What genre would you
say your novels fall into, or do they defy classification?
I write mainly for young adults. However, at the moment I’m
writing an adult book. I’m writing a “cycle” of stories set in Nazi Germany-
three young adult –one is already out and two adult. They’re really all
crossover and can be read in any order. So, I suppose also one could call them
historical fiction.
I’ve also written science fiction and fantasy. They actually
have a lot in common with historical fiction: you have to control the settings
in all of them and they both explore another way of being.
What made you choose
that genre?
I think they actually they chose me. However, my writing was
kick-started when some strange things started happening whilst we were on
holiday in the south of Spain and our children aged six and eight ran out of
reading matter. I gradually moved to young adult as after all, I taught them
for 23 years.
How long does it take
you to write a book?
Of course it depends on the length – mine are coming in at
about 100,000 at the moment. 60,000 would take a couple of months to actually
write but then I’d spend another six editing and redrafting.
What is your work
schedule like when you're writing?
I’m always writing. I aim for two hours a day and / or 2000
words but I don’t always achieve that. I write most bank holidays (but not on
my birthday or Christmas Day) and at weekends. I often don’t manage my two
hours in the teaching weeks at the university where I work.
Where do you get your
ideas for your books?
They sort of fall from the sky – a chance remark, something
that happens, a funny name. My latest novel, The
House on Schellberg Street is based on something that really happened
but about which we only know a very little. I’ve had to use the imagination
muscle a lot there to work out how it all happened.
When did you write
your first book and how old were you?
Nine. A pastiche of a Famous Five Book because I’d read them
all.
What do you like to
do when you're not writing?
I love reading, good drama on TV or at the theatre and I
sing with a choir. The latter is such a good contrast to the isolation of the
writer and academic. For similar reasons I adore Twitter and Facebook is
growing on me.
What was one of the
most surprising things you learned in creating your books?
People actually do read them and some of them enjoy them.
How many books have
you written?
Lots. But many of them are educational. I have seven novels,
one of which is self-published because it is a writing experiment. I have
self-published a second because it went out of print. It was a little out of
date so I edited it quite a bit.
Which is your
favourite and why?
It’s always the latest one because you learn from each one
you write. So currently it’s The
House on Schellberg Street.
As a child, what did
you want to do when you grew up?
A teacher or a writer. I’ve actually managed both now.
What are you working
on now?
Clara’s Story. The
second in the Schellberg cycle. It’s possibly the darkest and is a
fictionalised biography of Clara Lehrs, a remarkable German Jewess, who,
persecuted herself, kept many disabled children hidden and thereby saved their
lives.
Bio
Gill James writes fiction for children, young adults and
adults. She lectures in English and Creative Writing at the University of
Salford, where she is Programme Leader for the English and Creative Practice
programmes. She is the founder of the Creative Café Project. She is a partner
in Bridge House Publishing which publishes mainly anthologies of short stories,
and its sister imprint which publishes young adult novels.
Find out about her and her books here:
Twitter @gilljames
Facebook page https://www.facebook.com/pages/Gill-James-Writer
Critique Service for Writers
Flash 500 Home Page: Flash Fiction, Humour Verse
and Novel Opening Chapter and Synopsis Competitions
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