Free Author Interview: Louis Cecile

Self Published Authors welcomes Louis Cecile with his new book of poetry, Thoughts in Rhyme.  Thank you so much for sharing your inspiration with us.

Author Name: Louis Cecile

Where can we find your book?  My first book ‘Thoughts in Rhyme’ can be found on Amazon, Kindle and other online book retailers.

How much does it cost?  Thoughts in Rhyme – ISBN No: 0955990009 - paperback available for $6.95

Kindle edition is $3.35

Tell us a little about your book.  I was growing up with lots of angst and difficulties in life.  Being an only child at home helped form my imagination and observational skills. Thoughts tended to pop up in my mind and due to my love of music I would transform them into rhyme.

For many years I would simply watch the world around me and take note of themes to create into poetry.  For example I often passed down a road that was dangerous for pedestrians and saw flowers laid there on a regular basis. It was always a haunting experience and it developed into my poem ‘Flower on the Wall’.

I originally wanted to write an autobiography, but found that style very exhausting and instantly gravitated to free form poetry.

The majority of poems are short in length, which is to mimic brevity of thought.  I removed punctuation to make it visually appear on the page like a scatter of words.  

Do you have any upcoming projects?  I am working on my second book, which is about half way complete now.  It is a much stronger book as the poems are longer and I had the courage to really explore taboo subjects with poetry as a vehicle.

My maturity as writer has come through as I sent three poems to competition and all were selected to be put in an anthology set.

I wanted to work with other poets and by a twist of fate they could not fully see my vision so I worked alone on the project.

What has your journey as a writer been like?  Truly awakening the depth of my imagination has been the focal point of my journey. I began as a young child trying to make sense of things and not believing my work would be of much merit.

Then I found inner courage to express my ideas and was shocked at my work to only give a glimmer of imagination.

The recognition from a publisher and praise from fellow poets worldwide instilled belief.

Why did you choose to self publish?  Having been knocked down by a publisher for another project it made me fearful. Once I began working again to complete my first book, I felt it needed an audience.

To prove to myself I could do it, I decided to self publish. Once it was done I shared my work and the acceptance from the poetry community has only made me a better writer.

Please share some advice to help future authors.  Patience and courage is most important when writing. Sharing your work with as many people as possible helps to develop your style and gain an insight into your future audience.

Critiquing other authors work also aids in your development. Never be afraid of your imagination.

What time of day do you write best?  Ideas come to me anytime during the week, but I find Saturday mornings the peak time to write.  Probably due to the sense of rest and opportunity the day presents.

What struggles have you overcome as a writer?  The fear of what people would think of my work and strain of going into the depths of my imagination for inspiration. Gaining the courage to allow people to read my poetic work. I practice Sahaja Yoga to help with writer’s block and to develop my thoughts.

What criticisms have helped you grow as a writer?  Initially people were unaware of the technique I had chosen for my first book.  I had received critique to go further and be more expansive. 

Some poets had suggested themes they would be curious of seeing me tackle and this led me to look at new ideas/subjects.

Due to my rhythmic flow one particular poet suggested I always read my work out aloud to myself to ensure I keep true to my style. This was particularly helpful advice that I try not to forget.

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