When Lois Strachan became blind at the age of 21 she realized she had a choice – to go home and give up, or to go out and see what life still had to offer her as a blind person living in a sighted world.

Lois is an author, speaker, blogger, accessible travel podcaster, disability consultant and sometime rock musician who uses her story to demystify blindness and show the world that disability does not mean inability. She is the author of a series of illustrated children’s books, “The Adventures of Missy Mouse” which help children understand that a visually impaired person is simply a ‘normal’ person who uses different techniques to accomplish tasks. Her memoir, “A Different Way of Seeing: A Blind Woman’s Journey of Living an ‘Ordinary’ Life in an Extraordinary Way” was published in 2016.

Lois lives in Cape Town South Africa with her husband and a houseful of dogs, one of whom is her guide dog, Fiji.

Interview:

1. Will you tell us about your most recent published work?

A Different Way of Seeing is part memoir and part 'how to' manual, in which I share personal stories of things I've done since becoming blind to show people that a visually-impaired person can live a full and productive life using the tools and techniques that are available to us.

2. What personal challenges do you face as a writer?

Logistically, as a totally blind author, I need extra assistance to manage the visual aspects of writing - everything from proofreading to layout and cover design. As someone who is ridiculously independent, I find it hard to trust others to interpret my wishes the way I'd intended them.

3. What is the most difficult part of your artistic process?

I struggle with the length of time it takes to work through the process. I love the activity of writing, and enjoy reworking the manuscript to mold it into a better version, before sending it to an external editor to work their magic. But the process from there seems to always take longer than I'd anticipated.

4. What one thing would you give up to become a better writer?

That's a hard question to answer... maybe reading as much fiction as I do in order to concentrate more particularly on my craft. But that would be a tough ask!

5. How did publishing your first book change your process of writing?

I learned a huge amount from publishing the Adventures of Missy Mouse series. My approach became far more professional and strategic when looking at producing and marketing my memoir.

6. How many unpublished and half-finished books do you have? Will you tell us about them?

I have two. The first is a fictionalized version of the story of losing my sight. I think it was a therapeutic way for me to address the anger and grief I felt at losing my sight. I doubt I'll ever seriously consider publishing it.

I'm currently working on an updated version of A Different Way of Seeing, before converting it to an audio book.

7. Do you read your book reviews? How do you deal with bad or good ones?

Yes, I read all my reviews. I think reviews are a great way to learn about what does and does not connect with readers. Bad reviews are an opportunity to learn.

8. Do you hide any secrets in your books that only a few people will find?

no

9. What other authors are you friends with, and how do they help you become a better writer?

I follow a number of authors from different genres to learn how to improve the way I write and market my books. I've become friends with a number of authors whose books are similar to mine and welcome the opportunity of engaging with them about the way they tell their stories and share their content. I also welcome their criticism of my work to stop me becoming blinkered because I'm too close to what I write.

10. If you could tell your younger writing self anything, what would it be?

You'll learn from every step of the process - even if you make mistakes, everything will work out okay!

11. What are common traps for aspiring writers?

Feeling that they do not have a story worth sharing; being too scared to start. And trying to make every sentence perfect right from the start, rather than just enjoying the process of seeing the story evolve.

12. What’s the best way to market your books?

I started writing as part of my motivational speaking. For me, writing and speaking are very interconnected and are great ways to market each other.

13. What is your favorite childhood book?

Phew, there are so many answers to this. One that stands out for me is My Friend Flika, by Mary O'Hara.

Social Media:

Website: www.loisstrachan.com

Twitter: @LoisStrachanZA

Facebook: www.facebook.com/loisstrachanspeaker