Author Interview: Charmain Lines

I welcome the first JOURNEY author to my blog today, Charmain Lines. She is a return visitor and I am happy to have her back.

1. What made you decide to take part in the JOURNEY project?

I needed motivation to focus on my writing and from previous experience with a writing project run by Linzé, I knew the project was just what I needed. Furthermore, I had recently read a book that had left me with story ideas that were a perfect fit for the “Journey” theme.

2. How did you come up with the title of your story?

It is called “The wars of men” and I only came up with it after, during my final edit, the main character uttered these words.

3. What inspired your story?

A book I read about Eugene de Kock, a security police operative during South Africa’s apartheid years.

4. Please tell us about the journey of your character(s)

The main characters are a woman and her two sons who move from South Africa to Ireland to start a new life. The story is set some 20 years after their physical move and plays out on the day they are confronted with the past.

5. What other things, besides writing, do you like to do?

At the moment I travel! My husband and I are on a 3-month European adventure that is taking us from Spain to France to Ireland to Italy. My day job is freelance writing and editing for mainly corporate clients.

6. If the end of the world is about to happen, which person would you want to be with for those last minutes?

My husband. We’d be able to talk about what is happening, remind each other of the great memories we have made together, and comfort each other.

7. What did you learn about yourself or your journey as a writer during this project?

I was reminded, again, to trust the process and be ok with not knowing exactly where the story will go.

8. What do you see as your biggest challenge as a writer?

Spending more hours at the keyboard than what I already do as a professional writer.

9. What tool/software/technique/process do you find the most valuable to you as a writer? 

I don’t use any writing tools, but the most useful and valuable technique is to never start editing before the first draft is done.

10. Do you have another project in the pipeline that you would like to share with my readers?

I’m working on a full-length novel, this one in Afrikaans, which is my home language.

Thank you, Charmain. Enjoy your travels!