Author Interview: Alejandra Guibert

What is your favourite thing about writing books?
I love a few different aspects of the writing process. In some ways it can be similar to the process that goes on during the stages of a relationship. 

The love affair with writing a book begins with a burning excitement when realising that an idea has appeared in your mind and is taking hold of you. You soon feel a certainty about wanting to write about it and there is anticipation of what is about to take place and develop. Then, thoughts start to take shape in your head as to where the idea will go, how far and in which direction. And ultimately, the joy of writing and seeing your thoughts, your plot and your characters slowly but surely starting to mature, become a reality and guide you further into the creative process.

Who is your favourite character in your book and why?
Vera is my favourite character, not only because she is the protagonist of the story but also because she doesn’t behave like one. She represents the unassuming everyday woman, who takes the weight of the whole world on her shoulders, without thinking about it and without claiming she is doing so. Vera is a modern-day heroine who doesn’t make a fuss or seek recognition. There is a lot of magic about her and she fully embraces it and who she is. Any woman can be Vera!

What is your favourite drink to consume while writing?
I live in the UK, so most of the time I drink tea, in general redbush tea with a bit of milk and honey! It’s a comforting drink during the cold season, when I’m writing. In the summer, I usually just go for water. Coffee is a first thing in the morning drink, just one cup; otherwise it can keep me awake at night.

Do you have any bad habits while you’re writing?
Sometimes I try to find things to do as a way of distraction, when I’m not yet immersed in the writing routine. One bad habit would be checking my emails and social media too frequently! Having said that, I have managed to build up a discipline that is rarely broken once I sit down to write.

How do you research your books?
I researched the technological aspects of the book by analysing new technologies that are currently available or on the brink of development, both in the games scene and the IT industry, including surveillance technology. Regarding the ideas for a future world order, I simply observed the facts and ways of the world today through the media and considered the trends to interpret everyday life with an outlook into the future. Most of my research was done through the press, articles on current affairs, some non-fiction books, and reading about modern politics and war conflicts. Other than that, it was not difficult to imagine a world a few decades ahead. It could easily go down that road.

Are you a plotter or a pantser?
I’m a bit of both. I use my intuition freely at the outset of a new book and whenever ideas pop up I write them down and then they usually lead me into creating a bit of a rough plan. I don’t really know a lot about what will happen when I start a new book, and it is the story itself and the characters that usually tell me what’s next. A few times, not long after I start a new book, without looking for it, I suddenly think of an ending and that usually never changes.

If you could live in any fictional world, which would you choose and why?
I would probably choose to live in the fictional world of the film Avatar, as a creature of that natural world, jumping off trees easily and living as one with nature, because I would love to possess a strong intuitive connection to other creatures and nature itself, all in profound harmony.  

If you could befriend any fictional character, who would you choose and why?
I would befriend Elizabeth Bennet from Pride and Prejudice, firstly because it would be amazing to experience her era but mostly because if I had lived in that period, I would share her way of thinking and her independence of character, as a woman ahead of her time.