Rejection - Get Used to It!

This week a very polite Transition Year student emailed me. He's writing a piece for the Irish Indo on rejection and asked had my work ever been rejected. Well the answer is yes, of course! Most writers if not all have had to deal with some sort of rejection. It's part of the writing game. So you'd better get used to it.Here's what I told him:

My first book, KIds Can Cook was rejected six times before it was finally published by Children's Press. Every time the postman knocked on the door and handed my manuscript back to me in a self-addressed jiffy bag, my heart sank. But I was determined, so I kept sending it out to different publishers. I was twenty-five at the time, and I knew had a good hook and hadn't been done before, so I just kept trying. As Beckett once said 'Try again. Fail again. Fail better.'

Eventually it was picked up and published and became a very successful book. The experience taught me three things: 1/ to write what you love and are passionate about 2/ to do your market research (esp if you want to write popular fiction or non fiction) 3/ to never give up.

Writers must have or develop a thick skin. Even now I get ideas for books turned down by my agent or my publishers, because they are not good enough or not quite right for the market, or it's been done before.

Writing is a tough job, but the rewards - for me, readers who get what I'm trying to say - are worth it. But it's hard work and you have to have a lot of self belief. Being stubborn also helps! Boy does being stubborn help!

I met a professional dancer the other day in RTE who has worked on the X-Factor and other huge shows - we were both on a children's show called Elev8 - and he was asked the secret of his success. Hard work he said. And sticking with it. And going to dance class every day you're not working and keeping fit.

It's a lot like writing. The secret: hard work, daily practice and sticking with it.

Better take my own advice and get back to the writing now!

Yours in writing,

Sarah XXX

Writing in November

Hi All, Sorry I haven't been blogging much - Oct was manic! I did over 17 different school and library visits and spoke to over 1,000 children about writing - phew! It was fun but I'm glad to be back at my desk now, working on the new adult novel and re-writes for Amy Green 4.

November is a great writing month - it's dark, windy, wet and generally a bit depressing. Christmas is still a long way away (honest!), and there's no better time to get the head down and write. Or so I keep telling myself.

I was hoping not to have to do much Amy Green 4 rewriting and tweaking - but that was not to be. My editors thought otherwise! And I trust them 100% and now that I'm getting started on the rewrites I know that they are 110% right, it needs work. The bones are there, the characters are there, the emotion is there, I just have to wrestle it all into line a bit. I do tend to throw everything into every book I write, which can be confusing for the reader. But I've restructure it, I know what I have to do, and there's light at the end of the tunnel.

The adult novel is 3/4 finished - I've had to take a short break to work on the Amy Green edits - but again, I know exactly where I'm going.

I actually like rewriting once I get stuck in. It's when you start seeing patterns and themes that can be brought out more and woven into the early chapters more. It's a really important part of the writing process. Amy Green 4 has already been rewritten 8 times. This new rewrite is number 9. And I'm sure there will be at least 2 or 3 more before it's finished. Probably about 12 in total which is pretty average for me! Sounds like a lot, some writers do as many as 30 or 40 rewrites before they are happy.

I've pasted an interview with The Star below. As I'm not a reader, I have no idea when I ran (oops), but you might find some of it interesting or useful. At the very least it will keep you off Facebook! Watch out for the bit when she asks me about keeping slim for book publicity!!! As if!!!

Yours in writing,

Sarah XXX

(From The Star, Ireland)

1) The writing industry is notoriously hard to get into. How did you get your foot in the door?

The honest answer is that I worked hard and I didn't take no for an answer. And luckily for me, what I love to write - popular fiction - is what people love to read. I had published several children's books when I approached Poolbeg with three chapters of an adult novel, which they accepted immediately. But it took me a long time to get my first book, Kids Can Cook, published.

2) Did you suffer many knockbacks? How did you handle rejection?

A lot of publishers rejected Kids Can Cook, but I kept sending it out until I found someone, Children's Press, who said yes. I was 25 when it was published, so I handled the rejection quite well. I'm not sure I'd handle it so well now. At the time I was determined to get it into print, so I refused to take no for an answer.

3) Did you always know you wanted to be a writer?

No. I wanted to be a ballerina for years! But I knew I wanted to work with books. And I did - I was a bookseller for many years and still work with bookshops as a consultant to this day. Bookshops are amazing places to work. Once I was surrounded by books all day, meeting authors, I realised that I wanted to have one of my own books on the shelves.

