Category Archives: Writing

SISTER SCRIBES: JANE CABLE CATCHES UP WITH TAKE FOUR WRITERS’ JACKIE AND CLAIRE

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Everyone loved our Take Four Writers’ articles last year so I thought it would be really interesting to catch up with them. Writers lives have ups and downs, and in 2018 we shared them all. Here’s what Jackie Baldwin and Claire Dyer have been up to since – news from Lucy and Angela tomorrow.

Jackie:

Hello everyone,

This year, a big thrill has been seeing copies of ‘Perfect Dead’ in The Works shops. It never gets old going seeing my book in the wild. I stroll past ‘casually’ whilst giving it an intense stare.

2019 has been dominated by writing my third DI Farrell book, ‘Avenge the Dead.’ This is the first time I’ve had a book published with the title I originally chose! I finished the first draft in seven months this time so I’m getting quicker with each book. The plot revolves around the Criminal Bar in Dumfries where I used to practice as a solicitor so I’m drawing on personal experience in some respects but the plot and characters are wholly fictional. Honestly!

In addition to writing and the day job I’m also in the process of moving closer to Edinburgh. We’ve found a house but it needs quite a bit doing to it so trying to organise all that has been a challenge. Hopefully, we’ll be installed before my first grandchild arrives in October!

I’ve completed my structural edit for Avenge the Dead. This is probably the stage that I most enjoy where you can fix errant plot lines and even insert new characters or subplots if the mood takes you. Currently I’m working on the Line Edit which is a complete nightmare. For example, you mention the word out three times on one page and need to change two of them.

Recently, I’ve realised that writing books is a lot like having babies. You have your baby and fall madly in love, forgetting the pain. You think it would be a great idea to have another baby. You get into the labour ward and yell, ‘WHAT was I thinking?’ And repeat…

Claire:

It’s a well-known fact that the writing life is not a simple one, and it’s easy to lose hope and/or struggle with doubt and this year I’ve been battling with both these things!

However, with the help of my amazing writer support network I am back on track. I have completed a rewrite, edited another novel and started a new one.

I’ve also celebrated my son’s wedding, am working on the draft manuscript of a poetry collection due for publication in 2021 and am planning a holiday to the ever-wonderful Kalkan in Turkey.

I also have my husband’s wise words to fall back on when things get tough. He’s not a writer, and has learnt from living with one that he has to tread carefully, and part of this is to remind me gently now and again that it all depends on the lens.

Yes, writing and getting published is a challenge, BUT I have had three novels and two poetry books published, with another on the way; I have a wonderful group of writer friends, I curate a monthly poetry night in Reading and I spend my days doing what I love. Moreover, my son’s wedding went well (see picture) and I still have writer-hope; it’s small and fragile but, using the right lens I can see it sitting next to my laptop, its bright eyes shining.

 

SISTER SCRIBES: KITTY WILSON IN PRAISE OF CRITIQUES

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I’ve recently returned from the Romantic Novelists Association (RNA) conference where I briefly had to speak to the NWS members. It was terrifying (terrifying!) but did make me think it was worth sharing details of the scheme that helped me, alongside many others, become published.

The NWS is a New Writers Scheme run by the RNA and encourages unpublished writers to join local meetings and make friends with the more experienced. It’s how I began to meet other authors, including the Sister Scribes, and as we are always saying writers need writer friends – I should tattoo this on my forehead and be done, I say it so often – and joining the RNA is a great way to meet them.

More than that, and why I initially joined, is its critique scheme. For the price of membership (considerably less than you’d pay for an assessment anywhere else) you are entitled to a critique of your full manuscript (partials are accepted if you haven’t got as far as writing The End yet).

It was the first opportunity I had to have my writing read by someone who knew the industry inside out (i.e. not my mother and close friends) and who could be completely honest about what they thought – the reader remains anonymous so they can be truthful without worrying that you’re going to launch at them at the Winter Party and either cover them in kisses or rip their eyes out whilst spitting ‘so, you didn’t like my heroine?’

