saw asked L.E. Howel:

When did you start writing? Did you face any difficulties?

L.E. Howel Hi Stella,

Thanks for your good question. My writing career certainly hasn’t been straightforward. In my early years I had quite a few problems with the simple basics of both reading and writing. I was diagnosed as dyslexic and some of my teachers thought I would never learn, but I am very thankful that over time I was able to deal with that.

I suppose my start came from a love of reading and then, around my early teen years, I became obsessed with Choose Your Own Adventure stories and wrote my own feeble versions that I inflicted upon many of my school friends. They seemed to enjoy them, and I’ve been writing ever since.

My first novel, Planetfall, was started when I was only 18, but it wasn’t truly finished for many, many years. My second novel, Fallback, was a much swifter affair, but it still took me over two years to finish. Perhaps one day I’ll have the time to churn out books at a more acceptable rate!

I suppose as a writer getting our work noticed is the hardest thing. Thankfully self-publishing has allowed many writers (such as Andy Weir, author of The Martian) the opportunity to break through and I’ve been happy with the results myself. Of course the challenges continue, but I am hopeful that I am on the right track.

Many thanks again for your thoughtful question,

L.E. Howel

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