N. Gosney
Describe your desk
My desk is cluttered...very cluttered! It's a corner desk with a cupboard underneath it, and shamefully the contents of the cupboard are just as cluttered as the surface of the desk. I swear it's not all my fault – people seem to use it as a dumping ground for anything and everything. I'm currently looking at a ball of string, a set of maracas, a tube of toothpaste, and a teenage mutant ninja turtle mask on my desk, along with a multitude of other things.
Where did you grow up? How has this influence your writing?
I grew up in Leeds, in England. I don't currently live there now, but I only moved away less than five years ago. Actually I spent the first three years of my life in Paris, France, but I don't remember a great deal about it. I'm not really sure the location of my upbringing really had much influence over my writing. My book series is set in North America, so a world away from God's own country of Yorkshire where I live and was raised. My love of books and writing came from my mother's influence, and I'm sure that would have been the same regardless of where I was raised.
What is the greatest joy of writing for you?
The greatest joy of writing for me is bringing enjoyment to other people. That sounds really corny, it's a bit like one of those generic Miss. World responses, but it's absolutely true. When someone tells me they've enjoyed my story, I'm not even kidding, I get the same sort of fuzzy feeling inside me that I get from seeing a video of a cute baby animal. That's why I never really understand why people say they write for themselves. Yes, I do understand that writing is a compulsion. Indeed I don't think I could stop writing even if nobody read my work, but the best part about creating books is seeing peoples faces light up when they say how much they loved reading it.
What inspires you to get out of bed each day?
Knowing that life is finite, and that I have so much more I want to do whilst I'm still on earth. I want to write hundreds more books, and touch many more lives with my stories. I want to learn, to travel, to laugh. I want to see my children grow up; my biggest commitment is always to my family above anything else. However naturally the main reason I get out of bed each day is because of the blasted alarm clock.
When you're not writing, how do you spend your time?
Not writing? I've heard of such a thing...I think. Hang on, nope, I cannot compute. Haha, seriously though, I spend time with my family mostly. I also enjoy reading, walking, surfing the internet. I have a firm favourite set of T.V. shows I watch, and sometimes visit the cinema. I like food far too much, so one of my biggest “hobbies” (if you can call it that) is dieting!
Do you experience writer's block?
No I don't – not what I'd call writers block anyway. If I can't think of where a scene is going (which is actually fairly rare), I just leave it and go on to write a scene further on in the story, and then come back and link the two scenes together. It always works well. There has never been a time when I've been sitting in front of a blank page unable to write anything. There is always something to be writing.
How do you overcome writer's block?
I guess I already answered that in the first question. A book doesn't have to be linear. Although it might seem logical to write everything in chronological order, it's just as valid to write different scenes and piece the book together like a jigsaw. If one scene is proving a little awkward, I just go ahead and get stuck into a different scene.
Who are your favorite authors?
Without a doubt my favourite author is Tom Holt. You might think that's odd, given that he writes largely comic fantasy, which is a genre very different to my own, but you don't always enjoy writing the same sort of things you read, and vice-versa. His book The Portable Door is one of his best, in my opinion.
I also love James Redfield's The Celestine Prophecy series. Again very different, this time spiritual fiction, but absolutely brilliant. My soul feels as though it has had a bath after reading his work.
Do you prefer e-books or physical copies?
I personally don't think you can beat a physical book, but my Kindle has its uses. For practicality, e-books are great, but if I really adore a book I'm always going to buy a physical copy for my bookshelves, even if I own the e-book. I guess I'm old school like that.
What motivated you to become an (indie) author?
I guess you can't churn out half-finished stories your whole life without eventually looking into publishing. When I was a child, if anybody ever asked me what I wanted to be when I grew up, I would respond “I want to be a bestselling author.” I don't think anybody ever really took me seriously, but at that point there was nothing in the world I wanted more. Writing just suits me, it always has done.
