Lyn is the winner of the 2015 Luke Bitmead Burary and The Wacky Man is her debut novel.
Amanda secludes herself in her bedroom, no longer willing to face the outside world. Gradually, she pieces together the story of her life: her brothers have had to abandon her, her mother scarcely talks to her, and the Wacky Man could return any day to burn the house down. Just like he promised.
As her family disintegrates, Amanda hopes for a better future, a way out from the violence and fear that has consumed her childhood. But can she cling to her sanity, before insanity itself is her only means of escape?
As her family disintegrates, Amanda hopes for a better future, a way out from the violence and fear that has consumed her childhood. But can she cling to her sanity, before insanity itself is her only means of escape?
The Wacky Man is a powerful and emotional story of Amanda, a young girl with serious mental health issues as a result of a lifetime of abuse at home. An incredible, disturbing, and important book we'd like to thank Lyn for taking part in A Conversation with...
Tell us of your journey as a writer
My journey was a very long one. I told nobody that I was writing a book, mainly because the process of writing was so difficult. I’d had the idea buzzing away in my mind since my thirties and my first notes and snippets of conversations or scenes date back to around 2004. I’ve lost count of both how many rewrites it went through in the first seven years and how many times I put it aside vowing never to return. When it finally starting taking shape I searched for a mentor and through sheer luck, found Clio Gray, author of The Anatomist’s Dream. She pointed out all the bits that needed work and taught me so much about structure and editing and also encouraged me to submit to agencies and competitions. When she forwarded me details of the Luke Bitmead Bursary Award, I was so impressed with what the Award was about, and on an impulse, sent in my novel. Publication was part of winning the award and so then I worked on further edits with Lauren from Legend Press for about six months. The novel was published in May of this year.
How do you see your role as a writer and what do you like most about it?
I’m not sure I view it as a role but I am passionate about giving voices to those in danger of being silenced. I am drawn to writing about characters that are often marginalised or whose stories are difficult to deal with. My writing role is definitely part time. I have to squash in writing when I’m not too tired after the full time job. I usually write in the early morning or immediately after work. Fortunately, whenever I get started it reenergises me and I’ll find an hour or two has flown by and a little more of the story has revealed itself.
The best aspect is definitely the new writing networks I’ve forged; readers and reviewers, other authors, festival organisers and goers and the great team at the publishers. It’s wonderful to know there are so many people that passionate about stories and creativity. It makes up for all the agonising over phrases and sentences and the necessary evil that is editing.
Have you ever created a character who you dislike but find yourself empathising with?
The character Seamus in The Wacky Man is a terrible, cruel man and I have little sympathy for the choices he makes as an adult but I empathise with his early life. He was diminished by lack of education and money. I have to be able to empathise with some part of the character, no matter how small, otherwise they would be cartoon like or flat. I always keep in mind that characters are human and have emotions – no matter how far from the surface or distorted they become.
What has been your experience of writing about diverse characters?
My debut novel was autobiographically inspired, so though my characters are definitely not ones you often find in mainstream literature, they’re not diverse in the sense of how I relate to them. I knew the main character very well. My second novel has two characters that I think are diverse, with experiences and backgrounds that are very different to me and, perhaps, to a lot of readers. So I’m researching extensively, and thinking about them a lot. It’s very exciting to have characters so independent of me, but a little bit nerve wracking at the same time.
If you could be transported instantly, anywhere in the world, where would you most like to spend your time writing? And why?
I love this question! And without hesitation I can say Tibet. Markam in Kham (east of the country) to be specific. The first reason is writing related. Tibet features in my next novel and though I have lots of Tibetan friends to consult, in an ideal world I’d be able to spend a few months there collecting first hand experiences. I’m also in dire need of improving my Tibetan language. With a full time job and writing on top, my language study has been neglected. The luxury of complete immersion in the language would be a dream come true.
What is the one book you wish you had written?
This changes depending on what I’m reading. At the moment it’s Peter Carey’s Illywhacker, which I’m reading again as it’s one of my favourite books. He is so inventive in style and structure but most of all, his imaginative powers are astounding. I can only hope to aspire to this level of novel one day in the far off future. Enthralling stuff.
What advice do you have for would be novelists/writers?
Never give up, no matter how frustrating it gets. The more you write and read (and the better the novels you read), the more you will progress. I also recommend creative writing classes. I wish I’d done some before starting my novel instead of pitching in and finding myself in a murky moat of words for so many years. On reflection I think I held myself back. I’ve taken two creative writing courses since finishing the novel, one free one with FutureLearn and Intermediate writing with the UEA. Both were brilliant and taught me a lot.
What are you currently working on? What can we look forward to reading?
The next novel is about the healing power of unusual friendship. Thought it deals with loss and sorrow and lives becoming derailed, it’s looking at it from the other side of those experiences, so where The Wacky Man was brutal and raw this is gentler and happier.
Who is your favourite literary character from childhood and why?
