William Holley

William Holley was born in 1969 in Kent, England, and has been writing ever since he was old enough to pick up a pen. True, it took him twenty years or so to work out which end of the pen he should actually write with, but this didn’t stop him honing his literary skills until he was ready to unleash his work on the unsuspecting world.

William is also handy at illustration, and designs his own book covers. He’s practically useless at everything else though.

If you want to know more, here's an interview with the author himself:

Q: How long did it take to write the first Wychetts book?

A: More than six years, on and off. Probably more “off” than “on” though.

Q: What gave you the idea for the story, and where did the title come from?

A: I’d had the idea of writing a book about an old cottage for a number of years, as I love old buildings and think they have a magic of their own. I had the characters and a basic plot, but one thing I didn’t have was the title. One day whilst out on a hike, I walked past a house with the word “Wychetts” on the gate. I couldn’t see the actual house, but the word seemed perfect for my story as it conjured up a vision of a beautiful old thatched building!

Q: You’ve written six Wychetts books now, are they “one off” stories, or do they form a serial?

A: I’d like to think the books stand up as individual stories, but are linked by an overarching plot involving the central characters.

Q: Sounds interesting. Could you give us more details?

A: I don’t want to ruin things, but let’s just say the relationship between Bryony and her mum (her real mum, that is) has a massive influence on events, and things are not quite as they seem!

Q: The main characters in Wychetts are Bryony and Edwin. How do you see their relationship developing over the series?

A: Good question. At first they hate the sight of each other, but as the stories continue they grow closer after sharing so many experiences, although there will always be a potential for conflict as there is in most sibling relationships. Obviously you’ll have to read all the books to find out!

Q: Do you find writing easy?

A: Sometimes, when I’m in “the zone”, it’s the easiest thing in the world and it seems like the stories write themselves. But on another day I might struggle to write a single line. I’ve found the trick is just to keep going, never be tempted to close down the computer and say “I’ll give it a little break” because the “little break” can end up lasting months and it can be hard to get back into the swing of writing. Anyway, I’d say writing is easier than having a real life and mixing socially with people.

Q: What a fascinating insight into the creative mind. Thanks for your time, William. We all look forward to reading the next Wychetts books!

A: My pleasure.

15th September 2015

William Holley was talking to himself.

A: No I wasn’t!

Q: Yes you were. And now you’re arguing with yourself, which is even more tragic.

A: Oh yeah. Sorry, I’ll be quiet now.

Q: That would help, thanks.