About R. H. Dixon:
R. H. Dixon is a horror enthusiast who, when not escaping into the fantastical realms of fiction, lives in the northeast of England with her husband and two whippets.
When reading and writing she enjoys exploring the darknesses and weaknesses within the human psyche, and she loves good strong characters that are flawed and put through their paces. Her favourite authors include: Shirley Jackson, John Ajvide Lindqvist, Joe Hill, Susan Hill and Ramsey Campbell.
When not reading and writing she enjoys travelling, drawing and painting pet portraits, collecting skulls and drinking honey-flavoured JD.
What inspires you to write?
The escapism it offers.
Tell us about your writing process.
I start with an idea that really excites me, then I let it develop in my head for a while (could be weeks, could be months) till I’ve got something solid to work with. During this time I also start imagining characters to go with the story, so I can start getting on board with them.
When I finally sit down to begin a project I set out 40 bullet points, which represent chapters (I aim for an 80k word novel and on average my chapters tend to be around the 2k word mark). I then summarise what will happen throughout the book. I fill in the first bullet points to begin with, then I go straight to the last ones (at this stage I always have an ending in mind, though I know this is subject to change). Last of all, I fill in the middle bits (which is often the hardest part), to ensure I have enough story to build a whole novel on.
Once I have my bullet-pointed summary all sorted, that’s when I finally get started on the actual writing. I’ll knock out a first draft (I’ve learned how to tell my inner editor to mind her own business and leave me to it) within a month or so. Then I start on the second draft, which for me is the most exciting part of the writing journey. It’s where I iron out any story faults and have the most fun with prose and dialogue.
The manuscript will go through around five drafts, by which point I’m as happy as I can be that it’s a tidy manuscript with minimal issues. And that’s when I send it to my copy-editor. She then takes her red pen to it, correcting any grammar issues and pointing out any inconsistencies in the story. She’s not a professional copy-editor, admittedly, but she does have a degree in English and is very pernickety and doesn’t hold back. I’m more than happy with our arrangement and am always confident that my manuscript is nicely polished by the time it’s going out to the reading public.
For Fiction Writers: Do you listen (or talk to) to your characters?
I’d say I more so ‘feel’ them. I put myself in their skin, imagining I am them for a while. I’m quite good at seeing things from another’s perspective.
What advice would you give other writers?
Be true to yourself.
How did you decide how to publish your books?
I opted to self-publish. It’s an exciting time to do so and I’m not afraid to get involved with all of the other aspects of publishing.
What do you think about the future of book publishing?
There are more options available to writers than ever before and I suspect that’ll continue to develop. Which can only be a good thing.
What genres do you write?: Horror
What formats are your books in?: Both eBook and Print
Website(s)
R. H. Dixon Home Page Link
Link To R. H. Dixon Page On Amazon
Your Social Media Links
Facebook
Twitter
All information in this post is presented “as is” supplied by the author. We don’t edit to allow you the reader to hear the author in their own voice.
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