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Writer Interview: Eileen Merriman

August’s featured New Zealand author is a busy mum and health professional. Eileen Merriman writes short stories and novels for young adults and older adults, often at night after her child has gone to bed.

K: What is an early book / author that inspired you to write? What are you reading now?

The Outsiders by S E Hinton – a coming-of-age book about a family of teenage boys living without their parents, who encounter gangs, prejudice and heartbreak – I read that over and over, and my heart ached every time. I thought if I could ever make a reader feel like that, then I would have succeeded as a writer.

K: What is your daily writing schedule like?

I work full time as a consultant haematologist with on call commitments, so I have to snatch time wherever I can. Most week nights I will write from around 7-9pm, once my five year old is in bed – from an armchair in the lounge. In the weekend I may manage one to two hours a day. I do a lot of writing on planes as I travel a lot for my job – the lack of interruptions, including from e-mails and social media, is valuable time. I try to write something every day, even if only adding one line or tweaking something. I get very grumpy if I can’t write, but most weeks I can fit in about ten hours or so.

K: What are you most proud of?

That all my YA novels to date (Pieces of You, Catch Me When You Fall and Invisibly Breathing), have been short-listed for the NZ Children and Young Adult Book Awards.

K: What do you hope people get out of reading your work?

To be entertained, enlightened and challenged. With my YA books, I also like to show readers that they are not alone in their thoughts, feelings and situations. I tackle many challenging topics because I have encountered many of them either personally, or with my friends and family. Opening dialogue about topics such as depression and anxiety, self-harm, suicide and sexuality is so important.

K: If you could tell your younger writing self anything, what would it be?

Don’t stop writing – it feeds your soul, and there is no other way to improve. Believe in yourself. If you are writing, then you are a writer – you don’t need to be published to achieve that. Always aim as high as you can; you may catch stars on the way down.

The Book

Moonlight Sonata, her first book for adults, was released in July.

The Bio

Eileen Merriman is an award-winning novelist, short story and flash fiction writer from New Zealand.

Her young adult novel, Pieces of You, was published in 2017 (Penguin Random House). A second YA novel, Catch Me When You Fall, was published in January 2018. A third YA novel, Invisibly Breathing, was released in March 2019. Her first adult novel, Moonlight Sonata, was released in July 2019. Her fourth YA novel, A Trio of Sophies, will be released in the first half of 2020, and her second adult novel, The Silence of Snow, will be released late 2020.

Her awards include a 2018 Storyline Notable Book Award for Pieces of You, first place in the 2015 Graeme Lay Short Story competition, second place in the 2015 Bath Flash Fiction Award, second place in the 2018 Sunday Star Times Short Story competition, and third place for three years running in the 2014-2016 Sunday Star Times Competitions. Both Pieces of You and Catch Me When You Fall were finalists in the 2018 NZ Book Awards for Children and Young Adults.

Website: https://eileenmerriman.co.nz/

Twitter: @MerrimanEileen
Instagram: eileen.merriman
Facebook: Eileen Merriman

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