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| Elizabeth Wright |
Elizabeth Wright, author of From Fancy Pants to Getting There, and her latest non-fiction book Belle Tout Lighthouse: The Little Lighthouse That Moved has provided a fascinating insight into her life.
She agreed to be interviewed adding 'I spend much of my writing life interviewing interesting people for my magazine articles, it will make a pleasant change to be on the 'receiving end.'
1 When did you first start writing?
I started writing when I was about fourteen. The Argus newspaper used to have a children’s page in the 1950’s/60’s, and, when I left school my parents invested in a pet shop for me. Resultant publicity about ‘teenage businesswoman’ brought about coverage from this junior page. I submitted a few short pieces about the shop and found that I liked seeing my name I print. So I looked around for other submission opportunities; and the trade magazine ‘Pet Product Marketing’ started to take pet related articles, and pay for them. ‘Cage and Aviary Birds’ were happy to use my illustrated reports on World Bird Shows that I had attended as a British team steward. Running the business for 38 years took up most of my time, but when I lost it in the recession of the early 1990’s, I decided to concentrate more on my writing. It needed to be professionalised so I enrolled on a course with ‘The Writer’s Bureau.’ This was one of the best writing moves I ever made, their advice was spot on, my tutor was supportive, and my writing really took off.
2 How did you come to write your first book?
Over the years I had built up an extensive portfolio of published work, and through the writing world ‘grapevine,’ Steve Benz, from S.B.Publications, at Seaford, a company that specialises in Sussex related books, asked me to put together a book covering crafts and industries with special links to this county. Called ‘Made in Sussex,’ the 24 chapters included trug baskets, cricket bats, the historic iron industry, glass making, Merrydown Cider etc.
3 What is the best thing about being an author?
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| With Danny Pike from BBC Radio Sussex |
For me, I get a great deal of satisfaction seeing my name in print and getting paid for it. I have the freedom to write about anything that takes my fancy, but I still hang onto the day job as I have a mortgage to pay. Additional advantages come in the form of travel freebies, free entry to many places that I might write about, and along the way I have made many new friends. I love all the razzmatazz and recognition that goes with the launch of each book; the radio interviews, press coverage, book reviews.
4 And what’s the worst?
Probably every writer’s nightmare, the dreaded rejection. I like to think that over the years I’ve learnt the lessons of how to dovetail my features to fit in exactly with editorial needs. But even when, as a seasoned pro, I think I’ve got it exactly right, I still get one or two submissions turned down. And perversely, I’ve occasionally thrown in the odd ‘wild card,’ and had it snapped up by editors anxious to fill a space near publication time. Competition out there is fierce, so you just can’t win them all. But nothing is wasted; I’ll find another outlet for a rejected piece, tweak the feature to exactly suit their needs, and keep trying. A thick skin is essential in this writing game.
5 Which is your favourite book and which was your favourite book as a child?
I have to confess that I’m not a great book reader. My life is full and busy. My only constant read is the Daily Mail, which I avidly read from cover to cover. As a child I loved all the Enid Blyton books, especially those about ‘The Famous Five.’
6 What do writers groups offer. Do you find using a forum like Facebook or Twitter useful?
I feel that any writer can benefit from belonging to a writers group. We can bounce ideas off each other, give advice and practical help to newcomers, be introduced to editors, agents and publishers, the list is endless, the belonging is priceless.
I am relatively new to Facebook, but, with its wide range of enthusiastic members, I have found it to be a valuable tool in promoting my writings. Twitter I have had no dealings with.
7 Tell us about your work experience.
A typical working day morning is either as a baby sitter to my grandchildren or behind the counter of a big DIY shop. In both cases I always keep a notebook handy to jot down any amusing comments, incidents or contacts I can write about at a later date. Once home, I have dinner, a quiet read of my newspaper, watch a bit of TV if there is anything interesting. From late evening I will then settle in front of my computer, clear my mind, and get stuck into the serious stuff until possibly about 3-4 am. I never stop looking for anything that might be of use in my writing career, I think I have a built-in radar system that homes in on any useful material.
8 Have you ever had an embarrassing moment?
I made a horrible blunder about 6 months ago, when I put together a short piece for ‘E The Magazine’ about the famous Belle Tout lighthouse. It was recently sold for half a million pounds; I lost a zero or two in the feature and the owner was horrified to read that I’d stated it had changed hands for a mere £500 instead!!
9 What do writers need most?
A thick skin - there will be rejections, and knockbacks, these come with the territory. Persistence - you’ve got to keep pushing and promoting your work all the time. No one else is likely to do it for you.
Patience - editors are overworked and understaffed, replies to queries may take a time. Accepted items may not be published relatively soon. I have one commissioned article, written in 2012, contracted to appear in a glossy, upmarket magazine in June 2014. I have heard of one writer who had forgotten about a submitted item, and was pleasantly surprised to see it in print 9 years later!! Don’t wait around for results, just keep sending out your work.
Believe in yourself and what you write - it will show in your work.
The occasional big glass of wine helps!!
10 What are you reading at the moment?
‘Man Bites Talking Dog,’ by ex-Fleet Street Journalist and magazine editor, Colin Dunne. This is a re-issued book which states that ‘For the best part of half a century Colin Dunne has delighted readers…..with his canny ability to spot….the strange, the odd, the unlikely and the just plain daft elements of human life.’ Highly amusing.
