Interview with Author Eleanor Lloyd- Jones

Author Eleanor Lloyd- Jones

What inspired you to write your first book?

I have been lucky enough to be born with the creative gene! My parents are both incredibly talented creatively, and I appear to have absorbed some of that! My mum was here to stay over Christmas actually, and we were reminiscing about my need to be creative from being very little. I’ve always loved reading and I guess that has transformed into a love of writing. Apparently I was always writing as a little one, and writing a book is always something I have wanted to do. I guess I just went for it one day. It was in complete secret for a long time, and I didn’t start writing until I was nearing 40… But I thought I’d better do something about it!

Do you have a specific writing style?
I’m not sure really. I love to be descriptive, and I am often very metaphorical when I write. I like to paint pictures with my words, if that makes sense!

How did you come up with the title?
Trial and error really! I sat one day and hashed out a load of options that sounded good, and then whittled them down to Housing Elephants. At first I wasn’t sure I’d chosen the right one, but by the time I had finished writing the book, it seemed to fit perfectly and now I can’t even remember the other options. J

Is there a message in your novel that you want readers to grasp?
Housing Elephants is a book about real life more than anything, so there isn’t a moral as such. It more tells the story of real people who have real things happen to them. I suppose it might open people’s eyes to what could be happening to someone they know perhaps…

How much of the book is realistic?
It is completely fictional, but some of the places in the book are based on real places that I have visited myself.

Are experiences based on someone you know, or events in your own life?
Not directly, but some of the feelings that the characters are ones that I have been able to relate to.

What books have most influenced your life most?
The Borribles by Michael de Larrabeiti was the first book that blew me away as a child. I am currently reading it to my class at the moment in fact - I am a teacher. It was so well written that the images I created in my mind as I was reading it as a nine year old are still there now as I read it again (for like the fourth time!)

I am a huge Jodie Picoult fan, and her books The Storyteller and Lone Wolf are two books I love. I have also recently finished a book called How to Build a Girl by Caitlin Moran. It is just superb, and hilarious! You should definitely check it out!

There are then the obvious ones like One Day by David Nicholls and A Fault in Our Stars… There are too many books to choose from really! Not a bad thing though!

If you had to choose, which writer would you consider a mentor?
Oh bloody hell! Erm… I do have to say Jodi. I just love how she sees people and into their souls, but I think the more you read, the more you pick things up, so there are probably a bunch of other authors who have influenced me by osmosis!

What book are you reading now?
I am about a third of the way through Us by David Nicholls.

Are there any new authors that have grasped your interest?
Victoria L James, L J Stock and H A Robinson… all definitely worth checking out.

What are your current projects?
I am currently working on a tricky little story that is keeping me up at night! The female character is really loud in my head, but their story is taking a little while to reveal itself. It doesn’t help that the male protagonist is a moody bugger and is reluctant to let me in!

Name one entity that you feel supported you outside of family members.
The Facebook community. There are so many wonderfully supportive and selfless people out there, present company included, and it blows my mind a little sometimes. So many people give up their time freely to help authors they don't even know, some of them on a daily basis, three or four times a day. It really is humbling and I am so incredibly grateful, and continue to be every day.

Do you see writing as a career?
I would love nothing more! Whether it will happen for me, I do not know. I guess that depends on the exposure and whether I am actually any good! Hehe!

If you had to do it all over again, would you change anything in your latest book?
No. Ha. It's that simple. Non-authors might not quite understand this, but the book isn’t really something we have much control over. The characters speak to us. They evolve and write their own stories. Some days I’d sit down to write and would pour 3,000 words out and have no idea where they came from. Sometimes, those sneaky characters even throw a curve ball and change the plot for you… that’s when it gets tricky!

Do you recall how your interest in writing originated?
I have probably answered this in the first questions I think?

Can you share a little of your current work with us?
**gulp** Really?! Argh… ok… just because it’s you… let me go find something…

Untitled by Eleanor Lloyd-Jones.

Copyrighted to me and all that good stuff… no stealing allowed.

Fiddling nervously with the zip on my jacket as it get’s stuck, I glance up to try to give Dutch an encouraging look, but he is still sitting with his head bowed low on the dining room chair, pulling furiously on a cigarette. My lips draw into a tight thin line and I huff out of my nose. This is going to be unbearable.

