Annalisa and Artoo

Annalisa Crawford lives in south east Cornwall and shares her home with her husband, and canine writing companion, Artoo. She writes dark contemporary fiction with a hint of paranormal.

Her first book, Cat & The Dreamer, was published in 2012 and became the catalyst for longer works and eventually novels: Grace & Serenity (2020), Small Forgotten Moments (2021), and One Tuesday, Early (2024). Her short stories have appeared in Writers’ Forum, The New Writers, Flash Fiction Magazine, Fictive Dream, and Reflex Fiction, and many others.

Small Forgotten Moments won Silver Medal in the Wishing Shelf Book Awards, and her short story collection, The Clock in My Mother’s House, was shortlisted for the Rubery Book Award.

Annalisa can be found at:
Website: annalisacrawford.com
Facebook: @annalisacrawford.author
BlueSky: @annalisacrawford.bsky.social

Tell me what inspired you to write your novel?

My latest novel, One Tuesday, Early, is my third novel (and 8th book overall). It was originally a short story inspired by actual events. The novel is about a woman who wakes up one morning and her entire town is completely deserted. I live in a small town and occasionally, there is total silence as I walk around it. One particular morning a very long time ago, not only did I walk to school through a completely empty street, but the entire school was also deserted as well. (And no, I didn’t accidentally go in on a Sunday – there was a fire drill and everyone was in the playground!)

One Tuesday, Early

The short story didn’t really go anywhere, but the idea percolated and collided with another one to become the novel.

What came first the characters or the world?

It’s always the characters first for me. They are the heart of any story.

How long did it take to write?

I’m such a slow writer! One Tuesday, Early took me around four years to write. I don’t tend to sit and focus on one book though. While writing that, I was editing something else and writing a few short stories as well. I don’t plan my novels, so when I hit a block, I stop for a while and move to something else.

Do you have a writing playlist? If so do you want to share it?

Each project requires different music, although I always come back around to Crowded House – they’ve accompanied me through a novel and a novella trilogy.

How many publishers turned you down?

Lots. And before I started submitting novels, I got rejected by a lot of literary journals for my short stories too. Back when I started out, I got a fair few personalised letters while I’ve kept in a box in the attic.

What’s the favourite reaction you’ve had to your book?

I read a review where the reader had stayed up to 3am reading it because they couldn’t put it down. I’ve done that with books myself, so I that review made me smile.

Would you ever consider writing outside your current genre?

I haven’t fully figured out what my genre is. My tagline is: Dark, contemporary fiction with a hint of paranormal. But sometimes the hint is stronger than others and I wouldn’t call myself a paranormal author. I like breaking rules too much to fit neatly into certain genres – in a story I wrote about serial killer, they get away with it; in a love story, they split up in the end.

What did you do before (or still do) you became a writer?

I’ve always been a writer. I was submitting stories when I was sixteen, and had my first one published at twenty. Since then, I’ve worked in libraries, and then did a major left turn and now I’m a gym instructor, which I love.

Which author(s) inspire you?

I’m more inspired by specific books rather than authors. I never thought I’d write anything other than short stories because my ideas didn’t feel complex enough to create anything longer. I would buy books simply because they were slim volumes. Two that I remember today are Darker Days Than Usual by Suzannah Dunn and Snake by Kate Jennings. Having said that, I adore the range of Margaret Atwood, and I will always buy Alison Moore’s adult fiction.

Which genres do you read yourself?

I tend to veer slightly towards the literary end of the spectrum, although I read almost anything my author friends write, and they write in the full gamut of genres.

What will always distract you?

Sadly, social media. I use it to keep in touch with my readers and promote my work, and I tell myself I’ll do fifteen minutes of reading/posting/commenting. But then I’m still there an hour later. I’ve tried alarms and turning off the Wi-Fi, but haven’t found the thing that works for me.

Were you a big reader as a child?

I didn’t have much room for books at home, but I loved my local library. We often visited family in Manchester – travelling from Cornwall – and I’d read one book up and another on the way back.

What were your favourite childhood books?

I read Mallory Towers over and over, until the pages started to come out. I also loved Heidi – I had a tiny edition that had tissue-paper thin pages, which felt very special when I was eight.

What books can you not resist buying?

Books with amazing covers or intriguing titles. I often buy books on those criteria alone, without even checking the blurb.

Do you have any rituals when writing?

Because I don’t plan, I have what I call Draft Zero, which is just messing around with words and seeing which ideas stick. I will always write this draft by hand with a fountain pen I was given for my twenty-first birthday. I also need a constant supply of tea.

What is your current or latest read?

I’ve had a spate of books I couldn’t get into or finish, recently, but the last one I finished and really enjoyed with Lifeform Three by Roz Morris, a speculative science fiction story set in the near-future.

Any plans or projects in the near future you can tell us about?

I have a novel that I’m working on, on and off, but the story isn’t quite right, so I’m in thinking mode for that one. I’m enjoying writing short stories again at the moment – some to submit to journals, and some which will be the basis of a new collection.