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This interview with Faiz Kermani, author of “My Alien Penfriend”, was
first published in August 2006.
Where were you born and raised?
I was born in Leeds, but my
father's job took us all over the world. Now I live in London and in ways it's
good to be in one place for a period of time.
What was it that first got you
into writing and when did you start writing?
I've always written for fun but
never published much of my creative stuff. Recently I've tried to rectify that.
Which writers have influenced
you the most?
I've always loved Roald Dahl's
books for kids. I still pick them up from time to time and re-read them as they
are brilliant. Other writers I like include George Orwell and John Steinbeck.
Recently I've been reading a lot of books by David Lodge. They are very
entertaining and well written.
Where do you stand on the
nature v. nurture debate? Were you born a writer, or were there factors in your
environment that enabled you to become a writer?
I suppose that both play their
part. I feel that I was a born writer but it doesn't hurt to get a bit of
direction from outside. My environment of travelling around as a kid definitely
helped me develop some crazy ideas to incorporate in my writing!
There are a lot of courses
teaching creative writing nowadays, but do you think that good writing can be
taught?
I have to say that I'm not a
big fan of these courses. I've been on a few and realised that they did not
make me any more creative. All they can do is help formalise some of your ideas
but they cannot teach you to actually write. I've been much more productive
since I gave up on attending these courses. Many of the organisers of these
courses claim to be writers, but that doesn't mean that they make good
teachers.
Have you entered writing
competitions? If so, have you won any prizes?
Yes I have entered a few
competitions but with no luck at all. I don't bother with them now as they are
a distraction from getting on with my main writing.
What kind of things do you
write?
I like writing children's
fiction fantasy/science fiction books. The crazier the ideas the better!
What, for you, is the best
piece of prose that you have ever written?
My first children's book
"My Alien Penfriend". I've had feedback from quite a few readers and
I'm really pleased that they liked some of my more unusual ideas in it!
What are you working on now?
I'm trying to complete a second
children's book. I have finished off the end of the book and am now working
backwards to build up to the grand finale. I only hope it works!
What is your writing day like?
It's a bit random as I have a
day job in the medical field. My creative writing is a bit of a release from
the constraints of scientific writing. I try to find time in the evening and on
weekends to write but you can't force yourself to be creative. I often carry a
small notebook around with me in case I get amazing ideas during my day. Then
when I get home I transfer my scribbles onto my computer.
Where would you like to be in
10 years time?
Sitting in a sunny place,
relaxing and writing children's books! I hope I'll have written a fair number
of books by then and have a few loyal readers.
What’s the most exciting thing
about writing for you?
Getting my ideas down on paper
and building them into a story. Receiving fan letters from readers is a real
thrill. Knowing that your story entertained people makes it all worthwhile.
I've also visited a few schools to talk to children about writing and that has
been a lot of fun.
What’s the most frustrating
thing about writing for you?
It is really time consuming and
you cannot predict how productive you are going to be on any particular day
when you sit down to write. It is also very frustrating to see how dismissive
some people are to new authors. You need to develop a thick skin to deal with
their criticism.
What’s the best piece of
feedback that you’ve had from your audience?
Requests to write more books!
Knowing they want to read more of your work motivates you to write and helps
you counter any frustrations that writing can sometimes bring.
Do you write for a particular
audience, or is your first priority to satisfy your own creativity?
I think you have to write for
yourself. It's fun trying to be creative and you just have to hope that people
will like it. Now that I've had feedback from readers I know that I'm on the
right track with some of my mad book ideas.
Do you have a homepage? If so,
what’s the URL?
Yes please visit: http://www.myalienpenfriend.co.uk
You can also visit my
publisher's page for the book:
http://www.myalienpenfriend.com
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