Emma Jane Barton is an amazingly inspiring young writer. At the age of only sixteen she signed her first publishing deal and hasn’t looked back since. Emma is currently hard at work promoting her first book titled ‘Instinct’ but I am sure this book will just be the beginning and that there will be more gems to come from her.
When and how did you first get interested in your chosen talent?
I first got interested in telling stories when I was in Primary school, I had an overactive imagination and used to tell a group of my friends stories every lunchtime. They really liked my storytelling and it turned into a sort of club. I decided to start writing my ideas down so I wouldn’t forget them, this was when the writing started, almost at the end of my time in Primary school. Then in secondary school I took a more active interest in writing stories rather than telling them out loud. It was in my fourth year of Secondary school when I wrote my first novel, this was the real beginning of my interest in writing.
Was it something you had to work hard at or did it come naturally?
The ideas behind the novel and the storyline itself come to me naturally, when I’m writing the storyline seems to write itself as I go, the ideas come out of the blue and they work. The English, grammar and structure of my writing however took a lot of work and still requires work now.
What level have you got yourself and your talent to so far?
I am a published author with my first book ‘Instinct'. I have a contract with a small publishing house, Discovered Authors, for this book under their 4 O’clock Press imprint.
How would you best describe yourself?
I am a quiet but ambitious young woman with big dreams. I have a wild imagination, a good academic record and always aspire to do the best that I can in everything I do. I am dually-minded; I love the world of the supernatural but am also devoted to the world of science and logic.
Who are your role models or who inspires you?
My role models are the young authors who have made their way to fame with talent and hard work. I am particularly inspired by Christopher Paolini, the author of the Inheritance Series.
What have been some of your highlights so far?
Being offered a publishing contract when I was just 16, that was the best feeling in the world. Seeing my book in print two years later felt really good as well. Another highlight was having my best friend, the person I dedicated the book to, read the book then ask me when the next one was coming out. The last one I will mention was seeing my English teacher’s face light up with joy when she saw her name on the dedications page of the book, that was entirely unexpected.
How hard has it been to get where you are today?
It wasn’t very hard I must admit, writing my book was not difficult it was fun and although the initial editing was very monotonous and required a lot of work and dedication I was still working on my book so I enjoyed every moment. I believe I got very lucky with the contract, I was offered it after I failed to win a writing competition I had entered so I never had to go through the painstaking task of searching for the right agent or publisher with ‘Instinct’. Then, although it was a long wait before publication, the process itself was relatively easy. I believe the hard work is ahead of me, publicising my book and getting it in bookshops so that maybe I will have a chance of publishing more and improving myself as a writer. I am prepared to work very hard in the hope that this can be accomplished.
What do you want to accomplish with your talent?
Many things. As I said I am very ambitious and have big dreams. If I had to name my ultimate dream, I would like to publish at least 28 books and become a successful and relatively well known author. I would also like to extend my writing beyond novels into the realm of short stories and possibly non-fiction.
What are your plans for this year?
I plan to finish writing my third novel and send my second novel off to be scrutinized by publishers/agents. I plan to be doing plenty of events in bookshops with my first novel ‘Instinct’ and hope that some of these will be in London. I also plan to attend University College London in September in order to study Natural Sciences MSci.
How can we find out more about you and keep up to date with your latest news?
To learn more about me, read book reviews for ‘Instinct’ or keep up to date with my latest news you could visit my website www.ejbarton.co.uk. I also have a blog, the link to which can be found on my website, if you wish to contact me.