4) Which authors inspired you growing up?

Judy Blume on the children's book side - she's amazing - utterly fearless. Maurice Sendak for picture books, an amazing artist and writer. And on the popular fiction side, Maeve Binchy was hugely inspirational - she lived down the road and was so loved and so popular world wide. And more recently, Marian Keyes. Another amazing writer.

6) You're a bestseller in fiction aimed at women. How do you come up with new stories to tell? Are your books based on your real-life experiences?

I don't have any problem coming up with characters and plots - my head is full of both! Settling on one idea can be a problem however. I'm blessed with a vivid imagination. Yes, some of my books use real life situations, twisted and changed to suit the plot. So they are not biographical, but real events certainly shape and inform them.

7) Do you watch Sex and the City at all? Do you think the show has popularised the romantic fiction genre and made readers more open to reading about love/sex/relationships? Do you enjoy reading it yourself?

Yes, I used to watch the television series. Hated the second film though. I felt it wasn't in the spirit of the tv series. No, I think women were reading about relationships long before the show. But I'm more of a Grey's Anatomy girl to be honest!

8) What advice would you give to aspiring writers of fiction? What do you think is the key to writing a good popular fiction novel?

Advice - read. And keep reading. Every writer I know is a huge reader. Be honest in your work. Write with joy, approach the page with a good attitude and keep writing as often as you can. The key - brilliant characters that people can identify with and grow to love. For me, fiction is all about fantastic characters. Benny in Circle of Friends, Rachel in Rachel's Holiday.

9) How do you feel about the plethora of celebrities writing autobiographies and tell-all books? Do you think they downgrade the writing industry by relying on sensationalism so much?

I can't comment because I've never actually read one to be honest.

10) How are you finding writing for the teen genre? What made you interested in doing this? Do you find your children are living in a very different world to the one you grew up in? Do your kids read your books a lot?

I adore writing for young teens. They are the best audience in the world. I get dozens of emails a week from young readers, asking me about the books and telling me about their lives which is amazing and I'm so flattered they want to share things with me.

I've always worked in children's books - I was and still am a children's bookseller and I review children's books regularly for papers and magazines. My first books were children's books, I got distracted for a while by the adult fiction, but now I'm back, and doing both!

No, teenagers still have the same feelings and a lot of the same problems - they just have different ways of communicating now with Facebook, Bebo, mobiles etc. Their world is a bit faster, but as emotionally charged as ever. I don't find it all that different at all to be honest, not if you scratch the surface. Luckily I remember exactly what being 13 was like, very helpful for raising teens and writing about them! No, my son is 16 and has no interest in reading any of my books, and my other children are too young.

11) Can you tell me a bit about your children (names/ages/ whether or not they're showing any interest in writing or anything like that)?

None of my children are showing any interest in writing, but all are huge readers, so I'll wait and see. The youngest is only 4, so he's a Thomas the Tank man. The other two read all kinds of things. Sam, 16, is an action adventure fan, Muchmore, Horowitz, Colfer, and especially Landy. Amy, 7, loves picture books, she's very visual.

12) I see you're working on your tenth adult novel and your fourth Ask Amy Green novel. Can you tell me a bit about each? When will they be published?

The Shoestring Club, the next adult novel, will be published in Spring 2012 and is about three very different girls, one very special dress and an amazing friendship. I can't really say any more at the moment as I'm still writing it! But it's set in Dublin and is quite hard hitting, yet funny (I hope!). Ask Amy Green 4: Party Drama-rama is about the hen party Amy organises for her mum and also about a very special boy with a huge secret. It's finished now and I'm a bit in love with it I must admit - I hated finishing it! It's out next May, 2011.

13) When you write a book these days, you're expected to publicise it, go on TV etc. Do you feel pressure to look slim as a result? Do you diet / exercise / eat healthily?

Slim? Jeepers, I've never been asked that before! No, not at all. Healthy, yes. I try to be as healthy as I can. But I am happy with the way I look and don't want to change anything really. I walk a lot and do yoga every week. I think it's important to give teen girls the message that being happy in your own skin is vital. So when I talk to them, I like to be myself, flaws and all!

14) Finally, have you got any favourite beauty products? What are your favourite shops and designers?