“Young man. Get to your feet and lets get this over with.”

There she goes again: full of compassion as always.

I walk towards him and wiggle my fingers in front of his face so he knows I’m there. Squashing the butt of his cig into the ashtray on the table, he grabs a hold of them with his own and gets to his feet, squeezing them gently before one side of his face lifts up sadly. Finally, he meets my eyes with his.

“You got this babes. I promise. You got this.”

He nods once and leads us out of the house, hands back in his pockets and eyes to the floor.

My heart breaks just a little more each time I watch him shut down again. I fear the worst today and worry that I might never get him back, that he will never be able to climb the horrific mountain of grief to the top again where the sun will shine and life will go on. It’s a scary thought and one that I push to the back of my mind immediately.

I follow him dutifully, and step out onto the street.

I knew it would be there, but I do not expect the rush of nausea to sweep over me quite as violently as it does when I take in the sight of the tiny coffin that sits in full view of all of us in the window of the hearse. A single, white heart-shaped wreath leans against it and my hand flies to my mouth. It takes me a few seconds to realise I am still staring, and I pull my gaze away, turning to face Dutch who is standing steely and still, the muscles in his jaw flexing with what I know to be heightened emotion. It’s a mixture of anger and heartache, and I just want to fling my arms around him and sob for him. Of course I know better.

Pulling myself together as much as I can, and clearing my throat lest it give away the fact that I am on the verge of tears, I tug at his sleeve to wrench him from his grief-filled trance.

“Come on.”

He bites down on his back teeth before dragging a weary breath in through his nose and turning to follow me.

Is there anything you find particularly challenging in your writing?
Yes. When the characters clam up. When they refuse to tell you what is going on. Or, as I just said, if they change the plot!

Who is your favorite author and what is it that really strikes you about their work?
I think I have probably answered this one too J

Do you have to travel much concerning your book(s)?
So far no. Wouldn’t it be just delicious to be able to fly to the Bahamas just for research though! **rubs hands together and formulates a plan**

Who designed the covers?
Oh my… the most wonderful person… She is called L J Stock and she is a genius. She is also one of the most giving and amenable people I have ever come across. You should check out her work here…

https://www.facebook.com/ljd2015/?fref=ts

She really is awesome!

What was the hardest part of writing your book?
Hmm… The hardest to write was the middle section I think. I knew how it started and I knew how I wanted it to end, and I just had to figure out how to get there. Turns out the characters did that for me eventually.

The hardest to write emotionally... Well there were quite a few moments where I had to step away and take a breather because I was so involved in what was evolving. It was touch and go in some scenes and I had to sit with tissues next to my laptop!

Did you learn anything from writing your book and what was it?
Yes. I learned that I can do it. A lot of the time I feel like I am a bit of a fraud! But I think on completing it, I realized that I deserved to be out there as much as the next person, because actually, I wrote it for me. If other people like it too, then that's a huge bonus and a huge compliment, but essentially I wrote a book that I would like to read, and that’s ok with me.

Do you have any advice for other writers?
Write. Write. Write. Every day if you can, even if it is just 100 words. Just get it down. It doesn't matter if it isn’t perfect – you can fix it later. Just write it. Take photos, make notes of anything and everything that catches your eye and keep hold of it because it might just be the inspiration you need one day. And when you’re not doing those things, read. Read as much as you can. And then sleep! J

Do you have anything specific that you want to say to your readers?
Thank you. Which doesn’t seem to cut it really. I have received some incredible feedback from Housing Elephants, and I have been blown away by some of the comments, really blown away. I just am so grateful that you have taken a chance on little old me and I hope you continue to enjoy my words.

What were the challenges (research, literary, psychological, and logistical) in bringing it to life?

I didn’t have to do much research for this one. A little bit, but nothing that Google couldn’t handle! Fitting the plot together was challenging because I had never written so many words together, so continuity was hard. The Blurb was a NIGHTMARE! How the hell do you sum up 100,000 words into three paragraphs?! Eurgh! But bringing it to life was the exciting bit and the characters kinda did that by themselves.

Emotionally though, it broke me! It was so draining… but in a very good and satisfying way!

Anything else you would like to add?

Just a huge thank you to you for having me, for giving me this opportunity and for the exposure and pimping. You guys rock! <3