Interview with Juliet McKenna

Do you ever find yourself writing away at a tangent into parts of the world that aren't necessarily related to the story? And are there avenues you'd like to go back and explore in future writing? The impulse to go off at a tangent is always there but I am ruthless in suppressing it. The plot's the thing, not the scenery, no matter how fascinating something I've discovered or invented might turn out to be. Yes, this does mean I have an ever-growing file of notions and ideas waiting for their chance in some future book.

What would be a 'normal' day in the life of Juliet E. McKenna, writer?
Oh, no such animal, I'm afraid, not as the mother of two boys. An ideal day would be getting the lads to school without having to stand over them barking orders like some orc captain of the guard. Then I either head for the gym to counteract the effects of working from home with unsupervised access to the biscuit tin or go home to whatever tedious domesticity can't be avoided - but I'll be thinking about what I'm planning to write next all the while. Once I'm at my keyboard, it's solid work until lunchtime, grab a sandwich while downloading email and answering anything urgent and then more work until it's time to get the kids from school. Ideally work will be stringing words together for the current book but it can also be drawing up an outline for the next chapter, reading for research, writing articles, doing business admin. As soon as the kids are home, Juliet E McKenna, writer, transforms into Mum and letters from school, after-school activities, reading, homework and having assorted small boys round to play take priority. Once the lads are in bed, I can do some more work if I need to - or not. An ideal day ends with me having managed to read the paper at some point, to watch any telly I've been aiming for and getting to bed without thinking 'Damn, still haven't done so-and-so'.

What do you do when you want to escape from writing?
Mostly, I read - crime and thrillers for preference because I find I just can't read fantasy while I'm actively engaged in writing it. I also play computer games like Civilisation, Sim City and Transport Tycoon. That's my mental escape and the martial art of aikido gives me a break from all the sitting still.

Is it cool to be an author?!
Cool is in the eye of the beholder, isn't it? It's certainly great fun being a writer - I get paid for doing something I enjoy enormously, I travel to new places and meet interesting people. Writing a book can have its tedious moments, like proof reading and juggling work and home life is as much a concern for me as it is for any other parent but on balance, I generally feel I'm ahead on points and from where I'm standing, OK, that's pretty cool.