1) Tell us a little bit about yourself. How did you get into writing?
I’ve been ‘writing’ since before I could write! I had a period of illness when I was five and spent some time in hospital. Having exhausted the hospital library and endless games of noughts and crosses, my mum whipped out a pen and a notebook and told me to tell her a story. She wrote it down. That became our go-to method of keeping me entertained during hospital visits, until I was able to write by myself (and until, thankfully, I got well). I love stories. I love their ability to take us out of the real world, to teach and enlighten us, to amuse and offer hope and camaraderie. I always knew I wanted to be on the other side of it, delivering the experience to other readers someday, I just wasn’t sure which medium was the one for me. I worked on a couple of screenplays and a stage play, and even tried my hand at writing a graphic novel before eventually circling back round to short stories and novels.
2) What inspired you to write your book?
I’m a big fan of fairy tales (I’ve lost count of the number of Beauty & The Beast retellings I’ve read). The stories are timeless, but there’s also a lot of humour to be found in retelling a much-loved story through a modern-day lens. Like, what if Cinderella wasn’t the only woman in the kingdom with dainty feet? What if the Seven Dwarfs (rightfully) called the cops on Prince Florian for kissing Snow White without her consent? I also knew I’d have a lot of fun writing a modern-day version of Little Red Riding Hood if I made the ‘grandmother’ figure paramount to the story. In these
stories, grandmothers are usually portrayed as a bit meek, vulnerable, or scatterbrained, but I’ve met my fair share of sassy, confident and refreshingly blunt older women. In most versions of Little Red Riding Hood, Granny ends up either eaten by the wolf or, at best, locked away in a cupboard. I wanted to put Granny back in the driver’s seat (literally!), where she belongs.
3) What theme or message do you hope readers will take away from your book?
I prefer not to beat my reader over the head with my views, and rather that my story simply gets them thinking. In The Bhad Wolf, there are definite themes of gender and gender stereotypes, physical strength versus weakness, and ego versus insecurity.
What message readers glean from my story will be based on their own life experiences and views — I just hope the takeaway is a positive one.
4) What drew you into this particular genre?
I’ve written (and continue to write) across genres, but I tend to fall into comedy when given free rein over my work. I think this is because I generally write often quite difficult or emotional subject matter, and humour just… softens the edges a little.
Makes it more digestible. It might also have something to do with that old British attitude of finding the joke in almost everything, because feelings are uncomfortable.
5) If you could sit down with any character in your book, what would you ask them and why?
Mrs Granger would “tell it like it is”, so I’d probably ask her some really big, imposing question, like, “What’s the key to happiness?” or “How do I stop caring what people think about me?” I imagine she’d sit me down with a nice cup of a tea and a few biscuits, and we’d talk out all out. Who needs a therapist when you’ve got Mrs Granger?
6) What social media site has been the most helpful in developing your readership?
I’ve definitely had the most joy through X (formerly Twitter — how long do we need to keep saying that?). It’s where I connected with Julian and Remy, who run Endless Ink Book Publishing, and other writers in their catalogue, as well as an established readership. My youngest sister (and trusty consultant on all things Gen Z) has been trying to convince me to sign up to TikTok. She says it’s where all the readers are.
Like so many other writers, I’m a little (a lot) shy, and so putting myself out there on social media platforms can be a bit of a daunting task. But I’m working on it!
7) What advice would you give to aspiring or just starting authors out there?
The main advice I would give is to keep learning and keep challenging yourself. Even established writers can continue to improve and hone their craft, so be open to critique and suggestions. This doesn’t mean accepting every criticism as gospel and altering your manuscript beyond recognition at every beta reader, editor, or publisher’s say-so, but be open to thoughtful and considered feedback. Attend workshops, read wide and diverse stories, and recognise and work on your weaknesses. I wish I’d been humbler in my early writing days. All of us can improve.
8) What does the future hold in store for you? Any new books/projects on the horizon?
I’ve been privileged to contribute another couple of stories towards Endless Ink’s Earth’s Final Chapter, including a short story and a novella. The short story has fantasy elements and some incredible characters we’ve only seen glimpses of so far in EFC, while the novella builds on a fantastic story by Nathan Banks (and illustrated by John Hawkins). I also have a couple of other projects in the pipeline, including a novel and a children’s book. I’m trying to keep myself contained to just one or two projects at any given time, but there are plenty of other ideas floating around in my brain, waiting to come out.
About the Author
Martha Everitt is the author of The Wilding and Dove: A Mother’s Instinct, both of which are featured in the Earth’s Final Chapter series. Her short story The Bhad Wolf was published within the collection Blood Pudding and Other Horrific Delicacies. She lives in the UK and divides her time equally between reading copious amounts of literature and hollering football chants.
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