Fresh Voice Emily Cross!

Welcome to the latest edition of Fresh Voices. We are delighted to share with you the voice of Emily Cross!





What is your ultimate writing goal?

My ultimate writing goal at the moment is to actually be published, whether it's an e-book or physical book - I'm not fussy :)

Beyond that, I'd hope to just keep writing (and hopefully keep getting published!)

Why do you write?

Such a good question. Honestly, I'm not sure!

The only reason I can imagine that anyone would want to write and pursue writing as a career is because they love it. I mean, I don't know about other writers, but writing for me is an emotional roller coaster where I could be skipping-down-the-street happy one moment and then filled with complete and utter despair the next. . . but despite these ups and downs, I still keep writing.

That has to be love, right?

Have you worked to achieve your voice or is it just a natural style for you?

As an aspiring writer I have agonised over what is voice and how I get it. Can you develop it or is it natural? I'm not sure as to the answer, I think its a combination.

For me, it hasn't been a conscious effort. What I do know though, is that people notice when you lose your 'voice'. For instance, for some insane reason, I decided to rewrite my first chapter of my YA WIP. I was really concerned that it wasn't right for the market. So I sat down, reread my favourite YA books and rewrote the chapter. I submitted it to my writers group. I'll always remember, my friend who critiqued it, turning to me and saying ""Yeah, this was a good chapter for somebody else to write, but it isn't you. What makes your writing yours is not in there"".

So I learnt that I must have some sort of voice and that you have to be true to it.

Who are your favorite authors and why do you like them?

I've a really eclectic taste in books. It really depends on my mood or what genre I'm in at the moment.

So right now, I'm on a serious historical romance binge, so one of my many favourite writers in this genre would be Lisa Kleypas. She's an all round great writer with tight plot, believable and lovable characters and effortless-to-read writing style. I don't know how many times I've reread "Devil in Winter"! Mr. Darcy move over, here's Sebastian!

Another writer I absolutely love is Gail Carriger. Rereading her parasol protectorate series makes me cry with joy (as a reader) and cry with envy (as a writer) because they are just brilliant!!

What most attracts you to the life of a writer?

Probably the freedom, the control over how you work and the idea that you're creating something that will (hopefully) still be around once your gone?

I'm not sure to be honest, I do have this lovely image in my mind of sitting in a parisienne cafe sipping hot chocolate, jotting in a notebook as I watch the world go by. . . but this is probably as realistic as being hand fed bonbons by Richard Armitage!

If you couldn't be a writer but knew you were guaranteed success at a different career, what would you choose?

 I think it would be photography. I'd love to be good at this (but I'm utterly useless!) As the old adage goes "Picture is worth a thousand words" and good photography tells a story so I think like writing, you have to be a storyteller.

If you had to describe your writing in one word, what would that word be? 

Lyrical

aka having crazy grammar ?? ;)

What's the best writing advice you've ever gotten? 

500 words a day. No matter what write 500 words a day.

AND

There is no such thing as good writing, only good rewriting!!

Emily Cross is a pseudonym aspiring to be a published and (hopefully well) paid author. By day, she is an unnamed mild-mannered if not neurotic PhD student. By night, she is Emily Cross, a blog hopping chocoholic with delusions of literary grandeur, who procrastinates her time through tweeting, blogging and posting random thoughts across the blogosphere. Check her out on her blog,  Twitter @crossemily or friend her through Facebook.