Let me introduce you to the lovely Mel Martin from England. A poet and social history author who was a delight to interview.
Tell us a bit about yourself.
My name is Mel Martin. I am a mother of
three, almost grown up children. I live in Colchester in Essex, UK, though
I am originally from Dudley in the Midlands, UK. I work in a local high school
helping kids to reach their potential. I see this as more of a calling than
a job. I have a passion for history, particularly family and social history and
love all things nature. I also make homemade cards and research family history
for others.
What bought you to the world of writing?
I have always wanted to write but have
never had the confidence to do so. I had learning needs when at school and
struggled with basic literacy skills and grew up thinking I was never going to
be good enough. I love the English language and the use of techniques such as
metaphors and similes. I have written my
poems down for years and some time ago decided I may share over the great
resource of the internet, people who read them said I should try to publish so
with the help of a friend (also a writer), a girl I grew up with, I sent off my
first book to be published. This was for me rather than for anyone else. It was
at this point I realised people wanted to buy and read my poetry.
What is your first book and what do you
think of it now?
The first book I wrote was called “My
Poetry Corner” and was published on 1st April 2014. I still love
this book it will always be dear to me as it was almost a platform for
everything that has come since.
What type of books do you write and do they
fulfil your reader’s needs?
I have written 5 small volumes of poems,
these have been a considerable help to others and I know that some carry them with them when they take a journey or a few days away. I have also written a
book on short stories passed down through the family and a novel (in Black
Country dialect) based on someone I discovered in my family tree. Both of these
have received a lot of interest, mainly because some of my characters are
remembered by others and also because they could be stories about anyone
else’s family. I have also written 2
research books, which I put together for families to preserve their heritage
and continue their legacy.
Would you like to feature a book, if so
which one? Tell us about it?
Yes, I love all of my books but the one
closest to my heart has to be “The Black Sheep” – the story is set in the heart
of the Black Country in Victorian England. It is essentially the life of
William Loundes and young man seemingly disowned by his family and left to take
life’s journey alone. The reader is drawn in the question of who the Black
Sheep is and what they have done to make them so. The book leaves a lot of
questions for the reader to think on and helps them consider what legacy they
may leave behind in life.
How long does it take you to write your
first draft?
When I wrote the Black Sheep it took about
6 months for me to draft and to get it right. It took some time longer to do
the justice I felt my character deserved.
Do you plot or not, if so why?
Yes, although it was reasonably easy in the
case of the Black Sheep as I had the story of his life mapped out before me
through research it was just a case of getting everything to flow fluently.
Do you write in 1st or 3rd
person, or have you do both?
I tend to write in the third person as I
tell a story from my characters viewpoint.
How do you edit your work? Do you leave your draft alone for a while or
edit as you write?
I tend to edit my work as I go along and
then at the end also. I write about persons who have lived before,so write and
re-write and then re-write again till I feel its how they would have wanted it.
What type of people/readers do you market
your books to?
I try to write books that would appeal to
people of all ages. A lot of my market audience for my novel has been family
and persons local to where the book is set, whereas, my poems have a wider
audience.
Do you self-publish or have you worked with
an Agent/Publisher
I self-publish which gives me a greater
freedom of expression. I edit my books myself though occasionally I will ask
someone to look them over if I am not completely satisfied.
How do you promote your writing?
I generally use the internet to promote my
books I have recently set up a blog and am working on that to show others my
work; I also make good use of the facebook community.
Where can we buy your books?.
All of my books are available through
feed-a-read.com
Who are your favourite authors?
Charles Dickens, The Brontes, Jane Austin,
Lucy Maud Montgomery and contemporary writers such as Ruth Calder Murphy, Anne
Murray and Meg Hutchinson
Thank you Mel for letting us get to know you better, good luck with your books.
Links
Do you have any more information you’d like
to share with us?
I would like you to take a look at my links
and enjoy my journey. Thank you.
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