Interview with Australian Author – Carmel McMurdo Audsley
“Australian Authors” – Tell us a little about yourself? Perhaps something not many people know?
Carmel – I had a long and happy career as a Journalist, Editor and Publisher working on magazines and newspapers. I live in Brisbane and now edit and publish a magazine for the Scottish community in Queensland.
“Australian Authors” – What made you want to become a writer?
Carmel – I am lucky to have spent my whole career writing professionally. When I retired from full-time journalism, I started researching life in Scotland (where my father was born)and the stories I uncovered led me to write my first book ‘Ours, Yours and Mines’. I am currently working on my eighth novel.
“Australian Authors” – Now, the big question, are you working on another book?
Carmel – I am currently writing the third instalment in ‘The Undertaker’ series. At the time the book is set in 1860, women weren’t allowed to study medicine. The main character Kate, as well as being an undertaker and undercover sleuth, is desperate to become a doctor so it’s about Kate’s quest to enter the male-dominated world of academia. Of course, it wouldn’t be Kate, unless she is surrounded by death and mystery.
“Australian Authors” – What genres do you prefer to write in?
Carmel – Six of my seven books have been historical fiction which is my preferred genre. I did write a novella about an elderly couple who were both diagnosed with terminal illnesses, and whose family is too busy to spend much time with them. This story was inspired by an old couple I saw when I was on a cruise and so the story is set on a cruise ship. It’s a sad love story.
“Australian Authors” – What do you think about the ebook revolution?
Carmel – I sell a lot of e-books and I buy a lot of e-books, but I would much prefer to hold a print book in my hands. Perhaps because I have spent so much time with my nose in a book that it is more comfortable for me. I spend all day looking at a computer screen. When I relax at night, I don’t want more bright lights.
“Australian Authors” – Do you start a book with a definite plot, or do you just write?
Carmel – Because I write historical fiction, I have a storyline in mind and then do the research. I have to change the story and characters to fit the period but the basic storyline stays intact.
“Australian Authors” – Do your characters seem to hijack the story, or are you always in control?
Carmel – The characters surprise me all the time. In certain situations I ask myself (as the writer) ‘what would Kate do about this?’. I know my characters intimately – I get inside their skin and they get inside of mine.
“Australian Authors” – Are your characters based on real people or completely imagined?
Carmel – My first three novels were based on real people, places and events. The next three novels were purely fictitious and my seventh novel ‘Murder In The Bush’ was based on the true story of a young man who travelled from Scotland to Queensland in 1885 with the dream of owning a sugar plantation. He discovered that he could make a lot of money droving horses overland to sugar plantations in Mackay and Ayr, and also to the gold mines in Charters Towers. He made a lot of money but didn’t get the chance to spend it. He met a madman in the bush and died in gruesome circumstances.
“Australian Authors” – Who are your favourite authors?
Carmel – I read a lot of Ralph Waldo Emerson, Albert Camus and Walt Whitman at university and think that John Steinbeck has the absolute knack of writing about ordinary people and places in extraordinary circumstances. I’m a big fan of Hemingway and Dickens. When I read Henry Lawson’s ‘The Drover’s Wife’ at school, every word he wrote painted a picture and I still love the story. Another Australian author whose work I admire is George Johnston whose ‘My Brother Jack’ I studied at high school.
“Australian Authors” – What’s your advice to Authors? On writing? Publishing? Marketing?
Carmel – On writing, I would say there is no such thing as writer’s block. It simply doesn’t exist. When people say they ‘can’t write’ it usually means that they are afraid they will write the wrong thing. My advice is just to write anything, and eventually the right words will come. On publishing, I would say to would-be authors don’t be in a hurry. It is your name on the book and you want to be proud of the product you produce. Don’t even consider having a book published that hasn’t been professionally edited and proofread. You also need to engage a professional cover designer. Marketing is where the real work begins. Your book will be competing for readers’ attention with millions of other books of varying quality, so you need to find a point of difference to stand out. Your marketing strategy should be in place a couple of months before your book is launched. Whether you hope to make writing books your career, or you do it for the love of words, keep writing. It is one of life’s greatest joys.
