12 or 20 (second series) questions with Zoë Richards
Zoë Richards is an author and writer, having written for nationalmagazines for many years. She is represented by Clare Coombes of The Liverpool Literary Agency. Her debut novel, Garden of Her Heart, published byUCLan Publishing, is a heartwarming story about recovery, community andpurpose.
Zoë is an experienced speaker, panelfacilitator, and interviewer with experience on radio, including as a pundit onBBC Radio Merseyside for many years, and through being the host of the Write, Damn It! Podcast. She is also experienced at running workshops on topics suchas creative writing, putting yourself out there as an author, handling impostersyndrome, and dealing with writing demons to get the writing done.
With over 30 years of working on mindset,and as a teacher of coaching for more than 25 years, Zoë coaches writers indealing with imposter syndrome, helping them to overcome their demons andblocks, and get the writing done. Much of what she uses on mindset comes fromlived experience, as she is a suicide survivor, and it is through her recoverythat Zoë learned the power of the mind, and a positive approach to life.
During her career, Zoë worked for the NHSfor many years where she managed projects across a range of health servicesincluding those for children and young people with special educational needs.
1- How did your first book change your life? How does your most recent workcompare to your previous? How does it feel different?
Writing Garden of Her Heart, which has atheme of recovery along with community and purpose, helped me deal with thingsgoing on in my own life, such as being a carer for my mum and also for myhusband, and working through my own mental health issues. It has, quiteliterally, changed my life as I find I'm now more chilled than I was beforewriting it. I guess you could say it was cathartic. My latest novel, which is astandalone sequel, was something I needed to finish as I was dealing with mymum's cancer diagnosis and then her death 6 weeks later. So another catharticprocess but for different reasons. In that respect, although there's less of mein this second novel that I've literally just sent off to the publisher, thewriting process still do me a lot of good.
2- How did you come to fiction first, as opposed to, say, poetry or non-fiction?
I've written a lot of non-fiction for work, sowriting fiction has always been a release for me. However I've written poetryor sorts all my life - in fact, I wrote a poem for Garden of Her Heart, and itappears twice.
3- How long does it take to start any particular writing project? Does yourwriting initially come quickly, or is it a slow process? Do first drafts appearlooking close to their final shape, or does your work come out of copiousnotes?
I plot the boundaries of a novel, and play aroundwith who the characters are, what the setting is, and what the key plot pointsare, all before I write anything. As a result, although it's not a detailedplot, I know where the story is going, and so it doesn't take me long to writea first draft. I can write that in 3-4 months, and then I spend about 2 monthsediting it. I've just spent a weekend away at a writing retreat where I wasable to workshop book 3, another sequel to Garden of Her Heart, over 4 days,and I'm aiming to have the first draft completed in under 3 months. I think mycareer of writing huge reports to deadlines must help me with focus anddelivery.
4- Where does work of prose usually begin for you? Are you an author of shortpieces that end up combining into a larger project, or are you working on a"book" from the very beginning?
I work on a book rather than short pieces, though Ido have a notebook that I call 'Where Ideas Go To Grow', which has notes onideas that I can use for short stories or to combine into something bigger. Sofar I've used bits from this notebook for scenes, but nothing more than that.
5- Are public readings part of or counter to your creative process? Are you thesort of writer who enjoys doing readings?
I love doing readings - though not too long, andthat's from personal experience of listening to too many readings from writerswho don't know how to inject any energy to what they're reading. It's an artform to be able to do a good reading, and I've benefitted from being able topractice with my writing tribe, getting feedback on how to energise a reading.I combine my readings with background about the inspirations and themes of thenovel, so that people have a greater understanding of the 500 or so words thatI read. I also find that reading out loud helps us to hear what works and whatdoesn't in our writing, so even if I'm on my own, I will read my work out loud.
6- Do you have any theoretical concerns behind your writing? What kinds ofquestions are you trying to answer with your work? What do you even think thecurrent questions are?
On a personal, writerly level, I'm currentlyworking on understanding what my voice is, as people say it's distinct but Idon't know what it is yet. A friend recently said that it's akin to ourpersonality - others might know and understand my personality better than I domyself, and voice is like that. In terms of concepts within my writing, I'minterested in the masks we were and why we wear them. This could relate tomental health, where you can find people hide what is going on for them untilthey are in crisis, or to neurodiversity where women, for example, mask theirND traits, just as much as it can be about how we play at being differentpeople in different situations.
7– What do you see the current role of the writer being in larger culture? Dothey even have one? What do you think the role of the writer should be?