I use a lot of Clinique as it works for me and is easy to get in airports etc. My favourite shop is Stock Xchange, a second hand designer shop in Dun Laoghaire. I love second hand shops, you never know what you're going to find! I also like Rococco in Sandycove which has a lot of bright, fun clothes, and great staff; and Seagreen in Monkstown has great sales. Designers - I tend to be a bit of a mix and matcher, so I have all kinds of bits from different designers, mostly picked up second hand.

Approaching the Page with Joy

I'm reposting this from 2009 as I'm just back from tour and wiped out to be honest. But I have lots to tell you on the writing front, lots to share - so back soon, I promise!But until then . . .

Approaching the page with joy

I’ve been having some slow writing starts these mornings. Christmas is looming near and I’m not at all on top of things. No cards sent, few presents bought – apart from the kids’ stuff on Amazon – toys and Xbox games. All Jago, 3 wants is a rubbish truck, bless him. Amy, 6, a bike; Sam, 15, horrible gore-fest X box games. Books I buy from my local bookshops – as a former bookseller I feel it’s really important to support them always and forever but especially when things are a little tough.

Every morning I’ve been taking a walk, an attempt to shake me out of the Munch funk – feeling a little down and slow and sluggish and not all there mentally. I try telling myself how lucky I am, how thousands, millions would give their eye teeth to have one book contract, let alone several.

And I do feel lucky, really I do. But I must admit that now and again it all seems a little overwhelming and I feel swamped with work and scared at what I have to do.

So I have to take a step back (after moaning to some of my fellow writing friends of course, I’m only human), calm the voices in my head (you can’t write, it’s all nonsense, one day someone will realise how rubbish you are . . .) and just get on with the business of finishing the darned book.

I have to stop thinking about deadlines and start concentrating on my plot and my characters. And most importantly, as my lovely and very wise London editors told me, give my story room to breathe. I have to strip back all the unnecessary scenes from the book and let the main characters shine through.

I was at a talk by Carlo Gebler on Monday and he said something very interesting. He said that he only got published (after trying many times) when he started telling his stories simply – going from A to B to C with embellishment. It’s as simple at that. If you get that right, you can add a little sparkle to the writing later. It’s excellent advice.

A to B to C.

I’m currently rewriting Amy Green book 3, Bridesmaid Blitz. It’s set in Dublin and Paris, and Mills (Amy’s best friend) was the star of the Paris scenes. But I see now that Amy was being sidelined and it wasn’t quite working. Yes, even my carefully researched rapping scene starring Clover will have to hit the editing floor. And it’s hard. But it will be a better book for all the cutting and rewriting.

I have to stop worrying about deadlines and reconnect with the joy of writing – the reason I started writing in the first place. Write for the sheer love of it. The privilege of sitting down at my desk and losing myself in a story for hours and hours. You know the feeling you get when you’re lost in a brilliant book and you just don’t want it to end, ever? That’s the feeling I get on a good writing day.

Sometimes it takes days to get to that feeling, sometimes, if I’m lucky, minutes. But today I’m feeling lucky . . .

Back to the blank page . . .

May the joy of writing (and reading) be with all of you.

Sarah XXX

How Important is Your Book's Title?

How Important is Your Book’s Title? Tips on attracting the right kind attention for your book . . . How important is a book’s title? In a word, vital. Good titles should reflect the content of the book. They should be short (or shortish) and snappy, they should suit the type of book you are writing. If it’s a crime novel, blood is good in a title. Not so good for popular fiction. And as it’s popular fiction I write, that’s what I’ll concentrate on now.

Who decides on a book’s title? Mostly the author. But if the sales and marketing team don’t like your chosen title, you’re in trouble. Sometimes it’s worth sticking to your guns, but often they have a point. All they care about is selling your book. They are not really interested in how many hours/days/weeks you’ve put into coming up with a clever title. Your editor might be, but it’s the sales and marketing team’s job to squeeze as many of your books into as many bookshops and supermarkets as possible, and in order to do this they demand a/ a good cover and b/ a good title – and it’s their job to complain if either are not right for their customers. And I’m always very grateful for their input. They are the ones who put my books on the shelves. And all any writer really wants is as many readers as possible, yes?

Some writers would probably recoil in horror from what I’m about to say – so avert your eyes if you must – in the case of one adult book, Anything for Love, I gave my editor a list of titles I liked and asked her to pick one, yes, asking the sales and marketing team for their input too. And they picked Anything for Love. And the other titles I suggested – well, here you go – which one would you choose?

