This week’s Writer of the Week has six published titles and is working on her seventh. However, there is more to this author than meets the eye. Introducing eighteen-year-old U.K. writer Alexandra Killworth of Instagram.
Alexandra Killworth is an indie author from Instagram whom we have had the pleasure of interacting with for several months. Her posts are fun, informative, and of course, about her books. This 18-year-old writer from the United Kingdom says her town of Gloucestershire is best known for its festivals, including the Cheltenham Literature Festival.
Alexandra writes a variety of genres and has published six books to date. She started writing when she was 14-years-old and published her first just two years later. “So far, I’ve written contemporary, dystopia, romance, historical fantasy, and mental health fiction,” She told the blog. “I’ve always loved writing stories but my biggest inspiration was probably my favorite author, Marcus Sedwick. We studied one of his books in school and after seeing him multiple times at various talks and festivals, it gave me the courage to start writing full stories.”
Photo of Author Alexandra Killworth
Like all writers, venturing to other locations can often inspire stories too or be a place of solace for us when we write. Alexandra said that her favorite place to visit was, “a town in Wales called Conwy, that I and my family have been to lots of times over the years on holidays. It’s such a nice place to visit and I’ve got a lot of special memories there.”
Her favorite place to put pen to paper or fingers to a keyboard is her desk under her bookshelf. “Being surrounded by books creates just the right atmosphere,” she said adding that her inspiration, “comes from a variety of sources, but they often start with some sort of real-life experience or feeling that I’ve had. I also take inspiration from my favorite books, TV shows, and films to help adapt that feeling or experience into a fully-fledged story.”
Being a writer and a lover of books we asked her what her favorite genre to read was and Alexandra confessed she enjoyed thrillers, mysteries, and health fiction. When The Writing Wall Blog caught up with Alexandra she was reading, The Rosie Project by Graeme Simsion because she told us the main character has something in common with her. They are both autistic. This multi-published author also has a favorite writing quote, “Not all those who wander are lost,” from J.R.R. Tolkein. “This quote makes me feel better about the stages in my life where I feel lost and out of touch,” Alexandra explained.
It’s her biggest supporters that uplift Alexandra as she pursues writing. This includes her “family, my partner, and my best friend- they have been with me since the beginning and I’m so lucky to have them supporting me. But I’d also like to add my teachers from my sixth form, who were so encouraging and did what they could to help.”
At the moment Alexandra Killworth is working on another book, “It’s taken me a while to figure out what book I want to write. I started writing one novel, got bored, and started another, and the cycle repeats. However, I’m now firmly settled on writing a prequel novella to my most popular book ‘Immunity’.” When asked if it would be a sequel to other books Alexandra said, “it is a sequel/prequel because it takes place in the same world as Immunity but it is further back in the timeline and features different characters.”
Her books may be found on Amazon but also on Old Hall Bookshop in Looe and Shroud Books (online). In her spare time this Writer of the Week she enjoys spending time with her pets. Alexandra has two ferrets, 2 hedgehogs, and a gerbil, and a cat. “They definitely stop me from getting bored,” she admitted.
Another of her talents is photography, so we had to ask what her advice would be for writers or readers of the blog who want to take their own photos. “If you want to start doing photography, use your phone camera! You don’t need to dive into spending tons of money on an expensive DSLR, you can do plenty with your phone. Don’t put too much thought into it, and do what feels best.” Alexandra also offered this advice for writers who are considering the self-publishing route, “My advice is to push on when things get tough. It’s easy to get into a slump when you’re bored of your writing, or you’re not getting many sales or engagement, but that just means you need to keep pushing on and step up your game. Determination!” Great advice from a wonderful indie author.
Alexandra has offered to share a brief excerpt from one of her books, and you can read it right here on The Writing Wall Blog:
Excerpt: Polperro was once one of England’s most beautiful villages; now, it’s a rotting cemetery. Except, no holes are dug specifically for the dead, none are filled in. No gravestones adorn the decaying land. No one brings flowers of white to mourn the dead. Instead, there are piles and stacks in every corner. The playground, the schools, the hospital. Everywhere. Yet, it has only been three years. I suppose mankind was doomed to end at some point, although no one expected it to happen so soon, or so suddenly. Here I am, the last human alive in the country, as far as I know. Maybe even the whole world. Who knows? If there are any other survivors, I have no way of contacting them and I refuse to leave my home town. If I can even call it a home anymore, that is. Is home a place where you feel safe? Where people greet you with open arms? If that’s the case, I can never call anywhere a home now. My name is Charlotte Merione, but most people called me Charlie. I prefer that, although it doesn’t matter anymore. I live in Polperro; my dad used to be a fisherman and worked for Chip Ahoy. My brother adored him, always saying stuff like, “I’m gonna be like daddy when I’m big and strong!” He even said that the day before he died. The day before they all died; mum, dad, Oliver, everyone. I guess I wasn’t too close to them, maybe that’s why I’m not feeling any loneliness. I’ve always been an introvert, I’ve always preferred solitude. Or maybe it’s just the thought of my dad’s last screams of hatred- “Damn you”, “Die with us already”, “Help us live, your selfish brat!”, “Go to hell, you-” My eyes snap open when the water licks my toes. Sitting up, I hazily remember my surroundings. I seem to be lying on the rocky edges of Polperro beach. Not particularly safe, but oh well. Not particularly comfortable either. I quickly notice gravel stuck to my back. Brushing them off, I stand up, slightly wobbly. My dull eyes gaze around the deadlands. That’s what I call the world now. Deadlands. If there are bodies, it’s a deadland. Simple Enough. It’s always felt like something out of a zombie film or a cheap horror movie, but the difference is that in real life, there are no walking corpses to keep you company. Today is colder than usual and I can feel the wind starting to pick up, so I slip on my flimsy jacket, although it doesn’t do much good. I do up the falling-apart buttons and pull the sleeves over my frail hands. I say it’s colder than usual, but every day is cold now. Most likely from the lack of global warming, although I’m not complaining. Checking the time, my watch says it’s 3:17. Focusing on the sky, sun, and clouds, it seems about right. I’m feeling peckish, though I’ve learnt to ignore hunger, so I ration my food. Thanks to that, I’ve lost a lot of weight. My rib cage has become visible again, I feel colder late at night and my bony hands make me feel uncomfortable, so I hide them with my sleeves. At least I’m building muscle now. Not like it matters, I have the whole country to myself. But it’s better safe than sorry. I decided that I should go home. That’s what I call it, anyway. It’s not even my real home; I fled that place the day before the rest of my family died. I did come back though, however before then, I stayed (hid, rather) in a shed. That same shed is my home now.
Follow Alexandra & Visit her Website:
Instagram:@alexandra_killworth
Twitter: @alex_killworth
Facebook: Alexandra Killworth
Website: alexandrakillworth.home.blog
Author bio: Alexandra Killworth is a young author based in Cheltenham, Gloucestershire. Alongside writing, she is an avid photographer and artist. She plans to keep writing YA novels, which vary in genres from contemporary romance to crime thriller to dystopian horror. As a woman suffering from mental illness and autism, Alexandra likes to weave in taboo subjects such as mental health into her stories, adding a touch of realism and heart honesty.
OTHER BOOKS BY THIS AUTHOR:
A new Writer of the Week is featured every Monday at 8 a.m. EST on the blog. Please follow The Writing Wall on Twitter @TheWritingWall or on Instagram @writingsonthewall85 for updates and announcements. Readers may also tune into the podcast every 2nd and 4th Saturday of the month at 6 p.m. EST on Anchor, Spotify, Google Podcast, Apple Podcast, and more.
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