<strong>Can you summarise your novel <i>The Almost Lizard</i> for us? Where did the idea come from?</strong></p>
 
<i>The Almost Lizard</i> is the fictional autobiography of Daniel Lizar, completed in the weeks leading up to his 21st birthday, which is also the day he will kill himself. It charts the story of his parents from their births and runs right through to Daniel's 21st birthday. Influenced by a childhood infatuation with soap operas, Daniel starts living his life as if it were one of those programmes. It's a story about the influence of television on a developing mind, but also manipulation, the constantly blurring lines between fact and fiction, and also about growing up.  I hope it's both funny and sad. </p>
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<strong>When did you decide to become a writer? Do you write full-time or is there a ‘day job’ in the background?</strong></p>
When I finished my degree and moved to Manchester nearly 10 years ago I lived with two musicians.  They were quite inspirational in getting me started, because I wasn't musical but I had enjoyed writing in my teens.  I wrote a novel, and it just followed from there that I wanted to write another and start writing projects. It became my ambition, but I could never have been certain that I'd be published.</p>
 
I've worked full time since leaving uni.  I work as a public health researcher at Manchester University and submitted my PhD at the end of last year as well.  I write at lunchtimes and in the evenings and weekends.  I like the variety, and I find being pushed for time encourages me to write whenever I get the chance.</p>
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<strong>Have you ever formally studied creative writing? Do you think it’s valuable to a new writer?</strong></p>
 
I ducked out of studying English after A-level, which killed the fun in literature for me for a good while.  I can't really comment on the value of it, having not experienced it. I certainly don't think it's essential, but then perhaps I would have been published sooner with formal education in the subject.  A lot of authors have studied creative writing and I assume that's helped them in some way. There's a lot to be said for being in an environment with like-minded folk, which is one of the benefits.  The scary thing is the cost of a degree these days. </p>
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<strong>What is your daily writing routine?</strong></p>
 
I don't have a daily routine in place, I'm a bit too chaotic for that.  If I don't have plans at lunchtime, I go to a bar near work and drink coffee whilst writing frantically.  Other than that it's at home in my spare time.  I've travelled a lot with work in the past, and usually that gives me lots of time to write in notepads on flights and when I'm not working.  It really is when I can, but Sundays tend to be my most productive days.</p>
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<strong>Which do you find most enjoyable, the first draft or the editing?</strong></p>
The first draft because it's all about getting the story out.  It's the most consistently creative, and therefore rewarding, part.  The second draft is the least enjoyable because in my heart I just wish it was perfected by that stage, but all I can see is what's wrong with it.  I think that's the time when I have the least confidence in the story. The later drafts are good as well because it's just tweaks here and there, more positive because you know that each one is a small improvement.  </p>
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<img src="/content/sites/default/files/DSC_0538_0.JPG" width="467" height="698" alt=""  />
<i>James's desk</div></i>
 
<strong>Did you plot and plan your novel carefully before you began writing it?</strong></p>
For <i>The Almost Lizard</i>, and the one I'm writing now, I had numerous false starts that were only resolved when I mapped out the whole story on walls.  In my old house I had coloured card running around the top of all my walls, but we're not allowed blu-tac in my current flat so the coloured card is hanging from pieces of string instead!  I have a detailed outlined that I'm always prepared to shift away from as and when it seems necessary - new ideas crop up all the time and sometimes the planned ones just don't turn out when I get to writing it up. Having that general idea is enough to keep things together though.</p>
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<strong>How do you stay motivated on those days where any creative endeavour seems impossible?</strong></p>
I don't beat myself up about it.  I used to - sitting in my chair getting frustrated and not producing anything worthwhile, but some days just I'm just not up to it, so I step away from it for that day.  First and foremost I enjoy writing, so forcing myself to do so goes against that a little.  In those situations I just do something else.</p>
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<strong>Can you tell us how you got your book published? Did you secure an agent firstly?</strong></p>
I entered a competition run by Legend Press in 2008 - <i>The Luke Bitmead Bursary Award</i> - and was awarded runner-up with a book I had written called <i>Shot Down</i>.  I tried to re-enter the competition with <i>The Almost Lizard</i> in 2010, but as a previous beneficiary of the bursary I wasn't eligible, but they said they'd consider me for their general list.  I got the e-mail offering me a contract on the day that the riots kicked off in Manchester.  It was quite out of synch with the rest of the city to be celebrating in a beer garden just down the road from where it was all going on, but that's what we did! </p>
 
I didn't secure an agent and I still don't have one.  Whether or not I should I still can't decide.  I should really be asking people for advice on that one!  Perhaps your readers could offer me their views on the matter.  I need to be sure that if I'm going to give someone a cut of whatever I earn from writing, it has to be worth it.</p>
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<strong>Which writers have you learned most from, and which do you read simply for pleasure?</strong></p>
For <i>The Almost Lizard</i>, John Irving was an influence in terms of the scope of the stories he tells.  I always read simply for pleasure, but that's not to say I'm not learning at the same time.  Mainly it's learning what I like and don't in a story and hopefully taking lessons from that, absorbing good storytelling rather than trying to emulate something I've read elsewhere.  When I've not enjoyed a book, I probably learn more from that, because first and foremost I need to entertain myself.</p>
 



 