Jessica Bell is a literary women's fiction author, poet and
singer/songwriter who grew up in Melbourne, Australia, to two gothic rock
musicians who had successful independent careers during the '80s and early
'90s.
She spent much of her childhood travelling to and from Australia to
Europe, experiencing two entirely different worlds, yet feeling equally at home
in both environments. She currently lives in Athens, Greece and works as a
freelance writer/editor for English Language Teaching publishers worldwide.
A very warm welcome to
you Jessica, and can I thank-you, for taking time out of your busy schedule to
talk to us today. This is the first time that I have interviewed someone who is
an author, poet, teacher and singer/songwriter at the ‘Secret Writer’ and I am starting
to scratch my head a bit, as where to where we should start!
Thank
you so much for having me, Calum. It’s a great pleasure!
For the benefit of our International readers
can you tell us a bit about where you live and why you like living there?
Wow, what a time to ask me why I like living here. As you
probably know, Greece is going to the dogs at the moment and I want to move abroad.
So how about I tell you why I moved here in the first place? My step father is
Greek. He’s been my father since I was one year old (though I have an equally
good relationship with my biological father). Any how, my parents took me to
Greece for vacation every two to three years from the age of two, so it really
became like a second home to me. Just before I graduated from university, I
decided I wanted an adventure and resolved to move to Greece for a year or two
to teach English. (I completed the last semester of my degree via correspondence,
because I was impatient.) I guess that year or two has now turned into ten.
Funny that.
Can I ask what sort of books did you like
reading as a child?
Well the first that
come to mind are Enid Blyton’s books, such as The Faraway Tree. But to be
honest, I wasn’t a huge reader as a child. I listened to a lot of music though.
The very first album I bought with my “own money,” was Kylie Minogue’s
self-titled release. Can you remember the song “I should be so lucky?”
Do you think the books that you read as a
child influenced your writing in any way?
No, not at all. As a
teenager, yes, but not as a child. I didn’t know I wanted to write before I was
about fourteen or fifteen. Music certainly influenced me though. Music has
remained an inspiration from the very beginning.
How did you first get into the field of
music as an artist?
Well I started
writing songs when I was about eleven or twelve. My mother had decided to sell
her twelve-string acoustic guitar to get a bit of extra cash. I saw it sitting
by the front door. I think someone was coming over to take a look at it. I
remember opening the case and thinking that it just looked so beautiful, and
why would Mum want to get rid of it? I think she was in the music room at the
time and I interrupted one of her recording sessions to ask about the guitar.
When she told me she was selling it, I asked her whether I could have it. She
said that I could if I learnt to play. From that day I had that guitar in my
hands every single day until I moved to Greece in 2002. I taught myself how to
play. The first song I ever wrote was played on one string and sung in a very
high-pitched awful voice. I hope that cassette never gets dug up!
Is there a big difference between writing
poetry, songs and novels?
Not really. I believe
there is one overall “definite,” that a writer must keep in mind no matter what
style of writing they are undertaking, and that is to utilize all the senses
(including the 6th!).
Can you tell us a bit about your published
poetry collection ‘Twisted Velvet Chains’?
Firstly, I’d like to point out that it’s NOT
autobiographical. A lot of readers seem to be making this assumption. Of
course, they are written very honestly, but they are not factual. If anyone
would like to read a very in-depth article on TVC, I suggest they visit Jim
Murdoch’s blog here: http://jim-murdoch.blogspot.com/2011/07/twisted-velvet-chains.html
Do you have a set routine when you are writing?
Not at all. I write whenever I feel like writing. I
completely disagree with the ‘rule’ a lot of writers put out there, that you
‘must’ write every day in order to be a success. To be honest, I tend to write
every day anyway, but that’s because I WANT to. So no, no routine. I go with
the flow. Unless I have a deadline, then I have to set myself one. But it’s
never a constant.
Where do you do your writing best?
In my office! I have a whole room to myself. Two walls
are painted a dark turquoise blue, which is said to promote calm and keep bad
spirits away, and two walls are painted a rich plum which is believed to
represent royalty and spirituality. I have a large desk that fits every
possible writing tool on it. Two large bookshelves are drilled into the wall
and a gorgeous Dalmatian named Holly is perpetually attached to my feet.
What made you decide to change genres and
write a novel?
To be honest, I never thought of poetry as something that
I would ever publish, so I don’t think of it as changing genres. The first
novel I wrote was a mess. I deleted it from my computer. Gone forever. Don’t
regret it. I was about 22 when I wrote it. It’s only been the last couple of
years that I considered publishing my poetry. Lyrics and poetry have always
been something very private to me, so it never really occurred to me to put it
out there until I received a lot of encouragement to do so from fellow poets. I
guess that means the novel came first.
