Howdy folks.

Welcome to another session for the Author Interview series.

For tonight’s entertainment, let me introduce author and poet Katie Lewington, who chats to us today about her stream of consciousness poetry, her books and her motivations to write and create.

Here we go and enjoy the show.

 

Hi there Katie, it is wonderful to have you as a guest here today to talk more about your poetry, your thought processes and to learn more about the creative mind behind them.

Let’s begin with your poetry book “Put Me Down, I’m Terrible”. You mention that the book is about exploring the mundanities of daily life and turning them on their head into completely uncharted territory. Tell us more about this collection, along with where you came up with the idea for this fresh and intimate take on the contemporary poetry genre.

Many of these poems came from the world around me, at the time I wrote them last year. There are poems about cold sores, stray hairs, looking for a job and going through college. Poem Cursor, I think, came from that Word document you always end up staring at and the cursor is blinking at you but you still aren’t able to find the words. I think we can all relate to that. The majority of these poems I wrote in forty five minutes, in one afternoon. I had been holding off writing for a while and then, well, I call it word vomit. I love these poems. As soon as I had written them I knew I had something. I think I feel like I only acted as a puppet and somebody else, maybe my more imaginative muse, wrote them.

You also have another book called “Just: A sign of the times”, which deals with lessons in love, depression and relationships, all topics that many of us will be able to easily relate to on an emotional and physical level. Can you tell us whether the poems in this particular collection are meant to be inspirational, self-deprecating, cathartic or a combination of all these themes and more?

Just contains poems written when I was sixteen and seventeen. They were cathartic at the time. I was an emotional kid then. I wish I could inhabit the mind I had then again. I wrote the strangest stuff. Where some of it came from I couldn’t tell you but when you’re sixteen, and I hadn’t written any poetry before then, you write with abandon and honesty because you haven’t been told the ‘rules’ yet. There are poems in Just that are a direct reaction to events at that time. I’m surprised how many of those poems are inspirational.

What do you find the most difficult thing about writing? And what do you find the easiest?

For me the most difficult is editing. The easiest is getting started, I look into things too much and suddenly I’m writing, but editing can take years. Sometimes there’s something off about a piece and you can’t even tell what that is immediately, which is irritating. Punctuation and I also don’t get along. Apostrophes are my particular bugbear. I struggle to even spell the word.

Who are some of the poets (and authors in general) that inspire you?

All writers inspire me. Those writers who haven’t the confidence but they write, create a blog and publish a book and this might only be because their Mum used to pin their school essays on the fridge door or because their partner remains interested.

What sort of research do you do to write your books?

I read. There are many inspirational writers and they show me what I could try, like found poetry I’ve had a go at, or where I’m going wrong.

Why do you write? What inspired you to become a writer?

I write to communicate. It can be difficult for me to be vocal with my opinions. I don’t have the best faith in myself, so I write a poem about it. I’m not sure if I chose writing, it chose me.

What keeps you motivated during creative slumps? How do you deal with Writers Block?

I don’t think writers block exists. I think in our every day life we get into a rut and we have to shake things up, try something new or, as one of my favourite quotes goes, ‘I stand upon my desk to remind myself that we must constantly look at things in a different way’

My motivation is what I want to leave behind because you never know what may happen.

How do you spend your free time when you are not writing?

I like to read. It is entirely normal for me to have a book open in every room, and the hallway floor. I like being creative. I like glitter, glue, cutting, pasting and colouring. I like to travel. I enjoy bugging my partner, to the point he swats me with a cushion.

Tell us more about your upcoming projects. Are you working on anything specific or have plans in the pipeline?

I am planning on revising Just and adding more poems. I have three or four more chapbooks I would like to try and find a publisher for. I also would like to self-publish another chapbook, this time a book of flash fiction stories. Then there is my YA novel I adore to bits. I started to write it when I was thirteen and that was eight years ago now. It continues to weigh heavy on my mind. I have every intention of doing something with it but as soon as I open the notebooks I sigh and close them. That’s going to haunt me until I die, I fear.