As for the “indie” part, I figured I might as well just cut to the chase and get on with things myself. Submitting to publishers takes up such a huge chunk of your life, and why waste time when you can just do it yourself? Self-publishing is so easy these days, and you retain full control over your work, which is something that doesn't happen when you go down the traditional publisher route.
What is your favorite genre to write?
My favourite genre is apparently supernatural horror. Werewolf stories specifically. Now, don't ask me why, because the honest answer is that I haven't a clue. I started writing and that's what came out. The genre chose me, I really had no say in the matter.
Who do you feel has been the most supportive, other than your family?
Other than my husband and my dad, who have been the two most supportive people I could have ever hoped for, I'd say it would have to be Facebook friends, for lack of a better word. I've never met these people, but we've spoken to each other for years (for the most part anyway), and so many have shown me so much support and I'm so grateful.
Do you put yourself into any of your characters?
I think to some extent it's impossible not to. My main character, Carly, has several of my traits, but she's also very different in many ways. I think she's probably the only one if my characters I put anything of myself into. I relate to her a lot; she's like the sister I never had.
Do you have any strange writing habits?
I'm not really sure what constitutes as strange, to be honest. I use longhand a great deal and type it up afterwards onto the computer. I'm not sure you could call that strange, but perhaps in the age of technology it's not as commonplace as it might once have been.
Where do you want to visit that you haven't visited before?
Everywhere. Well, okay, within reason. I wouldn't want to visit a war zone. I'd say above all, I want to see Italy and Australia, but there are so many more countries I'd like to visit. The world is such a big amazing place.
When you start a new story or book, do you know how it will end?
Not always. My first book Wolf Born was written virtually off the top of my head. I didn't know which direction it would take me in. My second was different; I knew by then that it was part of a bigger series, and I planned out a rough direction it would need to travel in to reach the point I wanted it to finish at. The books I am currently working on have been thoroughly planned out, and the same can be said for Wolf Bane which is the fourth in the saga, even though I will not start writing it until some point next year.
Do you write every day?
Almost every day, even if it's just a few words. There have been days I've been unable to, but it irritates me when I don't get any writing done. I feel as though it's a missed opportunity.
How did you choose the genre of your work?
Well as I said previously, the genre decided to write itself. I started off by writing about a fairly ordinary girl with a very mundane life, and next thing I knew her house is falling down, and somehow the entire book had turned into a werewolf story. It took me by surprise, especially as I don't usually read werewolf books myself, but obviously it was fate, or something of the sort.
What have you written?
So far I have two books self-published, Wolf Born and Wolf Witch. They are full length novels, and are the first two books in my series The Wolf Born Saga.
Where can your books be purchased or viewed?
My books are available from all good online retailers. Amazon, Barnes and Noble, Blackwells, Waterstones, Wordery, Foyles, etc. They are available in both paperback and e-book formats (Amazon is probably the best place to find them both as e-books).
What are you working on now?
I'm currently working on the first book, Bakwas, of a novella series The Wolf Born Saga Origins, which are prequels to The Wolf Born Saga, set in the mid 1980s.
I'm also slowly writing Wolf Blade, the third book in The Wolf Born Saga.
I foresee Bakwas being out in print in Autumn, and Wolf Blade being launched late 2015 / early 2016.
When did you decide to start writing?
I didn't decide to start writing; I can't remember a time I haven't written. My mother even showed me recently some stories I wrote dated 1989 when I was five years old, about Barbie going shopping. (I have to say I was impressed with my spelling and grammar for a five year old.) It's just part of who I am. “Hi, I'm Natalie, I have no siblings, I was born in December, I write stories...”
I could no sooner change the fact that write, than I could change my star sign.
Have you ever collaborated with another author?
I've never co-authored a book, no, but my husband is a writer as well (albeit an unpublished one), and a digital artist, so he works closely with me on The Wolf Born Saga creating covers, bookmarks, merchandise such as T-shirts, and he also gives critical feedback on the plot lines themselves. He's both my biggest fan and my harshest critic.
My dad is also a writer and translator, and he is currently working on translating Wolf Born into French, so I hope to have that released potentially by the end of the year.
