OK as Ralph never tires of saying it's not always about the bands or the music, it's about the venues, the promoters or in this case, the bloggers too. One of Ralph's first music blog contacts (was that really nearly a year ago) was The Suddenly Kate Show and in the interim she's gone from music blogger to full blown Indie Author! So Ralph decided to see what had inspired Kate to venture into the literary world from her initial music blog and asked her a few leading questions as part of a Blog Tour she had embarked upon.....
Ralph: I was first introduced to you as a writer through your music blog, what was the primary inspiration behind it, the love of music or the need to write?
Kate: Music came first and they both share the top spot. I heard a band on Twitter and liked them so much that I wanted to support them in some way and spread the word.
I had a blog that I had started to get me to read more (and have since never read less), and I thought I need to blog about these guys and these and these and so it began. I wasn’t able to keep the posts short and I guess that was the writer in me.
Ralph: Who was the first band or artist you covered and do you still keep an eye on their career?
Kate: The band was Amida and I hope to blog about them again when their EP/Album is finished. Can I blame Amida for all this? Lol But yes, I do. I am waiting with bated breath to hear their new stuff. I still listen to the old stuff and it never gets repetitive or old. I still listen to all the bands I blog about and I am always keen to see what they are up to.
They are lesser known bands in general, some are new and I have reviewed some that I thought were still developing their sound but I hoped they would and I am still waiting to hear them. It’s at a point now that I come across other bands at random who have been around and I hear a minute or so, or an intro, or most commonly a voice and I am reminded of those. In my head they’re like family and oh?! That probably makes me slightly crazy. Ha!
Ralph: Who are you currently listening to and are you still blogging music?
Kate: I am very lucky in that I can listen to music whilst I work and so for at least 8 hours a day I am listening to something. I like most genres of music and so it varies daily. But some albums that have been released this year that I like are…Frightened Rabbits, Bastille, Griffin House, Shout Out Louds, Everything Everything, Passenger…and those that I have blogged.
I am still blogging music only they are few and far between at the moment. I have one literally that needs editing and will be posted. I have two more that I want to do but writing commitments have delayed that. I am sure I put too much time and energy into doing them, I just want other people to listen to them and I want to do their music justice. I shall continue though not least because I made my music page on my blog all pretty :D
Ralph: Was it the music blog that led you to expanding your writing to a craft blog and beyond or had you always had literary aspirations?
Kate: Haha…literary aspirations? Que? My craft blog came first and I started that to take part in an event, the other blog was created to take part in an event, can you see a pattern forming! But writing the music blogs made me realise that I really did love writing. I would get so excited and animated at the prospect and that enthusiasm hasn’t waned. I really am blaming music for this.
Ralph: You've currently self-published a duo of short stories, what was the thinking behind the opposing genres portrayed?
Kate: I had 12 days (a rom-com) and I wanted to put something with it and I thought after that it would be nice to have something completely different and hence Young 80 (horror).
The genres are related to the time of year that the stories take place; Christmas (rom-com), Halloween (Horror).
Ralph: How easy/hard has it been to make the transition to writing fiction and are you planning a novel?
Kate: I only ever used to write poetry before I started the music reviews and I only did that at times when I needed to express myself, I am not an emotional person in person. So when I started writing the music reviews, I was enjoying them and wanted to write more. I wrote a poem entitled 'Sweet Music' and this was well received. I stumbled upon a flash fiction challenge and it gave me that opportunity to write stories but more poem length, then this eBook is two short stories and yes I have a novel.
It has been a very steady build up. I also wrote a song for one of the fiction challenges about a mermaid and asked on Twitter if someone would write some music for it and I was shocked & ecstatic when somebody did. It’s not often that people will do things that require that effort out of kindness. I really like it too.
At the end of the eBook there is a preview of the novel, and I wrote it during a novel writing challenge. It’s a different genre again (murder mystery) and it has just dawned on me that my tendency to try all genres is probably directly influenced by my love of all types of music. Especially as I listen to music whilst writing and I select that which when I hear reminds me of the character I am writing as. I am not sure I could write without music!
Ralph: Crowd funded music projects are becoming increasingly popular, would you consider that as a way of funding any future publications?
Kate: I have yet to contribute to one, but I plan to because I think it is a great idea, and one thing that you get with being able to connect with bands at this level is knowing the background to the music, the roots of it and I think it adds a dimension to it when you are listening.
Indie publishing is not that different to indie produced music as you are on your own, doing all the jobs, and creating the product. I would consider and one of the reasons I am doing the tour is because I want to connect with my readers, a reason I write a weekly serial (GBF currently) is because I want to give something back to them for all their support and encouragement.
Ralph: Finally any hints or tips to aspiring writers deciding whether to take that final step and publish their work?
Kate: Haha! I’ve only been writing six months so I don’t think I am an expert, but if you had told me a year ago I would publish an eBook I would have laughed in your face (I am subtle like that).
I don’t know if I should have published the two short stories, I didn’t know before I did it and I didn’t know when I did it and I still don’t know now but when do you ever know? If you want to, then do it. Not the most profound advice is it? But it’s the best thing about self-publishing, you are the boss of you, and the advice that people always gave me was….just don’t expect to make any money out of it!
GIVEAWAY!
There is a link below where you can enter your details and be in with a chance to win a surprise giveaway! All prizes will be related to the eBook, the tour hosts or the interview answers! so get yourself entered asap :D
In 2013, in-between recording their debut album, the band have been playing around the country including appearances at The Great Escape in Brighton,This Is Fake DIY in London, Stag & Dagger at the ABC 1 in Glasgow and the Main Stage at Rockness. Fatherson play a few selected festivals and shows throughout the summer and are currently planning a UK tour in November.
