I have an obsession with social history and how it effects people. So, who would I invite for dinner?
My first pick would be Elizabeth I, Queen of England. To have her at my table, and learn about all the social upheavals in her life would be fascinating.
My second choice, would be Neil Armstrong, to learn about space travel and discuss the mysteries of what could be there for us to find.
Lastly, my own father, who died too young, to see me become the person I developed into in recent years. To have him see me reach inside myself and pull out creativity, that he knew was there, would be immeasurable. Unfortunately, his untimely death is my one true regret in life.
The advent of e-books has, in my opinion, opened to world of books and learning to many more people. They are generally more affordable and accessible to the masses. Also, people are living in smaller spaces, and books take space! To have stories and facts stored electronically on a hand-held device is amazing.
The cover and title of a book, is the first thing that hits a potential buyer. We are visual creatures and our eye only drifts to the synopsis on the back cover or inside flap, if we get past that first hurdle. Covers need to be interesting and the colors used follow trends like any other consumable in the marketplace. As a watercolor artist, I know that certain colors have particular meaning and definition.
Yes. All the time. You get spurts of creativity in whatever art form you practice. You can't and shouldn't force yourself to write, you will only be disappointed with the results and probably delete from your device.
The best solution, I have found, is go and do something else totally different. Try going for a walk, yard work, clean your bathroom! Anything to draw the mind into another realm.
I learnt to read at a very early age, and devoured books with increasing speed. The first book, I read on my own was Roland Dahl's "Charlie and the Chocolate Factory". The whole elevator that could move sideways as well as up and down, fascinated me. The descriptions of the chocolate river and the interactive TV! Wouldn't that be fun?
I started writing about age 8 or 9, and mainly wrote poetry. We spent most summers in Stockholm with my grandparents, and I recall one such summer in the late 70s writing a ton of short stories and poetry.
I did not write for many years, too busy building a career in London, and paying the bills! It was not until I emigrated to America in 2002, that I began to revisit my creativity once more. First through my jewelry design and watercolor paintings and then eventually finding in 2018, a long "lost" first chapter of a book. This chapter is now in first draft status of my full length novel "The Remains of Men".
It's only happened a few times, but each time, I feel humbled and appreciative that people say they enjoy reading my short stories. I still feel the "imposter syndrome" and find it hard to believe that I've published two standalone books and been included in two anthologies.