The Charity Queens – as they don’t use the term in the UK this was rejected very quickly Taking on the Charity Queens – see above

Girl Friday – also rejected – funnily enough, Jane Green used this title for one her books last year and I still like it can't recall why they didn't to be honest!

Her Girl Friday - bit clunky

A Girl Called Alice - boring

I like Anything for Love as a title but I don’t LOVE it. It doesn’t really say much about the book.

The next adult book, The Shoestring Club, now I LOVE that title, and it was one I came up with and liked from the start. The book is out in 2011 and already has a stunning new cover look.

I think titles work best when they SAY something about the book. My Ask Amy Green series is about a girl – Amy Green – who helps people, and also helps write an agony aunt column for a teen magazine. The first book is called Boy Trouble, then there’s Summer Secrets, Bridesmaid Blitz, Party Drama-rama, Dancing Daze, and Wedding Belles. All are directly linked to the plot. And I’m very pleased with each and every title. All were easy to come up with, except for Party Drama-rama.

Here were some of my suggestions: Party Girls Party Madness Party Drama-rama Dublin Drama-rama Dizzy in Dublin Party Pandemonium (I liked this but I wasn’t sure younger readers would know what Pandemonium - or Palooza, another of my suggestions – actually meant) Party Planners It’s a Girl Thing – this is a bit lazy actually – and it’s been used before Glitter Girls Friends and Fireworks Parties and Promises It’s My Party

Some of which are actually pretty good. But I was finding it hard to settle on one, so I sent the list to my editors, who spoke to sales and marketing and ta, da, it’s Party Drama-rama which suits the book perfectly!

So there you go, some inside info on the work and thought process that goes into a title.

Is this helpful to you – probably not! But I hope it’s interesting.

Above all pick a title that’s easy to remember, says something about the book, and suits the type of book you have written. Song titles work well – think of Marian Keyes’s ‘This Charming Man’, as do expressions like ‘Always the Bridesmaid’, but only if they suit the book and haven’t been over used. Above all, make sure it’s not boring.

As Claudia Carroll always says, the first commandment of popular fiction is: Thou Shall Not Bore – quite right too, Claudia!

So Clara Story doesn’t cut it, and neither does The Story of Clara; but Clara's Secret, or The Clara Affair - now you’re talking . . .

Yours in writing,

Sarah XXX

Writing Advice from Kate DiCamillo

Had the good fortune to meet the lovely and ultra smart Kate DiCamillo on Saturday. She gave a rousing reading and q and a session at the Mountains to Sea Festival. She gave 3 writing tips during her talk:

1/ Read 2/ Show up on the page - write every day - doesn't matter if it's short, just write daily. 3/ Be stubborn and stand up for yourself - if you want to be a writer, don't let anyone or anything stand in your way.

Good advice!

Everyone fell in love with Kate during the day - she's amazing and so funny. I do hope she comes back to Dublin soon.

I do love the questions young readers ask authors. They asked Kate - 'Are you a cat or a dog person?' (Dog!) Did you have a doll when you were little? (Yes, Victoria - and Kate still has her in a cedar chest at the end of her bed as she can't bear to give her away.) Do you like mice? (Yes!)

Far more interesting than the questions adults ask - 'where do you get your ideas?' We should all look at things through children's eyes at least once a day. Are you a cat or a dog person? Such a great question!

Yours in writing, SarahX

What's in a name?

A quick post today on picking names. I was giving a writing workshop over the weekend and one of the things we talked about was choosing the right names for your characters. Sometimes I read books and some of the names just doesn't suit the characters. Other times they are just perfect. For eg last night I finished The Perfect Proposal by Katie Fforde, a charming, compelling romantic comedy. The main character is sweet, funny, and put upon by her family who think she's an idiot (she proves them wrong!). Her name is Sophie Appley. It suits her down to the ground.

I try to take great care picking my own characters' names. In the Amy Green books one of my favourite characters is Clover Wildgust. Wildgust is a real name, I found it on a gravestone (sorry, bit morbid I know, but I do love graveyards!). Clover is 'Wild' by name, wild by nature. I could have gone for just Wilde, but I liked the gust bit as it's different. And Clover - well she just is a Clover. Amy is Amy because it's one of my favourite names - my daughter is Amy - and it's also a name lots of girls can identify with - she's my everygirl character in the book. And Green - again is a common enough surname and sounds friendly I think. And Amy is above all, a good friend, to MIlls and Clover, and also to my readers too I hope.

