One of the newcomers to Inklings Press this time around is Jessica Holmes - she stopped by for a chat with Inklings Press about her work, her inspirations and music!
Hi Jess, good to catch up with you - and even better to have you featured in our latest anthology! First question for Jessica - this is the second time you've been published, you were also in Havok Magazine, but how long have you been writing seriously with the aim of getting published?
Let's see...well, I started querying a novel last summer, and last autumn I thought it would be a good idea to return to short stories while working on another novel and waiting for responses from agents. I decided to get them as polished as I could and send them off, because I figured it couldn't hurt. So...a few months?
We really loved your story for our anthology - one of our other writers even said he felt a little intimidated because you both wove stories around slightly similar themes! But for readers of this Q&A I think it's worth a quick note that you were very quickly our first pick to close out the collection, because your closing line is just, just perfect. But tell us, what's this about novels?
The
one I'm querying is a YA with speculative elements, basically about a
girl who, while the country has issues, like Agents roaming about
looking to banish fugitives, she's got her own problems to deal with.
Two deaths and a mysterious disappearance later,
she'll rethink her priorities. The one I'm working on right now is a
fantasy, about the daughter of the owner of a huge smuggling fleet. When
she saves her mother from an assassination attempt, her mother decides
it's time to start getting ready for retirement. Big things lurk on the
horizon though, and securing the future of the fleet will be far from
plain sailing. Also, technology uses magic. Flying pirate ships, guys.
Flying pirate ship smuggling goodness! If you had to pick, sci fi, horror or fantasy?
Sci fi. Why? Really, toss-up between that and fantasy.
What's the hardest thing about your writing process? And how do you deal with it?
Starting, because I am intimidated by the blank page. I like making playlists on my ipod and just sort or daydreaming the story.
Are you a listen-to-music-as-you-write type? We like to but then get lost singing along to the lyrics!
Definitely! I often listen to Murray Gold's Doctor Who soundtracks, or Muse, or David Bowie, and Woodkid's The Golden Age is WD-40 for the brain.
Who are your favourite authors and who inspires you?
Well, JK Rowling sparked my love of writing, and I just ADORE Ray Bradbury's short stories. There's just something about them that I love. The imagination? I strive to make something that will eventually make someone want to be a writer in the same way these authors started me off on the road to writing.
Ahh, We're big, big fans of Ray Bradbury at Inklings Towers - his story The Town Where No One Got Off may be our favourite short story ever.
Oh, that's a good one. I'm not sure what my favourite is, but The Rocket popped into my head. It's just so lovely.
Do you have a blog where people can follow your work?
Not
at the moment, but I'll post any news on Twitter.
Splendid... and your Twitter would be...?
I
can be found on Twitter @scribblingjess.
Jessica Holmes, thank you very much!
Tales From The Universe is available now on Amazon worldwide. Follow the link to your local store: myBook.to/TalesUniverse
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