This time around we’re joined by Mrs. Charlotte Castle. Mrs. Castle’s book is Simon’s Choice, a moving tale of a Father’s Promise.

Rhodes Review: Who are some of the writers you enjoy? Books?

Charlotte Castle:  Thanks. Well, it won’t come as any surprise that I enjoy Jodie Picoult. I also loved Lionel Shriver’s ‘We Need to Talk About Kevin’ and I always love everything by David Nobbs and Evelyn Waugh. Recently, I really enjoyed The Wedding Gift by Kathleen McKenna and also Spoilt by Jo Ellis.

Rhodes Review:  How do you come up with Story Ideas?

Charlotte Castle:  Well, there’s a germ of an idea. Then you build on that. I normally start with a ‘what if’ and then a setting and then once i start researching, more ‘oh, but what if THIS happened’ come into play.

Rhodes Review:  How do you get your inspiration/muse to write?

Charlotte Castle:  There’s no muse. Inspiration comes from past experience. Glimmers of memory and glints from anecdotes – it took me until I was this age (29) to write a book because I didn’t have the experiences to turn into a novel until now.

Rhodes Review:  What is the hardest part of writing for you?

Charlotte Castle:  Time! I have two children. Writing takes a lot of time. I try to do 10,000 words a week – which is the equivelant of a university dissertation each week. Also, I’m dreadful at spelling and grammar (as you may have noticed.) Thank God for a patient publisher and talented editor.

Rhodes Review:  What’s the best thing about being an author?

Charlotte Castle:  Ah. The occasional moment when somebody looks at you with respect for having written a book. Trust me, it doesn’t happen often. Normally they think you’ve written a picture book – which deserves respect anyway as they are particularly hard to get published. But yeah, when someone says ‘oh, you’re an author?’ – it’s nice.

Rhodes Review:  What advice would you give aspiring authors?

Charlotte Castle:  Treat it like a job. You have to write it. It’s 1% inspiration 99% perspiration. Also, don’t write yourself into a corner. If something isn’t working, you’ve probably taken a wrong turn. Don’t be afraid to delete chapters and start again – it hurts, but sometimes it’s necessary.

Rhodes Review:  What is your current writing project?

Charlotte Castle:  A novel about a teacher who plays a prank with terrible consequences. It also delves into his difficult past. It’s a tale about how tiny things can suddenly roar up in front of you and cause terrible, massive problems.

Rhodes Review:  What was the writing process like for Simon’s Choice?

Charlotte Castle:  I wrote Simon’s Choice in the last two months of pregnancy and then the final month with a very sick baby on my lap. I wrote through torrents of vomit.

Rhodes Review:  What made you want to write this book?

Charlotte Castle:  I don’t know. Something just told me that it was a story that should be written – and read.

Rhodes Review:  Are there any appearances/conventions you’d like to announce to our readers?

Charlotte Castle:  No, bless you. But if your readers are good enough to buy the book and review it, you never know… you might find me on Oprah.

We’d like to thank Ms. Castle for joining us, and you can read a review of Simon’s Choice here.

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