Seth Stone is emotionally strong and together - even though he has to cope with a lot a home - hence Stone. Bailey Otis, who will appear in book 3 is a mysterious boy with a strange past - Otis, after a song I like and Bailey as again it's a little bit unusual, just like him.

The adult book I am currently writing - The Shoestring Club - well, lots of names I really like in there. Arietty Pilgrim is my favourite name I think - an eccentric girl who communicates better with animals than people but has great inner strength. She's an elephant keeper. And I also love Julia Schuster - always Jules or Julia Boolia to her family, or Boolie for short. She's a mess sometimes, and does daft things, but she has a good heart.

I even took great care naming my elephants - Beatrix is the matriarch, and her sister is Enid - and yes they are named after Beatrix Potter and Enid Blyton!

So there you go - think carefully about naming your characters and have fun with it. Make it mean something, to both you and your readers. Names count.

Yours in writing,

SarahX

Be Careful Not to Show Your Age

Remember the days of gr8 and l8r? Thinking of using them in your YA novel to make your teens ‘cool’ and ‘hip’. Think again! These days a lot of teens have iphones, along with predictive text, and they’ve gone back to using complete sentences. Using l8r will date your writing. Other things date writing too – brand names that are popular at a particular moment in time, bands, magazines, radio shows, movies.

Looking back through my first Amy Green, I realise now that I should have used a fictional social networking site instead of Bebo. Most teens have shifted to Facebook these days, and in the US Bebo is practically unknown.

I also included Irish band, The Script, mainly because it’s one of my teen editor’s favourite bands (and she’s fab!). And luckily three years on The Script and still going strong. Along with the X Factor and other ‘brands’ I mentioned.

But in the latest book, Ask Amy Green: Bridesmaid Blitz (out in Oct), I took care not to mention any brands at all unless they were ones with ‘sticking power’, or are widely recognised, like Coke or X Factor. In the books I now have made up telly shows instead of real ones, and fictional bands like The Golden Lions and The Colts (these were also in books 1 and 2).

However I continued with the D4s (who are the mean girls in Amy Green), the Crombies (boys who wear designer gear and play rugby), the Emos and the Goths, as these all play an integral part in Amy Green’s life and hopefully will be around for a while to come.

In the adult book I’m currently writing, set in a second hand designer shop, I have lots of fictional labels – Faith Farenze, Maeve Fabien – and I’m delighted to report that my agent thought they actually existed, which means they must seem authentic. I have also used some real labels with sticking power – Gucci, Prada, Chanel.

So, are you dating your work? Have a look and see.

Yours in writing,

Sarah XXX

Don't Give Up, Not Now!

Don’t Give Up – Not Now! I met up with a friend yesterday who is writing for children. Her book is fantastic but she’s had a few rejections – perfectly normal state of affairs, even for fab books.

She’s been chipping away, trying to get published for eighteen months now. She’s been doing all the right things – going to Children’s Books Ireland talks on getting published, keeping her eye out for new children’s publishers and agents and submitting her book to them (jeepers, some of them take so long to get back to people – and some don’t even acknowledge that they have received a manuscript which is so tough on writers), reading award winning children’s books, writing new books . . . but she’s starting to get disillusioned.

‘I feel like giving up, Sarah,’ she said. ‘Is there any point in going on?’

‘Don’t give up,’ I told her. ‘You’re nearly there. Do you have any idea how many people drop out of writing at this stage? You’re eighteen months ahead of those starting out, and if you keep going you’ll be even more ahead. You’re building up contacts, getting your name out there, finding out about the publishing business. Please, don’t give up, not now!’

She promised she’d keep going. And you know something, I have every confidence that she’ll get there. She has a lovely quirky writing voice, an equally lovely personality, a great sense of humour, and most importantly she’s willing to work hard. I have 100% faith in her.

I know how hard it can be to keep going when you have no idea if you’ll ever get published. So today I have some advice.

Here are the most useful things I can tell you writer to writer:

1/ Read – especially in the age group/area you are interested in writing for – read library/bookshop recommendations, award winners, bestsellers etc. If you want to write crime, romance, thrillers – you must have good idea of the market and the conventions of the genre (before you smash the conventions apart if you want to!).