We have many roles – to entertain, to get peoplethinking, to help people know they’re not alone or to feel seen, and probablymany more. One role that is important to me as a writer is to handlerepresentation with sensitivity whilst also not shying away from the issuesthat need to be covered. For example, in Garden of Her Heart my maincharacter was brought up with coercive control. My editor wanted me to changesomething about the relationship she had with her parents, and because of mylived experience I knew I couldn't do that - I have to be true to the realexperience of coercive control. As a result, I have been contacted by readerswho tell me they feel seen, and I think that's part of my role in my writing.
8- Do you find the process of working with an outside editor difficult oressential (or both)?
I love working with my agent first for an editorialpass, as she is also an editor, and then with my editor at my publisher. Theirperspectives help me to lift the novel to a better place, strengthening mywriting. Both are the kinds of editor who suggest rather than dictate, leavingthe final decisions and the rewrites of scenes to me, which means that thenovel is still my voice. It's hugely beneficial, and I truly think it's a shamethat editors don't get their names alongside the author's, as it's definitelyteamwork.
9- What is the best piece of advice you've heard (not necessarily given to youdirectly)?
I was told by an author at a book event to finishwriting in the middle of a chapter, or at least part way into a chapter, as ithelps you start up again the next day. I can report, it works! When I don't dothis, I can struggle to get going the next day, and worse still if I can'twrite for whatever reason for a few consecutive days.
10- What kind of writing routine do you tend to keep, or do you even have one?How does a typical day (for you) begin?
I retired from employed work at Easter, but beforethen I would get up early and write for an hour before breakfast - that couldbe 5:30am or 6am. Now, my routine is that every day's a writing day, even if Ionly write 10 words. And those 10 words might be a quick pass over a sectionI've already written - I'd not quite call this an edit, but it's a pass over itto make sure it makes sense. I'm finding that now I'm a full-time writer,routine can be my enemy, because it's easy to create rules that I can onlywrite if the set up is right. In fact, I can write anywhere, anytime, anyhow.
11- When your writing gets stalled, where do you turn or return for (for lack ofa better word) inspiration?
Any time I get stuck I go for a walk - preferablyout in nature. My brain starts ticking over and ideas start to flow. I'll oftenplant a question as I start my walk, and leave it to my sub-conscious to do itsthing. I'll also read and chat to friends. The one thing I can say that dullsany inspiration is social media.
12- What fragrance reminds you of home?
I'm not a fragrance person. However I live near thecoast (about a mile from the sea) and we have very fresh air here. So if I gointo a city, like when I visit London, I love to get into a park for a bit sothat I can enjoy slightly fresher air than you get on the crowded,pollution-soaked streets.
13- David W. McFadden once said that books come from books, but are there anyother forms that influence your work, whether nature, music, science or visualart?
Always nature, and I also love visiting our localart gallery in Liverpool - The Walker Art Gallery - and seeing what storiesthere are in paintings. As well as that, I go into cafés and let myself beinspired by people interacting with each other. I love observing real life, andthat’s probably my greatest influence.
14- What other writers or writings are important for your work, or simply yourlife outside of your work?
I don't know that I can pick a single writer, but Ido find that my writing benefits from reading works that are considerablybetter than my own, so that I can learn from how they craft a sentence. If Ihad to pick any writer, though, I'd choose Elizabeth Gilbert or Brené Brown,and happily listen to their books on audio again and again. I also listen tothe radio as you never know what you will learn and how you might use that inthe future.
15- What would you like to do that you haven't yet done?
I don't have much left on my list, as I did 50things in my 50s. I always wanted to go to Iceland to see the aurora borealis,and then when I was in The Lake District earlier this year I was fortunate tosee the most spectacular display. I'm pretty fearless, and if I come up withsomething I want to do, I now just get on with it.
16- If you could pick any other occupation to attempt, what would it be? Or,alternately, what do you think you would have ended up doing had you not been awriter?
I'd love to be an actress - in fact, I've alwayswanted to be an actress who writes. And if I didn't write novels, I'd love tobe able to write a screenplay.
17- What made you write, as opposed to doing something else?
Nothing made me write - it's more a case of I can'tstop myself.
18- What was the last great book you read? What was the last great film?
The last great book I read would be Prima Facie bySuzie Miller - and I saw the film of the play recently too, with Jodie Comer.Wow! Just Wow! It ought to be compulsory viewing for men, and for anyone in thelegal profession. Due to my husband's health, we don't watch many films as hecan't concentrate that long, but a TV series I absolutely love is Slow Horses.That's really clever writing, and so well acted, particularly Gary Oldman asJackson Lamb.
19- What are you currently working on?
I've just handed in book 2 which is a standalonesequel to Garden of Her Heart. I think my publishers like the title, and if so,that will be called Tell It To The Bees. And to stop myself constantly checkingemails to find out what my publisher thinks, I'm working on book 3 which is aChristmas novella in the series. After that, I have a historical crime novelI'd like to get back to, but as I write uplifting bookclub fiction for mypublisher, I might need to carve out some time for working on that.