11 Who is your writing hero?
I don’t have any writing heroes.
12 What did you want to be when you were twelve?
A ballet dancer. But the ongoing training was too costly.
13 What is your proudest achievement?
Having my beautiful daughter when I was 42. In the writing
world, up to now, it has been the rewarding experience of seeing that first
book, ‘Made in Sussex,’ in all the local bookshops. This was surpassed by the
publication in September 2013 of ‘Belle Tout – The Little Lighthouse That
Moved’ which contains 20 years of ongoing research, and will be a mega
production, in hardback and full colour. A lot of work has gone into this and
it promises to be a consistent seller, both here and abroad. 'Hopefully, for starters, there will be an
article about Belle Tout and the book appearing in the Daily Mail; I've
recently been interviewed by the lovely Danny Pike from BBC's Radio Sussex and
American magazine 'Lighthouse Digest' have asked me for a well illustrated
feature about this lighthouse and availability of the book.'
14 What would you like to see happen in the future?
For me personally, I think I would like to expand my writing ability, coming away from my comfort zone. I enjoy writing the odd funny poem. I would love to write a TV sitcom, and, I have a gut feeling that from somewhere inside me I could pull out the script of a highly charged, dramatic drama for TV. I’ve registered with the BBC’s ‘Writer’s Room,’ which helps and advises scribes who are interested in breaking into the film, TV and radio world, and we’ll see where it goes from there.
15 What are your fondest memories?
Over the years I’ve built up an ever widening circle of good friends. I’ve personally found that creative writers are a friendly bunch, always ready to help one another; most are united in the end cause of getting published. It’s an enjoyable occupation for any scribe.
16 What do you think of other writers and authors?
I can only speak about those writers and authors that belong to Eastbourne’s Anderida Writers. As the Club’s Membership Secretary I feel a great sense of satisfaction when I welcome a new member and, over time, see them finally get into print, helped along the learning path with oodles of advice, support, a touch of constructive criticism, and large dollops of encouragement by those that have been there, done it and got published. This Club has a high success rate of established authors, article and story writers, poets, film, TV and radio script writers. I’m sure that much of this is due to the fact that we all get on well with one another and ‘pull together.’
17 Tell us about your hobbies away from writing.
Photography is my other love. To be able to market articles it was essential that I also provided the illustrations. I bought a simple digital Olympus ‘idiot-proof’ camera, that has dozens of easy to use options, and it produces terrific pictures. The ‘Daily Mail’ has printed some of my quirkier shots in their ‘Peterborough’ columns; Meridian Weather has used a number of my scenic shots as backdrops to the forecasters. I was 2nd prize-winner out of 18 in the Kingsmere Association Photographic competition, in 2010. I came just below the short listed winners in ‘Amateur Photographer of the Year’ competition. And I’ve made the front page of the local paper twice with dramatic shots of the rescue of a drowning person, and a suicide under a train. A number of my pictures can be viewed on my website; www.elizabethwright-thewriter.com
18 Where do you hope to be when you’re 70?
I’m 73 and have no intention of winding down. I love creative writing and learn something new about this hobby every day. I think it is called job satisfaction.
19 How would you approach writing a feature on a dream holiday?
I would approach this either from an angle of dream fulfilment, or luxury. One person’s dream holiday of going on safari and photographing rarer wild animals would probably not suit another person who would prefer staying at top quality accommodation and being totally pampered. This is all down to the proposed outlet for the completed feature, which should have some kind of ‘fascinating hook’ in the introductory first paragraph. On a visit to the island of Fuerteventura, my hook was to make the statement, ‘When visiting the seaside resort of Caleta de Fuste, before ascending the hills behind this fishing village, you must take with you an apple and a biscuit.’ Another introduction on a feature about the unique top quality B&B at Belle Tout lighthouse on Beachy Head starts, ‘What do King George V, Walt Disney, the BBC and Laura Ashley all have in common?’
Pick one interesting item to write about, rather than make the article appear to be an extension of a travel agent’s sales pitch.
20/ What would be the one piece of advice you would give to a writer?
Believe in yourself.
Read From fancy pants to getting there available on Amazon
Elizabeth Wright had it all. A comfortable life, successful business, house, handsome partner and beautiful baby. Then things screwed up. She discovered that the man in her life was being unfaithful, and her prosperous pet centre crashed into a financial black hole. At fifty-two, and menopausal, she was reduced to being a single mum on benefits with the stigma of bankruptcy. Left with just a negative equity house harnessed to a hefty mortgage, she had to face an impoverished lifestyle along with a succession of jobs which either folded or relocated.
In this hilarious book she recounts how she quickly learnt to juggle work and child care, keep an ancient car on the road that already had one wheel in the Great Breaker’s Yard in the Sky, whilst her money-saving efforts to grow her own food, were defeated by thieving blackbirds, munching molluscs and exploding bags of donkey manure. Dog sitting was a disaster, with fleas, mangy animals and an amorous owner with a dodgy trouser zip. There were cockroaches in the takeaway, drunks in the bakery, and a parcel sealing machine with pit bull attitude in the factory.Then, after all her efforts, the Trustees of the Bankruptcy stated that her only asset, the house, was back into equity and would have to be sold to pay the debtors. fighting this, she worked fourteen hours a day, raised the required £30,000, kept the house, had the bankruptcy annulled and, with a great sense of humour, wrote this book.
