Name: Emma Lauren Wisher
Submission Title(s): Inspire, Expire
What do you enjoy writing?
I enjoy writing in all mediums but I’m most comfortable writing screenplays. My writing is usually very visual so I find it easy to picture the scenes in my head. I love writing dialogue too – both of these things make my writing style better suited to screenplays. I’ve also written two novels that I hope to get published and occasionally write shorter pieces like short stories and poetry. One thing that’s common in everything I write is the use of self-references (comments on the characters/genre/plot etc) that remind the reader they’re reading a piece of fiction. This is something I’m interested in as a writer and an academic, and was my main focus when I wrote Inspire, Expire.
When did you realise you wanted to be a writer?
My earliest memory of writing was when I was seven. I’d been ill and spent a lot of time off school so I turned to writing to pass the time. I ended up writing endless stories in exercise books or on sheets of paper I stapled together. I gained a lot of encouragement from my teachers, especially at secondary school, which inspired me to consider writing as a career and not just a hobby.
What inspires you to write?
Writing is part of my daily life – I’m constantly adding another chapter to a novel or rewriting a scene from a screenplay. I’m motivated to try new things and begin new projects that are totally different to anything I’ve tried before. One of my biggest inspirations comes from watching films and television. If I see a theme, technique or style I like it’ll encourage me to attempt replicating it in my own writing.
What obstacles have you faced with your writing?
I can become a bit obsessive with writing projects. I set myself almost impossible deadlines or start work on something new before I’ve finished my first thing. Another problem I face is working out whether an idea would work best as a novel or a screenplay. I spent three years writing a novel and hating it before realising it would work so much better as a screenplay.
How do you react to bad reviews or critical comments?
Getting feedback on your work is something that’s hard to get used to. I’m able to deal with it better because of the work-shopping I did as part of the MA in Creative Writing. Negative feedback can be hurtful on the surface, but it makes you reconsider your work and make alterations that improve the piece. Once you adjust to this you realise it’s constructive criticism (regardless of how harsh the comments appear!).
What is your submission about in Restless Minds? (Without giving away any spoilers)
Inspire, Expire focuses on a writer who begins a surreal conversation with one of his characters, resulting in an ambiguity over whether the exchange is the product of his imagination, sanity or the alcohol he’s consumed. It explores the relationship between a writer and a character, blurring the line between real and fictional.
Have you ever been published elsewhere?
I volunteered as a writer for The National Student magazine and had three articles published by them. I also had a poem entitled ‘Family Tree’ published in the anthology Bringing it Home and wrote a short story for the Derby Telegraph called ‘The Little Intruder.’
What is your favourite book and film?
I love Atonement and The Hours both as books and films. My main inspiration comes from television series, predominantly Supernatural. I owe a lot of my writing style and inspiration to it.
What are your writing ambitions?
My dream is to be a television screenwriter and I also hope to publish the novels I’ve drafted. I’m also interested in teaching Creative Writing to others, either formally as a lecturer or in small community groups.
Can you offer any advice for aspiring writers?
Write what you know and love. Trying new things and breaking conventions can be rewarding, but the best writing comes from people who write about topics they’re passionate about.
Do you have a Website(s)?
N/A
Restless Minds 