Your real name and pen name?
I do use a pen name. Morgen Bailey is the only name I use online and in my writing.
About your education:
I loved primary school and did well in tests. I went to a well-thought of secondary school but hated it and left as soon as I could. I compare education to driving: it's not the qualification that makes you but the experience thereafter.
What career did you plan during your education days: I didn't have a clue. I ended up being a secretary for 20+ years until I discovered creative writing (via an evening class) and was hooked. Nine years later, I'm entering my third year of self-employment, helped by being organised and a fast typer.
What languages you can speak and write?
Second to English, German is my best. Whenever I visit friends over there, I can quite happily go shopping on my own (while my friend's at work) and sit and chat with strangers while feeding the ducks! I can get by in Spanish and French, but they're both rusty.
What is your biggest source of inspiration in life:
I'm very lucky in that I have more ideas than I can write about. I hear conversations, read newspapers. I also teach creative writing 3-4 times a week and always have ideas for my students. They worry about having things to write about but soon see they don't need to.
What hurts you most in this world:
Lying (you have to have a good memory and I don't). Wars. Why can't people just get on with each other? And if no one spent any money on fighting each other, they'd be able to afford to feed their people.
What is the biggest challenge you have faced? How did you overcome it?
I've been very lucky in life. (touching wood) I've never been really ill, really poor (there have been times when I've had no money but not for long). I'm not rich; I rent out two bedrooms of my house and with my editing and teaching work, I don't have to particularly worry about bills but would love to make a living out of my writing.
If you had to live a day of your life as one of the living or dead personality, who would it be and why?
Roald Dahl is my favourite author because of how his mind worked and the twists he gave his tales. My father did some photography for him and had I known at the time that I was to be a writer, I would have asked to meet him. It might have changed my life much earlier (c.30 years). I'd love to have spent a day in his shed creating his Tales of the Unexpected.
What is your favorite genre and why?
Crime. Laced with humour. They contrast each other very well and if everything's dark, it can make hard reading. It's why the police crack jokes. They need light. I tend to alternate my reading from crime to chick lit.
When did you start writing? What is the purpose of your writing?
From the first evening of the class, I started writing short stories and loved the creativity. I enjoyed English at school so signed up when I spotted the course (having done previous courses in German / French and I.T.). With some gaps, I kept going and finally quit my day job in March 2012. I'm involved in some capacity of writing from the minute I wake up to going to bed (apart from spending time with my boyfriend) but it's never a chore so I don't mind.
Which of your work has been published so far? Would you like to share a synopsis of your work?
Apart from being published in magazines and online, I've self-published various works (details on https://morgenbailey.wordpress.com/bo...) including free short stories, short story collections, a novel (chick lit) and (my best sellers), writer's block workbooks. The tagline I use for that novel is '31 men in 31 days, what could possibly go wrong?'.
What are your forthcoming writings?
I have other (various levels of crime) novels on my computer, a couple of which will be self-published but I will be looking for an agent for the others. I tend to put my writing last which is bad so my (belated) New Year's Resolutions for 2015 is to make more time for me.
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