M J Mallon—born in Singapore, grown up in Hong Kong’s Peak District and living in Cambridge, England working for an international sixth form—is a self-published fiction author and poet of three books and a contributor to the bestselling horror anthology Nightmareland by international bestselling author Dan Alatorre.

She loves everything magical, mystical and mysterious. Hence, her stories fall under genres like Fantasy YA, Paranormal, Ghost and Horror. She also writes flash fiction and various forms of magical and micro poetry like Haiku and Tanka.

Apart from this, she runs an active blog named Kyrosmagica. Because reading is her love, she has written over 180 reviews so far. Her interests include writing, poetry, photography, and alternative therapies.

This Is Lockdown: COVID19 Diaries Flash Fiction Poetry

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This is Lockdown is an anthology written during the time of lockdown in the UK. It begins with my family diaries, which are illustrated with photographic images highlighting the simple pleasures of day-to-day life. It conveys an insight into the blogging and writing world.

The book showcases twenty nine international authors and creatives from the UK, Ireland, USA, Canada, Zimbabwe and Australia, some of which have contributed articles about isolation as a writer. Many have included poetry and thoughts on the new normal. The anthology also highlights a wonderful fund-raising venture: Community Masks 4 NHS with a contribution from Jane Horwood and Melissa San Diego-Val.

I discuss the handling of the pandemic and my thoughts on what might happen next. In the final part of the book, I reveal a young adult romance short piece of fiction, various pieces of poetry, and flash fiction inspired by the pandemic.

5 Author Interview Questions about Book Writing Process & Mindset Answered

#1 Do you try more to be original or to deliver to readers what they want?

Yes, originality is at the heart of what I do!

I write from the source of my imagination taking inspiration from visual and auditory cues for example: art, beauty, nature, and mankind. People fascinate me with their quirks of personality or ways of being. I’ve been told that my writing is highly imaginative, perhaps that is why I am drawn to write in the fantasy genre. This Is Lockdown is a change for me. That’s not surprising our circumstances have changed so drastically since Covid-19 so why not write about it? It seemed the right path to take.

#2 Do you view writing as a kind of spiritual practice?

Yes, I do.

Since discovering writing, I have become more aware of myself and my connection to the world in which we live. I work for an international sixth form in Cambridge and through their guidance I attended mindfulness sessions. It was such an eye opener! Mindfulness allows you to relish each moment to slow down to observe our beautiful world with gentler eyes.

My first poetry and photography book Mr. Sagittarius is inspired by the botanical gardens in Cambridge where I relished time spent amongst the magic of nature and the beauty of the natural world.

#3 What, in your opinion, are the most important elements of good writing?

In my opinion, the most important element of good writing is to ensure that you make a deep connection with your reader. The books that touch me the most are the ones that make me cry, or gasp, or stop and say, “Wow, have you read this?” An author’s primary goal is to engage with an audience, to stir the readers’ emotions.

For me, characters are of prime importance. If the reader can’t connect with the characters there is no story. Plot gives the characters a story to tell, but the characters are the heart of the story. So, make them memorable, different, relatable and fascinating.

With This Is Lockdown, I wasn’t writing about characters in a fictional sense. This anthology and compilation is about true life. So, the important elements became: truth, compassion, sharing opinions and relating to others in the same position. We are all experiencing Covid-19 and that in itself is terrifying. But sharing that human emotion with others helps. Suddenly, I didn’t feel so alone, and I’m sure that positive feeling of connectivity applied to the other contributors in the anthology too.

#4 Does writing energize or exhaust you?

Writing energizes me; without it I would be lost.

I started writing This Is Lockdown as a way to take my mind off the horrors of the current situation. That sounds odd, but it is true. I doubt I would have coped as well without the diversion of this fabulous project. It gave me a purpose and a way to connect with other authors and creatives in a positive and fulfilling way. I saw it as an opportunity to give us all a vehicle to share our thoughts, feelings and emotions. It has been such a wonderful project. My first anthology! It has deepened connections with old author friends and has introduced me to new ones who I might never had met. For that, I am so grateful.

During the compiling process I was inspired by tales of kindness, determination and resourcefulness such as the fundraising sewing initiative Masks4NHS. They kindly contributed their photos and their incredible story of their NHS fundraising success.

#5 What other authors are you friends with, and how do they help you become a better writer?

I consider myself very fortunate. I have many author friends from the blogging world. Several of my ‘old’ friends have contributed pieces to the anthology: Sally Cronin—a highly energetic supporter of the indie community, Richard Dee—a great blogger with indie features and a fabulous cook, Frank Prem—a talented and inspiring Australian story-telling poet, D.G. Kaye—an awesome supporter of the writing community and fellow administrator in my blogging club on Facebook, Adele Marie Park—a marvellous dark fantasy/horror author who also contributes to many anthologies that I participate in.

Willow Willers, Sherri Matthews, Carrot Ranch—article contributor, Marian Wood, and Beaton Mabaso, who are all long-standing friends and talented bloggers. I have met several of these wonderful friends in person at Bloggers Bash blogging events in London, which I attended for many years.

Romance Author Lizzie Chantree who hosts a wonderful Facebook writing session in which she encourages authors to write and comment about their progress and successes. Also, I’d like to mention Colleen Chesebro who runs an inspiring poetry challenge and Charli Mills lead buckaroo at Carrot Ranch Literary Community.

There many other friends who do so much for the writing community—too numerous to name here. Many of whom I mention in the diary entries of This Is Lockdown. This anthology also serves as a great resource—it includes numerous links to many fantastic authors and bloggers.

Answer #3 is my personal favorite. Comment below to tell me yours. Have more questions on writing or have a question for the author? Send them in to have them answered. #thealignedwriter

Follow M J Mallon

Website      https://mjmallon.com
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