Short story-writer, Rosy Adams, another member of this year’s Hay Festival Writers at Work cohort, tells us all about her interests, inspirations, and creative life – with some important wisdom about the trials of finding time to write among so many other responsibilities.

Tell us about your writing life. When did it start? What does it look like now?

I started writing bits of poetry and short stories from about nine or ten years old. I spent most of my time reading and daydreaming, and I read a lot of fantasy and science fiction, which was something I shared with my grandfather. He would lend me all his books; Anne McCaffrey, Barbara Hambly, André Norton, and many others I can’t remember now.

I was very excited about world building. I had a giant map of a world called Kelona which I redrew and added to right up until my late teens. I wish I’d kept it, like so many other things, but I’ve moved house so many times my possessions have shrunk to a bare minimum.

My writing life now is not so very different, but the maps I draw are in my head. I’ve never been good at structure or consistency with writing, and I’ve given up trying! I’ve come to accept that I write in concentrated bursts or not at all, but I’ve also realised half of it, for me at least, is letting things percolate in my mind while doing housework, walking the dogs, gardening, taking a shower. I feel the ideas build up until I can’t help but write them.

What kind of writing excites you most?

Prose that veers towards the poetic – like my friend’s debut novel, which is a collection of vignettes that together make a beautiful and devastating story. Anthony is an artist as well as a writer and I think you can tell by the way his words evoke images (Anthony Shapland, A Room Above a Shop – NB: read our review by A. R. Darland here).

There’s also Max Porter’s writing, which makes me want to be a better writer. Lanny is genius; I love the intrusion of the mythical into the real world. I would love to write something like that.

“I’ve come to accept that I write in concentrated bursts or not at all, but I’ve also realised half of it, for me at least, is letting things percolate in my mind… I feel the ideas build up until I can’t help but write them.”

What are you working on right now?

I’ve written a short story collection which I’m editing right now. It’s influenced by fairy tales, and I suppose the main theme is how we’re shaped by the stories we grow up with, and how we can rewrite them when we become conscious of that. As well as more traditional short stories there’s flash fiction, a few poems, a bit of creative non-fiction, even a story that started life as a script for a play, and is now some weird hybrid.

Where do you write?

Mostly in my bedroom, which is also the family dining room and spare living room. My family are good at leaving me to write when I really need space, and if I’m procrastinating by doing other things I take myself down to this lovely café called Bradley’s in Llandrindod. It has the perfect atmosphere: great food and coffee, I can bring one or two of the dogs with me, and they play Frazey Ford or the Be Good Tanyas a lot, but not too loud. Plus lush home made cakes. It’s like giving my writing self a special treat as motivation, but also taking away all the other tasks I use to put it off.

When do you write?

I write whenever I have both free time, and enough mental and emotional energy. I’m an unpaid carer for my adult daughter, and single parent to a neuro-diverse teen, so I’ve learnt to use any spare time I can get. I used to complain that I never had enough time to write until I realised that’s just another form of procrastination. I prioritise. Children first, then animals, but after that writing is at the top of the list. There will always be chores and obligations to deal with, but if I write first I still have enough energy to deal with all that because writing doesn’t drain me, it sustains me.

And… why do you write?

I often ask myself this, especially when I could make a better living doing almost anything else! So firstly, because I have all this stuff in my head that wants to come out in some form or other. If I didn’t write or create in some way I don’t know what I’d do. Secondly, having something actually published, especially in print so I can hold it in my hand… That makes me so happy! Lastly, when someone enjoys reading my work, especially when they get to the end and wish there was more – that’s amazing, too. My friend Bridget is beta-reading my stories and she said the loveliest thing: that she takes time to savour each one like a fine chocolate.

Is there a book or author that has influenced you?

My earliest and biggest influence is Diana Wynne Jones. My grandparents had a bookshop in Brecon called The Griffin and I remember being allowed to choose a book when I was eight or so. I picked Howl’s Moving Castle, and I read it over and over again. But the one of hers that most influenced me is Fire and Hemlock. I found it in my high school library and I’m ashamed to say I never returned it! I wish I could have met her but sadly she died in 2011. She’s still my favourite writer, and I often re-read her books.

“There will always be chores and obligations to deal with, but if I write first I still have enough energy to deal with all that because writing doesn’t drain me, it sustains me.”

Tell us about something you are really proud of.

I edited and contributed to an anthology of poetry and prose by the second cohort of Representing Wales, the yearly writer development programme run by Literature Wales. It’s called (un)common: anthology of new Welsh writing (Lucent Dreaming, 2024) and it has a beautiful cover painted by Lia Bean, the daughter of one of the contributors. I loved the process of editing and compiling it, and I would definitely do it again. I already have an idea for another anthology!

What’s the best advice you’ve been given as a writer developing your practice?

From Cynan Jones, and I can’t remember his exact words, but essentially: it’s as long as it needs to be. This stopped me getting so hung up on word counts. The other bit of advice, and I’ve heard this from a number of writers, is get the first draft down before you start to edit.

There are so many ways to have a creative career. What would life as a ‘working’ writer look like for you?

I would love to have regular writing commissions, especially for short stories. I love a deadline! And an agent to deal with that side of things so I can put my energy into writing. Other than that, I don’t think life as a working writer would look much different to my life now, except perhaps I might earn more money, if I’m lucky! I would be writing anyway; I would be challenging myself with new forms, working towards finishing a novel, then starting the next one.

I think the best way to become a ‘working writer’ is to act as if you’re already there. Do the work because you love it, and hopefully the world will love it too.

Writers at Work is a creative development programme for Welsh writers at Hay Festival, with the support of Literature Wales and Folding Rock, funded by Arts Council of Wales.

Offering a fully-programmed ten days of creative development opportunities, Hay Festival Writers at Work allows the selected writers to engage in Festival events, attend workshops with publishers, agents and, crucially, with established international artists.

Check out some of our recommended events for this year’s Hay Festival here, including showcase readings from the 2025 Writers at Work cohort.