Interview with Frances Lynn [writer] on Whohub

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What did you first read? How did you begin to write? Who were the first to read what you wrote?

I've always written. I could read when I was three. I don't remember what I first read, but I do remember my first grown up book was 'Lord Of the Flies'. When I was about eight, My father came into my bedroom in the middle of the night, screaming 'Kill the Pig'. I was intrigued and decided then I wanted to be a writer. I started off by writing my diary and short stories. I suppose the first person who read my stuff was my English teacher at school. I got my short stories into the school magazine. I became a journalist which I regarded as my day job.

What is your favorite genre? Can you provide a link to a site where we can read some of your work or learn something about it?

The first chapter of "Crushed", my Young Adult novel can be read on http://www.franceslynn.org/ . I had just taken years to finish "Frantic", a book about the hedonistic early Seventies, so I wanted some light relief. I was friendly with an eccentric family who lived in central London. The teenage daughters motivated me to write a humorous novel inspired by their lives. I wrote the book in a few months.

What is your creative process like? What happens before sitting down to write?

Procrastination is my uncreative process. If I'm unsure about my material, I sometimes spring clean the entire house for days before sitting down to write. Once I am glued to my desk, I write in silence. I only play music when I am doing uncreative work like copy typing or blogging.

What type of reading inspires you to write?

Anything that is well written.

What do you think are the basic ingredients of a story?

Act I, Act 11, Act 111.

What well known writers do you admire most?

I admire too many writers to make a list here. I started reading Evelyn Waugh when I was young and if I dip into his novels today, am amazed how well they have travelled: they haven't dated at all but feel contemporary. Diana Hammond is an original and beautiful writer. I just re-read her novel "The Impersonator" the other day. A classic.

Are you equally good at telling stories orally?

I do suffer from RSI but it's not bad enough for me to stop key-tapping. I dread the day when I have to use recognition software on my computer. I could always do a Barbara Cartland if my hands pack up. She narrated her books to a secretary. I could theoretically narrate my story into a tape recorder, but I hope that day never comes because I love/hate the act of writing.

Deep down inside, who do you write for?

I write for myself and then pray it's commercial!

Is writing a form of personal therapy? Are internal conflicts a creative force?

If I don't write, I feel peculiar. So, I suppose writing is a form of personal therapy.

Do you share rough drafts of your writings with someone whose opinion you trust?

What discipline do you impose on yourself regarding schedules, goals, etc.?

I try to stick to a 9-5 routine.

What do you surround yourself with in your work area in order to help your concentrate?

Do you write on a computer? Do you print frequently? Do you correct on paper? What is your process?

I've always written straight onto the screen. The rare times I try to write by longhand, my prose comes out convoluted. I always correct on the screen first. Usually, I finish a draft on the screen, print it out and then correct it again on the page. Prose on paper looks completely different from stuff on the screen. Sometimes I can spot a 'mishtake' on the printed page when I don't notice it on the screen.

What are you working on now?

A novel and a non-fiction book.

What do you recommend I do with all those things I wrote years ago but have never been able to bring myself to show anyone?

Take all your dead manuscripts out of your bottom draw and rework them.

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