If you want to write for children – you must be aware of what modern children like – and what works in a children's book. Also exactly what age you are writing for - the under 6s, early readers, confident readers, 8 to 10, 9 to 11, 11+, teen/YA. I have been asked to write more family stories/drama/romance for teens – so there must be a market for it. Publishers are also looking for good novels for girls of 8+. And adventure books with a twist are very strong at the moment – as is horror. Seek out Eoin Colfer, Darren Shan, Derek Landy, and Michael Scott.

2/ Write because you have something important to say – something you are passionate about – your book must have a message/say something to the reader If you are writing for children - write remembering just how it felt to be 4 or 7 or 9 or 13. Dig deep – use your memory – emotions don’t change – yes, kids now have bebo, facebook, mobiles – but they are just different ways of communicating – there has always been bullying, now it just comes in different forms.

3/ Connect with readers online – you must have a good blog or website – you can always write about books/bees/cookery if you don’t want to get personal.

4/ Take constructive criticism on your work – and not from your mother. You might find a librarian or teacher who will read your work – take on board what they say. When you are a published writer, editors have strong opinions (and may not always like everything about your book) – get used to taking advice and rewriting early in your writing career!

5/ Write from the heart – put lots of emotion on the page – don’t be afraid of strong emotion – and use your own emotions to write – if a sad scene – dig deep to a time you felt sad (think of it like acting on the page).

6/ Be optimistic and have a strong constitution – don’t get knocked back by the rejections – there will be many nos along the line – approach every writing day with as much energy and enthusiasm as you can – write with joy as Patrick Ness always says. I say – write with all your heart. Give 100% every time you sit down at your desk.

7/ Don’t give up – Think of Beckett – Ever tried, ever failed? No matter. Try again, fail again, fail better!

8/ Here’s the thing - if your writing is good enough, and your ideas strong and original enough, you will get published, simple as that. Publishers need good books. Make yours one of them. You only need 1 editor to like your book (along with the marketing team of course) –you only need 1 yes – so stick to your guns and aim for that one almighty YES.

Yours in writing,

Sarah X

PS there is a getting published seminar on 11th Sept for adults interested in writing for children - check out www.childrensbooksireland.ie for details.

Writer's Research

One of my best friends, Martina Devlin, is writing another historical novel. Her last one, Ship of Dreams, based on fictional Titanic survivors, took her years to research (and was a huge success) and this one is no different. She spent hours in my Mum's house last week reading old family memoirs, newspaper cuttings and books on - well, I can't say as it's her book, not mine. But the point being, she spent many, many hours looking up tiny details like what a cup of tea cost in the early 20th century, and what people gave as wedding presents in those days (it was all listed in the newspapers of the day and makes fascinating reading). Most writers need to do research - even if their book is set in the present time. At the moment I am researching elephants. One of my main characters, Arietty, is an elephant keeper in Dublin zoo. No, I have no idea why, she just is. It happens sometimes - characters come into your mind pretty much fully formed.

Elephants are very interesting animals - I've read several books on them now and I've found out all kinds of things. Did you know there are 2 kinds of elephants - Asian and African, and Asian have smaller ears? Or that the family groups you see are mums and babies (and grannys and aunts)? No men. The male elephants, the bulls, live alone or in bachelor groups. I could go on and on, but I'll stop now . . .

But what I really need to know for my book is - what do elephants smell like? What do they eat in a zoo? Do they communicate with each other? What does their skin feel like? What would Arietty do every day exactly? Why does she love elephants so much?

And you can't find out things like that in a book. So I'm off to Dublin zoo tomorrow to speak to one of the elephant keepers. She's kindly taken some time out of her day to show me around and tell me about her job.

So I'll be able to go back to my desk fully elephanted up! And it will make Arietty more real and my book better. Plus I get to hang out with elephants - how cool is that?

Reseach is vital. And sometimes it rocks!

Yours in writing,

Sarah XXX

Want to Finally Write that Novel?

Piece I wrote for the Guide to Evening Classes - no harm in repeating the tips! SarahX Want to Finally Write that Novel? 6 Things That Just Might Help

So you want to finally write that book you’ve been talking about for years. You know the one, the story about an office/ad agency/warehouse/school, featuring quirky characters worthy of Marian Keyes, dialogue as cracking as Roddy Doyle’s, the wit of Oscar Wilde, the warmth of Maeve Binchy.

