Novel Kicks chats to Mark Kotting

 Mark Kotting’s novel, Teach Her was released by Legend Press in May. Mark had a chat with us about his novel, the simple way in which he deals with writer’s block and his favourite word. 

Can you tell us about your novel, Teach Her and how the idea came about?

Teach Her is inspired by a teacher who i had the pleasure of sharing a class room with, she was nuts and had strange discipline methods.

Is there a character from fiction that you’d like to meet?

Jonathan Living Seagull.

Have you ever got writers block and if so, how do you deal with it?

I turn the music up.

Who would you invite to a fantasy dinner party?

I’d have to practise my table manners before I could come up with  a list.

Do you plan much before beginning a novel?

No, if I know where I’m going, so will the reader.

Favourite word?

Any word which comes out of the hosts mouth, which isn’t some cliché. 

Is there an author you admire and is there a book that has impacted you?

Raymond Carver, Richard Ford, Carol Shields. The list is long. 

How long does it take you to write your first draft and do you edit as you go?

I write quickly but the edit is long. There’s a lot of sanding to be done.

What are your guilty TV pleasures?

MOTD

Are you working on anything at the moment? Can you tell us a little about it?

Short Story collection. Inspired from my search for flesh from the London Streets.

If you weren’t a writer, is there another profession you’d like to try?

A carpenter, there good with their hands and have a nice pace about them. 

Five tips for new writers?

Write, re write, re write again, become a Magpie.

You can buy Teach Her in paperback and e-book. 

by

Laura

I'm Laura. I started Novel Kicks back in 2009 as I wanted a place to discuss books and writing - two loves of my life. As someone who has anxiety, these two things give me, and I am sure countless others, a much needed escape.
There is a monthly book club, writing exercises, prompts, reviews, author interviews, competitions and guest posts. I cover many genres and I hope there is something for everyone.
I grew up by the sea in Dorset and currently live in Poole with my husband, Chris and three cats. I love writing and have a BA (Hons) in Creative Writing from Falmouth University. I am writing my first book. If only I could stop pressing delete. Chris has threatened to stop it from working. Haha.
I have always loved creative writing since I was in first school and would very much like to meet my teacher, Miss Sayers, to say thank you for all the encouragement she gave me then.
When not writing, I love reading, cats, Disney, singing (I can't sing but this doesn't stop me,) and falling into a good TV show or film. If I could step into any fictional world, it would be amongst the characters in ABC's Once Upon a Time.
I love reading many genres and discovering new authors.