Author Interview: Marian Womack

What is your favourite thing about writing books?
I think I always write the kind of fiction that I would like to read! That’s not to say that I’m filling a need, that there aren’t great books out there, but simply that there are a few things I am quite obsessed about, and it is always very fulfilling to create a world in which you can put them all together in one place. I remember a friend asked me years ago what this particular book was about, and my answer was that it was about all my favourite topics, from fairy-tales to séances, landscape and magic. And as many powerful women as I could put in as well! I have to confess that is also nice to have the chance to write a tiny bit about someone forgotten, like Eunice Foote, or set the record straight about the little-known fact that female investigators used to work for Scotland Yard.

Who is your favourite character in your book and why?
Helena, without a doubt. She is intelligent and witty; but crucially, she has chosen to use those skills to help others. We need more people with that mentality in the world.

What is your favourite drink to consume while writing?
When we were living in Madrid, we did a Dickens themed party, and one of the things I got my husband to make was “dog’s nose”, which is, if I remember correctly, Guinness and gin and nutmeg. Warmed up. I drank one glass of that, and couldn’t write for the next three weeks. So, not that! I am happy with a glass of Coca-Cola, just to give me enough caffeine to keep me sharp.

Do you have any bad habits while you’re writing?
I can get really inside a story, and forget about the outside world. I can too easily get caught up. This is quite helpful if I need to write loads in short spaces of time; but since I have had young children it is a thing to be avoided. It can be a really unhealthy habit! It has been difficult to learn to write again in little chunks, wherever there is a bit of free time, or in the couple of hours before going to my day job. It was much nicer when I could just sit down and write for 24 hours non-stop if I wanted! But life changes, and it is important to adapt to continue doing what you love.

How do you research your books?
I can get really inside a story, and forget about the outside world. I can too easily get caught up. This is quite helpful if I need to write loads in short spaces of time; but since I have had young children it is a thing to be avoided. It can be a really unhealthy habit! It has been difficult to learn to write again in little chunks, wherever there is a bit of free time, or in the couple of hours before going to my day job. It was much nicer when I could just sit down and write for 24 hours non-stop if I wanted! But life changes, and it is important to adapt to continue doing what you love.

Are you a plotter or a pantser?
Definitely a pantser, but this has been a problem for me so often! I always say to myself I am going to plan a little more next time, and then I always start writing from a sudden inspiration, a dream, an image, or a sentence, and need to construct a whole world around it. Not very practical!

If you could live in any fictional world, which would you choose and why?
Definitely a pantser, but this has been a problem for me so often! I always say to myself I am going to plan a little more next time, and then I always start writing from a sudden inspiration, a dream, an image, or a sentence, and need to construct a whole world around it. Not very practical!

If you could befriend any fictional character, who would you choose and why?
If you mean by befriend that they would not be dangerous for me, then Dracula. Just think of the stories he’d have to tell.