Paula johnston Q&A
Paula Johnston is a 29 year old author from East kilbride. She has just had her first novel published, 'The lies she told' in august 2020. She spoke to me more about the book, what's next and what it's like to be a first time author
What made you decide to leave your chosen field of study (journalism) to become an author?
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I studied Journalism for just under a year when I was just 18. I loved the creative aspect of journalism in terms of feature writing and being able to put your stamp on something. I wasn't too keen on the idea of chasing a story just for the sake of a story, and that could involve putting yourself in uncomfortable situations morally depending on what that story was. You could be reporting about a tragic accident or a murder and you have to put all your emotions and feelings aside to get the best story and fast. I didn't think that was for me and lost interest quite quickly when I thought that's how it had to be. I left the course and went on to have a successful career in retail management and didn't think much more about pursuing writing as a career but it was always something I enjoyed.
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Did you always know the direction the novel was going to take and it’s ending before you started writing?
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I had a general idea of where I wanted the story to go in terms of who it would involve but I had no idea how it was going to end. I changed the ending several times until I felt it was just right. The great thing about this book I think is that there are so many options to where this could have gone and it would still have been great because there are so many twists and turns throughout. The possibilities really were endless, but the ending I went with was the one that, for me, gave that wow factor when I looked at it from a readers perspective.
As troubled as the protagonist (Karly) in the book is, she is also very relatable and her situation may apply to a lot of people reading the book to some extent. Was this a conscious choice of yours?
Yes, completely. I really wanted readers to love or hate Karly - maybe even both! But more importantly I wanted them to relate to her, to recognise her struggles as a woman with a troubled upbringing and strained relationships and see that yes, she's complex, as a lot of people are but she's still worthy of understanding. You might not like her but you can see why she does the things she does, and on some deeper level I guess you root for her to do better.
The book studies themes such as trust, honesty and loyalty in depth. Were you always interested in writing about these themes? Do you feel like the themes of the book are to any extent a reflection of your personal thoughts, feelings or experiences?
Wow! I hadn't actually ever thought about it like that but I suppose yes they could be a reflection of personal thoughts. Trust, honesty and loyalty are massive factors in various relationships throughout your life and they are absolutely important to me. I see those qualities in the people I choose to surround myself with but I've also been burned before too, and I suspect that's why I found it so easy to flip the idea on it's head and write about betrayal and hatred, and even a battle of conscience. In a way I feel that a lot of the story is a warning of the consequences of how you treat people and expect to be treated in return, and that goes for family, friendships and relationships.
How long did the book take to write and how did it feel when you finally had a printed copy of the book?
I wrote the majority of the book in 2019 and finished it in the first few months of 2020. I was working 40 hours a week and writing the book alongside it and it wasn't always easy to stay focused. I actually think I might have left the book alone for a couple of months just to recharge and take a breath. When the country went into lockdown I told myself to get my butt back in gear and get it finished and get it out there. I had put so much hard work into it that I really needed to put all my energy into the book instead of other things that I wasn't even passionate about.
It's funny because my friend had a copy before I did! I had ordered a bulk and she had just ordered one and for some reason hers came within the week and my order took about a month! When I saw it though I was blown away. I couldn't quite wrap my head around the fact that I was holding something I had written, I had designed. It was mine, with my name on! I still feel like that whenever I hold a copy.
Can we expect a sequel to “The Lies She Told”?
Ahh, a sequel! So, I didn't intentionally write this book as a sequel. I only had the mindset of it being a standalone book, but the more the story developed, the more I thought there was still so much unfinished business to be told. I was also getting a lot of people asking me if there was going to be a sequel because they wanted to know more and I think that's when I decided not to rule it out. I do have a few sneaky ideas hidden away for a sequel but for the time being, I just want The Lies She Told to have its moment. I can confirm that book 2 will not be the sequel to "The Lies She Told" but readers can still hold out hope for it in the future.
What advice would you give to an author writing their first novel?
Believe in yourself when it comes to getting your book published. If you think you have a story to write and you want people to read it - then believe in yourself. Don't give up if you don't find yourself on the path of bagging an agent. It won't be an easy ride, there are lots of hurdles and rejections along the way but it's part of the process. It makes the end result all the more worthwhile. I self published my novel because I believed that the story was one that had to be read. I knew what other books were out there, I knew what was missing for me, I knew what I would enjoy reading and I really did believe that so many others would too and now I have so many amazing reviews that prove that I accomplished just that. Everyone has to start somewhere. This was my opportunity to start taking my passion for writing seriously and it could be yours too!