You wrote the 6th story in The Life and Times of Chester Lewis, set in the early 80s when Chester is in his 40s. Without giving plot spoilers, what can readers look forward to in your story?
Firstly, I decided I knew very little about 40 year old men in the 80s, so I decided to make the main character a young cadetship journalist, Michelle, who gets what she thinks will be her first big story when she interviews the infamous Chester Lewis. It gives the readers the opportunity to see Chester through the eyes of someone who has a bit of a hero-worship crush on him.
I know that there are things I put in the story that writers who contributed in the later stories have run with that I really didn’t expect to be used that way. But that’s the beauty with how this anthology was put together. You read what’s been written to date, try to take the foreshadowing and then charge forward with a new direction.
How would you describe the personality of the character Chester Lewis?
He’s definitely a bit cheeky and adventurous, but he’s also extremely driven. He’s got a whole lot of confidence and can think quickly on his feet. But there’s also a darker side to him. He knows pain and loss and is determined to right perceived wrongs.
The Life and Times of Chester Lewis has a fan fiction competition, for stories 2000 – 4000 words, with a $2000 1st prize. What advice do you have for entrants?
Write to your strengths and think outside the box. Despite my contribution being about a man in his 40s, I wrote it as a New Adult story because I decided to use what I knew I was good at. And it worked. Read through the collection and see if there’s anything untold that you believe needs to be explored more then tell that story.
In addition to your writing, you blog at your personal blog, Down Under Wonderings, and at a YA group blog called YAtopia. Have you found that the ideas and people you engage with for your book blogging help with your fiction writing?
It’s definitely a great way to network and met new people. It has also helped me explore new areas. I was invited to present at The Whitsunday Voices Youth Literature Festival on social media and literature and it was a lot of fun. I also found critique partners online, which really helped me grow as a writer Sometimes it can be a distraction – you can end up spending more time writing blog posts then working on your own writing at times.
I’ve learnt about the economy of words, especially through platforms like Twitter. Quite often it will spark ideas as well. I saw online talk about a anti-Valentine’s Day anthology and then I couldn’t shake an idea that popped into my head. So I wrote A Winged Fool as a result, which is a story about a young Cupid who hates Valentine’s Day. I don’t know if it will be picked up in the anthology, but it was so much fun to write – especially as it was in a guy’s POV.
You could be described as an emerging fiction writer. How would you describe how far you have come as a fiction writer and your approach to where you’d like your fiction writing to lead?
When I first started out writing seriously, I had great ideas but was very green at my craft. My qualifications are as a journalist and a corporate writer. That’s a good start, but it’s not the same thing. I’ve spent a couple of years honing my skills and learning everything I can to improve my work.
The first thing I had success with was short stories, with Growth and Karma, and both of them came to me from a time of deep grief with my father’s death. But they were both also stories I felt passionate about and I think that’s something that’s key for me, to write stories I’m passionate about, not to try and write to trends.
I never realised how much revision was involved in writing a novel, but my manuscript for Sleeper has been through multiple revisions and rewrites and I know it’s ready for publication now – it’s just got to find a publisher that falls in love with it. It’s been this editing process that’s helped me the most with my writing. I worked with award winning Australian writer Angela Slatter and American writer and freelance editor Aimee Salter on the manuscript and they each highlighted things in my writing that I can improve. Now I catch myself going to use them and pull myself in.
I’ve also spent a lot of time on my online profile to show potential agents and publishers that I’m serious about making this into a career. There’s a high expectation that authors will play a large role in the promotion of their work and I’m developing a strong following, particularly in the United States with my blog and twitter. I think it shows that I understand my promotional obligations as a writer and that I’m up to the task.
At the moment I’ve got a novel out on submission with publishers, waiting to see if it’s right for them. I’ve got a couple of works in progress on the go, include a novel length version of Karma, my story which was runner up in a YA short story competition run by The Australian Literature Review.
I’ll also be taking another new step soon as, fellow Chester Lewis contributor, Kelly Inglis and I are making plans to host short story workshops later this year.
What is one of your favourite novels you have read in the past year, and why?
Only one? There’s far too many to choose from.
I love Cath Crowley’s Graffiti Moon as it really captured those awkward years for an Australian teenager. The bike riding scenes made me all nostalgic. The characters are amazing and the interweaving dual POV story telling takes awkward misunderstandings to a new level. I’m hanging out to read her next novel, The Howling Boy.
I should mention that this year I’ve also read, and loved, A Thousand Suns by Beth Revis because of it’s amazing social commentary in a space setting, The Lux series by Jennifer L. Armentrout because they are fast, fun and addictive, This Is Not A Test by Courtney Summers because it captured raw human emotions in a zombie setting and From the Ashes by Adrien-Luc Sanders because it has an awesome anti-hero and is the perfect male POV.
If you could bring one fiction author back from the dead for one day for the sole purpose of discussing writing fiction, who would you choose, and why?
Even though he’s a playwright rather than an author, it would have to be Shakespeare. I’d love to know what he thinks about how famous his work has become as well as to pick his brains on exactly what he was trying to get at with some of his novels.
What is next for your fiction writing?
I’m hoping Sleeper will find a home with a publisher soon. I know that it hit the mark with audiences internationally as it was the most popular Australian story on the YA site Inkpop (which since has been sold to Figment). And if it does get picked up then my focus will be working with an editor on revisions.
But I will be continuing to focus on my works in progress, particularly Karma, as well as looking for other short story opportunities. I’ve been plotting a YA Science Fiction about alien immigrants for NaNoWriMo so that will probably take up November for me.
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SM Johnston author site: www.downunderwonderings.blogspot.com
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Author Interviews, Articles, and other Coverage
SM (Sharon) Johnston and I, in conjunction with Collins Booksellers Mackay, recently hosted a book signing of The Life and Times of Chester Lewis.
Entry to the competition for $10 provides writers with access to the Chester Lewis Fan Fiction Group Facebook page, where they will receive tips on fiction writing throughout 2013, and be able to have regular online chats with the Chester Lewis authors. Entrants will have until August 31st 2013 to submit their story.