What's your writing process like?
Mostly it's trying not to be distracted by anything irrelevant, like social media. If I get the opportunity to write straight onto the computer, I type quickly, so in theory I should get more done, but in reality the internet can be so distracting.
Often I take myself away to another room with a notebook and paper (which is where the longhand comes in) and write it all out and then type it up later. Unfortunately, this is a slow process, but ultimately more productive in a way.
What do you think is the hardest part of writing?
For me, the three hardest parts are:
1) Having enough hours in the day
2) Not becoming distracted and actually concentrating on writing
3) Promotion (what's the point of writing a great book if nobody knows about it?)
Do you edit as your write or do you write and then go back to edit later?
When I'm typing up my longhand, I edit as I write. If I'm directly typing the story onto the computer then I go back to edit later.
Of course, once the first draft of the manuscript is complete, the book goes through extensive editing in any case.
What's your favorite motivational phrase?
My favourite is probably one by Judy Garland, which is something along the lines of “It is better to be a first rate version of yourself, than a second rate version of someone else.”
I first read this phrase in a book called The 7 Habits of Highly Effective Teens by Sean Covey when I was around fifteen, and it really stuck with me.
Everyone should be the best version of themselves they can be, and if you're not like somebody else, that's absolutely fine.
What's your favorite film and why?
I have two favourites. The first is Dragonheart. I absolutely adore the medieval setting, I love Sean Connery and Dennis Quaid, I think the dragon is a very appealing character, Pete Postlethwaite adds just the right touch of humour, and the emotional end scene really tugs on my heart-strings. It's just a touching film that hits the right note for me.
My second favourite is Donnie Darko. This one comes with a bit of backstory. When I was seventeen, my husband and I (obviously we weren't married at the time) used to spend quite a bit of time at the cinema, for lack of anywhere else to go. On one particular occasion we thought we'd see if there was anything to watch that we hadn't already seen, and the only option was a new film Donnie Darko. Neither of us had ever heard of this film before. In fact, we borrowed the cinema booklet guide to be able to read about it. It sounded passable so we thought we'd give it a try. Well by the time the film finished my jaw was on my chest. Mind...absolutely...blown. I had no bloody clue what on earth I had just watched, only that it was the most amazing thing I'd ever seen. I've since seen it about a hundred times, and it never gets old.
What's your favorite quote?
I've not yet found a quote I like more than the above mentioned motivational quote by Judy Garland. I mean “eat less, live more” is probably a good one for me, what with my penchant for unhealthy food, but obviously there are limits to eating less! (I saw that particular quote scrawled on a wall in yellow paint once.)
Which famous person, living or dead, would you like to meet and why?
Jesus, without a doubt. I want him to ease my crippling fear of death. Unfortunately though I fear that wouldn't happen, as I don't speak Aramaic.
Perhaps, therefore, a more realistic choice would be Alice Cooper. He's my favourite singer, and hell, everyone should get to meet their favourite singer, right?
Is there anything else you would like to add that I haven't included?
I'd just like to mention that I'm in partnership with Savage Beast Entertainment and Savage Beast Games who will be respectively making the Graphic Novel, and RPG of The Wolf Born Saga, so watch this space for those exciting ventures.
I am also going to be attending various conventions over the next few months to sign and sell copies of my books along with related merchandise. You can find out about my future appearances here:
http://www.wolfborn.co.uk/#!events/c1he9
Contact Information
Website: www.wolfborn.co.uk
Blog: http://www.ngosney.com/
Facebook: www.facebook.com/WBSaga
Twitter: www.twitter.com/WolfBornSaga
LinkedIn: www.linkedin.com/pub/natalie-gosney/61/957/92b
Book links:
Wolf Born: http://www.amazon.co.uk/Wolf-Born-Natalie-Gosney-ebook/dp/B00ENK557G
Wolf Witch: http://www.amazon.co.uk/Wolf-Witch-Born-Saga-Book-ebook/dp/B00Y8Y3HHC/ref=pd_ecc_rvi_3
My desk is cluttered...very cluttered! It's a corner desk with a cupboard underneath it, and shamefully the contents of the cupboard are just as cluttered as the surface of the desk. I swear it's not all my fault – people seem to use it as a dumping ground for anything and everything. I'm currently looking at a ball of string, a set of maracas, a tube of toothpaste, and a teenage mutant ninja turtle mask on my desk, along with a multitude of other things.