One of the first books I can remember reading as a very young child was Mr Dizzy. I related to him in terms of being bullied and sad and I think his simple tale of overcoming hardship was very inspiring to me. I also read The Golden Goblet obsessively from age eleven to about thirteen. Ranofer, the main character, was exotic to me but he was also exactly like me, enduring physical abuse and loneliness. I felt like we were suffering together and he escaped which gave me hope. I still have the book and have read it a few times across the years.
The Whacky Man is published by Legend Press
You can follow Lyn on Twitter: @FarrellWrites
My journey was a very long one. I told nobody that I was writing a book, mainly because the process of writing was so difficult. I’d had the idea buzzing away in my mind since my thirties and my first notes and snippets of conversations or scenes date back to around 2004. I’ve lost count of both how many rewrites it went through in the first seven years and how many times I put it aside vowing never to return. When it finally starting taking shape I searched for a mentor and through sheer luck, found Clio Gray, author of The Anatomist’s Dream. She pointed out all the bits that needed work and taught me so much about structure and editing and also encouraged me to submit to agencies and competitions. When she forwarded me details of the Luke Bitmead Bursary Award, I was so impressed with what the Award was about, and on an impulse, sent in my novel. Publication was part of winning the award and so then I worked on further edits with Lauren from Legend Press for about six months. The novel was published in May of this year.
How do you see your role as a writer and what do you like most about it?
I’m not sure I view it as a role but I am passionate about giving voices to those in danger of being silenced. I am drawn to writing about characters that are often marginalised or whose stories are difficult to deal with. My writing role is definitely part time. I have to squash in writing when I’m not too tired after the full time job. I usually write in the early morning or immediately after work. Fortunately, whenever I get started it reenergises me and I’ll find an hour or two has flown by and a little more of the story has revealed itself.
The best aspect is definitely the new writing networks I’ve forged; readers and reviewers, other authors, festival organisers and goers and the great team at the publishers. It’s wonderful to know there are so many people that passionate about stories and creativity. It makes up for all the agonising over phrases and sentences and the necessary evil that is editing.
Have you ever created a character who you dislike but find yourself empathising with?
The character Seamus in The Wacky Man is a terrible, cruel man and I have little sympathy for the choices he makes as an adult but I empathise with his early life. He was diminished by lack of education and money. I have to be able to empathise with some part of the character, no matter how small, otherwise they would be cartoon like or flat. I always keep in mind that characters are human and have emotions – no matter how far from the surface or distorted they become.
What has been your experience of writing about diverse characters?
My debut novel was autobiographically inspired, so though my characters are definitely not ones you often find in mainstream literature, they’re not diverse in the sense of how I relate to them. I knew the main character very well. My second novel has two characters that I think are diverse, with experiences and backgrounds that are very different to me and, perhaps, to a lot of readers. So I’m researching extensively, and thinking about them a lot. It’s very exciting to have characters so independent of me, but a little bit nerve wracking at the same time.
If you could be transported instantly, anywhere in the world, where would you most like to spend your time writing? And why?
I love this question! And without hesitation I can say Tibet. Markam in Kham (east of the country) to be specific. The first reason is writing related. Tibet features in my next novel and though I have lots of Tibetan friends to consult, in an ideal world I’d be able to spend a few months there collecting first hand experiences. I’m also in dire need of improving my Tibetan language. With a full time job and writing on top, my language study has been neglected. The luxury of complete immersion in the language would be a dream come true.
What is the one book you wish you had written?
This changes depending on what I’m reading. At the moment it’s Peter Carey’s Illywhacker, which I’m reading again as it’s one of my favourite books. He is so inventive in style and structure but most of all, his imaginative powers are astounding. I can only hope to aspire to this level of novel one day in the far off future. Enthralling stuff.
What advice do you have for would be novelists/writers?
Never give up, no matter how frustrating it gets. The more you write and read (and the better the novels you read), the more you will progress. I also recommend creative writing classes. I wish I’d done some before starting my novel instead of pitching in and finding myself in a murky moat of words for so many years. On reflection I think I held myself back. I’ve taken two creative writing courses since finishing the novel, one free one with FutureLearn and Intermediate writing with the UEA. Both were brilliant and taught me a lot.
What are you currently working on? What can we look forward to reading?
The next novel is about the healing power of unusual friendship. Thought it deals with loss and sorrow and lives becoming derailed, it’s looking at it from the other side of those experiences, so where The Wacky Man was brutal and raw this is gentler and happier.
Who is your favourite literary character from childhood and why?
One of the first books I can remember reading as a very young child was Mr Dizzy. I related to him in terms of being bullied and sad and I think his simple tale of overcoming hardship was very inspiring to me. I also read The Golden Goblet obsessively from age eleven to about thirteen. Ranofer, the main character, was exotic to me but he was also exactly like me, enduring physical abuse and loneliness. I felt like we were suffering together and he escaped which gave me hope. I still have the book and have read it a few times across the years.
The Whacky Man is published by Legend Press
You can follow Lyn on Twitter: @FarrellWrites
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