Finally, are there any nuggets of wisdom that you can impart to other aspiring writers of either poetry or fiction?

Write for yourself occasionally. It keeps you in touch with yourself.

And that’s a wrap! Thank you for sharing with us your poetic endeavours and giving us an insight into the mind of a talented young poet, we look forward to reading more of your work.

Bio:-

Katie Lewington is a UK based writer and has been drafting, editing and rewriting her bio since she started submitting to literary magazines and journals two years ago. It isn’t as if she doesn’t know who she is, she just isn’t sure what is relevant.

You can connect with Katie on the following Social Media channels:-

Goodreads:- Katie Lewington (Goodreads Author)
Twitter:- Katie Lewington (Twitter)
Website:- inbetweenbooks – The Blog & Website of Poet & Author Katie Lewington

You can buy her books here:-

Buy Katie Lewington’s books in Canada

Buy Katie Lewington’s books in the UK/Europe

Buy Katie Lewington’s books in the US/Rest of the World

If you too would like to be interviewed on my blog at TooFullToWrite and you have a book or a series of books that you would like us to chat about then fill out the Contact Me form here with your details and we can arrange a future interview slot.

Still want more? Well, Katie’s poems are very direct and sincere in their messages. For more articles relating to the theme of ‘Sincere’ then check out the links below:-

