Interview Hazel Statham

by

Patrick Murphy

1) When you were a teen, did you have any inkling that you would write a book?

I wrote my first book at 16. I don’t know why I started to write; only that it was a compulsion I couldn’t ignore. I then wrote a further two books--all historical. I wish I had those books now so that I could compare them with the work I do today, but they disappeared when we moved house.

2) What famous person do you think would like “Dominic”?

I haven’t a clue as it’s very difficult to gauge peoples’ reading preferences. It would be nice to think that some dashing hero type actor would read it and instantly want to play the part of Dominic--can’t see it happening though, and all the actors that spring to mind are now to old to play a twenty-four-year-old aristocrat!

3) When you write, do you start with an outline, like they teach in school, or do you just wing it?

I start with a brief outline of where I want the story to go but I’m very open to any suggestions my characters make. For instance, in ‘My Dearest Friend’, I didn’t know Stefan had an illegitimate daughter until the sergeant strolled onto the scene and told me. It’s as if I eavesdrop on my characters conversations and just watch a play unfold. I often find words coming out of their mouths that lead the story off on a tangent. I have bought several books that tell you how to write, what to write and when to write it, but I’ve never read them--I just write what comes to me.

4) Outside of the world of literature, what are some of your favorite things to do?

I must say that I love spending time with my family, especially my five-year-old grandson, Daniel, but my other ruling passion is animals. Until recently, I was the treasurer for an organisation that raised money for animal charities and over the years, we have owned everything from hamsters to horses. When I was younger, I loved dancing, swimming, riding and walking. I also used to paint (animals of course!) but unfortunately, I am no longer able to do these things due to my health. However, it’s a standing family joke that you can leave me anywhere as long as I have a book to read and as I never throw any of my books away, I now have an extensive collection.

5) Are these pastimes reflected in your writing?

I think so as most of my books contain either horses, dogs or both. They are so much a part of my life that I can’t imagine my characters without them. Also, they fit in with the eras in which I write.

6) Do you schedule a time to write, or do you just write when the mood hits you?

I have no set schedule but I try to write every day. I spend a lot of time on the computer but my best ideas come when I am either just dropping off to sleep or just waking up. If I waited to boot the computer up before I wrote my ideas down, they would be gone, so I keep paper and pen handy at all times. I have been known to get up at 2 or 3 in the morning, just to capture something that had popped into my head.

7) Do you go into a trance-like state when you write, only to return a few hours later after intense imagineering?

No, but if someone interrupts my train of thought, I often find it difficult to recapture it, so I tend to write when the house is empty. Some authors I know like to write to the accompaniment of music, but I like complete silence.

8) Do you lose sleep from book brainstorming?

Definitely! No matter how late at night, when the flow hits me, I have to write and sometimes it lasts well into the early hours of the morning.

9) Do you write in long shifts, or do you go in short bursts?

It all depends on how it comes to me. It would be nice to say that I could produce a certain amount of work each day as I’ve heard some authors say that they do, but I can’t. If the story is going well, I can spend all day at the computer, but if I come to a hitch, I find something else to do until it sorts itself out.

10) Outside of publishing “Dominic”, what accomplishments in your life make you most proud?

So far, I have written six other books and, in time, I would love to see them all published. When I was young, I was a county swimmer. Apart from my writing however, I am proud of my family.

11) If you have a significant other, does this person support your writing, or simply tolerate your passion?

My husband is very supportive of my writing. In fact, it was he who encouraged me to seek publication when I was afraid to do so.

12) Which was harder for you, writing your first book or the process of getting it published?

Definitely the process of getting it published as I originally wrote only for myself with no thought of publication--I just didn’t think I was good enough.

13) Have you ever used a literary agent?

About five years ago I did, but I heard several adverse comments about his agency and withdrew my work.

14) Are you relieved when you write “The End”, or do you carry the characters with you, never letting them go?

I like the feeling when the story has reached a satisfactory conclusion, but I still retain an affection for my characters long after the book is closed. I still have a fondness for Dominic but once a book is complete, I start thinking about my next story line. ‘My Dearest Friend’, which is due out in January, is the story of Dominic’s son. Both books stand alone but I liked the thought of continuing with the family.

15) Do you ever wonder what your book characters would do in your real life situations?

Guilty! I sometimes wonder how my historical heroes would fit into the modern world and what would be their reaction to the progress we have made since the 18^th and 19^th century. Somehow I don’t see Dominic as a modern man, wandering around the supermarket doing the weekly shop!