In the Booth with Ruth – Emma Roberts, Author

What’s your writing background? When did you begin writing and what inspired you? 

Probably like most writers I started writing as a child. I have boxes of lyrics and poems, a fearless albeit somewhat embarrassing flow of my very over imaginative mind! I’m not very verbally articulate, I jump from subject to subject and back again. I have a bit of a grasshopper mind because I’m constantly thinking and finding different things to get passionate about all the time so writing is the best way of conveying my thoughts. Plus, I’m always thinking about the next story! I also write features and interviews for a variety of magazines, so I’m continuously thinking and looking for new ideas and people to write about.  

How often do you write? And how do you manage to fit in writing among other commitments? 

My job is a PR consultant and a writer, so I am writing all the time. However, I write creatively most days, if work allows. I have two novellas that I am working on at the moment and another short rattling around in my head gaining shape. 

In which genre do you most enjoy writing? 

I like writing about relationships and people. I like to write about subjects that people can relate to. I want my stories to make people think. I want them to be emotive. 

What draws you to write in that genre? 

I think I am quite an emotional person and very interested in the psychology of people. Maybe I was a shrink in a former life! I am very interested in why people are the way they are, what made them like that and how people react to others. I often find my characters start writing themselves. As a Gemini, I’m used to having more than one side, and being able to juggle various personas. Also, as a PR consultant I am others ‘voices’ so to speak, so I really enjoy creating different characters and getting inside their heads. 

Can you tell me about your current project(s)?  

I have to say I do feel a little out of my league here with all these accomplished authors, having only just self published my first short, The Stone Butterfly. It’s about a woman’s silent struggle for freedom behind the façade of her seemingly perfect life – alone, scared and frightened, she fears for her future with her abusive and violent husband. Currently, I’m writing two novellas, one is called That Summer and it’s about two people who fall in love, but sadly, life dictates otherwise. The second is called The Rum Girl, a story of a marriage rocked by an affair. 

What are your writing plans for the future?

To keep on writing! 

Where can people find out more about you?

They can find me on Twitter @bigvoiceuk or LinkedIn.

The Stone Butterfly is available on Amazon UK and Amazon US.