What was it that
inspired you to write ‘String Bridge’?
I’m just going to
quote from my website because I say it best there: “My ultimate goal is to
break into the women's fiction market and steer it away from the
stereotypically glorified woman that is most commonly portrayed today and
replace with pure honesty instead. Not every woman in this world lives without
regret, knows exactly what they want, and has the courage to put every essence
of their being into achieving their dreams. Not every woman is inspirational to
others. Not every woman can leave their comfort zone to better their future.
But, so what? Does that mean a less strong-minded woman doesn't have an
interesting story to tell? Definitely not.”
How did you think of and develop the main
characters’ in your book?
Well, that’s a very difficult question to answer because
the final product doesn’t resemble the first draft one tiny bit. I originally
used myself and people close to me to base my characters on (write what you
know, right?), but by the 7th rewrite, the characters turned into
complete strangers. This may sound a bit corny, but I think the characters’
voices ended up being more powerful than my own and therefore got their own
way.
I think it is a fantastic idea to link a
music album with your book. Can you tell us a bit about how you thought of this
and also a bit about your album, which is scheduled for release at the same time
as your new book, ‘String Bridge’?
Well the main character in String Bridge, Melody, writes
her own music. I’m afraid I can’t say any thing else without spoiling the
story. Let’s just say it was only natural that I do this.
What is your favourite book and why?
'Housekeeping', by Marilynne Robinson. This book is what
triggered my desire to write in high school. I’ll never forget the teacher I
had either. Her name was Connie Watson. I’ve actually tried to contact her to
let her know how much she inspired me, but none of the emails I’ve written to
various places trying to find her but have not received any responses.
Do you have any hobbies or interests that you
enjoy in order to give you a break from your normal routine and your writing?
Reading, singing, watching movies and archaeological
documentaries, drinking red wine on my balcony … *cough* watching trash reality
TV on YouTube *cough*
Have you any other
books in the making at the moment?
I certainly do. I have one currently being considered by
agents, called 'BITTER LIKE ORANGE PEEL'. Here’s my blurb:
“Kit is a twenty-five
year old Australian archaeology undergraduate who doesn't like to get her hands
dirty. She feels misplaced and comes to the conclusion that meeting her father,
Roger, will make some sense of her life, despite him being worth the rotting
orange rind in her backyard. Well, at least that's what she's been conditioned
to think of him by the three women in her life: Ailish, her mother—an English
literature professor who communicates in quotes and clichés, and who still
hasn't learnt how to express emotion on her face; Ivy, her half-sister—a
depressed professional archaeologist, with a slight case of nymphomania, who
fled to America after a divorce to become a waitress; and Eleanor, Ivy's
mother—a pediatric surgeon who embellishes her feelings with medical jargon,
and who named her daughter after Intravenous. Against all three women's wishes,
Kit decides to find Roger, but in doing so, discovers that he is not the only
rotten fruit.
With a blend of dry comedy and raw heartbreak, 'BITTER LIKE ORANGE PEEL' is a
story about the fear of not being loved; of breaking through a self-built wall
of protection and accepting judgment, not only for what others perceive, but
for the secrets that maintain one's sanity while living in a skin tainted by
regret.”
I also have one in
progress with the working title, 'MUTED', which was inspired by a short story I
wrote for an anthology called 'TINY DANCER'. Here’s my current blurb:
“It's illegal to wear
clothes. In some streets, it's also illegal to sing without accompanying
instruments. Concetta, a famous Italian a cappella singer from before “the change,” now living in Arles, France, breaks these laws. As
punishment, her vocal chords are brutally slashed and her eardrums surgically
perforated. Unable to cope living a life without song, she resolves to drown
herself in the river clothed in a dress stained with performance memories. But
Concetta's suicide attempt is cut short as someone grabs her by the throat and
pulls her to the surface. Is it the busking harpist, who encouraged her to feel
music through vibration, acting as savior? Or a street warden on the prowl for
another offender to detain?”
I see that you are
teaching on a Writing Course in Greece next year! Will this be new for you or
have you done something like this before?
Running my own course
is new, but teaching isn’t new. I’m very excited about it! If anyone is
interested in attending The Homeric Writers’ Retreat & Workshop, please go
to: http://www.hwrw.blogspot.com
Do you believe in
writing by the “rules”?
No. Learn the rules
until you can recite them by heart. Then learn how to break them honestly and intelligently.
Jessica, I have been
absolutely delighted and very honoured that you agreed to be interviewed for my
literary site. I would also like to thank-you again for taking the time to speak
to us today.
The pleasure is all
mine, Calum. Thank you so much for having me!
If you would like to
find out more about Jessica and her writing, the links to her websites are
detailed below:
e-book version
paperback version
Amazon.com: (Coming soon)
Amazon UK: (Coming soon)
