Val
Tyler
Interviews
Q&A for the 2005 Ottakars Book Prize, for which Val and her first published novel, The Time Wreccas, was nominated.
When did you start writing?
All my life I have scribbled away at ‘my nonsense’ as I call it, but I
didn’t complete a full length novel until I was recovering from an
operation in 1990. I was not allowed to work for two months. Bliss! I
wrote all day. It was a terrible story, by the way!
What did you do before writing full time?
I was a teacher. I taught every age group from 5-18 years and loved it.
Did you write many books before you actually got
published?
I wrote four full-length novels before I was published. The other three
are for grown-ups and I have never tried to get them published.
How did the idea for Time Wreccas come together?
I have one of those brains that can see potential stories in most
situations. Every day I get new ideas. One day, I was walking through
Greenwich Park. Every one seemed to be in a hurry and I wondered what
would happen if time suddenly stopped.
How much did you plot and plan the story before you
wrote it?
The planning went on in my head for weeks before I had the entire
story. Then I started writing. The first version was 12,500 words. That
was edited many times. One day the name ‘Sheldon Croe’ popped into my
head. With him came a whole new storyline. The Time Wreccas
is now 75,000 words.
From idea to completed novel, how long did it take
to write?
That depends what you mean by ‘completed novel’. If you mean the
version that Puffin published, that would be seven years. But a lot
happened in those years. Initially, I was writing in my spare time.
With four children and a job, I didn’t get much. Then I fell ill and
was only able to get about in a wheelchair. I was very poorly and
couldn’t do anything. Slowly, my strength returned and writing was just
about the only thing I could do. I managed no more than 20 mins at the
computer in any one day. It was a long, slow process, but I think
writing helped me get well again.
Did you have any/many rejections before getting
accepted?
When The Time Wreccas was 12,500 words I sent it to a publisher who
told me that there was nothing in the story that made him want to turn
to the next page and so I re-wrote it. I then sent the 75,000 word
version to a dozen agents. Only two asked to read the whole manuscript.
The first, her name was Janice, told me it was too long. Then Pat asked
to read it. She liked it and she is now my agent.
Do you have a writing routine?
Yes and no! I do my best work in the mornings. If I wake up early, I
will be at my computer by 5:00 am, at other times I don’t get there
until 8:00 or sometimes 9:00. I will write for two or three hours and
then walk the dog. If any problems have arisen during the morning’s
writing, this is when I thrash them out. When I arrive home I’ll write
for another couple of hours and then stop because I am all ‘written
out’ for the day. However, sometimes I cannot write at all. This is
when I say that the ‘Muse’ is not with me and I do something else until
she returns. She could return in a five minutes or five weeks. The Muse
is very fickle!
What books did you read as a child?
I’m sorry to say that I did not read many books as a child. I can’t
remember a single book that I read in primary school. Now, I must have
read some, but none of them made any sort of impression. The only books
I remember reading at home were the Secret Seven books
by Enid Blyton. I must have been about seven. No one helped me to find
books that might interest me and so I formed a wrong impression. I
thought I did not like reading. When I grew up I found that I like
reading enormously, I just have to take the trouble to find the right
book. I regret that I missed out on so much when I was young.
What do you like to do in your spare time?
When I am not writing I like to make all sorts of different crafts. My
favourite is stained glass. I make all sorts of things including
lampshades and Christmas decorations that look lovely when lit up. I
also enjoy pottery, often making little houses that I light from
inside. I sew patchwork quilts, spin wool which I then knit or weave
and make bobbin lace. In 1997 I wrote a book on how to make teddy
bears. I also enjoy walking, reading, the theatre, films, supporting my
football team and watching rugby and tennis.
Do you have any unfulfilled ambitions (not to do
with writing)?
My dear father was a bomber pilot during World War II. He flew
Liberators and one of the planes he flew is in an air museum in Canada.
Before he died, I told him that one day I would travel to Canada and
sit in his pilot’s seat. He really liked the idea and I look forward to
keeping my promise.
If you could meet any author, from any time, who
would it be and why?
It would be Charlotte Bronte. If I took tea with her, I might be lucky
and meet one or both of her sisters too. They were women ahead of their
time. I find it difficult to believe that some of their ideas came out
of 19th century heads, they sound exactly right for the 21st century. I
would love to talk to them about their ideas. I would also like to tell
them how women’s lives have changed in the last 150 years. I think they
would be very pleased.
