An Interview with Graham Edwards

Graham Edwards is a published English fantasy and crime author. He has published two popular trilogies based on a world of dragons with human characteristics. Graham Edwards also has one crime novel written under the name Nick Curtis.

How did you get into writing? At what age did you know you wanted to be a writer?

I've written for as long as I can remember – short stories, comic books, short films – but I'd reached my mid-twenties before I actually committed to finishing a complete novel manuscript.

What was your first book or story that you completed? Did you ever get it published?

My first novel was "Dragoncharm". It was published by Voyager Books in 1995.

How did you finally get published? When were you able to write on a full time basis? Please explain your success story?

I submitted "Dragoncharm" unagented to several UK publishers. It got rejected a few times, then worked its way through the slush system at HarperCollins until it reached the desk of Jane Johnson. She bought it as part of a two-book deal. The odds on that happening are pretty poor – more so now than ever – so I guess I was one of the lucky ones. I've had a number of other novels published since those early days. I now have a (fabulous) agent who's encouraged me to look at short stories again, and also to work with book packagers ghost-writing novels under various pseudonyms. But I still need the day job to pay the bills.

How do you stay motivated to finish a novel? How do you stay focused?

I usually set myself a schedule with a deadline, broken down into a words-per-day rate. If the work's commissioned, that's easy to stick to, because the deadline's real. If not it's a little harder. The key, as someone once said, is applying the seat of the pants to the seat of the chair.

What is your writing schedule like? Do you write in the mornings, evenings, and for how long?

It varies. I wrote a novel longhand in half-hour bursts while commuting on the train. Took about a year. When the children were babies it was an hour or two in the early morning before going to work (well, I was up changing nappies anyway). Often it's evenings and weekends. A two hour session is reasonable but it's more about the word count. 2,000 words a day is good. In theory, a first draft of a novel should take about ten weeks, but life gets in the way so it's often a lot longer.

How do you get your ideas? What is your method for remembering them?

For me, ideas are the easy part. Sometimes they're sparked by something I read or hear about. Sometimes they just bubble up from the subconscious. Things can gestate down there for years. The act of writing can be a good idea generator in itself.

Keeping ideas alive is harder. If they're good they tend to stick around and make a nuisance of themselves until I do something with them. If I forget an idea it probably wasn't much good anyway. I keep notebooks and sketchbooks where I toss ideas around.

If you get writer’s block, how do you get over it?

By writing. I work through it. You have to be prepared to write 10,000 words then throw them in the trash.

What piece of advice would you give to someone thinking of becoming a writer? What is a good starting point for them?

Read. Write. Read. Write. Do it some more. Unless you love what you're doing, don't bother. Be prepared for rejection at all times. Remember that rewriting is the most important part. Research your market but don't crush your creativity. Listen to criticism – don't be a prima donna. Read some more. Write some more. Work hard.

To learn more about Graham Edwards check out his website. Or go to the Graham Edwards blog.