Where did you grow up? How has this influence your writing?
I grew up in Leeds, in England. I don't currently live there now, but I only moved away less than five years ago. Actually I spent the first three years of my life in Paris, France, but I don't remember a great deal about it. I'm not really sure the location of my upbringing really had much influence over my writing. My book series is set in North America, so a world away from God's own country of Yorkshire where I live and was raised. My love of books and writing came from my mother's influence, and I'm sure that would have been the same regardless of where I was raised.
What is the greatest joy of writing for you?
The greatest joy of writing for me is bringing enjoyment to other people. That sounds really corny, it's a bit like one of those generic Miss. World responses, but it's absolutely true. When someone tells me they've enjoyed my story, I'm not even kidding, I get the same sort of fuzzy feeling inside me that I get from seeing a video of a cute baby animal. That's why I never really understand why people say they write for themselves. Yes, I do understand that writing is a compulsion. Indeed I don't think I could stop writing even if nobody read my work, but the best part about creating books is seeing peoples faces light up when they say how much they loved reading it.
What inspires you to get out of bed each day?
Knowing that life is finite, and that I have so much more I want to do whilst I'm still on earth. I want to write hundreds more books, and touch many more lives with my stories. I want to learn, to travel, to laugh. I want to see my children grow up; my biggest commitment is always to my family above anything else. However naturally the main reason I get out of bed each day is because of the blasted alarm clock.
When you're not writing, how do you spend your time?
Not writing? I've heard of such a thing...I think. Hang on, nope, I cannot compute. Haha, seriously though, I spend time with my family mostly. I also enjoy reading, walking, surfing the internet. I have a firm favourite set of T.V. shows I watch, and sometimes visit the cinema. I like food far too much, so one of my biggest “hobbies” (if you can call it that) is dieting!
Do you experience writer's block?
No I don't – not what I'd call writers block anyway. If I can't think of where a scene is going (which is actually fairly rare), I just leave it and go on to write a scene further on in the story, and then come back and link the two scenes together. It always works well. There has never been a time when I've been sitting in front of a blank page unable to write anything. There is always something to be writing.
How do you overcome writer's block?
I guess I already answered that in the first question. A book doesn't have to be linear. Although it might seem logical to write everything in chronological order, it's just as valid to write different scenes and piece the book together like a jigsaw. If one scene is proving a little awkward, I just go ahead and get stuck into a different scene.
Who are your favorite authors?
Without a doubt my favourite author is Tom Holt. You might think that's odd, given that he writes largely comic fantasy, which is a genre very different to my own, but you don't always enjoy writing the same sort of things you read, and vice-versa. His book The Portable Door is one of his best, in my opinion.
I also love James Redfield's The Celestine Prophecy series. Again very different, this time spiritual fiction, but absolutely brilliant. My soul feels as though it has had a bath after reading his work.
Do you prefer e-books or physical copies?
I personally don't think you can beat a physical book, but my Kindle has its uses. For practicality, e-books are great, but if I really adore a book I'm always going to buy a physical copy for my bookshelves, even if I own the e-book. I guess I'm old school like that.
What motivated you to become an (indie) author?
I guess you can't churn out half-finished stories your whole life without eventually looking into publishing. When I was a child, if anybody ever asked me what I wanted to be when I grew up, I would respond “I want to be a bestselling author.” I don't think anybody ever really took me seriously, but at that point there was nothing in the world I wanted more. Writing just suits me, it always has done.
As for the “indie” part, I figured I might as well just cut to the chase and get on with things myself. Submitting to publishers takes up such a huge chunk of your life, and why waste time when you can just do it yourself? Self-publishing is so easy these days, and you retain full control over your work, which is something that doesn't happen when you go down the traditional publisher route.