1. The Dating Game – Leaking Ink
2. shame – To the Prostitute’s man by the Marine Drive Supermarket
3. know my heart – search me: am i a bad Christian?
4. Sacred Path of Love 2016 – Deep Light
5. Maldita Chronicles – Sincerity
6. I DON’T NEED SECOND THOUGHTS TO KNOW. – Okoto Enigma
7. NeuroBead – The spectrum of notebook keeping in science and in life – Part II
8. sincere thievery – pith and bone
9. depths and truths – pith and bone
10. FIND OUT WHO IT IS! – Okoto Enigma
11. LET’S GOOO! – Branding You
12. WHAT A SHAME! – Okoto Enigma
13. Being Sincere All Day Is Not Healthy. – Radioactive Voice
14. In and evitable – Stanley’s Weblog
15. PROMOTE YOUR BLOG: SHARE YOUR LINK. – Okoto Enigma
16. Jensiper’s Blog – To say what you really mean
17. Glimpses Of God’s Love On the Wall Of Darkness In Life – Lance Price Blog 2016
18. Prescription For Bento – Hyperbole
19. Child is the father of man(&woman)! 🙂 – Pebbles
20. THE MEMORY OF A LONELY SOUL – Okoto Enigma
21. Being Sincere for Real – World Through My Eyes
22. SOMEONE WANTS ME DEAD! – Okoto Enigma
23. I HOPE YOU NEVER COME BACK – Okoto Enigma
24. Your attitude will determine your day – Roberta Pimentel
25. Book Beginnings on Fridays: Franz Kafka’s Metamorphosis – onturningpages
26. A Piece of Advice (To Angela, From Angela)
27. Eclipse – ANGELA MONTIJO
28. HOW CAN YOU MOVE ON…? – Okoto Enigma
29. What Hasn’t Killed Me…
30. How Fake People Can Be… – Nickey Dubstep
31. The bare top.. – Pen Pals…
32. Expansionism is my blood – Oh, border!
33. Frost At Midnite – Sincere
34. DIY: Battling Sadness and Negativity (Day 1) – thethoughtskeeper
35. Giggles & Tales – The Daily Prompt – Sincere!
36. Michael J. Fite – How Can Your TWA Help You Become A True And Sincere Person?
37. Travel Much? – Where the Streets Have No Name
38. Purposive Writer – Unforgettable Childhood Memory
39. Learning to Laugh Again – sincerelyashly
40. Beautiful thoughts about love, sincerity – Just Fashion
41. be sincere with your relations – Just Fashion
42. gumilang cahya prayoga – Sincere
43. SoMuchToTellYou – Brooklyn (2015)
44. Angelic Hands – Authenticity.
45. Sasha’s Writings – Real Neat Blog Award
46. Favorite Songs of 2016…So Far – Goodnight Hestia
47. Sincere, but Sincerely Wrong – Le Happyone
48. MY LETTER TO EVERYONE. – Okoto Enigma
49. of evasive pleasures – Anawnimiss
50. Cure – LuPo_san
51. Sincere – The Inkwell
52. debooWORKS – Helping Hands
53. Sin-serely – Sascha Darlington’s Microcosm Explored
54. Alpha is Omega – What is Life Without Sincerity?
55. Fluffy Pool – Sincere and Day 3
56. The Post – Fifteen Minute Reads (Or Less)
57. Sincere – Views From Around the Corner
58. inspiration in progress – Wait…
59. Margret’s Life Journey! – Sincere
60. Sincere…(daily prompt) – my unremarkable story
61. juantetcts – Daily Post
62. BodynSoil – Grandmother’s American Woman’s Cookbook
63. Steps Times Two – November Rain
64. Le Drake Noir – Feel free, feel sincere
65. Scraps of Paper – Some People
66. Wants – Leigha Robbins
67. I am Sincere Dear… – My Loud Bipolar Whispers
68. Annette’s place – DaILy pRoMpT/ SInCEre
69. W: a Fairy Tale – Unfolding From the Fog
70. Attuned Photography – Flowers- Macro
71. Lost Property Repository – A cough remedy
72. Light & life – Buyer’s Remorse
73. Sincere – All About Writing
74. 83 Unsung Heroes – Sincerity v Honesty
75. A Sincere Exchange – If Moms Could Write
76. Sincerely – Scribbled by M
77. A Sincere Tribute – THE SKY’S THE LIMIT
78. Anything But – Amongst All Else
79. Cage Dunn: Writer and Author – Sincerity . . . and all its lack of grace
80. Success Inspirers’ World – Be sincere to me!
81. Making It Up As I Go Along – I Am Snicere About Wondering What Would Happen If I Disappear
82. Stutter-Stepping Heart – Sincere Jewels
83. Malis Journal – the art of finding yourself
84. Be gentle if you must – Debbie Gravett
85. – 1 Peter 1:22-25 – Sincere
86. Sincere – Pafdroa’s Blog
87. Poems and Petals – Sincere
88. Sincere – A Novice blogger
89. simply.cindy – Comfort Basket for Young Children
