Our fearless Jennifer Margaret Fraser, author of Crush and the upcoming Royal Dispatch, was asked 12 or 20 questions by Rob McClennan for his blog. Here’s what she had to say.

1 – How did your first book change your life? How does your most recent work compare to your previous? How does it feel different?

I found it liberating to write fiction as opposed to scholarly work. It was a difficult transition to make because I did not have a sense of how to construct a character or develop a plot or use dialogue. I discovered that a whole other part of the self is drawn upon when writing fiction and it made me feel more alive. Rather than the intellect being the dominant force, as in academic work whereby one seeks patterns or theoretical structures or cultural implications, the whole self comes into play when writing fiction. It made my heart beat and my senses become more finely tuned. Moreover, writing fiction allows for humour which I cannot resist regardless of how serious my focus is. I love funny people and situations and am quick to laugh myself at absurdity or folly and to allow this part of myself free reign in creative writing was an immense pleasure.

Find the other 19 here.