Name: Katie Gerrard
Age:35
Hometown: London
Occupation: Employment Adviser
When/where do you write? With a job and young children I need to make time to write. I enjoy a blissful few hours at home on Tuesday and Friday mornings so this will be my bulk writing time and I’ll sneak an hour or two in the evenings after the kids are in bed.
Writing background: I’m lucky enough to have two non-fiction books published by the wonderful people over at Avalonia Books; “Odin’s Gateways’ a beginner’s guide to the runes and ‘Seidr: The gate is open’ about Nordic witchcraft.
Moving over to creative writing has been more challenging than I ever imagined. I’ve had some small successes; a short story accepted for an anthology and becoming shortlisted for the Writers' and Artists' historical fiction competition but it’s fair to say I’m still honing my craft. I was delighted to be part of the WoMentoring project and lucked out with my mentor, the talented agent Juliet Pickering. So now it’s down to me! Maybe NaNoWriMo will be just what I need to complete a masterpiece.
Why NaNoWriMo and why now? I’m full of ideas and enthusiasm but not big on the whole finishing thing. Having to write 50,000 words in the space of a month will really help my ability to get on and focus on one thing at a time. I did attempt NaNoWriMo 2013 but failed dismally, although I’ve since finished that novel.
Genre (of NaNoWriMo novel): Historical Young Adult
The novel I want to write: What would you do for your first love? Sixteen year old Martha disobeyed her parents and crossed oceans for hers.
Martha leaves 1930s New England with her guilt stricken fiancé, the former Father Brennan, who is hired as a missionary to the Norwegian Sami. Headstrong and full of enthusiasm, she is distraught to become a teacher with an empty Sunday school and a wife with a cold bed.
Yet Martha adores the mountains and the Sami way of life. Can she make her job and marriage work so she can stay with her beloved reindeer people? Does she have anywhere to turn if she can't?
Meet my main character: Martha is the odd sock amongst her perfect sisters. Referred to by her family as one of the new breed of women, she reads too much, asks too many questions and can’t stay neat and tidy. Her passionate nature, along with her single minded tenacity, means she follows her heart into a life beyond expectations.
Have you done any planning? This novel has been gestating since early summer. I started with a concept and fleshed it out as the characters developed, so I’ve got the story arc but not much more. Due to the historical element I’ve had to undertake a fair bit of studying. I’ve a little understanding of the Sami in the 12th Century but this novel is set in the early 20th century so I needed to explore that Scandinavia, which was a very different place. For example, the Sami were mostly Christianised by this point.
Writing fears: I’m terrified of letting others watch the ebb and flow of my creativity, especially on the days where the words aren’t flowing! Usually as writers we get to hide our early experiments and ideas, only announcing the completed story to the world as a fully packaged marketing plan. Showing the rough development stages seems like a bad idea. I’m quite a private person and creative writing can be the epiphany of too much information, so I’ll need to break through that barrier and open myself up to scrutiny, being proud of my words - not embarrassed by them.
Although NaNoWriMo is the perfect way to gain group encouragement, for someone like me it’s also the perfect excuse for procrastination. I’m easily distracted so I’m hoping the social media and meet ups encourage me to work, not chat!
Writing hopes and dreams: Most of my protagonists are strong and determined women. The popularity of the girl who can save herself and her boyfriend has slipped somewhat over recent years and I’d love to see capable, intelligent women back in the spotlight.
Like most writers I want to be an author people read and admire; someone who brings words to life and shows the reader a slice of themselves in the characters. Is it too stalker-y to say I’d also one day like to be good enough to be published by Bloomsbury?
Katie Gerrard will be blogging for us every week throughout the NaNoWriMo challenge. Keep checking back here for the latest updates.
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