The critique is usually divided into areas like plot, pace, voice, dialogue so you can see immediately which are your areas of strength and which ones need work. It doesn’t matter if you’ve written a zillion books, every writer needs a little help and an objective eye (otherwise we wouldn’t need editors), so if you expect a critique that says ‘oh my goodness, this is the best thing ever written in the history of the world’ then you may be bound for disappointment. If you want someone to gently point out what needs work to make your book even better then you’re in luck.

Being me, I found it really hard initially to hear the positive, whereas the things I needed to work on seared into my soul, fluttering under my eyelids as I’d try to sleep. It was at this point I decided to colour code my critique – if you have read my other posts you know I need no excuse to break out the felt-tips – and then I could see there was easily as much green (yay, this was great) as there was orange (this needs work).

What I didn’t know was how this technique would feed into my edits when I was eventually published and I use the orange and green method for these. So not only did joining the RNA get me friends and recommend friendly publishers and agents, it taught me how to react to suggestions about my work in a positive way, which meant that when my structural edits arrive, my meltdowns don’t last too long…or at least only as long as it takes me to unzip my pencil case. Thus not only did it improve my writing pre-publication, it also gave me tools which I have used habitually since becoming published.

So, if you are writing and as yet unpublished and if your manuscript has a romantic element then I cannot recommend the RNA’s New Writers Scheme enough. I’m going to pop a link below and hope to see you at a meeting soon. Good luck on your path to publication.

All love, Kitty x

 

https://romanticnovelistsassociation.org/membership/#link_tab-1517250016637-2-10

 

My Writing Process – Damaris Young

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damaris young, author, the switching hourI was an avid reader growing up. I would try and copy my favourite stories, filling notebooks with fantastical worlds much like Alice’s wonderland. As my confidence grew, I started writing stories of my own, often to entertain my four younger brothers and sisters. When I moved to Bristol as an adult, I continued writing stories, eventually studying on the Bath Spa Writing for Young People MA, where I wrote my debut children’s novel, The Switching Hour. 

The Switching Hour is my first published book, but I have been writing stories ever since I can remember. I have so many half-written novels hidden away in my desk draw and on long-lost USB sticks!

What you are promoting now?

My debut The Switching Hour, a fantasy story aimed at young readers, is being published by Scholastic on the 1st August. It is about a girl called Amaya who lives with her grandmother, her small brother Kaleb and her pet goat in a land suffering a terrible drought. Every night, the doors must be locked after twilight, the Switching Hour, because the drought has awoken Badeko, a creature that snatches people away to eat their dreams. Three days later, the memory that they existed is gone from those that knew them, and those that are left are afflicted with The Sorrow Sickness – a grief which consumes a person without them knowing why. When Kaleb is taken by Badeko, Amaya must journey into the terrifying forest to find her brother before she forgets him.

The Bookseller has reviewed it as being ‘Highly atmospheric and genuinely spine-tingling, the power of family and female friendships shine in this assured debut’ which was wonderfully encouraging as The Switching Hour makes it’s way into the world for the first time.

A bit about your process of writing. 

I allow the seed of the story to grow by indulging in all the different ways the plot could go, no matter how ridiculous! I spend time thinking about the characters, how they talk and think and what they want most in the world. Once I have an outline for the story, I do lots of research. For The Switching Hour, I looked into what life would be like living through an extreme weather phenomenon, as well as being inspired by my experience growing up in central and southern Africa. I also had to do a lot of research into goat behaviour as my main character has a pet goat who is very much a part of the story!
Do you plan or just write?

I get the first draft down by furiously writing, without looking back on what’s been written. Once I have the first draft written down, I put it to one side and start from scratch all over again. This may sound quite discouraging, but for me the first draft is for getting a sense of the characters, testing out the plot and immersing myself into the story. The subsequent drafts are where the planning really starts and the manuscript begins to take shape. 

What about word count?

The Switching Hour is aimed at 8-12-year-old readers, so the general word count is expected to be around 50,000 words. I’m a ferocious editor of my own work so I do find it a struggle to keep my word count up!

