How do you strike the balance between
writing something you want to write and writing something that people want to
read, in terms of the compromises you make, if any?
I write what
I'm drawn to write, and hope that people will want to read it. If my heart
wasn't in it, I think that would show through in the writing—I wouldn't make a
very good job of it!
What excites, attracts or appeals to you
about the genre(s) you write in.
I've had an
interest in history since I was a child, but this particular passion for
writing historical fiction grew with the process of discovering my characters
and the world they inhabit. I wanted to find out more about how they lived, and
the more I learned the more fascinated I became.
While the
historic period has shaped the attitudes of my characters and the events of
their lives, and the period details are as accurate as I can make them, the
books aren't about those details. I believe
that in some
ways people are the same across the ages. We all have dreams and
disappointments, loves and losses, joy and sorrow. For me, historical fiction
can show us something of how our forbears lived—such different lives from
ours—and can help us feel a kinship with them.
I find it
easier to identify with ordinary people than the great and powerful, and
although mine are imaginary they're as real as I can make them. I'd like to
think that my characters give something of a
voice to
those who lived obscure lives of quiet struggle and small triumphs, wanting the
best for their children, even though their idea of "the best" might
be very different from ours.
Do you have a box, drawer, folder etc
where you keep thoughts and ideas for future stories? Such as names you have
come across, bits of dialogue, ideas, characters - even if you have no idea
when you might use them?
The folders
are mostly computer ones, where I store away bits and pieces: future plot
ideas, snippets about characters' lives, interesting names for characters or
places, odd little events I hear of. I also have boxes of things like old
photographs and diaries.
How much of you is in your characters?
Which of your characters is the you that you’d most like to be? Or be with?
I really
don't think there's much of me in any of them—I don't think I'd survive long in
a 19th century farming valley, especially with all that childbearing. I did
bequeath one or two of the city dwellers my incompatibility with early
mornings. One of my characters, Sarah, has a very comfortable life and is
financially independent; I think hers is the life that would suit me most.
She's also (like me) hopeless
first thing
in the morning. One reader described Sarah as going through life "with her
elbows out"; I think I have a less black-and-white view of the world than
she does.
The one I'd
most like to be with is Frank. As I say at the end of one of the books, my
husband was my inspiration for the very finest aspects of Frank’s character.
Do you become so wrapped up in your
writing that your spouse wonders if they're married to you or one of your
characters?
He remarked
a while ago that it always feels as if we have a houseful of people, even
though it's only the two of us! He does cheerfully cope with sharing the house
with my motley assortment of characters. We often discuss their motivations and
how they'd handle particular circumstances; there's even some role-playing at
times. The boundaries don't *quite* blur
to the point of forgetting who's married to whom, though.
What type of book do you like reading?
Is it the same genre as you write?
Confession
time: I re-read a lot, especially my old favourites. My single favourite author
is Jane Austen, and I never tire of revisiting her. Rather than having a
favourite genre, I like books with engaging characters and/or appealing
settings. I also read quite a lot of non-fiction, particularly in the area of
New Zealand history.
What lengths do you go to to convince us
readers that your book has the X factor?
Well,
there's the theme park, and the "Amy's Trail" tourist venture... oh,
you mean in real life, not daydreams? I just put the books out there and hope
for the best. I have lots of lovely readers who encourage friends and
acquaintances to read the books, and this word-of-mouth is the best promotion I
could hope for.
How do you feel when a reader points out
the spelling mistake(s) you have made?
Very
grateful to the reader who's taken the trouble, and mortified at having let a
work out into the world with an error in it. Fortunately it hasn't happened
very often!
What do you like most about visiting
KUF?
The open,
welcoming atmosphere, and the way writers and readers mix so comfortably.
What is on your near horizon?
In a fit of
madness, I've decided to work on two books at once: the next in my fiction
series, and an unrelated non-fiction work about a scandalous incident in 19th
century Wellington. How well I survive this remains to be seen.
Where can we find you for more
information?
My website
is www.shayneparkinson.com. It has some background details of the books'
settings, along with my contact email address.
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