Kitty Wilson interview

AUTHOR INTERVIEW

A little introduction:

Hello, I’m Kitty Wilson and it’s lovely to meet you all. I write feelgood, escapist, romantic comedies and I’m currently working on my eighth book. 

When did your love of books begin?

I have loved books for as long as I can remember. My mother claims I have been reading since I was two years old, which seems a little far-fetched, but I do very definitely remember reading whilst at playgroup. My whole childhood and adolescence was spent with a book in my hand or my pocket, or if I was being sneaky, hidden down my socks. I write romance now but have always read across a very wide range of books and know my love for reading will be lifelong. 

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

Childhood again, I always thought it would be the most satisfying job. I wanted to spend my entire life in a little bookish cocoon and thought that being an author would be the best way possible to achieve that. I had dreams of having my very own writing room – it involved a lot of gauzy floaty white fabrics, floor-to-ceiling windows and a beautifully maintained garden. I also imagined I’d spend a lot of time flouncing around beaches, moors and so forth imagining wildly dramatic scenarios whilst wearing a straw hat.

How have you found the process for becoming an author?

Honestly, it’s tough. You need to develop a very thick skin to bounce an awful lot of rejections off. Despite my dreams of writing, I found that real life got in the way and whilst I would occasionally remind myself of my ambitions and fire out three chapters and a synopsis, I didn’t start to give writing the dedication that it requires until my late thirties. At which point my life had taken a dramatic turn and I had realised that if I wanted this to happen I had to actively work at it and not just dream about it. I devoted myself to researching the industry and writing every day, constantly trying to teach myself and improve my skills. I learnt that a lot of what people believe to be true about being an author is a myth, myself included, but I also learnt that there is nothing I would rather do. I believe that, as with many things, authors continue to learn and improve as they go and that if you are dedicating huge chunks of your time to writing then you should consider yourself a writer, publishing contract or not. Although I say this, I now have seven books published, write full-time and still feel like an imposter.

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

So many things! Firstly, I would say that if you want to become an author then you need to sit down and write. Having dreams of writing is wonderful but you need to put your bottom in a chair and get those words down if you want it to become a reality.

When you’re not writing then spend your time reading, look at what an author does well and see how you can use that to improve your own practice, look at what you think an author does poorly and make sure you avoid the same mistakes. Understand that writing is a process and, like everything else, the more we do it the better we become.

I would also suggest that you learn a little bit about the business of publishing. Average author income is lower than you think and it often takes a backlist to help you build up to a point where you can give up the day-job so dream wildly by all means, but temper it with learning a little about the realities.  And finally, invest some time in making friends within the writing community. No-one will understand the ups and downs - and they are extreme - of writing like other writers, they will support you, guide you and enrich your life in ways you never thought possible. 

Tell us about your book/books:

The majority of my books to date are light-hearted, feelgood romantic comedies set in Cornwall, where I lived for twenty-five years – and revolve around a small primary school. There are five books that make up The Cornish Village School series and they can all be read as stand-alone’s although I think (but I’m biased) that they are best read in order. I adored writing these books, I was a primary school teacher myself before I became an author and love the community you have in small villages. Penmenna, the village I invented for this series, and the characters that live there, became very real to me whilst I was writing these and I know from the reviews that many readers feel the same.

My last two books have been set in Bristol where I moved to a few years ago. These are stand-alones and despite their urban setting still have a strong sense of community woven through.

Every Day In December is a super Christmassy story with each chapter representing one day of the month and although we shouldn’t have favourites, this is mine. It uses that time-honoured festive trope of one character teaching another the joys of Christmas and in this story it is Belle who is obsessed with the season and desperate to teach grumpy Rory all that there is to love about it. It is rammed full of festive joy, has moments that still make me giggle and I cannot tell you how much I enjoyed writing it.

My latest book is The Love Experiment and centres around Lily, a sex and relationship therapist who is determined to stay single, and Jay who is desperately searching for his Mrs Right. This story is darker than my other books and deals with some very serious issues but also has a whole heap of humour woven through.

All of my books are available from your favourite booksellers and there are reviews aplenty on these sites as well as Goodreads so do feel free to check any and all of them out. 

What do you love about the writing/reading community?

I have never found such a supportive community as the bookish one. Whether you’re a reader, a writer or both then this is a place where others consistently lift you up and support you. As part of the writing community, I have made lifelong friends, we check in with each other regularly, some daily, and encourage each other when the going is tough, kick each other into shape when it’s needed and celebrate every win and achievement whether it's simply finishing a chapter or getting a new contract.

Readers reach out to me regularly on social media and are unfailingly supportive. Sometimes the writer’s life can be a little isolated and having readers jump into my inbox to tell me how they have loved my book or adored this character or that storyline is so meaningful. So many people got in touch about The Cornish Village School during the pandemic to thank me for providing a little bit of escapism, some light relief during a really difficult time. That made me feel very blessed to have writing as a career and is probably the most rewarding thing I will ever experience, so I am forever grateful to readers that invest their time and their emotions in the books that I write.  

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

I think it would be a great big thank you – a huge one with bells, whistles, party poppers and dancing  - and I’d include pretty much the exact line I used in the previous question, thanking them for their time and emotional investment. I always feel very lucky when readers chose to spend their time in the stories I have created. If it weren’t for readers then I wouldn’t be able to use my days to build these worlds so when readers enjoy my characters as much as I do, that feels very special indeed. And whilst reviews make publishers happy, they have a really positive and personal impact on me as a writer as well and have gone on to shape the things I write about.

Where can people connect with you?

I am very easy to find on social media, and have profiles on Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter, I’ll pop the links below. I love hearing from readers so do feel free to reach out to me if you want to chat books, I never mind a little bookish procrastination.

I also have a website where there is a newsletter you can sign up for and I always try to share all my news there first before I post on social media and often run competitions and giveaways as well. Newsletter subscribers always get a couple of extra entries as a perk.

Thanks so much for featuring me on your site, and happy reading everyone!

Kitty x

 

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