was illegitimate. His mother’s family were from the south of England, near battle. She from a middle to upper class family. When she fell pregnant, she was shipped off to the ‘colonies’ – alone. When my mother visited England several years ago, she made contact with the family but when they found out about her lineage they became frosty and exclusive. It was clear that she was most unwelcome…even several generations later. How pathetic!
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Hi Lynda, I think this comment came from you? Not always easy to see the origin when it’s not from another WordPress blogger. It’s an amazing story, isn’t it. And so typical of the era. X Gwen
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That is so generous of you to share your working method and to write candidly for this kind of in-depth interview particularly one slipping in a few tricky questions.
When I got to ‘How do you deal with creative block?’ I smiled and said to myself does everybody do their difficult thinking in the shower – I certainly do. P.S That stylish hair looks a fabulous colour in the banner photo especially with the red jacket.
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Thank you for such lovely feedback. Bill didn’t think everyone would detect the last part about moving here was a joke 🙂
The hair colour is just from that purple conditioner so common these days. Blondes use it I think, to stop going brassy. But at home I have to leave it in for 20 minutes to get the effect – and who has time? It works more quickly in the salon for some reason.
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Well, that’s new to me. I must ask my daughter if she knows about purple conditioner. It certainly works well on your hair.
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Terrific, Gwen!
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Thank you GP !
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And GP you might like this https://wordpress.com/post/paolsoren.wordpress.com/18007
As long as Gwen doesn’t mind me taking a ride on her post.
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for some reason that link brings me to my own “Make a new post” page.
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Good
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Same for me. I suspect John has linked while being logged in to his account. He’s taking a look at it.
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Thank you, Gwen.
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I don’t. But the link is not working.
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I wonder if you sent it while you were logged in to your WordPress account as if you were about to write a new post.
Can you find the published post and link to that?
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I shall have a look/
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This interview is just what I would expect from you, Gwen – honest, insightful, generous, thorough. The photograph is lovely, too
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You are always so kind and supportive, it brings a tear to my eye. Never too old to be transported back to those times …
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X
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Atta Girl! Wonderful interview, Gwen.
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Thank you Don.
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In the NFReads you mentioned your forgiveness of your mother: that has always been something I thought was quite pivotal.
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It was an odd word to choose, wasn’t it? Because how was any of it her fault – so why did she need forgiving? Perhaps the sub-text was I forgave myself for the bitterness and loss I felt. Not that I thought of it that way at the time.
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But you did make it clear that it wasn’t really her fault. The forgiving was that of the daughter and not that of the grown woman that the daughter became. But I think we could spend hours, couldn’t we.
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Thank you for reminding me of that. Wise words.
Hey – haven’t we got hours? We’re both in lockdown aren’t we?
But in fact I am busy, busy. Today’s project is about Emily Darvall Paterson. Heard of her? First cousin to Banjo Paterson. Born in the same year. Raised in the same house at times. Founder of the After Care Association (now Stride). Blind from a young age, but went on to become a composer. I went to the State Library NSW and took photos of her work. I’m trimming them up now and hoping to send them to one of the professors at the NSW Conservatorium of Music who I met recently.
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Yes, we’ve got hours. And I have a 70,000 word draft of a book that I finished six months ago and I need an editor and don’t know how to find one. Apart from which I don’t know if it’s any good. My daughter is an editor but I can’t give it to her.
But I am having fun creating Anton.
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There are many types of edit. Depending on what you want to do with your book, you probably need a manuscript assessment at this time. Editing’s not cheap, but this is a good starting point for reasonable dollars. I’d start with Writers Victoria. https://www.writersvictoria.org.au/support/manuscript-assessments
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Thank you Gwen.
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You were born to be a writer!
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