What is your favorite genre to write?
My favourite genre is apparently supernatural horror. Werewolf stories specifically. Now, don't ask me why, because the honest answer is that I haven't a clue. I started writing and that's what came out. The genre chose me, I really had no say in the matter.
Who do you feel has been the most supportive, other than your family?
Other than my husband and my dad, who have been the two most supportive people I could have ever hoped for, I'd say it would have to be Facebook friends, for lack of a better word. I've never met these people, but we've spoken to each other for years (for the most part anyway), and so many have shown me so much support and I'm so grateful.
Do you put yourself into any of your characters?
I think to some extent it's impossible not to. My main character, Carly, has several of my traits, but she's also very different in many ways. I think she's probably the only one if my characters I put anything of myself into. I relate to her a lot; she's like the sister I never had.
Do you have any strange writing habits?
I'm not really sure what constitutes as strange, to be honest. I use longhand a great deal and type it up afterwards onto the computer. I'm not sure you could call that strange, but perhaps in the age of technology it's not as commonplace as it might once have been.
Where do you want to visit that you haven't visited before?
Everywhere. Well, okay, within reason. I wouldn't want to visit a war zone. I'd say above all, I want to see Italy and Australia, but there are so many more countries I'd like to visit. The world is such a big amazing place.
When you start a new story or book, do you know how it will end?
Not always. My first book Wolf Born was written virtually off the top of my head. I didn't know which direction it would take me in. My second was different; I knew by then that it was part of a bigger series, and I planned out a rough direction it would need to travel in to reach the point I wanted it to finish at. The books I am currently working on have been thoroughly planned out, and the same can be said for Wolf Bane which is the fourth in the saga, even though I will not start writing it until some point next year.
Do you write every day?
Almost every day, even if it's just a few words. There have been days I've been unable to, but it irritates me when I don't get any writing done. I feel as though it's a missed opportunity.
How did you choose the genre of your work?
Well as I said previously, the genre decided to write itself. I started off by writing about a fairly ordinary girl with a very mundane life, and next thing I knew her house is falling down, and somehow the entire book had turned into a werewolf story. It took me by surprise, especially as I don't usually read werewolf books myself, but obviously it was fate, or something of the sort.
What have you written?
So far I have two books self-published, Wolf Born and Wolf Witch. They are full length novels, and are the first two books in my series The Wolf Born Saga.
Where can your books be purchased or viewed?
My books are available from all good online retailers. Amazon, Barnes and Noble, Blackwells, Waterstones, Wordery, Foyles, etc. They are available in both paperback and e-book formats (Amazon is probably the best place to find them both as e-books).
What are you working on now?
I'm currently working on the first book, Bakwas, of a novella series The Wolf Born Saga Origins, which are prequels to The Wolf Born Saga, set in the mid 1980s.
I'm also slowly writing Wolf Blade, the third book in The Wolf Born Saga.
I foresee Bakwas being out in print in Autumn, and Wolf Blade being launched late 2015 / early 2016.
When did you decide to start writing?
I didn't decide to start writing; I can't remember a time I haven't written. My mother even showed me recently some stories I wrote dated 1989 when I was five years old, about Barbie going shopping. (I have to say I was impressed with my spelling and grammar for a five year old.) It's just part of who I am. “Hi, I'm Natalie, I have no siblings, I was born in December, I write stories...”
I could no sooner change the fact that write, than I could change my star sign.
Have you ever collaborated with another author?
I've never co-authored a book, no, but my husband is a writer as well (albeit an unpublished one), and a digital artist, so he works closely with me on The Wolf Born Saga creating covers, bookmarks, merchandise such as T-shirts, and he also gives critical feedback on the plot lines themselves. He's both my biggest fan and my harshest critic.
My dad is also a writer and translator, and he is currently working on translating Wolf Born into French, so I hope to have that released potentially by the end of the year.