What about structure?

I structure my story around the key narrative points, the exposition, the inciting incident, the peak and the resolution. When you’re writing for children it is especially important that you get to the inciting incident as soon as possible, to really capture the readers attention. In The Switching Hour, the inciting incident is when Amaya’s younger brother is taken by the Badeko and she must journey into the forest to find him. If you can create intrigue from the very first page all the better! I will always rewrite my opening chapters last, which may seem strange, but it helps to understand how the story ends in order to know where the best place is for it to begin. 
What do you find hard about writing?

Self-discipline. I write from home, sitting on my sofa with my two dogs snoring next to me and I’m easily distracted by social media, emails and even the washing up when I’m in the middle of a tricky chapter! It’s important to take time away from your laptop and just allow your mind to mull over the story, letting the character take up space in your head (and heart) but there’s no getting out of the fact that you have to just sit down and WRITE! 
What do you love about writing? 

I love getting swept away by writing, when I’m immersed in the story and I’m creating something that I really care about. I also love the way that my characters can surprise me by acting in ways that I hadn’t anticipated. Amaya in The Switching Hour was initially boisterous and outgoing (something I thought I wanted her to be) but I soon found out Amaya was actually a younger version of me, someone who felt unsure of herself and sometimes alone, yet fiercely protective of those she loved.

Advice for other writers. 

Believe in yourself and your writing. It’s all very well taking courses, reading books about writing and going on writing retreats (all things that will help you improve!) but if you don’t believe in your ability it will show on the page, so be your own biggest supporter! Another piece of advice would be; don’t follow trends. The publishing process can be slow and so by the time you have written the story about the latest trend, the publishing world will have most likely moved on. Write what you enjoy and aim to write it as best you can. And most importantly, just keep writing!

The Switching Hour is available here. 

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SISTER SCRIBES: CASS GRAFTON ON HOW 200 YEAR OLD SISTER SCRIBES HELPED FIND A CHARACTER

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Writers have various ways of defining the characters in their books. When one of your characters is, or was, a real person, however, surely it’s so much easier?

Well, that depends on whether you’re sensible and choose someone about whom there is a wealth of fact available, along with authenticated portraits or photographs. If you’re not sensible, and I’m sure you can tell where this is going, it’s not quite so easy.

I co-write with my friend, Ada Bright, and because we have to ensure we’re imagining our characters with the same face and figure, we usually turn to the great Oracle that is Google Images for their appearance. This works brilliantly, unless your character is Jane Austen.

There are a few portraits that claim to be of Jane, but only one showing her face is authenticated. It’s a small pencil and watercolour drawing by her sister, Cassandra, and said by one of Jane’s nieces to be ‘hideously unlike’, whilst others claimed ‘perhaps it gave some idea of the truth’. Faint praise indeed.

Needless to say, as the only authenticated image, it has been widely used, mainly in an increasingly prettified form over the years, most recently on the new ten-pound note.

We were left, therefore, with written accounts of Jane Austen’s appearance. These vary in the eyes of the source, but there are some common similarities: she was tall and slender, her brunette hair was long but cut short around the face to form curls, as was the fashion at the time, and she had hazel eyes, full cheeks and a clear complexion.

This helps our imagined physical manifestation of Jane. But what about her personality?

One of her brothers, Frank, then Admiral Francis Austen, wrote of her in 1852:

‘She was cheerful, not easily irritated, a little shy with strangers. Her natural reserve was sometimes misinterpreted as haughtiness. She was kind and funny, never failing to excite “the mirth and hilarity of the party”.’

Letters, therefore, became our best source. Jane and her beloved elder sister, Cassandra were incredibly close. Even as a child, their mother claimed that ‘if Cassandra were going to have her head cut off, Jane would insist on sharing her fate’.

