Megan Hopkins is a Northern Irish writer who grew up in Belfast (NI), Stuttgart (Germany), Chesterfield (England), and Nairobi (Kenya). She now lives in Kent with her husband and two young children. She is a secondary school English teacher and a member of the Sevenoaks Bookshop Writers’ Group. Megan has always dreamt of flying. STARMINSTER was her opportunity to live in that dream and share it with everyone who longs for endless skies.
1. What did you like to write and read as a kid?
I was brought up on a diet of Enid Blyton, and as a result I still find myself drinking ginger beer as a tribute to The Famous Five, despite not liking it very much. I loved Philip Pullman, Harry Potter, Jacqueline Wilson, and a varied diet of whatever I could find in the local library. What I wrote was heavily influenced by the ideas in those stories, which I used to see as a flaw but now see as an essential part of learning to be a writer. I also wrote a lot of angst-laden ‘fiction’ about girls similar to me moving house, perhaps taking ‘write what you know’ too far, which again is natural for a young writer developing their practice.
2. Where do you like to write?
Coffee shops are my favourite and most productive writing locations, due to the proximity of infinite caffeine and cake, and the fact that it’s not socially acceptable to fall asleep while typing there (worryingly common when I write at home). I also find myself writing in my car quite often if one or more of my children falls asleep on a journey - less comfortable but usually fairly productive.
3. Would you and your main character get along?
Astrid has a lot in common with me, though unlike her, I was not raised in a rhubarb shed. Our main similarity is probably a strong yearning to belong, which is Astrid’s driving force throughout STARMINSTER. I am also obsessed with the dream of flying, but unfortunately, Astrid’s dream of wings is far more accessible than mine.
4. How do you celebrate when you finish a project?
I like to inform my dad, who is always proud of any career-related success, and I usually try to do something small to mark the occasion - order a drink I normally wouldn’t, or visit my favourite garden centre, or drink a glass of something in a hot bath. It can be tempting to always focus on that next challenge, so I’m working on celebrating every part of the process.
5. What is the most valuable piece of advice you've been given about writing?
There is so much advice out there, and every writer is different. Much of what I’ve heard is helpful, and some of it less so, or even counter-productive. A couple years ago, I participated in the Sevenoaks Bookshop Writers’ Group, and learned about structure as a method for planning and editing novels. This was transformational for me and crystallised my process into something that feels more productive.
6. What are common traps for new authors?
It’s easy to become trapped on one idea. My first effort then ate up years of my life, as I fought desperately to turn that idea into the perfect novel of my dreams (which is never possible, since reality can never live up to the unwritten novel that lives in many of our imaginations). One of the most powerful skills you learn as an author is letting go and moving on to the next new idea.
7. Do you prefer ebooks, printed books, or audiobooks most of the time?
I always feel like a traitor when I admit this, because so many people are passionately in favour of paper books, but I’m an ebook fanatic. I love that I have access to over a thousand books on my Kindle. Since I live in a small house with limited shelf space, I don’t think I’ll ever go back to paper books - except, of course, for the beautiful, irresistible limited-edition copies.
8. Does anyone in your family read your books?
My older sister is always my first reader, because I trust that she won’t sugarcoat her reactions and will always be honest with me. My sons are too young for my books at the moment, but my eldest is very enthusiastic about STARMINSTER and occasionally takes his own copy down from his shelf to look at the pictures. And my husband, embarrassingly, still hasn’t finished reading STARMINSTER!
9. What is your writing practice like?
It varies, and in some ways, being as flexible as possible has been essential for me. I’m a part-time teacher with small children, so my routine is informed by my kids’ routine. I try to write during nap times, and sometimes in the evening, or at weekends when my husband takes the boys out. I’ve trained myself not to be fussy about time of day or mood or vibes or any of the other excuses I used to seize, because I suspect I’d never write again if I waited for the perfect moment.
10. Do you let people read your work before it is finished?
Yes! I share chapters as I write them with my wonderful writing group, and their feedback is invaluable. That said, I don’t share everything that I write, but I try to workshop the beginning quite carefully, as well as any particularly key scenes.
Megan, thank you for your excellent insights into the writing process! Please follow Megan on social media and check out her debut novel, STARMINSTER, soon-to-be available in our Bookshop!
Twitter/X: https://x.com/meganrkhopkins
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