Through a Memory’s Lens—A Story of Remembrance and Perseverance
1) Let’s get to know each other. What is your Author name; use your Pen name if you have one.
Whitaker Wordsworth
2) What is your genre and what drew you to it?
Occult and Romance/Suspense are my genres. I’ve always been drawn to stories grounded in real emotions and relatable characters, but kept supernatural elements. Fiction allows for such wild what-ifs that they can stretch our imagination and widen our understanding of a concept. American stories have long had a tradition of tall tales, and popular stories today keep that, so I centered my story around the question: what would you do with the power of amnesia?
3) Do you challenge yourself to writing sprints? If so, how long are they?
I never wrote in sprints, but instead every night. Silly as it may seem, it felt like a betrayal to not visit my characters. I wanted to bring them to life, so I was driven to make writing a habit. I believe that’s the only way I could have finished the manuscript and editing.
4) Which character of yours was the most challenging to write and why?
Hanna, the main character. I only truly understood her upon finishing the first manuscript draft. There were several versions of Hanna coming out in different chapters along the way, but Hanna’s character only made sense when I wrote her dialogue in the very last scene of the book. That’s when I knew who Hanna was and what she wanted. I went back and revised the entire manuscript. Probably not the right way to do things, but it’s done.
5) Did you receive encouragement from a mentor, family member, teacher, coach…?
Honestly, not much. My father was supportive early on, of course, but I wrote and edited this all pretty much in secret for 3 years. Really. I found writing to be simultaneously invigorating and alienating. When you set out to write a novel that commemorates and celebrates the people in your life, past and present, the novel takes on a certain weight. The story itself is not light either, but I always preferred stories that moved you.
6) Was there a pivotal point or experience that impacted your decision to take writing seriously?
A close family member of mine passed away suddenly. A couple of years later I still had no way to process it. I had long taken to stories and art to understand my own feelings. No fiction existed, though, to capture the confluence of factors that were happening in my life, so I turned to writing. It all happened rather quickly, and I soon found myself working on a manuscript every night.
7) Pick five books that are must-reads in your mind.
Cloud Atlas by David Mitchell: for storytelling that challenges us
Frankenstein by Mary Shelley: for what is truly horror
The Picture of Dorian Gray by Oscar Wilde: that art is for the sake of art
Eats, Shoots & Leaves by Lynne Truss: for proper punctuation
The Stranger by Albert Camus: for transcendence and existentialism
8) Do you read books in your genre, or do you prefer reading other genres?
I prefer the genre I write in, but I end up reading all types. I am working through a long overdue list of classics I had started in college. It takes me all over the literary world.
9) In your opinion, can a book series be too long?
Never. If a story has a meaning and reason to exist, then it doesn’t matter where it is in a series. Storytelling is so vast that I think any series can carry on in exciting ways.
10) If you could take one item out of any book that you have ever read, what would it be or why?
I’d take the soul-showing portrait out of The Picture of Dorian Gray. I think I know what mine would look like, but I wouldn’t mind a peek.
A close second would be the amnesia-inflicting Japanese knife out of my own novel.
11) How do you arrange your bookshelves? (Color, alphabetical or another method)
Chronologically: ancient, medieval, modern. It’s not perfectly in order of publication, since sometimes similar books end up next to each other, but it’s mostly in order.
12) What is the name of your book/series? Tell me a little bit about them.
Memory’s Lens. Summary below. In short, it’s about how we lie in relationships. Dating serves as the backdrop for the events of the story, which all center around amnesia, memory, and deception.
Amnesia plagues Hanna, a first-year university student on a quiet New Jersey campus alarmed by the sudden disappearances of victims also suffering from amnesia. Her decaying relationship with Theo, a motorcycle riding student in New York City, may shed light on her amnesia, but he cannot explain why she only forgets about him. Theo one day brings her an ominous Japanese inscription to translate that may hold the key to much more than just her own amnesia, but she can’t quite remember why. Hanna ventures to discover the truth behind her amnesia, joining her friends in solving the mystery of the disappearances and plunging into the darkness where the truth lies.
13) Do you have a website? If so, what is it?
WhitakerWordsworth.com
14) Where can we find and follow you? (Name your social media platforms.)
Tweet me @WhitWordsworth. I promise I’m real. I also lurk Imgur (WhitakerWordsworth). If you send fanart I’ll post it.
15) Is there anything important that you would want my readers to know about you?
Just why I do this. It is my hope that my stories bring readers together in community and understanding and have a positive impact on their lives. I wrote Memory’s Lens to commemorate and celebrate the people who had enriched my life and so many others, and, in a way, share their stories with the world.
And yes, I like motorcycles.