Jane and Cassandra enjoyed a healthy correspondence when apart. Although we can ‘hear’ Jane’s voice through the characters of her novels, in her correspondence she is very much herself: open and honest, her wit to the fore, and clearly set upon entertaining her sister even as she wrote about mundane things such as the weather, the neighbours and the price of bread, including:

‘Next week I shall begin operations on my hat, on which you know my principal hopes of happiness depend.’ (1798)

‘I do not want people to be very agreeable, as it saves me the trouble of liking them a great deal.’ (1798)

‘I will not say that your mulberry trees are dead but I am afraid they are not alive.’ (1811)

‘He has but one fault, which time will, I trust, entirely remove – it is that his morning coat is a great deal too light.’ (1796)

‘She looks remarkably well (legacies are very wholesome diet)…’ (1808)

Although Cassandra destroyed many of Jane’s letters shortly before her own death, we are grateful to her for passing so many on to family members. It is thanks to her that we were able to develop Jane’s character, and we hope we did her wit and zest for life justice in our books.

 

Sources: Jane Austen’s Letters (4th Edition – 2011), collected and edited by Deirdre le Faye; A Memoir of Jane Austen, by James Edward Austen-Leigh (1870)

 

 

My Writing Process – Kimberlie Hamilton

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rebel dogs, book, I used to live in sunny Southern California and now live in misty Northern Scotland with four cats. Life has been a whirlwind ever since I moved to the UK a year and a half ago – lots of travel, enrolling in a Master’s programme at the University of Aberdeen, getting an agent, earning a coveted “Blue Peter” badge and publishing three books. I’m currently working on a new book (my third for Scholastic UK) and will be presenting at the Edinburgh International Book Festival for the first time this August  Really looking forward to that.

I have written all sorts of things over the years, including advertising copy, travel brochures and blogs, screenplays, newspaper articles, websites, PR and marketing materials, digital content and even some teaching materials (for my English language students in Kyoto, where I once lived). But my true passion is writing entertaining nonfiction books for children ages 8 to 12. 


My latest book is Rebel Dogs! Heroic Tales of Trusty Hounds, published by Scholastic UK (August 2019). It features 30 real-life dogs that all did something amazing and memorable with their lives, plus pages and pages of fascinating trivia about canines across the centuries. It’s the follow up to Rebel Cats! Brave Tales of Feisty Felines (November 2018).

 

I write nonfiction and that requires a load of research, both online and the old-fashioned way, with proper books. After a stack of ‘source material’ starts to pile up, I go through everything, type up a rough outline, and begin distilling and editing. I always edit my manuscripts with a pen, then re-type all my messy scribbled notes the next morning to get myself back into a productive writing groove for the day.
Do you plan or just write?
I’m a Virgo, which means I always plan everything down to the tiniest detail. I’ve met other authors who work without a plan – they simply write a scene here and a scene there and somehow it all magically comes together in the end. I cannot relate to these people at all! I think most nonfiction writers need a structure of some sort.
What about word count?

In the initial phase of writing, I don’t think much about it. I tend to be a very concise writer, even when not writing for children, so there’s little chance of me ‘going off the reservation’ in terms of excess prose. With the Rebel titles, the books were designed and formatted while I was working on the manuscripts, so the Art Director was able to tell me precisely how many characters would fit on each page. I loved that. It was like a game for me, making sure everything fit just right.

What do you find hard about writing?
For me (and I suspect most writers), everything about writing is hard. I vastly prefer editing. Sometimes I think I write just so I have something to edit.

What do you love about writing?
I love the challenge of taking something based on fact and making it sound as playful and entertaining as a good piece of fiction. Tough to do so it’s very satisfying when I actually manage to pull it off.

Advice for other writers. 

My first real job after university was as an advertising copywriter, and everyone in the agency worked way too many hours. But my boss encouraged me to get out of the office and read and travel and see movies and try new things…to experience life to the fullest. He said that the creative spirit is like a battery that needs to be recharged now and then. Life experiences are what sparks and feeds creativity. 

