Sophia Moseley is an established feature
writer for magazines, writes a regular column for the local press, and a
children’s author; My Time Again Sophia’s first short story for
adults, is now available and published by Brindle Books Ltd.
Living near the Pearl of Dorset, having spent
most of her working life in the City, then joining the Arts & Culture
industry, Sophia has written for both local and national magazines, including
Liverpool’s Lifestyle Monthly, Nursery Education Plus, Woman’s Weekly, Archant
Press, and Dorset Life Magazine. From chatting to Duncan Bannatyne to
researching into historic houses, Sophia has interviewed celebrities and had
exclusive access to both public and private collections.
Sophia has also written biographies for
private clients and run creative writing workshops in both primary and
secondary schools. She is a Member of the Society of Authors and Authors’
Licensing and Collecting Society.
BRINDLE: In
about three sentences, what is your book about?
SOPHIA:
It’s
about fate and destiny, about the decisions you’ve made, and if you could wind
back the clock and change them, would you? But it’s not just about being able
to change your mind; what happens to the people you know, do they cease to
exist, or does fate ensure their existence no matter what?
BRINDLE: When
did you first get involved in writing/ When did you first become involved in
this subject?
SOPHIA: Since I could
first put pen to paper, I have always wanted to write. I started with poetry
and as a child, had several poems published, and got paid for them, which was
terrifically exciting! My imagination and curiosity have never diminished.
This is the first short story for adults I have
written, so it’s a new genre for me, but a short story packs a punch, and I
like that.
BRINDLE: What
got you interested in this subject in the first place?
SOPHIA: I have always been
curious about destiny and fate, and believe strongly that what will be, will
be. But it’s how you get there that can be altered. But then that raises the
question, how do you know if where you are now is where you are meant to be?
BRINDLE: What’s
been your highlight/biggest achievement in this field?
SOPHIA: Because it’s a
cliff-hanger, when people told me they couldn’t put it down until they had read
it from cover to cover, I knew I’d achieved my aim. The theme also resonated
with many people, and that’s what I wanted, to tap into the reader’s
psyche.
BRINDLE: What
is it that drives you to write?
SOPHIA: It’s an unstoppable
desire and need that I have always had. Writing is the same as breathing for
me, it’s quite simply what I do. When I write, I enter a different world where
anything is possible, it’s my escape route from life. I have dozens of
notebooks and pads full of ideas.
BRINDLE: Can
you tell us about your research methods?
SOPHIA: I’m very
inquisitive, and a great one for listening to people, always asking questions,
trying to find out about them, their lives and who they are; and I like to dig
deeper, discover the unknown, uncover secrets.
BRINDLE: What
are the best and worst things about being a writer in this field?
SOPHIA: I think the best
thing is turning the ordinary into the extraordinary; seeing something in the
everyday, and make it thought provoking.
The worst thing? Time. I never have enough time, and
with short stories, you need to write the next one quite quickly; and I suppose
criticism. There’s a little piece of me in every page I write, but it’s
something every creator has to accept.
BRINDLE: Which
authors etc. are your biggest influences?
SOPHIA: More recently, Santa
Montefiore, Philippa Gregory, and Paula Hawkins. But when I worked in the City
during the 90s, I read all of Jeffrey Archer’s books, though not sure I should
admit that! But I also love poetry, especially the romantics; Keats,
Wordsworth, Byron, and Brian Bilston makes me laugh.
BRINDLE: What
do you think is the most important quality/skill for a writer in your field?
SOPHIA: Looking at things
from a deeper and different perspective, not taking things at face value.
Asking questions but also drawing on personal experience; empathy is very
important too.
BRINDLE: What
are your future plans?
SOPHIA: To complete my
novel for younger readers, and an adult story based on a well-known environmental
disaster that happened a few years ago. They are my current WIPs.
BRINDLE: Can
you tell us a bit about your writing process? (location/time/words per
day/schedule etc.)
SOPHIA: It all depends on
whether it’s fact of fiction. For the biographies I have written, it’s asking
the right questions and deciphering their family history. But with my fiction,
I draw on human nature and behaviour, adding contemporary issues to tie it together.
I do my writing at home, but I have a full-time job,
so my word count and writing schedule varies from week to week. Evenings,
weekends, and holidays are my writing times. I always aim for at least 500
words when I am short of time, then around 1500 at other times. But to be
honest, I don’t always count, I just write.
BRINDLE: What
advice would you give to new writers in your field?
SOPHIA: Always ask
questions; look around you and be curious, never stop wondering about things,
and never give up.
If you are a published, (or self-published), author,
and would like to be the subject of one of our author interviews, please email
us at: contact@brindlebooks.co.uk
Put the words ‘Interview request’ in the subject
header, and tell us a little about yourself in the message. If your book is
available online, please paste a link to it in the message. We’ll get back to
you with further details and some interview questions.