What's your writing process like?
Mostly it's trying not to be distracted by anything irrelevant, like social media. If I get the opportunity to write straight onto the computer, I type quickly, so in theory I should get more done, but in reality the internet can be so distracting.
Often I take myself away to another room with a notebook and paper (which is where the longhand comes in) and write it all out and then type it up later. Unfortunately, this is a slow process, but ultimately more productive in a way.
What do you think is the hardest part of writing?
For me, the three hardest parts are:
1) Having enough hours in the day
2) Not becoming distracted and actually concentrating on writing
3) Promotion (what's the point of writing a great book if nobody knows about it?)
Do you edit as your write or do you write and then go back to edit later?
When I'm typing up my longhand, I edit as I write. If I'm directly typing the story onto the computer then I go back to edit later.
Of course, once the first draft of the manuscript is complete, the book goes through extensive editing in any case.
What's your favorite motivational phrase?
My favourite is probably one by Judy Garland, which is something along the lines of “It is better to be a first rate version of yourself, than a second rate version of someone else.”
I first read this phrase in a book called The 7 Habits of Highly Effective Teens by Sean Covey when I was around fifteen, and it really stuck with me.
Everyone should be the best version of themselves they can be, and if you're not like somebody else, that's absolutely fine.
What's your favorite film and why?
I have two favourites. The first is Dragonheart. I absolutely adore the medieval setting, I love Sean Connery and Dennis Quaid, I think the dragon is a very appealing character, Pete Postlethwaite adds just the right touch of humour, and the emotional end scene really tugs on my heart-strings. It's just a touching film that hits the right note for me.
My second favourite is Donnie Darko. This one comes with a bit of backstory. When I was seventeen, my husband and I (obviously we weren't married at the time) used to spend quite a bit of time at the cinema, for lack of anywhere else to go. On one particular occasion we thought we'd see if there was anything to watch that we hadn't already seen, and the only option was a new film Donnie Darko. Neither of us had ever heard of this film before. In fact, we borrowed the cinema booklet guide to be able to read about it. It sounded passable so we thought we'd give it a try. Well by the time the film finished my jaw was on my chest. Mind...absolutely...blown. I had no bloody clue what on earth I had just watched, only that it was the most amazing thing I'd ever seen. I've since seen it about a hundred times, and it never gets old.
What's your favorite quote?
I've not yet found a quote I like more than the above mentioned motivational quote by Judy Garland. I mean “eat less, live more” is probably a good one for me, what with my penchant for unhealthy food, but obviously there are limits to eating less! (I saw that particular quote scrawled on a wall in yellow paint once.)
Which famous person, living or dead, would you like to meet and why?
Jesus, without a doubt. I want him to ease my crippling fear of death. Unfortunately though I fear that wouldn't happen, as I don't speak Aramaic.
Perhaps, therefore, a more realistic choice would be Alice Cooper. He's my favourite singer, and hell, everyone should get to meet their favourite singer, right?
Is there anything else you would like to add that I haven't included?
I'd just like to mention that I'm in partnership with Savage Beast Entertainment and Savage Beast Games who will be respectively making the Graphic Novel, and RPG of The Wolf Born Saga, so watch this space for those exciting ventures.
I am also going to be attending various conventions over the next few months to sign and sell copies of my books along with related merchandise. You can find out about my future appearances here:
http://www.wolfborn.co.uk/#!events/c1he9
Contact Information
Website: www.wolfborn.co.uk
Blog: http://www.ngosney.com/
Facebook: www.facebook.com/WBSaga
Twitter: www.twitter.com/WolfBornSaga
LinkedIn: www.linkedin.com/pub/natalie-gosney/61/957/92b
Book links:
Wolf Born: http://www.amazon.co.uk/Wolf-Born-Natalie-Gosney-ebook/dp/B00ENK557G
Wolf Witch: http://www.amazon.co.uk/Wolf-Witch-Born-Saga-Book-ebook/dp/B00Y8Y3HHC/ref=pd_ecc_rvi_3