 

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A PUBLISHER’S YEAR: JULY – DREAM GENRES, DREAM JOB

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We’ve been busy publishing lots of books in June and July to get ready for summer reading – August in particular tends to be one of our highest sales months. We’ve published the first two books in a brand new Tudor series by David Field. We released ANOTHER YOU by Frost’s own Jane Cable! This week we also released the first novel in a Victorian crime series featuring a feisty female photographer – SNAP SHOT by Marilyn Todd. We have also managed to sign up quite a few classic military thrillers, in the genres we were searching for, and we have published our first few – some Cold War espionage thrillers by Geoffrey Davison. We are excited to see how those sell on Kindle, especially as Caoimhe is specifically growing our list of readers interested in the ‘action & adventure’ genres.

We have signed another new authors to our books – the lovely Ros Rendle. We have signed a six book contract with Ros – five of which are backlist titles we are reissuing, and one which is a brand new contemporary romance, due for release in 2020.

For the rest of the post, I’ll let our new Editorial Assistant take the reins to let you all know what she’s been learning so far!

Amy

Here are Natalie’s thoughts on her first couple of months:

Since joining Sapere Books, I have learned a lot about the careful work that goes into publishing commercial genre fiction. My role is very hands-on, and involves formatting and proofreading manuscripts, as well as reading new submissions. I love the level of engagement that I have with the books, and the fact that I’m working with stories that will appeal to a wider audience. My duties at my previous jobs in publishing were largely admin and project management-based, so it’s great to have the chance to do some more detailed editing! It’s also great to be part of the decision-making process with regards to the books that are signed up, and I’m still developing my eye for what makes the ideal Sapere submission.

I’m a big fan of historical fiction, so I’ve had a lot of fun working on Elizabeth Bailey’s Regency romances, as well as the first instalment of Marilyn Todd’s Victorian mystery series! But working on genres that I’ve had less experience with — e.g. crime fiction and political thrillers — has also been a welcome and rewarding challenge. I’m very grateful for the breadth of Sapere’s publishing; this has allowed me to expand my horizons both as a reader and as a young publishing professional.

I’ve never worked from home full-time before, but I’ve found that this suits me well. I’m good at setting boundaries in terms of space and working hours, which helps me maintain a productive, energised and disciplined mindset. Amy is always on hand to help with any queries I have, and the training and support that I’ve received has been fantastic. There are plenty of opportunities to meet up with the rest of the team for catch-ups and industry events, and they’ve all made me feel very valued and welcome! To summarise, this is my dream job and I’m looking forward to continuing to assist with Sapere’s exciting projects!

SISTER SCRIBES’ READING ROUND UP: JULY

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Cass:

“Everyone should be adopted, that way you can meet your birth parents when you’re old enough to cope with them.” So says Pippa Dunn, the eponymous heroine of Alison Larkin’s debut novel, The English American (which has its roots in her autobiographical one-woman comedy show of the same name).

Adopted as an infant and raised terribly British (attending a posh boarding school, able to make a proper cup of tea and in the ‘love’ camp for Marmite on toast), Pippa – now 28 – discovers her birth parents are American. Finally, she begins to understand why she’s so different from everyone she knows.

Pippa sets off for America, soon meeting her creative birth mother and her charismatic birth father. Moving to New York to be nearer to them, Pippa believes she’s found her ‘self’ and everything she thought she wanted. Or has she?

This is a hilarious yet poignant story where you are laughing out loud one moment and holding back tears the next. Pippa’s journey is very funny, yet deeply moving, and I highly recommend The English American to anyone who loves to finish a book with a smile on their face and a warm feeling in their heart.

 

Kitty:

I’ve been in editing mode this month so have listened to audiobooks to relax, sitting there as the words wash over me reminds me of story tapes and childhood and I quickly sink into a blissful state.

Helping me do this was Celeste Ng’s Little Fires Everywhere.  Having read rave reviews and knowing it had been optioned made me curious and I was greatly rewarded for being so. I got utterly caught up in the story of the families in this book, Ng’s characterisation deft and skilful with surprises around every corner as she explores themes of motherhood and social class.

I’m currently listening to Sally Rooney’s Normal People and again can’t help but admire the way she captures that insecurity and self-doubt of adolescence that lies behind the masks we don. Two remarkably skilful writers that I highly recommend.

