Wednesday, 30 July 2025

Maria Kinnersley tells us about her involvement with The Best of CafeLit 14

 





How did I come across CafeLit in the first place?
I think it was first mentioned by a writing group friend on Facebook. It was a while before I summoned up the courage to take a look. When I did, I was charmed and thought "I can do that".

My Contribution
I've always been interested in the "What if's?" As someone with an interest in all things biological, the idea of releasing a single celled organism into the wild unwittingly has the potential for all sorts of problems, I wondered what would happen if plastic eating bacteria were exposed to the environment before they were fully tested. My story, "The Consequences of Ambition" arose from that.  

My Choice of Drink
That choice was quite simple (and a bit boring). It's my main hot drink and could be supped in the time it takes to read my story. It's also dark and indicates that it's a story to be savoured.

What do I Like About Writing Short Stories/Flash Fiction
I like that you can write a complete story in a very short time. For me, it's a way of exploring a character  or situation. Some of these short stories have evolved into longer tales as further issues are explored. "The Consequences of Ambition" interested me enough to write more about the main character and the position she found herself in. You never know; one day it may have enough material for a novel.

What Else Do I Write?
In a cupboard and in files on my laptop, I have a number of draft novels/novellas, some in a more complete state than others. More are of the science fiction genre. I do find writing other genres not as easy but I keep trying. My problem is having the confidence to take them further and to publish. They are like eggs waiting to hatch. And one day, I will get back to writing my blog, "The Devon Way".

My Life as a Writer
I currently have no specific routine . I write when I am able. I do suffer from the usual habit that writers have - that of thinking of too many ideas and going off on tangents. That said, I do try to write every day and count myself lucky if I manage 500 words. Of course, sometimes (rarely) it's more. I'm fortunate in that I belong to a couple of online writing groups which force me to put pen to paper regularly.
 
For various reasons recently, I've had to forgo writing to attend to other aspects of my life. This cycle is now coming to an end and will give me more space to write and hopefully, to self-publish again.

Am I Working on any Interesting Projects?
Having written a draft novel in 2017, I decided further work on it is long overdue and it's time to work and edit on what I have so that I can publish it,
 
It's based on another bit of speculation; what would happen if a village on the coast was separated from the United Kingdom following a geological incident?
 
Most of the draft, I'm happy with, but I now need to work on the beginning which at the moment doesn't have that "hook" to grip the reader.

Do I Have any Events Planned?
Not currently.   
 

Find your copy of the book here   

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