Nicky Peacock
Hello Nicky. Can you please introduce yourself.
I’m Nicky Peacock. I’m a published author who writes horror, paranormal romance and supernatural YA.
How long have you been writing?
All my life but only seriously and with success the last two years.
What first got you interested in writing?
My mum. She always wanted to be a writer.
Do you attend a writing group?
I run the Creative Minds Writing Group in Corby and put it together two years ago after I decided I needed to meet like minded individuals who would motivate me to write.
Why do you attend a writing group?
What is the most valuable thing you've taken away from your writing group?Motivation, Inspiration, sharing my work and to have a good laugh!
The value of what you do. Family and friends can be supportive but only other writers will know what you went through to get that story written.
What genre(s) do you write? What drew you to this/these genre(s)?
I write horror and paranormal romance both for adults and young adults. I read this genre and so writing these types of stories always felt right and interested me.
Are there any genres that you don't enjoy writing?
I don’t like writing generic fiction – I find it hard not to throw in a dark element to what I write.
What types of things do you write?
I write short stories for anthologies and have my first novel being published end of this year.
Congratulations. I bet you're excited! Have you ever had anything published?
Yes. I have over 30 stories published/accepted for publication in 5 countries. My novel ‘Bad Blood’ will be end of the year (if all goes well with the editing).
Have you sent your writing to agents/publishers? Have you received any rejections?
I have received rejections. It’s part of any writer’s life and its something that you have to come to terms with quickly if you are to make it. The best advice I can give is to know that you can’t please everyone all the time – one publisher may reject you but the next one might snap you up!
Would you consider self-publishing/e-publishing?
Many of my books are available in both ebooks and print. Personally I prefer to go with publishers rather than self-publish. With everyone and their dog out there self publishing the quality is questionable. As a reader I would only ever read something that has a publisher backing it.
Do you have a writing routine?
I write mostly at night – I tend to be more creative in twilight hours.
I'm the same. Do you start out with a complete idea for your stories, or do you just start writing and hope for the best?
I always start with an idea and a vague plan – I then write and let the story evolve organically.
Do you have an editing process?
Yes – I have a drafting system. I do at least 6 edits and each one looks for one point in particular. For example – tenses, info dumps, clichés, story sense etc.
Who/what influences your writing? Where do you get your inspiration from?
I mainly tend to write the stories I would want to read. I also write to order for anthology call outs.
How do you come up with your characters' names and personalities?
A lot of my characters have a personality trait of my own in there to make them believable. The rest is woven around what I need them to do as characters. I use a baby name book and just pick what feels right.
Have you ever entered any writing competitions?
I won runner up in the Stamford Ghost Story competition.
Have you ever been to an open mic event for spoken word performers?
Yes – It was awful and performers really hadn’t been vetted!
Oh, that's a shame. How important is it for you to share your writing?
Very, why write if no one reads it?
Exactly! What do you enjoy the most/least about writing?
That I can create anything I want to and entertain other people with my ideas.
What is the best piece of writing advice you've ever been given?
Always read publishers guidelines – they are not all the same and not formatting your work correctly can mean that it’s just rejected without being read.
What advice could you give to a new writer?
Join a group. Start small and work up to a novel. Write the genre you read. Read, read, read!
Apart from writing, what are your other hobbies/interests?
I’m a hardened shopper, so anywhere money is exchanged for goods – I’m there!
I think I have that addiction too! If you could have written anything, what do you wish that could have been?
The Hunger Games – Suzanne Collins
What are you working on at the moment?
A sequel to my book and also a few novellas to start a couple of other series.
Do you have a website/blog/Twitter/Facebook dedicated to your writing?
Yes:Twitter: http://twitter.com/NickyP_authorGroup Website: http://www.creativemindswriting.co.uk/Amazon Author Page: http://www.amazon.com/Nicky-Peacock/e/B007UH2ACW/ref=ntt_dp_epwbk_4
Would you be able to provide a short piece of your work?
This is the opening of my story Fountain of Flesh. The challenge was to write a vampire story with a twist. I set the whole thing in Venice and the twist was that the vampire is unconscious for the whole story but is the catalyst for the bad things which happen.
The Venice Carnival, a sea of annual decadence, pushed itself through the Italian streets; men and woman dressed in a mixture of colourful costumes and fake finery danced and drank with a sense of belonging born from years of tradition. The aroma of a hundred different Italian dishes mingled together in the air, giving the carnival an almost edible scent, making everyone who smelled it crazed with thirst and hunger.
© Nicky Peacock
Thank you Nicky.
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