90. Sincere – The Bag Lady
91. The Showers of Blessing – Tanka – Sincere
92. MC’s Whispers – The clarity of sincerity
93. Mysteries of the Universe – Thoughts From The Ledge
94. J9’s Next Chapter – Sincere
95. s1ngal – President Trump
96. A Shoulder To Lean On – Dee-Vita
97. LET’S GET SOCIAL: WHO’S IN? – Okoto Enigma
98. Amie Writes – The Day After
99. debooWORKS – The truth about Intolerance
100. Two minute stories – I Can’t Wait
101. Full-Time – Love Felt
102. Seriously Just Saying – Sincere Valediction
103. Sincerity on the Test – writealineblog
104. Sincere – East Coast Approach
105. Layers of this Air – S. Thomas Summers
106. Whether Sincere or Can We Challenge Ourselves – findingenvirons
107. Cubs Win! – Naturally Imperfect
108. Torment – november child
109. Prescription For Bento – Star Wars and Diapers
110. debooWORKS – The Greatest Friend In The World
111. Cubs Win! What’s Left? – A lot from Lydia
112. Exploring the World around us – Sincere
113. What it’s like – Daily WP Prompt: Sincere
114. lesson learned ⋆ Obsolete Childhood
115. Prescription For Bento – Stars Wars and Diapers
116. My two cents… – Sincere
117. I sincerely thank you – In my world
118. debooWORKS – The Silence of Others
119. Autism in Our Nest – The Whole Truth and Nothing But the Truth
120. wordsareallihavesite – Daily Prompt:Sincere
121. Sincere – maylynno
122. Stuck – Far Behind Me
123. A Fan of the 2016 World Series – April’s Perspective
124. The Gad About Town – He Knew a Guy
125. Thoughts: Handwritten Letters – Sincerely, Loewe
126. The Wandering Poet – I sincerely hope you can said the bear
127. Tanka: Sincere Light – whippetwisdom.com
128. Madeline Scribes – who is the Loser?
129. Faith Unlocked – Sincere Love
130. PROJECT ASTRAL – The Clinton FUN-dation
131. Mopping Up – Monkebus
132. sincere thievery – pause for mental thoughts randomly selected
133. Sincere – Thoughts Of An E’ville Woman
134. sincerely lacking – pause for mental thoughts randomly selected
135. The View From My Window – Sincerely Wrong
136. Sincero – apserranoblog
137. Being What We Are – Even Burnt Wood Floats
138. lifelessons – a blog by Judy Dykstra-Brown – Tete a Tete
139. Sweet Adorable Costumes – Sunken Thought
140. Oh So Digital Fashions – Geeks & Fiends
141. Holly King Signs: Heartfelt – Chronicles of an Orange-Haired Woman!
142. The Visits – a mile in my shoes
143. Flowers and Breezes – Sincere
144. Madeline Scribes – Naming something
145. THE ICONOPHILE – The Drawing is on the Wall
146. The Way Back Home (A Story) – stephentotheplate
147. Life Less Ordinary – From the heart
148. Sincere Pumpkins – Mindflight
149. Sailing on the Ocean of Ignorance – A Devious Mind
150. In Search of Wild Chrysanthemums – genusrosa
151. 26 Letters Poetry Blog – I Would Give You The World If I Thought It Would Be Enough
152. The Gad About Town – ‘They are bluffing, and you must learn to bluff too’
153. My message to me – To have and to hold
154. Musings of a Random Mind – How to Dump a Man
155. Healthy Living – J.K. Rowling, From Rags To Riches
156. s1ngal – Couch Potato or Adventurer
157. debooWORKS – Then And Now
158. Me – You Being Sincere – eddaz
159. Walking With A Pure Heart – emotionsoflife2016
160. No Sincerer Love Than A Dog’s Love – The Over-Dreamer
161. Sincere – Image & Word
162. Stain – Leaking Ink
163. THE LATEST SATISFACTION – thepunkpenblog
164. Piccolo Trolls – MY ENDURING BONES
165. ALL I’VE EVER WANTED! – Okoto Enigma
166. life is great despite its troubles – How I learned about lies
167. Miami Nice – therealqueenofstuff
168. Sincere – Caillen James — Author
169. In Search of Wild Chrysanthemums – genusrosa
170. Thanksgiving Time – Kurtis Lunz
171. WORDS IN BLACK AND WHITE – rhymeagination
172. Timeandreflections – The GrandYouth
173. Election Sincerity – I’m a Writer, Yes, I Am!
174. The Sleeping Reading Beauty – Honest.Crystalline. Sincere.
175. Laurel Grove loves… – Hilarious Craigslist Ad: Seeks Rockstar
