Carol Martin

My name is Carol Martin (I write as carol Mace ) I am a nursery nurse in a Bradford school. My book .. the Terrific Trip of Douglas Drip is my first and only book about the water cycle. Suitable for reception/year one. My genre is children’s books!

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How long have you been writing for?

I have been writing for five years… mostly off than on!!

What's the average word count for the books you write and how long does it take you to write your average book?

800-1000 words

What is your writing routine?

Definitely no writing routine… can go for months without writing even when I’ve started a book. Douglas took four years from idea to print!

How much do you research for a book before you start writing?

I researched the water cycle on Google… got some facts so the book would make sense.

What do you find most difficult about writing a book?

The middle!!! … I know how it’s going to end and begin.. it always has a purpose or moral.

Which of your books are you most proud of? Why?

I only have one so to get it published means I’m pleased with it!

Which of your books was the most difficult to write? Why?

I have finished one and started another… definitely Douglas!!! All those rhymes digraph sand trigraphs and linking it to foundation stage profile.

Would you publish with a traditional publisher if they contacted you? Why?

Yes… a traditional publisher thinks the books good enough to make money… self publishing is a way for some companies to make money out of you whether the books worthy or not.

How many unfinished or unpublished works do you have?

Two.

Do you prefer creating stand-alone books or series?

Stand alone.

What's one character you wish you would have created? What do you find compelling or interesting about this character?

Stick man ( Julia Donaldson) a really simple idea… planted the seed for Douglas Drip.

Which book do you wish you would have written? Why?

All of Julia donaldsons for key stage one!!! Along with Eric carles hungry caterpillar!! Key stage two has to be all Ronald dahls .. a true children’s writer!!! Also like lemony snicket.. he explains tricky ideas in his text in a chid friendly way All these authors and the books they write are timeless in their appeal.

What does success as a writer look like for you?

Someone you don’t know buying it [my book].

Do you read your reviews? How do you deal with bad ones?

People are entitled to their own opinions.. if you’ve tried your best and are pleased with the final product any negative reaction is only one person’s opinion… you can’t take it seriously unless the negative reviews are building up!

What books have you read that were particularly inspiring?

I’ve read some uninspired books during 23 years in early years.. made me think I can write one .. so I did! .. Jim and the beanstalk is my favourite book to read to class.. their reactions are brilliant.. love all traditional tales as they’re quite dark.. children love it!!

Do you have a favourite author? A favourite book?

Thomas hardy. Jude the obscure.

Do you plot your stories in great detail before writing, or fly by the seat of your pants?

I wouldn’t write about anything I didn’t know a little about… yes I do plot it though.

Of all the characters in your stories, who is your favourite?

The middle goat in the moody troll.. he’s cool. When he’s illustrated he will look a bit like John travolta in Saturday night fever!!

Have you based any characters on real people? If they found out, how did they respond?

The one I’m on with at the mo.. I have used a similar name and the character is based on my boss! I would ask her if she minds before I do anything with it! If not I’ll change it.. the other is based on an ofsted inspector!!😂😂least said about that the better!!!

What's the best thing about being an independent author? The worst?

Best thing: ticked something off my Bucket list! Worst thing: don’t like the marketing/ publicity. My boss MADE me read the book to the whole school on world book day.. I felt ill!! Talked about how I’d tried to get it published 20 times before it did.. emphasis on endeavour/determination blah blah blah 😂

Do you make a living selling your books?

No.

What advice would you give to a new author?

Enjoy it.. take each triumph and really enjoy it but be realistic.. my book got into the top 100 in its genre of 90000 books and was a good achievement but I’m realistic.. it’s not the next big thing.. although I think it would do well scheduled on Xmas day at 2 pm on bbc1 narrated by David Jason!! There you see told you I’m realistic!!!👍