Soulla Christodoulou is a lover of words and writing at her core. She can pull inspiration from a place, person or thing and the creativity just flows. And she can help you do the same. Let’s meet her.
I love your first name. Does it have any special meaning in its selection by your parents?
Thank you so much. A lot of people comment on it and say it feels and sounds soul-ful. It’s a shortened form of Anastasia, which was the name of my Greek Cypriot paternal grandmother and Anastasia in Greek means ‘the optimistic one’ which really does suit me and my attitude to life.
Which of your book projects is your favorite, whether it’s due to a positive writing process or the books’ theme, tell us why?
This is a difficult question to answer but if I had to choose one it would be my debut novel, Broken Pieces of Tomorrow, which is what I refer to as my healing book. The process of writing it, having to face feelings I had buried deep inside after my marriage broke down and the trauma I had been carrying for years, allowed me to finally be free and to be me. I am a different person having let go of everything that was weighing me down: guilt, sadness and humiliation, but I also recognise the good that came out of it: a new career in teaching, my writing, my passion for love and adventure and the power of gratitude. The first time I was interviewed about the book I broke down and cried talking about some of my experiences but that too went a long way to being cathartic and there’s so much in my life I probably wouldn’t have had, or experienced, had I stayed married. God has been good to me, despite past hardships.
Tell us about Writing for Life and some of the most popular services you offer.
Writing For Life came about as a result of feedback from other writers I met on my writing course and also through my love of writing. I offer writing mentorship, writing support in all its formats across all areas including education through teaching, support with University Applications and writing Personal Statements, creative writing and business copy for websites and promotional materials.
The support for writers is my most popular service – they say everyone has a book within them – and with my support many ordinary people can add publishing a book to their repertoire. It’s hugely rewarding to work with writers and it’s incredible to read their work and help develop their writing to a standard that is both publishable and sellable.
Writing definitely is a huge part of your life. How did you develop your love for writing as a child?
I was the teenager who always wrote a diary and writing to me was one of those things I could do anywhere. In those days pen and paper is all you needed so it was a hobby which was easy to engage in and fit in anytime, anyplace, anywhere.
Do you have a particular creative process when it comes to writing? A special place to write or routine that keeps the ideas coming?
Most recently a trip to Malta unlocked a fabulous story idea and I filled an entire notebook with the story in terms of its characters, dialogue, scenes, plot ideas and I even have the ending. Inspiration can literally hit me when I least expect it so I always carry a notebook and pen with me.
When I’m not away from home, I work from my Writing Room at the bottom of my garden, which is a beautiful space filled with books and a huge desk where I sit and write most often from early morning to late afternoon with views across my back garden. It is quiet and the space is beautiful; the equivalent of a little haven of tranquility with just the sound of my fingers tapping across the keyboard and the tweeting of birds for company.
Tell our readers how they can find out more.
I would love to connect with your readers! They can connect with me on Instagram @soullasays and all my links including my services, books and other information can be found on my website www.soullaauthor.com – come and say hi.
Anything to add?
If you want to be a writer there is nothing stopping you. I published my first book when I was fifty and having readers tell me how much they loved my story is the best feeling in the world which is why I am so happy to help others write their story. I hope today is the day you say, ‘Yes, I’m going to do this.’ It’s a lot of hard work, involves hours and hours of writing and rewriting but it’s worth it.