176. There Are More Poets than Stars in the Firmament – homemade gravy for the grits
177. Daily Prompt 5: Sincere – Anything and Everything Blog
178. Sincere go I. – Sapphire Elisha
179. Time travel – World Through My Eyes
180. Sincere – Poems From Psalms And Nature
181. Betcha didn’t know! – Sincere
182. Sincere – Covert Novelist
183. The Cat Chronicles – Daily Feline Prompt: The Sincere Feline
184. A Sincere Attempt – Ms Skyfall
185. Daily Post Prompt: Sincere Hearts Seek Beauty, A Poem – Sumyanna Writes
186. Sean Hogan – My Cow is Black and I Want to be a Pilot
187. Quill & Parchment – Sincere : 3 Day Challenge
188. Occasional Dreams – Sincerity
189. kStan(ly) kSays – what arnold failed to say
190. Recharge your day – Not so sincere #3linetales
191. Chronicles of an Anglo Swiss – Yours Sincerely
192. LIFE – Sentiment of being a Patrisse Fan
193. Sure Scribbles – Sincerely Yours.
194. Sincerely Established – SouthernLove
195. To whom this may concern – Elaine’s Bloggers Paradise
196. 8 Books That Inspire – SUCCESS STRATEGIES
197. MY OWN PRIVATE IDAHO – In Another Lifetime
198. Sincere – Cahla’s Tawkin’
199. Sincere Thoughts – The Katalogue
200. Listening is communicating too – art of being fabulous
201. thelonerose – Gift giving
202. Turn That Radio Up – Smile
203. On Time – English Lit Geek
204. Wish you were here (Lily & Tyler) – writemebad
205. Without Wax – Just Writing!
206. From Falling to Rising in Love – Zone of Non-being
207. Zombie Flamingos – Oh boy, am I ever glad it’s Kitten Thursday!
208. A Sincere Thanks to My Followers on WordPress – passiondesignerblog
209. a breezy space – Love it Now
210. Has the word sincerity gone out of our lifestyle? – susiesopinions
211. Dear Mom – Bits of Poems
212. sonja benskin mesher – letter to a friend 6
213. Sincerely – whodoesshethinksheisblog
214. BE YOURSELF – Rainbow
215. Apologies? – christinademerisvlog
216. Sincerity is Key in Relationships – Jerome Danner
217. sonja benskin mesher – letter to a friend 6
218. Michel Montecrossa Blog – Today’s Art: drawing – Welcome To True Love, The Meaning Of The Meaning Triptych #3 by Michel Montecrossa
219. the15thday – and the award goes to…
220. Lost Property Repository – A sincere poem with no pain
221. Sincere words – Specscladeyes
222. Devil Doll Musings – The Other Side Of Paradise
223. Moula Ali Gutta – Don’t hold your breath
224. Stepmompreneur – Choosing The Right College And Remembering That You Are Choosing It For Your College Student – Not You
225. Found herself – Life at 17
226. thewindtakeswordsaway – Sincere
227. A Portrait of Imperfection – Unlearning
228. 26 Letters Poetry Blog – Three Words That Reveal My Heart And How It Works
229. Sincere – The WANDER (FULL) LIFE
230. Martha L Shaw – MIRROR OF SINCERITY
231. Sincerely Wrong – Anonme Blog
232. Boring Bug – What difference does the colour make?
233. When Home Is Far Away. – Today’s Tomorrow
234. And then there was one – Sincere? Highly Doubtful!
235. Horror, Sincerely! – Its PH
236. Burnin’ Love – Rexine Rawhead
237. No Flattery – Random Thoughts and Musings
238. To Sincerely Love Again…Or Not – Lilly’s View
239. debooWORKS – In the Rain
240. Betty Spaghetti – seequoyah
241. Bin your TV, bring back the books – Back On The Grid
242. Sincere Feelings – Writer’s Blog
243. Sincerity!! (1 min read) – Burshblog
244. Sincere… – Emotions that matter.
245. Southern By Design – A Journey In Words
246. witchlike – The Goat Speaks
247. ….on pets and prisoners….. – daily prompt: sincere
248. His Words Shouldn’t Feel Like a Jab To The Heart. – LIVING AND LEARNING
249. poorhaiku – Winter Comes, continued
250. I wrote a book. Now what? – Whether or not it matters
251. Designer Sophisticate – FINALLY.
252. FOREVER IS ALWAYS SHORT – Okoto Enigma
253. YOU WOULDN’T HAVE… – Okoto Enigma
254. Entering the Darkness: Annwn – Chronicles of an Orange-Haired Woman!
255. Faye by Sarah Janks – New York Bridal – Sarah Janks
256. Frank Prem – on sunday at the music club
257. Question Of A Lifetime. – Today’s Tomorrow