Author Interviews: Helen Barnes

10406628_10152590089030202_959295139988767783_n

Do you argue with your characters? If so, who wins most frequently?
I constantly argue with my characters, a few times I wanted to slap Jessica Stark in my first novel and shake her by the shoulders.
I usually win the arguments though.

What makes a story interesting to you to write? How about to read?
I think what makes us who we are is interesting alone, we all have our own character traits and we all react differently to different situations. To me a story of life throwing a curve ball at someone who you least expect to handle it and them survive in their own way is interesting, whether it be a marriage breaking down or losing your job, meeting and falling for someone who is very wrong for you. Everyone has a story but how we handle it is what makes it interesting to me. I can read almost anything and I’m constantly looking to learn so I find almost anything interesting to read but again I like to read about well developed characters or real, non fictitious people.

How do you escape writer’s block?
I step away from writing and just live my life, enjoying family life and being a slave to the family, I soon find that I’ll be doing something domesticated like washing the dishes while the kids play games or watch cartoons and an idea will hit me. I’ve actually woken in the night with the story fresh in my head and had to write it down asap before the dream fades from my mind!

What’s the best writing advice you’ve ever received?
Don’t stop, keep writing! I doubt there are many authors or aspiring writer who can say they have completed every story they started. I was told to keep going, even if you’re feeling like dumping the manuscript and leaving it to rot on the hard drive, keep going! That was how I finished my first book.

What’s your writing fuel?
Tea, music and tuna sandwiches. Without those three things I would be dead at the laptop in my writing den.

The best joke you ever heard:
It’s pretty offensive so if you’re Scottish look away now.
English man, Irish man and Scottish man are in a plane going over Britain.
Irish man says ‘We are above Ireland’ and he proves it by leaning and out through the clouds he pulls up a leprechaun.
English man says ‘We are above England’ and pulls a pot of tea up through the clouds.
Scottish man says ‘ We are above Scotland’ and puts his hand down through the clouds, when he pulls his arm back inside the plane his hand is empty.
‘Where’s your proof?’ asks the Irish man.
The Scottish man pulls back his sleeve to show his bare wrist. ‘ Some bastard stole my watch!’