Author Bio:
My name is Ashley Quigley and I was born in Johannesburg, South Africa. In high-school, I developed a love for writing and English and excelled in both aspects. For college, I headed to Rhodes University where I was to study English and Journalism, but as fate would have it, I registered for a science degree and received my undergraduate and postgraduate degrees in Biochemistry and Microbiology. I have a Masters Degree in Molecular Biology. After a five-year stint working in commercial laboratories I discovered that my love of English and writing was too great to ignore. So I came a full circle and reverted back to my first love, writing. I live in Umhlanga with my husband, son, and three dogs. I am currently working on my next novel.
I knew I wanted to become a writer…
What inspires you to write?
My love of reading and English, has developed over the years into a need for me to be creative and put pen to paper. I often see something or read a blurb somewhere and question it, a result of many years of scientific training I guess. Its the questioning of things that leads to my book ideas and inspires me to write.
Tell us about your writing process.
I jot ideas down, as they come to me. I’m the type that gets ideas for new books at random or who will be walking down the street and I’ll come up with the next plot in my book. More often than not, I will draw a mind map of the plot. This usually changes some as I write the book and the characters develop, but helps me keep the story on track as far as possible. I will edit about a third of the book at a time. I feel it is important to do so, to make sure you are on the right track and your story still makes sense.
For Fiction Writers: Do you listen (or talk to) to your characters?
My characters are entirely fictitious, but I’m sure I have sub consciously drawn some influence from people around me. For example, I have been told by close friends that there are many similarities between Ariet and myself. I will often pause when I’m writing and think of what I would do in that situation, and evolve the character from there.
What advice would you give other writers?
Writing the manuscript is not the hard part. Getting it out there and getting readers and HONEST reviews is the hard part. It takes work and dedication. Don’t give up.
How did you decide how to publish your books?
Publishing is a gradual process. I looked at submissions to a few publishers and went over in great detail the rules and regulations that came with representation and I just couldn’t let go of “my baby”. I decided to self-publish as it is more important to me for people to read my work than to make money off of it (although the latter is always a bonus).
What do you think about the future of book publishing?
I feel that the self-publishing platforms offered today, provide more for the average author than what many of the reputable publishing houses can offer. These platforms may very well be where the future of reading lies, where struggling and unknown authors are able to tell their stories, whilst publishing houses may no longer exist or provide novel works to the market any more.
What do you use?
Professional Editor, Professional Cover Designer
What genres do you write?
science fiction, medical thrillers, adventures, romance
What formats are your books in?
Both eBook and Print
Website(s)
Ashley Quigley Home Page Link
Link To Ashley Quigley Page On Amazon
Link to Author Page on other site
Your Social Media Links
https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/8201432.Ashley_Quigley
https://www.facebook.com/quigleyashley
https://twitter.com/AshsprackAshley
http://www.pinterest.com/aquigley0180/
