Interview with Josie Lloyd and Emlyn Rees, the authors of best selling novels Come together and Come Again



• Jac Wilde
Editor at StudentUk.com

Writing together
For some people writing is a solitary pursuit but Josie and Emlyn find comfort and encouragement in being able to work together. Instead of fighting over plot turns and how a character should be developed they find an easy harmony by Josie writing the story from the female point of view and Emlyn writing from the male perspective. The process of sharing the work actually makes life easier as it is like they only have to write half a book each.

Web writing
Their somewhat unconventional approach to writing is going to be put to the test once again as they are planning on writing a short story for the getoutthere.bt.com's site where they will leave the ending up to the discretion of the readers. This could be a somewhat unsettling, but Josie and Emlyn seem excited by the challenge

Increased opportunities
The web is constantly giving us new ways of expressing ourselves, with the ability to link ideas together in ways that would be impossible on paper. Similarly the opportunity to have your work published at all is a major breakthrough for many authors.

Getting read
Emlyn argued how the most important thing for a writer was to receive honest critical feedback from somebody, rather than relying on your mum or your best friend for an 'objective' opinion. Sometimes authors get a little too precious about their work and never let anybody see it for fear of a negative response, but to be a successful writer it is essential to get used to negative responses and also the dreaded rejection letter.

Getting published
Having work online gives writers confidence and also helps to encourage supportive communities. However getting your work into print is still the Holy Grail for many authors and it doesn't seem as though there are any easy ways into it. Emlyn was lucky enough to get a foot in the door by working at reception and passing his own work on to the people that mattered.

The muse
When it comes to inspiration Josie and Emlyn do not seem to have a shortage. They read a wide variety of books, although Josie said that she stays away from contemporary fiction so as not to get her ideas mixed up with other authors. It can be useful to use ideas and styles from differing writers when you are beginning as it help to boost your own skills, but once you are in the habit of writing your own style develops naturally.

The nitty gritty
Making writing a habit seems to be the hardest part as it is all too easy to procrastinate and use excuses for not getting to that typewriter. Neither Josie or Emlyn believe that there is such a thing as 'writer's block' and they argue that it is probably the fear of being bad than a lack of ideas.

Importantly
Just write - stop talking and do it
Recommended reading
John Fowles 'The Magus'

Background in writing
Josie studied English and Drama at Goldsmiths
Emlyn studied English combining creative writing modules at Southampton University.

© Inverview by Jac Wilde at

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