Interview(And Tea) with: Luisa Plaja!

I am so excited to have Luisa Plaja on the blog today! You can check out my review of her most recent novel, Diary of a Mall Girl, here.

Hi Luisa, thank you for chatting to me! 

Thank you very much for inviting me! 

 

What inspired you to begin writing? 

A total love of words, stories and books. 

 

Do you remember the moment you found out you were going to be published. What was your reaction? 

I will never forget! I was over the moon, but very quietly because it was one of those rare moments when my baby and my toddler were both sleeping. 

 

Have you ever based a book on a real-life event? 

Not exactly, but there are pieces of real life events in all my books. 

 

How do you come up with the plot for a new novel? 

I tend to come up with characters and/or scenarios first, and then I let them play out as I write. I’m very much what people call a ‘discovery writer’, which is a lovely way of saying I make it all up as I go along! 

 

How long, on average, does it take you to write a book? 

It’s really hard to say. It also depends on what you mean by ‘write a book’. I’ve written first drafts in a month and edited them for three years – and vice versa! Diary of a Mall Girl is the only book I can put a definite time to. I wrote it in 11 weeks, which was the duration of the Fiction Express online project. Every week, readers voted on what they thought should happen, and I’d race away to write the next instalment. 

 

What made you want to write for teenage girls? 

The teen years are a thrilling time of life, when the big decisions are ahead of you and anything is possible.  

 

If you could live the life of one of your characters, whose would it be? 

This is really hard – I’m not sure! I have already lived the life of Jo’s mum in Split by a Kiss, in a way. If I could live the life of one of my main characters, though... well, I think it might be Rachel from Swapped by a Kiss, because that character has never left me and I feel utterly involved in her fictional life!  

 

Where is your favourite writing/reading spot? 

Anywhere I can plug my headphones in and lose myself. 

 

How about a favourite writing snack? 

Does tea count? I drink a lot of tea when I’m writing! 

 

I drink way too much tea! Of course it counts!

 

Have you got any new projects coming up that you could give us a sneak-peak off?  

You might find a new novel by me already listed on Goodreads and Amazon. It’s called Kissing School, and I’m working on it! 

 

You finish writing a new book: what do you do to celebrate? 

Argh, I never really feel like I’ve finished, so I’m more likely to worry than celebrate! Publication always feels amazing, though. 

 

Thank you so much for interviewing me!
No, thank you for taking the time to talk tea with me! Have you read any of Luisa's books yet? Tell me in the comments!

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