We recently caught up with the awesome Bryony Allen. Here the author talks about her book ‘Otoli’, her love of ghost stories and the pain of bullying.

Where did you get the idea for Otoli?

The idea for OTOLI came from my experiences as a teacher, a mother and a child (many years ago!). I have seen the short and long term effects of bullying so many times, and it is so difficult to address the problem. OTOLI was a way of showing those who suffer that they are not alone; it is also a way of showing those who cause the suffering just what they are doing.

I understand that a portion of the proceeds of Otoli will be donated to the Bully Uk? This is a wonderful thing. What made you decide to do this?

All agencies that attempt to address the bullying issue are fantastic. I have seen how much they can help the victims. Yet most of these agencies are run on goodwill and donations, so I wanted to help in my own way. I chose Bullying UK as they support all those affected by bullying – the sufferer’s families, adults and children.

I found in parts of the book to be a real eye-opene when it comes to bullying. Did you struggle with some of the issues of the book when writing it?

I found it very painful to write about some of the bullying, especially as none of that side of it was made up. The taunts, letter sending, graffiti, social isolation happened when I was a child and still happen now. By writing about it, hopefully people will realise that such events are not isolated and need addressing.

Did you have a favourite character to write about in Otoli?

I like different aspects of all my characters. They are all very loosely based on people I know (except for Jenny)and their experiences are thing that I have seen – though maybe from other people. I like Alice’s courage, Kieran’s quirky intelligence, Sophie’s sassiness and I love Jenny’s sinister side. As someone who loves watching ‘Ghost Hunters’ on television, I would pick Jenny if I had to choose a favourite!

Have any of your characters demanded more page space than you had originally planned?

Not really. I always wanted the story to focus on Alice with the other characters on the outside. The characters have developed massively since the first draft with Jenny finding a voice and a reason for her behaviour that I had not given her before. Kieran became less of a sub-plot too.

I found the paranormal twist to be most intriguing – was that part of the story all along?

As I mentioned, I love ghost stories and I love writing about ghosts. It also seems to be a theme that appeals to teen readers. The paranormal twist was meant to be the ultimate in severe warnings about the repercussions of bullying. It was also intended as entertainment, to make the story something more than just another tale of triumph over adversity. I wanted to raise the issue of bullying in a way that would appeal to a wide range of readers, not just the victims of bullying.

What advice would you give to aspiring authors?

My biggest tip would be to get independent feedback as much as possible. OTOLI spent a long time on a review website called ‘youwriteon’. (I did not know about Goodreads at the time!) When the feedback flagged up the same issues more than 3 times, I acted on what was said. I also got advice from another couple of websites. The result was that OTOLI was expanded by 10,000 words and both Jenny and Kieran became bigger characters.
Another bit of advice may be to be prepared for the amount of post-publication work you have to do. No matter how you get published (whether it is by an indie publisher, self-publishing or with a big publishing house), the amount of publicity ,etc, that you have to do afterwards makes the hard work of writing seem like nothing.
Has researching for a novel ever got you into any funny situations?

Not necessarily funny, but interesting. I have just started writing a book about a genuinely haunted house in a small town near where I live. I was given a guided tour by the man who is currently renting it, and it spooked me! The house is beautiful, immaculately renovated and very large. But when I walked into one of the bedrooms, I suddenly felt bitterly cold. My skin was warm but inside I was shivering. The man told me that they had heard noises coming from that room and the door kept opening by itself. It was very spooky. The house is on the market at the moment – if only I had a spare half a million pounds!

As a writer, who are your main influences?

My main influences are the writers I love to read. Generally, I will read anything but I look out for my favourite writers when they have new releases. Ian Rankin is my favourite, along with Ruth Rendell, Harlen Coben and Nicci French. I also love re-reading anything by Daphne duMaurier. If I could entertain as much as them, I’d be happy.

It seems that more and more adult readers are finding their way to YA books. Why do you think that is?

YA books often offer their readers an escape and make the real world seem more interesting. The romance of vampires is a lot more exciting than your average ‘boy meets girl’, and the way that some writers address the funnier side of teen issues is extremely amusing (eg Meg Cabot.) YA books have recently become a lot more popular and there are some really good writers out there.

What is the best part about being an author?

The best thing about writing is being able to loose yourself and having a temporary escape from the hassle of day to day life. I love being able to create characters and manipulate them in a way that I would never manipulate real people. The research can be fascinating as well. I have learnt a lot about witchcraft in the 1600s for a book I have just completed about the Suffolk witch hunts.

And the worst?

The worst thing must be the rejection. I am extremely lucky with my publisher but you have to go through a lot of standard rejection letters to get there. It is very dispiriting to be told that your creation is not good enough, but you have to keep believing 200% in your work. Easier said than done at times!

What books have you recently read and loved?

My favourite recent book was ‘The Martian Ambassador’ by Alan Baker. It is in the steampunk genre, which I know little about, but I really enjoyed it. It is set in Victorian London, and has a combination of murder-mystery, history and sci-fi elements that work brilliantly. I am going to get hold of his next book as there was a taster in the back of this one.

Can you tell us a bit about what you are currently working on?

I am polishing a book called ‘The Assembly Room’. It is based on the Suffolk Witchcraft trials of 1645 that saw 18 witches hanged in one day. It is a mixture of history and ghosts, in which a teenage girl finds herself recreating the events of those trials as some witches try to reap revenge. I have also just started work on a story about a local haunted house. This story draws on the house dweller’s experiences, but the reason behind the hauntings is going to totally fictional.