Established author Rebecca Alexander visited Brockenhurst College this week to talk to Creative Writing A level students about the life of a writer, and to provide advice on pursuing their creative ambitions to achieve success in the industry.
She has just published her latest book The Secrets of Life and Death, a fantastical thriller that follows characters Jackdaw Hammond and Edward Kelley and their intriguing worlds, separated by hundreds of years; this is the first novel to be published in a forthcoming trilogy of supernatural mystery. Rebecca has also published a range of short fiction and poetry that explores a variety of themes, incorporating elements of fantasy, crime, history and romance.
Having recently completed an MA in Creative and Critical Writing at the University of Winchester, Rebecca emphasised to students the importance of constantly learning and developing, both creatively and technically, in order to translate the natural gift of storytelling into the honed craft of writing.
She said: “Writing courses provide the opportunity to connect with other writers, which is invaluable. Writing can be a lonely experience, but I found that sharing my work gave me a great deal of confidence, and is a way of continually improving.”
Many of the questions posed to Rebecca by students dealt with the practicalities of an author’s life, such as her writing routine, the publishing process and the importance of using social media and blogging as a method of promotion and connecting with a wider community of writers to share support, encouragement and ideas.
Rebecca added: “My best advice to aspiring writers would be to always ‘write what you read’ – stay true to the genre you are interested in and only attempt to write the type of fiction that you would be likely to choose to read yourself; be bold, confident, quirky and imaginative – if you can do something truly unexpected with your plot and characters, it is far more likely to get noticed by an agent, or singled out in a literary competition.”
Second year A level student Cassie Lister was delighted to attend Rebecca’s talk, as she is currently aspiring to be an urban fantasy writer herself. She said: “Having the opportunity to hear first-hand from a published author who writes in the genre I am most interested in, was amazing. I know the path to becoming a writer is incredibly hard work, but listening to Rebecca’s talk has really boosted my confidence and inspired me to make the most of dedicated time I can spend writing, especially while studying on this course here at Brock.”
and on her blog at http://witchwayblogspotcom.blogspot.co.uk
