Literary agent. Offers. First refusal. Revision. Contracts. Murder. These are all words that could describe my journey to signing with an agent. (Except for that last one. I was just joking. Or was I?) Readers of the blog might remember that I signed with Amber Caraveo of Skylark Literary back on December 16. But like all stories, it doesn’t actually begin there. When most writers decide to go the route of traditional publishing, they start by querying literary agents. They send out a juicy story blurb, tantalizing first chapters, maybe a sexy synopsis (two words you never thought you’d see together)....
2015 has been full of change – most of it very good! Here’s my year in review. 1. I launched an anthology in London! I finished out my role as co-editor for Bath Spa University’s Class of 2014 anthology, Beautiful Lies! It was amazing to see the book come together, and to watch my classmates connect with agents and publishers on the big night. 2. Sarah and I drove the Ring Road in Iceland! In five days, we rounded the majority of the island. With our trustworthy steed (aka car) Thorny the Bold, we traversed unpaved roads, braved mountainsides, and had many...
I’m a huge fan of commissioning artists whenever I hit a milestone in my writing. That’s why I made a whole list guide of some rad artists currently open for commissions over on The Great Noveling Adventure. It’s really fun to see your characters come to life in art! Today I decided to take a trip down memory lane and pull out some of my favorite commissions from years gone by. The vast majority are by my incredibly talented sister, Laura Hollingsworth, in exchange for slavery services. She’s a freelance illustrator–go check her out! There’s also one by the amazing Lora Innes,...
Last July, I volunteered to co-edit the Bath Spa University MA Writing for Young People anthology with Irulan Horner. I don’t think either of us realized quite how much work we’d be doing, though we were warned. Over the last ten/eleven months, I’ve worked from afar extensively with our mail-out team, developed a website and social media strategy with Lindsay Schiro, and edited, edited, edited the little book that became Beautiful Lies. (Also, I’m going to humbly approach the #bragtable and mention that the title was my idea – based on a David Almond quote – and I am very...
As many of you probably know, for the past ten months I’ve been co-editing for Bath Spa University’s anthology, Beautiful Lies. Nineteen writers, nineteen stories for young people. We launch in London on 12 May, and while you’re reading this I’ll be landing in England. It’s exciting times! One of the things I love to do is creating quote graphics. It’s a fun design exercise and an exciting way to visually explore creative writing. So when I sat down with Lindsay Schiro to brainstorm ideas for our social media team, I suggested we take a page from publishers’ social media–erm–books. Often publishers will post...
If 2014 had a word, it would probably be: Belonging. In 2014, I… (more…)
I’ve just published a post over on The Great Novelling Adventure about creating influence maps for your creative writing. I thought I’d take the maps I made for myself and expound on them here, in case anyone is curious. No story (or writer) is created in a vacuum. Everyone has threads connecting their creation to the wider world. Having other forces influence you doesn’t make you unoriginal–in fact, I think the way we interpret the things that influence us is what makes us unique. (more…)
Arguments are both exciting and difficult to write. It’s challenging to strike a balance, to make sure both sides are winning, and to avoid repetition. A well-written argument goes through plenty of revising before it can inflict Falcon-punch levels of pain. Below are the steps I take to ensure my arguments as tight and terrible as possible. 1. Take sides. Before you draft, ask yourself: What is this argument really about? What does Character A think it’s about? What does Character B think it’s about? Spend some time getting into their heads. In a good argument scene, both sides are a little right and...
I recently finished my first draft of Illuminate, which was very exciting! Don’t get me wrong—there is still a ton that needs to happen before it goes to agents in the spring. But there’s a thing that happens when you finish your draft: You have to start thinking about the next story. The way I write is by focusing my creative energies on one story at a time (“time” can be exclusive, or “per day” if I am drafting and revising two different projects). This means I don’t usually have a pocketful of future-stories I’m eagerly waiting to work on. As a result, whenever I...
When you dive into worldbuilding, it’s easy to get caught up in the whirl of landscape and custom and fashion. But don’t forget to build details like your, country’s flag’s colors or design! Designing a flag can help you discover something new about your country’s history and myths. Just have a look at some of our real-life flags and all the history, stereotypes, and attitudes associated with them. (The Union Jack and the imperialism ingrained in its very design. The American flag, the very image of which seems to conjure eagles and liberty (or rednecks). Canada’s red leaf and maple syrup....
