First off, tell us a little bit about you
My name is Fanni (with an “i” not with a “y,” strange, I know, but that’s how it is.) I’m in my late twenties and I live in France, near Paris. I’m Hungarian but nowadays I mostly write in English. My hobbies are travelling, reading, writing and learning languages. I love board games, series and cute crazy stuff. I teach English from kindergarten to middle school.
Tell us about your books/What genre do you consider your books?
I like stories where reality and imagination intermingle, that’s why my favourite genres are urban fantasy, magical realism and cyberpunk. Even when I write realist fiction, I try to make the story “magical” either with the atmosphere or with the story telling.
I have (too) many WIPs both in Hungarian and in English, but I think I’ll concentrate on the English ones. I hope one day I’ll be able to finish most of them.
The ones I’m most intrigued by are “Glasgow, my love,” which is a multiple-ended love story, exploring various possible endings of a coffee house meeting and “Dreamless” which is an alternative history / Victorian novel where imagination is banned and dreamers are hunted down. You can get to know more about my novels by checking out their Pinterest boards. (https://uk.pinterest.com/mspumpkinhime/)
When did you start writing?
Oh, I started writing way back. My first projects were Sailor Moon fanzines and Knight Rider fan fiction in primary school. Then as adolescence hit I wrote love-hate poems about my crushes. Around the end of high school I started writing stuff which was not completely embarrassing. I started writing in English in 2013 while I was spending my Erasmus semester in London.
Why do you write?
I love making up worlds and I’m also awfully curious about the life of others. When I was in middle school I thought I wanted to be an artist, but I wasn’t skilled enough to draw the things I saw in my head and I wasn’t patient enough to try to learn it. In the end, I found out that I can also draw pictures with words and I’m much better at that.
What would be your choice for a superpower?
I’d like to be able to stop time, so that I can get a few more hours to write when the writing bug bites me. My biggest problem is that I’m very enthusiastic and I fall head over heels for story ideas and I work like a madwoman in the beginning. Then something interrupts my process or I have a lot of other things to do so I get out of the mood. Sadly, I’m a bit like Dory from Finding Nemo: Look, a new idea!
I think stopping time could definitely help with this issue.
Who is your favorite author?
Neil Gaiman is my absolute favourite, he is also my role model. I also like Antal Szerb, a Hungarian writer from early 20th century. He has pretty good English translations, I warmly recommend him because he shaped me a lot as a writer.
What are you reading now?
I’m reading J. M. Sullivan’s debut novel, Wanderland Chronicles and The Hollow City from Ransom Riggs. I also started re-reading an Antal Szerb novel because I found a good French translation. I want the summer holidays to start already so I have more time to read.
Who is your favorite character to write?
I like characters who are easy-going and make me laugh, they’re very fun to write. Sometimes I create characters because I’m inspired my one of my celeb crushes and I want to spend some time with them at least on paper :D
Do you have a writing process?
Not really. Ideally I just sit down and write but for that I need peace and like 0 distractions. Approaching deadlines do miracles to me and I can write 2000 words in 1-2 hours. I like these marathons because although the stories aren’t perfect, at least I got them done. Usually I return to them a few weeks / months later and make them into something good. If it’s a longer story, I like to create Pinterest boards and Spotify playlists because this way I can bottle up the mood of the story.
What advice would you give to an aspiring author?
I know it’s a cliché but really, please read. Read the classics and the big names but read also indie authors because, besides helping fellow writers, you can discover hidden gems.
If you feel writing is your way, don’t let others discourage you. Listen to the critiques. Take what you need and try to improve your writing. Everybody has to work on their writing even the big names. Some stories will be better, some stories will be worse.
I know it’s difficult to face mean words and rejections, but if the other person is an a*hole it’s really their problem and not yours. If they’re nice and fair about your opinion, take notice and don’t give up. Maybe they weren’t just the right audience for your story.
Try to find writing buddies. Join a Nanowrimo community, sign up for Scribophile or any other writing group. Read and critique other people’s writing. The easiest and least painful way is to learn from other people’s mistakes.
What inspired you to pursue writing?
I’m a serial hobby-abandoner. I’ve done folk dancing, karate, modern dance, guitar, cross-stitch, etc., but I just fell out of love with them after a while. Writing stayed with me. I write because it makes me happy and I can get transform my troubles and pain into something (hopefully) beautiful. Of course, I also want to be rich, famous and beloved but if only my friends read me I’m fine with that too.
What are your favorite TV shows/Movies to watch in between writing?
It’s been a very good year as for series. I follow Dr. Who, American Gods and the new Twin Peaks. I also love Parks and Recreations, Black Adder and Buffy. My newest love is Gravity Falls.
What are your current projects?
It’s really high time I finish my first novel, Londemonium. It’s an urban fantasy set in Hell and London. In Londemonium Hell is a multinational company, led by its eccentric CEO, Luke Seyton. The characters include: Gregor, a German programmer who descends to Hell to retrieve his abducted crush; Molly, a feisty Irish girl in look out for her heritage; Aiko, an English-Japanese girl who wants to make sense of her life and Raphael, an immigrant angel, who desperately wants to fit in.
I’ve recently come up with a summer project for myself, we’ll see how it works out. I’m planning to write a tween novel about an adventurous summer holiday. I imagine it as a blend between Gravity Falls and Doctor Who with a lot of humour and excitement. My idea is to use the cards from a Dixit (it’s a very good association-based board game with gorgeous art) expansion which would give the writing process some randomness and excitement. I can’t wait to start.
Do you have anything specific that you want to say to readers?
You can never be too nice. Be nice. I really, honestly believe in the power of politeness and kindness and I try to make the life of others easier. If more people did the same, we’d live on a much friendlier planet. I also believe that hard work and determination pays off.
I want to bring people stories that show the lives of different people because knowledge and empathy usually walk hand in hand. I also want to write stories which give hope and consolation on hard days.
Quick Fire:
Cats or dogs? Owls! Okay if I have to choose between the two I’ll go with cats, but I love dogs too.
Coffee or tea? Usually coffee, but I also like herbal tea..
Favorite food? Sushi and Japanese food in general. Also cheese sticks.
Vanilla or chocolate ice-cream? Vanilla.
What are 3 things you never leave home without? I have type 1 diabetes, so it’s essential to have my blood sugar checker, some sweet things in case of an emergency, and my phone + earbuds
Laptop or desktop? Laptop. I haven’t owned a desktop for many many years.
Who are 3 famous people you would want to hang out with? Neil Gaiman, Tom Hiddleston, Steven Moffat
TV or Movies? We don’t have a TV in our flat, although we do have Netflix. I like to go to the cinema every now and again for a change, but I prefer the cosiness of my bedroom.
Bio: Fanni Sütő is a writer in her mid-twenties. She writes in Hungarian and English; poems, flash fiction and countless unfinished novels. She tries to find the magical in the everyday and likes to spy on the secret life of cities and their inhabitants.
Website: www.inkmapsandmacarons.com
Twitter: @Fanni_Pumpkin
Best-selling author of Wake the Dead! On Amazon Kindle here!
All Artwork and covers of my works by William J. Kenney & Carlos Cara
All maps, names and content copyright Ashenclaw Studios 2014 unless otherwise noted.
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