Thank you #FosterAnAuthor2 without you I wouldn't have got the chance to interview the amazing Lisa Fulham - she cracked me up.
Can you tell us a little bit about yourself?
I’m a Manc lass who sounds more like she’s
from Yorkshire and loves all things 90’s. I’m
thirty four, been married for fourteen years and have a thirteen year old
daughter. Oh...and I like to write stories J
What do you do when you are not writing?
Hummm! Work, be a mum/wife, try to see
friends, run a Breast Cancer awareness campaign, read and I’ve just started to
learn how to knit. As you can see, I don’t do well with sitting still.
Was English your favourite subject at school? (I sucked
at it lol)
It was certainly in my top three. During my
last two years in high school my English teachers saw my passion and
understanding of literature and pushed me to sit a higher paper in my G.C.S.E
(End of high school exams here in the UK) exam. I actually became pen friends
with one of my teachers who moved away for a few years after I left school.
What did you want be when you were growing up?
A car sales rep of all things. I know that
sounds a little left field, but my big brother is a mechanic and growing up he
was my hero. I wanted to grow up to be just like him, but didn’t like the
prospect of oil stained hands so car sales seemed a logical route.
I never became a care sales rep and at
thirty four I still don’t have my driver’s licence. Life took a few turns and
it’s been the best rollercoaster I could have imagined.
When did you first start writing and when did you finish
your first book?
I started writing in 2012 with six word
poems on twitter which grew to longer poetry and short stories and I shared
them on my blog. My first book was completed and self published in 2013.
Where do you get your ideas?
Life. Some stories have come to me from
seeing a simple picture, one came to me from a wedding invitation,
conversations I’ve had; a few poems have been inspired by walking down the
canal near my house in different seasons. Inspiration can be found anywhere if
you’re mind is open to it.
Do you work with an outline, or just write?
Mostly I tend to scribble notes, bullet
points and bits of storylines and dialogue as I fly by the seat of my pants,
but some stories require research and a plan sort of forms around the
information I gather. I’ve never written a full storyboard for a book, but for
two of my WIP’s I have character bio’s with details of their looks, personality
and desires.
Is there any particular author or book that influenced
you in any way either growing up or as an adult?
In my mid teens I discovered an author
called Kate Cann who I idolised. The way she made me care about her characters
was like no other authors had done before. As I got older authors like J.K
Rowling, Dan Brown and Tony Parsons created worlds with their words I found
spellbinding. Once I discovered the world of indie authors Cameron Lincoln and
Paige Thomas helped me make my dream of being an author a reality.
Name 5 favourite authors.
Other than the ones I’ve listed above
C S Lewis
W H Auden (He’s a poet, but I hope it still
)
Roald Dhal
Stephanie Meyers
Philip Pullman
What's your favourite all time book and why?
See, I’m not sure anyone can really have
just one favourite book. What you connect with changes with your mood. One of
my favourite books not by any of the authors I’ve already mentioned is The
Curious Incident With The Dog In The Night Time by Haddon Mark. Here’s the
blurb for anyone who may like to read it:
Narrated by a 15-year-old autistic savant
obsessed with Sherlock Holmes, this dazzling novel weaves together an
old-fashioned mystery, a contemporary coming-of-age story, and a fascinating
excursion into a mind incapable of processing emotions.
Can you tell us about your challenges in getting your
first book published?
I self publish all my work so the technical
difficulty is no harder than uploading files and pressing publish. I have tech
knowledgeable people to get those files in the format I need which leaves me to
press a few buttons. The real challenges come from within your-self more than
anything. Self doubt plays a big part in writing and publishing your work not
only for the world to enjoy, but also review and criticise; pushing though all
that is the biggest challenge by far.
How do you market your work?
Poorly lol. In all seriousness I am very
bad at the marketing side of my own work. I can scream and shout from the
rooftops about other author’s work I love, but when it comes to my own work I’m
not very good.—having said that, I do try. I’ve hosted release events, taken
part in takeovers, ran thunderclaps and promotions.
Is anything in your book based on real life experiences
or purely all imagination?
There are people and experiences from my
real life which have slipped into my work along with a few of my own personal
fantasies. I always try to write real people with real lives and problems so it
makes sense to look at the people and lives around you for inspiration.
What was your favourite chapter (or part) to write and
why?
Three things stick out in my mind for this
question
The line: She was here for her first
spanking, not to rip his Gucci suit to shreds and fuck upon its remains. – Out
on Business
The journey of self confidence my female
lead takes in the story Lust Through a Lens
My poems The Stalk Her and The Haunted
Asylum
All three of these gave me wow! Did I
really just write that moments.
How do you come up with a title?
Titles just kindda jump out at me, writing
blurbs is much harder.
Do you write using pen and paper or laptop?
A bit of both. If I’m writing one part and
something springs to mind for another point in the story then I’ll write it
down. When I’m editing I need to print my work out and it becomes a mess of
highlighted lines, notes scribbled in the margins and a notebook with numbered
sections to be added into the book at various stages.
When writing do you need silence or background noise?
When I’m writing I tend to listen to Oasis,
being from Manchester
What project are you working on now?
I’m sort of on hiatus at the minute, but I
have two main WIP’s floating in the background.
Are there certain characters you would like to go back
to, or is there a theme or idea you’d love to work with?
I love creating new characters so I don’t
go back to characters and really don’t ever see myself writing sequels or
trilogies. As for themes I just go with my imagination; whatever inspires me I
run with.
Any author you'd like to collaborate with? What type of
book would you write with them?
There are a few authors I’d love to write
with and I’d write whatever they wanted if it meant I got to work with them.
Cameron Lincoln
H A Robinson
Victoria L James
Kate Cann
What has been the toughest criticism given to you as an
author?
I was referred to as a romantic author and
it made me feel dirty lol When I think of romance I think Mills & Boon.
What has been the best compliment?
People connecting with my poetry. I pour so
much of my soul, my own pain and happiness into my poetry and to know another
have connected with it is lifting and humbling at the same time.
Do you have any advice to give to aspiring writers?
To quote a famous sports company. . . Just
Do It. You’ll never know if you can unless you try. Read, read and read some
more and not only in the genre you want to write in either. By expanding your
reading material you open yourself to new language, styles and worlds.
Is there anything that you would like to say to your
readers and fans?
As small as it sounds I’d simply like to
say thank you. Thank you for taking a chance on me and the worlds I’ve created,
thank you for wanting to get to know me better and thank you for waiting for my
next work.
Tell us a big dark secret?
Everyone is crazy and the world is our
asylum.
Ebook or paperback?
Paperback. Holding a book is a beautiful
thing. I still read ebooks, but paperbacks are a slight addiction for me.
Have you ever gone out in public with your shirt on
backwards, or your slippers on, and when realizing it, just said screw it?
I once went out to dinner with friends and
my dress was not only on inside out but it was also backwards.
Are you a person who makes their bed in the morning, or
do you not see much point?
This is a constant argument with me and
hubs. I HAVE to have the bed made in the morning because it feels so much nicer
to get into a made bed at night.
Do you get road rage?
I don’t drive, but I get road rage as a
pedestrian. I just don’t know how some people actually managed to obtain a
drivers licence.
Light or dark chocolate?
Milk Chocolate rocks and I eat far too much
of it #Chocoholic
Tea or coffee?
Tea mostly as I have to drink decaf coffee
due to migraines.
The light side or dark side?
When it comes to Star Wars I’m Light side
all the way, but in life I believe we need the dark side in order to truly
appreciate the light.
Dogs or cats?
Dogs all the way. Cats are evil which is
why witches have them.
What's your favourite colour?
Purple.
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