Local Author Spotlight: Peter Clenott 

Local Author Spotlight 
Peter Clenott 

Please describe your writing routine. Is there a time of day or place that is most productive for you?   

First thing in the morning is the best time to write. Then, after a break, in the evening for a few hours.
 

Is there anything in Lowell or in the surrounding area that has inspired your work? Such a place to take nice walks or a piece of artwork? 

I walk around Winnekenni Lake in Haverhill and gather my thoughts and produce some interesting results.
 

What do you believe are the most important elements of writing? How do you incorporate it into your own work? 

Characters the reader can relate to and events that enlighten and/or surprise. My basic outline incorporates when and how we meet the main characters and what events in their lives are most significant. 

What advice would you give to a young writer and/or a writer starting their first creative work? 
Don’t be afraid of criticism. Don’t be afraid to be different. Write about people. places and events that intrigue you the most.

What were your favorite books when you were a child? 
Freddy the Pig books.

Do you have any reading recommendations? 
The Book Thief; Wolf Hall series; Feast of the Goat

Peter Clenott is a graduate of Bowdoin College, formerly of Portland, Maine, and now resides in Haverhill. His most recent novel is The Unwanted. Further information about his work can be found on his website.