Frances Murray interview

AUTHOR INTERVIEW

A little introduction:

My pen name is Frances Murray. I want to keep my private life separate from this book because of its contents. I’m 33 with two kids. I have a 7-year-old girl and a 5-year-old boy. I am engaged to the love of my life. Of course, I love reading and writing. Coffee, yoga, poetry, and cats. Haha. I’m currently on disability because of the pandemic. And I get into that in my book, so writing has become a daily thing for me and I’m consistently trying to get better. I am on my second book and I really hope to become a successful author. 

When did your love of books begin?

Because of my childhood, I lived with my great-grandmother for a while. At age 7, I joined the local library and had my very own library card! We checked out books all the time. I remember reading with my great-grandmother while she taped me. 

When did you start to have the wish to become an author?

While in middle school, I won a poetry contest. The poem was about my adoption at age 13. I’d just gotten my very own computer and began blogging on LiveJournal about my childhood and what led to an adoption. I promised myself that one day I would turn my blogs into a book.

How have you found the process for becoming an author?

I continued to blog up until recently at age 29. That’s when I found the courage to start my book. I am now 33 and have published the book. Although, I have not had it professionally edited. I cannot afford that right now. The process was mostly cathartic. Writing about the childhood trauma I experienced was hard. Is hard. I’m working on a second book. The second is coming along much faster than the first. I joined Masterclass.com and watched various famous authors teach out writing and how to publish a book. It was well worth the membership. The hardest part of the book was establishing a rhythm. And so, each chapter contains real and current day-to-day living, with a nightmare or flashback of some sort. Finding the dedication to sit down every day was also a challenge. But once I found myself immersed in my book, writing daily came naturally. 

What would you say to those wanting to become an author?

Sit down and write every morning. Just write. Your sentences do not have to be sentences. They can be fragments. Go back with a fresh mind and edit later. 

Tell us about your book/books:

My book is titled The Color of Resiliency. It’s about the childhood trauma I experienced and what it’s like to live with PTSD and schizoaffective disorder. It’s an eye-opener to mental health/illness. It gets gritty when I discuss sexual abuse as a child. It’s not for the faint of heart. It’s also about domestic abuse and suicidal ideation. It’s about the two years of my life ranging from age 29-31. The second book is the same, ranging from age 31-33, and includes issues from the pandemic that put me on disability. Again, each chapter contains a nightmare or flashback to the abuse I endured. 

I lived in a bedroom for six years, like a locked-up animal, and used the bathroom in the hole in the floor. They fed me condiments. That’s how my life started out. The rest is in the book. I don’t want to give away too much. 

What do you love about the writing/reading community?

A very supportive community. I’ve had other writers read and review my work with the feedback I needed to get better. I always want to do better. So the more readers, the merrier. 

If you could say anything to your readers what would it be?

That I’m so grateful for the read to begin with. I really hope my book sheds light on the stigma associated with mental illness. I hope it becomes a teaching tool for those who aren’t familiar with mental illness. And then assures others they are not alone. 

Where can people connect with you?

@Colorofresil on Twitter and Instagram.