Interview with Betty Woodcock

Are all your books based on the supernatural?

No. My next novel Deception Unlimited is a switch of genre to suspense/mystery.....not a ghost in sight. None of the characters are exactly as they seem, even the dog!!!!!!!

Do you have a favourite book? If so, which one and why?

This is difficult to answer. I'm more of a favourite author person. I became hooked on Georgette Heyer's historical romances in my teens. I found the aristocrats' formal manners and glamorous life fascinating especially the time they spent on meaningless trivialities. I still read them from time to time, to relax. Another long-term favourite is Dick Francis and on my ever-changing list is Kate Atkinson, Stuart Macbride, Wendy Cartmell, Phil Rickman....

What made you want to write?

I've always been a reader of anything and everything...when I realised that after the final page the stories continued in my head I decided to have a go myself. As my schoolgirl ambition was to illustrate books my first attempt at storytelling combined the two, comic-strip style.

When did you start writing?

When I was nearing retirement I began writing as a hobby for my own amusement. I became a member of a Writing Group and was surprised that my work was considered good enough to submit to publishers and it has snowballed from there.

Did you have to do some research into performing exorcisms for Shifting Shadows?

Yes. I knew next to nothing about the subject and wanted to be as realistic as possible.

Has it been difficult writing any of your books? if so, can you explain why?

I hope I'm not tempting fate, but I've never had any difficulty writing. I know the beginning and the end of the story and the characters kind of take over and tumble in and out of situations and problems to reach the finishing line....with a little guidance, of course!



What do your family think about having a writer in the family?

A mix of shock and pride of Mum being on Amazon....especially when my first novel The Pram was a runaway success, reaching #1 in thrillers and stayed in the top 100 downloads of various categories for several weeks.

Taking Shifting Shadows for example. How long did it take you to write it?

Shifting Shadows, my first full length novel, was written ten years ago and took two years to write. Obviously, a few minor points needed updating to drag it into the present day. In all, the final polish from resurrection to the published version has taken me a total of eighteen months.

Your books seem to show lots of conflict between families. Was this deliberate?

Yes. My characters are people; people have families and giving them dysfunctional ones allows scope for comedy, pathos and problems! I hasten to add that that isn't a reflection of my own family or those of my friends.

Do you write for adults or for teenagers? Do you know who reads your books?

I primarily write for adults, although I have considered the young adult audience. Who reads my books? I have no idea! I've had more downloads in the U.S. than the U.K. and a few in Europe.

What do you enjoy the most about writing?

I like creating  characters and giving them a life with difficult situations to overcome. The only downside is that writing is a solitary and time-consuming occupation.

Where do you get your ideas?

Observation. Snippets of overheard conversation which generate "What if?" or maybe a news report or chance memory...my mind is always full of ideas waiting to meld together, to mix and match and create a story.

Deception Unlimited is Betty's next novel which will be reviewed in August 2013. Watch this space.................................................................



 
 
 
Betty Woodcock. 2013.
 
COPYRIGHT 2013. Permission must be obtained from the author to reproduce any part of this interview.
 

Comments

  1. Carol Naylor20 January 2013 at 08:05

    I feel really honoured to feature on your blog.

    Betty Woodcock, writer. January 2013.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Carol Naylor21 January 2013 at 09:56

      I enjoyed it. Thanks very much for your time. Keep writing.

      Delete

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

A Stranger From Lagos by Cyprian Ekwensi

Image
  image courtesy of Google images   Ekwensi was born in Nigeria in 1921. He wrote about the country and people of Nigeria-city life and life in the rural areas. Loko Towns and Other Stories was published in 1966. A Stranger From Lagos was one of the nine stories in that collection.   The writer explores the place of women in society. Lilian is trapped by social conventions. Her fiance treats her like a possession as if he owns her. It is written in third person to allow the writer's thoughts to merge with Lilian's. The protagonist is unable to speak to the stranger in public although it is obvious that there is a strong physical attraction between the two. If Lilian asserts herself she will go against social conventions (for females) and her reputation will be damaged through rife and unhealthy gossip. She will therefore be stigmatised as a loose woman. The story explores her inner conflicts in accepting these "conventions" or flaunting them as well ...
Read more

A Stranger From Lagos by Cyprian Ekwensi Final Part

Image
                                                                    courtesy of Google images Lilian uses her sexuality to liberate as well as attract the opposite sex. Ekwensi uses "wiggled." Lilian had just had her hair done and was wearing very large, loop earrings. This had been done for her lover's benefit. She was conscious of all the eyes watching the two of them. The writer uses the simile: she felt like something projected on a 3D screen for all Onitsha to view. We are told very little about the stranger other than that he was tall and good-looking. We are told he didn't feel embarrassed by all of the attention. He would ruin her reputation...
Read more

A Bit of Singing and Dancing by Susan Hill

Image
Here you'll find 11 varied but intense stories about emotional struggles of ordinary people trying to get to grips with life. For some unfortunates, the adjustment is too great and tragedy is inevitable, something very characteristic of Hill's writing as many of you will already know. A Bit of Singing and Dancing is less dramatic and not quite so tragic. I can stay out here just as long as I like, I can do anything I choose, anything at all, for now I am answerable only to myself. Esme is still coming to terms with her mother's death and her new-found freedom. She is over 50 years of age and has reluctantly been forced into caring for her forthright and domineering bedridden mother for 11 years prior to her death. She had been half-alive satisfying her mother's needs and repressing her own needs and desires. Her mother's death had given her a new lease of life, an unexpected freedom which also attracted fear and bewilderment to someone who had been so sheltered...
Read more