Lola Jaye

Lola Jaye is the author of ‘By The Time You Read This,’ and ‘While You Were Dreaming.’ Lola shared her pre-publishing journey via her blog before finding success as a published writer. Here Lola share’s with Novel Kicks; where she finds her inspiration, her typical writing day and who she’d have over for dinner…

Where do you find your inspiration?

It varies. I can be on a tube or watching TV and an idea can pop into my head! For my first book By the Time You Read this… I was slap bang in the middle of a real writing slump – not feeling very inspired and basically in ‘writers block zone’ – as I sat in my PJ’s watching The Oprah Show about a dying mother who left a collection of keepsakes for her daughter. The story was very, very moving and afterwards I began to think;

What if there were no computers, DVD’s, MP3’s, computers, or video cameras on phones?

What if this was a father?

What if he simply wrote a letter to his daughter?

What if I switch on my computer and see what happens…?

I did and By The Time You Read This… was born!

Describe your typical writing day and your editing process?

On weekends and days off from The Day Job, I’m not happy unless I’ve done at least four hours of writing work a day. When I’m on a roll, this isn’t that hard but when I’m not… it can be really difficult to make up the hours. It’s funny how vacuuming can suddenly become the most important thing in the world…

What was your route to publication like?

It had its moments.
 After years of rejection by agents, I finally got one to take me on after meeting her at the Winchester Writers Conference. I was already ‘known’ to her through a positive and constructive rejection letter she’d sent some time before (I think it’s only in publishing that a rejection letter can be described as positive!). Some years and a few books later, I got my first book deal and I’ve detailed it all in my first Blog which I started in 2002 and my Quick Read Book.

‘Blogging’ has been a major part of your journey. What’s the story behind your Blog ‘My diary of an unpublished Author?’

I was just so fed up of getting those rejection slips and needed an outlet. It worked well at the time and now it’s nice for other budding authors to take a peep and see that my success didn’t happen overnight. I heard this quote somewhere and I instantly understood; ‘It took me eight years to become an overnight success!’

‘Reaching for the Stars’ is a book that should be in everyone’s book collection. What prompted you to write it?

The day I found out I’d been selected to write as part of the Quick Reads series, was a humbling one. I wasn’t as well known as the other authors and knowing I’d be able to write about my journey and share it with others was such an honor. I like the fact that anyone with a dream can take something away from this cute little book.

What’s the best part about being a writer?

Where do I start? Seeing my words translated into different languages is a great feeling. I also enjoy meeting lots of different people. But by far my favorite moments occur when I speak to young people about following their dreams. Being told ‘you’ve inspired me,’ is very, very rewarding.

Is there a book by another author that you wished you’d written?

No and yes- as ‘The Lovely Bones’ by Alice Sebold is a fantastically beautifully written book with such a harrowing subject matter.

Who are your ideal dinner guests?

Michael Jackson, Marilyn Monroe, Che Guevara, Malcolm X , Sigmund Freud, Will Smith, Nelson Mandela, Barack Obama, Tyra Banks and Simon Cowell!

What are your top five tips for someone hoping to write a book?

•Read a lot

•Edit

•Listen to constructive criticism

•Write, write, write!

•Never give up!

For more information on Lola and to read her blog, head to http://www.lolajaye.com

by

Laura

I’m Laura. I started Novel Kicks in 2009. I wanted a place to post my writing as well as give other writers like me the opportunity to do the same. There is also a monthly book club, a writing room which features writing prompts, book reviews, competitions, author interviews and guest posts.

I grew up by the sea (my favourite place in the world) and I currently live in Hampshire. I am married to Chris, have a cat named Buddy and I would love to be a writer. I’m trying to write the novel I’ve talked so much about writing if only I could stop pressing delete. I’ve loved writing since creative writing classes in primary school. I have always wanted to see my teacher Miss Sayers again and thank her for the encouragement. When not trying to write the novel or writing snippets of stories on anything I can get my hands on, I love reading, dancing like a loon and singing to myself very badly. My current obsession is Once Upon a Time and I would be happy to live with magic in the enchanted forest surrounded by all those wonderful stories provided that world also included Harry Potter. I love reading chick lit. contemporary fiction and novels with mystery.