Author Interview -- Simon Paul Wilson

I discovered the writer Simon Paul Wilson a few years ago on the writer site Authonomy. There are a lot of decent writers there, but Simon stood out to me as one of the more talented ones, so I'm proud to interview him here on my blog.

Simon Paul Wilson

I've always felt I had a lot in common with Simon. Besides being a talented writer, Simon has a forthcoming novel called GhostCityGirl that I feel shares some themes with my own work. Plus Simon currently lives in China, where I myself lived for three years.

Welcome, Simon and please tell us a bit about yourself.

Well, I am originally from the UK, but am now living in China with my wife and son. When I am not writing, I love listening to music, especially prog and post rock, and watching Asian horror movies. I am also a life-long fan of Doctor Who.

When did you begin writing?

I began writing seriously around 2008. I dabbled a bit before that time, mostly writing stories for RPG's that I used to play. 

See, there are a couple more things we have in common! I began writing close to that time, and I also was very into role-playing games and wrote my first book around that theme.

What is your writing style? Do you like to outline or just write as you go?

I outline the story first. Before I sit down in front of my PC, I have to at least know how I am going to start, what key events will take place during the tale and how it will all end. If I have those things clear in my head, then I can start bashing away at the keyboard. Saying that, the story will usually end up being completely different to what I initially imagined.

What's the hardest thing about writing for you?

Being over-critical of everything I write! Sometimes, I can spend days on a sentence. It is quite ridiculous, to be honest. Because of this, writing a book can take forever!

I know what you mean. I often let weeks or even months go by between writing new chapters simply so that I can get it perfect in my mind first.

How many books have you written and which is your favorite?

Well, I have written one novel and a novella, 'End Credits' and 'Yuko Zen Is Somewhere Else'. Both have been published by the lovely people at Pankhearst. I have almost finished the umpteenth rewrite of 'GhostCityGirl' and may start something new, called 'The Weird World of The Other Indigo Sykes' sometime in 2015.

What authors do you like to read?

I like many authors, mostly Asian literary fiction and American and English fantasy, horror and sci-fi writers. As for favourites, I have read everything by Neil Gaiman, Haruki Murakami and China Mieville. Those guys are the authors I admire most.

What inspired you to write Yuko Zen?

YZ started off as a straight horror story that I couldn't seem to get right! So, I took most of the horror out and made the girl in the story a little more quirky and Yuko was born! Mostly, YZ is a book all about a simple question -- the immortal 'What If?'. I think that's a question that will float through everybody's mind at some point. It certainly does mine!

What is your writer's food?

I don't have a certain food, but I definitely need coffee!

Thank you for spending some time with us, Simon. I think Yuko Zen is great and I can't wait until GhostCityGirl is published. I hope my few readers will give them a try, as well as keep an eye on your future work.

Blurb:
My name is Yuko Zen and I am somewhere else ... 

After a strange encounter with a beautiful girl in a Chinese take-away, Chris Winter discovers she's left her journal behind. He only opens it to search for her contact details, but he's quickly pulled into her mysterious world – a nameless Asian city filled with tales of Buddhist dogs, hedgehogs and yogurt pots, and a magical girl named Pixie. 

When Chris is totally hooked, Yuko's journal takes an unexpected turn. It starts to talk to him ... 

Magical (sur)realism for Young Adults of all ages, editors at Harper Collins have likened YUKO ZEN to works by Audrey Niffenegger and Haruki Murakami.