I’ve also devoured Jill Mansell’s Don’t Want To Miss A Thing – in book form. As ever, Jill Mansell can be relied upon to be utterly perfect as she delivers that hit of escapism and brings a smile to your face. Faultless.

 

Jane:

I’ve been reading two books set in Italy this month; both romances and both by members of our ‘Take Four Writers’ team from last year. But apart from that they couldn’t have been more different and it was a joy to be reminded how broad the church of romantic fiction is.

The first was The Tuscan Secret by Angela Petch. This is a dual timeline between the present day and the Second World War and the historical part is loosely based on Angela’s husband’s family. Tuscany is a part of the world she knows very well and her love for it shines through in the achingly beautiful descriptions of the settings. This very gifted writer can certainly take you with her, both in terms of location but also the richness of the story. It’s a much loved trope (daughter is left to discover mother’s secret after her death) and so well told I really missed the characters when I had finished reading.

In complete contrast Lucy Coleman’s Summer on the Italian Lakes is a thoroughly modern love story. After a rather nasty bout of writers’ block, romance author Brie Middleton agrees to help out at a summer retreat on Lake Garda, and of course love is just around the corner. What I particularly liked about this book was the ‘shape’ of the romance – it wasn’t formulaic or predictable – but to say more would be a spoiler. The characterisation was fabulous too and it makes a great holiday read.

My Writing Process – Dr Kathleen Thompson

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I suppose I’m an unusual writer. I write lots of factual stuff for my day job – I’m a doctor and test new medicines to check they work and are safe. However I am also enjoying writing an Italian novel currently. I’m familiar with the Italian way of life, psyche and language and it’s fun to create an insight into the truth behind la vita bella d’Italia for the reader. 

My first book was a self-help guide for breast cancer – From Both Ends of the Stethoscope: Getting through breast cancer—by a doctor who knows which won two book awards –the Words For The Wounded Book Award 2016 and the Janey Loves (Radio 2’s Janey Lee Grace) 2017 Platinum Award. When I had breast cancer myself, even I found the hospital experience confusing and frightening. How much harder for people without a medical background? So I wanted to provide the knowledge people needed, quickly but easily – people with cancer are in a state of shock and it’s hard to absorb things. I wrote the guide using my personal experience, whilst drip-feeding what people needed to know. You can read my book from start to finish, or dip into chapters – each one deals with a specific aspect of your cancer journey, and finishes with a summary and further information. Because of my background, I’m passionate about debunking internet medical ‘facts’. There is good information out there, but also much which is misleading or dangerous. I share simple rules for assessing the quality of the information in my book, and also summarise how to reduce cancer risks through life-style. 

Since then I’ve written articles for Frost Magazine, and Huffington Post. I love demystifying medical issues for people – it shouldn’t be complicated.

So how do I write? My biggest challenge is expressing emotion. As a scientific writer I’m used to stating facts, there’s no place for feelings in a scientific report. But people kept asking me what having breast cancer was like. So I had to take a deep breath and really describe my feelings. I’m getting better, but I still find it hard to let go and show my vulnerability. 

My breast cancer guide pretty much wrote itself. Odd things happened during the course of my cancer – unpleasant for me, but perfect material for a book – such as when my operation was nearly cancelled literally at the final hour, and when a doctor tried to give me radiotherapy to the wrong area – it was as though a writer in the sky were choreographing my life to make a perfect story. For novels, I try to write a plan first. I detail the synopsis, the characters and the chapters. 

I like to write concisely – and prune my work repeatedly. This lends itself to online journalism, like Frost Magazine, as people can see the whole article on a smartphone page. 

If you’re inspired to start writing, you should find a good creative writing course, run by an experienced published author. I learned so much about writing technique from my mentor, the best-selling author Margaret Graham. Join a writing group and share your work with your peers – you’ll get essential feedback. Writing a book takes longer than you think. Until you’re very experienced you’ll need to rewrite until it works. But if you enjoy it – keep going, it’s a lot of fun.