Alison Jack has spent much of her adult life working in book distribution – Dory’s Avengers, however, is her first foray into the world of books as an author. Aside from writing her own novels and blogging, Alison spends a lot of time editing the work of other authors. When not writing, Alison enjoys reading, playing guitar – with more enthusiasm than skill – and wakeboarding. She lives near Cambridge with her partner and three cats and today she's visiting my blog to answer a few questions that I put to her.
1. Please describe
Dory’s Avengers in twenty words.
A brutal
regime. A docile population. A band of unlikely heroes and a glimmer of hope.
Dory’s Avengers are coming…
2. What
is your writing process from inspiration, editing, to feeling your book is
ready for publication?
Before I
started writing Dory’s Avengers I read plenty of advice from experienced
authors, a lot of whom recommended making a detailed plan. It wasn’t long
before I realised I am very much a panster author, and my meticulously worked-out
plan ended up bearing no resemblance whatsoever to the finished manuscript.
Being a daydreamer I’ve always got stories floating around in my head, and when
I write it’s simply a matter of choosing and arranging storylines so they make
sense. I write my ideas down as quickly as is possible with my limited typing
ability, then edit the resultant jumbled mess to within an inch of its life
before I will let anyone, even my best friend, read it.
3. You
have some fascinating sounding characters in your book, from the cruel
dictatorial Sponsor, Lord William St Benedict; to his son, Theodore ‘Dory’, and
the Albino gymnast, Louis Trevelyan. Can you tell us a little about the inspiration
behind these characters and the storyline in your book?
Louis’s
character was particularly well formed in my mind before I started writing
Dory’s Avengers. I wanted my lead character to be a reluctant hero, and I
wanted there to be something about him that sets him apart from other people. A
self-conscious young man with albinism - perfect. I very much enjoyed
developing Louis’s character, his innate strength coming to the fore when his
dearest friend Theo calls on him for help, and he has to overcome his fears or
fail Theo. Theo himself is revealed as an admirably strong young man, whose
will cannot be broken despite the best (or perhaps ‘worst’ would be a better
word) efforts of his cruel father. The dialogue between Theo and Lord William
was a joy to write, the quick witted Theo usually emerging with the upper hand.
Lord William does have a human side; in one chapter he’s bursting with
childlike excitement about opening the presents underneath his Christmas tree,
but in the next chapter he’s planning something horrendously cruel. I believe Lord
William’s human side makes his capacity for brutality more shocking than if he
were bad through and through.
4. What
research did you need to do for Dory’s Avengers?
I had to do a
lot of research to make Louis’s character as believable as possible, as I knew
little or nothing about either men’s gymnastics or albinism. Getting his
albinism right was particularly important. I spent a lot of time reading blogs
and following online forums by people living with the condition, which gave me
essential insight into the obstacles Louis would have to face. It was great to provide
a hero for people with albinism, as during the course of my research I
discovered they are sick and tired of being portrayed as sinister red-eyed
predators, and are losing patience with authors who have no understanding of
their condition.
5. Do you have a
favourite writing place, or a writing routine that you follow?
I don’t have
a routine as such; I just need a computer, copious amounts of coffee and, most
importantly, a quiet room. My partner has been moaned at more than once for
putting the television on when I’m in full writing flow. If my writing starts
to stagnate, I take myself away from the computer and listen to music. Music
fuels my imagination; scenes play out in my head to a soundtrack of my
favourite tunes, and I return to my manuscript bursting with new ideas.
6. What do you think is
the most important thing, or tip, that anyone wishing to write their own book should
know?
Always get
your manuscript properly edited and proof read. It doesn’t matter how good an
author you are, an independent editor will pick up on mistakes you will never
notice, however many times you self-edit. Authors see whatever they intended to
write rather what is actually on the page.
7. What are your writing
dreams for the future?
I’m already
half way through my second novel, a paranormal mystery set in Brighton, but
that’s taken a bit of a backseat recently as I promote Dory’s Avengers, blog
like a demon, and work on my newly launched editing business, Alison’s Editing Service. Positive
feedback for my work is hugely important to me; I get a warm glow every time
someone like my blog posts or tweets to say they enjoyed Dory’s Avengers. Of
course I’d like to see my books topping the bestsellers list; but in the
meantime, as long as people enjoy reading my work, I will continue to write.
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