25 Facts: Poet and Author Natascha Scrivener

1. I tend to only write in the evenings, or late at night when my daughter is asleep and my husband is at work. Having people around puts me off.
2. I have to leave the room if someone is reading my work in front of me. It makes me cringe and curl up in a ball.
3. I've been writing stories (as best I could) since I was 4. I have an old school excersize book from when I was that age where I wrote an (11 word) story about a dog puppet called Fred (accompanied by alarming illustrations).
4. I can only write on my laptop. Pen and paper can't keep up with my train of thought, and by the end of it I cannot understand what I have written.
5. I love making lists of things that I need to get done.
6. I love ticking things off the list even more.
7. Buying new stationary makes me more happy than meeting up with a friend.
8. Most of my inspiration for poetry comes from music (and musical icons -David Bowie and Boy George).
9. A few of my poems are written about my husband. (the nicer ones!)
10. With poetry I rarely ever editor re write, with fiction I am there for days...
11. Most of the inspiration for my fiction comes from minority groups and sexual deviants (either being the main theme or just a whisper of a passing line).
12. My 'writing heroin' is Virginia Woolf.
13. The writers I read the most of are Virginia Woolf, Joanne Harris, Sarah Waters and Peter Hedges. Wouldn't it be nice to be a mix of those!?
14. I was once asked to sign my autograph by a stranger in the street,I was thoroughly confused and taken aback.
15. I take criticism of my work better than compliments, although I would rather the latter!
16. Although my work is often quite dark, I laugh more than most people.Often to the point of hysteria.
17. I get struck by terrible blinding fear if ever I have to do a radio or in-person interview.
18. I can write for hours without pausing or 'getting stuck', but find it very difficult to speak, even to friends and family.
19. I hate the saying 'write what you know'.
20. I love the quote: 'Why do writers write? Because it isn't there'.
21. I hate the radio. It puts me in a terrible mood and then I can't write.
22. I have written an (as yet unpublished) childrens story about a snap dragon.
23. When I'm not gardening I'm planning home improvements, gardening, baking or playing with my beautiful daughter.
24. All of my friends have 'proper jobs'. Sometimes I feel they don't think mine is as important...
25. My husband also writes.(Better than me)