Interview with H.G Ahedi
Author of Black Moon
H.G Ahedi holds a PhD in biomedical sciences and is a fictional writer. Haunted is her second book. She spends a lot of time writing and when she is bored of her desk; she wants to hop on a plane and travel the world. As that is not always possible she explores local Sydney beaches and parks and enjoys a nice cup of coffee.
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How would you describe Black Moon to a new reader?
- If you are looking a complex, thrilling read, you should read this book.
What was the inspiration behind Black Moon?
- This book has an interesting history. I have republished it this year, but it was originally published in 2008. The thing is the idea/plot came to me in a dream and I causally told about it to one of my friends. And she was like, 'This is interesting, why don't you write it down?'. And I did.
How long does it take you to write a book?
- The first draft, I believe it took me two years. At that time I wasn't planning to be a writer, it was just a story I wanted to get out there. So I didn't do much about it. After publishing Haunted in 2019, I thought, it would be a good idea to bring this book back to life. The editing and rewriting, including the various updates to the plot and characters took me about three months. I began somewhere in Nov 2019, and got it published by Feb end.
What is your work schedule like when you're writing?
- Usually its couple of hours at night, almost every day. I might get more done over the weekends. Overall, it's when I do get the time. It's also good to have deadlines. Like my next two books are due in 6 months and 9 months and that is a good incentive.
Does writing energize or exhaust you?
- Writing energizes me! I feel, when I am working on a book I am transported into a different world.
Is Black Moon a stand alone novel?
- Yes. Black Moon is a standalone novel. I have used the same characters in other novels, like Haunted. However, the plots are not connected.
What kind of research do you do, and how long do you spend researching before beginning a book?
- If I get an idea, I start the first draft right away. The other thing I do is write a detailed summary of the book, outlining the plot. Then I do research on each and every aspect. It might take me a month to 3 months to complete the process.
What did you edit out of this book?
- As I said, this is the second edition of this book. I edited or removed a lot of unnecessary dialogues, scenes and settings. These did not serve the plot. Also, in my opinion they wouldn't have appealed to the readers.
What are common traps for aspiring writers?
- Over analysing. I know, and I do it too, that sometimes we just criticise our writing way too much. Of course, we shouldn't publish our work without thorough editing and get a proper designer for the book cover. The issue is we writers spend just too much time thinking over and over about certain aspects of the book, instead of just either going with our gut or asking people for their suggestions.
Why should people read Black Moon?
- If people are looking for a fresh, complex, thrilling book with unseen twists and fantastic plot, I feel Black Moon would deliver all this and much more. It is highly entertaining, gripping and well... if you like sherlock holmes or Agatha Christie, you will like Black Moon.