But here’s the thing, the ideas are all there, but every time you sit down at your computer to actually write the great Irish novel, you can’t get past page two. It’s a common problem. Luckily there are many things to can do to get over your writer’s hump.

1/ Read The great thing about reading is that you learn so much, it’s like a ‘how to write’ workshop right there in your hands - how to create characters who are so real they hop off the page, how to structure a plot, how to hold a reader’s attention . . . everything.

2/ Write It may sound obvious, but you learn to write by actually writing. Write as often as you can. The more practice you put in, the better you will be. Work those writing muscles! Try not to worry about what you are writing when you start out, the act of writing is the important thing and you can always go back and edit later.

Some people find it comforting to plan out their book carefully before they start writing, others jot down a lose plan and create character sketches, others just jump straight in the deep end. If you plan your life, and if asked could put your hand on your passport right now this second, you may also need to plan your book!

3/ Be Yourself When You’re Writing It’s not an easy thing to do, but it’s vitally important. Everyone has their own unique way of viewing the world, and their own unique writing voice. Use it.

4/ Start with a Bang Good books draw you in from the very first sentence. Try to start your own book or story in a fun, exciting way so your reader won’t be able to put it down. It’s vitally important that you catch your reader’s attention from the very first sentence.

Here’s an example from one of my own books: ‘Boys!’ Clover taps her pink gel pen against her top teeth, making a hollow rattling noise. ‘They never change.’ From Ask Amy Green: Boy Trouble.

5/ Never Give Up It took me a long time to get my first book published. But I kept trying. If being a writer is your dream, never give up. And stick that bum to the seat, bum glue, that's the real secret to getting published!

6/ Find a Writing Course That Suits You - and Sept is a great time to get motivated - think of it as your own personal back to school! Sometimes all you need is a wee push in the right direction to get you started. Luckily there are some great writing courses right across Ireland to help you achieve your dream. I’ve taught creative writing for many years now with Inkwell Writers, and I’m delighted to say many of the writers passing through the Inkwell doors are now published. It works! Good luck finding a course that is right for you.

Yours in writing, SarahX

The First Book I Ever Read

Here's a quick q and a I just did for the Readathon - Can you remember the first book you ever read by yourself?

I was a late reader, I didn’t read fluently until I was 9 ½ but as soon as it all started to click I flew through all the Enid Blyton school stories. But the first book I can remember being read aloud to me is A A Milne’s poetry books.

What was your favourite book as a child?

As a child and now, my favourite books are Where the Wild Things Are by Maurice Sendak, and Are You There, God, It’s Me, Margaret by the wonderful Judy Blume.

Is there any children’s book which has been handed down through the generations in your family?

Yes, lots – Richard Scarry books, The Secret Garden, Ballet Shoes, Fairy Tale collections and my prized possession, a signed Mary Lavin ‘The Second Best Children in the World’, a brilliant picture book.

What is your favourite book of all time?

See above!

Is there a reading or book related memory/tip that you would like to share with young readers around the country?

In my job as a children’s bookseller I’ve been very lucky to meet a lot of authors over the years – including J K Rowling, Jacqueline Wilson and Judy Blume. And they all have one thing in common, they are all passionate readers. So if you’d like to be a brilliant writer like Jo or Jacqueline, read, read, read!

The Life of a Full Time Writer

HI All,This might be of interest - I wrote it for the National Guide to 3rd Level Colleges - and I whipped it up pretty quickly! Books to be written, don't you know! Actually 2 of them!!!

Here you go:

The Life of a Full Time Writer By Sarah Webb

I have been writing full time for nearly eight years now, both adult novels and children’s books. I have three kinds of days – writing days, event days, and publisher/agent days. Most weeks I have four writing days and one event day. This might be a school visit where I talk to the children and/or give a writing workshop, a library visit or a book festival – often on a Saturday or Sunday. Once every two months or so I also have a publisher/agent day where I travel to London to meet with one of my publishers and/or my agent, or attend a party or launch. That's is the glam bit!

I did absolutely no creative writing in college (OK maybe I wasn't supposed to say that in a guide for colleges - oops - but it's true!), but I did study English and read until my eyes fell out of my head, a great asset to any writer. After college I worked in several bookshops, including Eason and Waterstone’s, along with fellow writers John Boyne and Paul Murray.

There are less than twenty full time children’s writers and/or illustrators in Ireland and it’s not easy to make a living from writing for children. Saying that, many Irish writers have done exceptionally well worldwide, from Eoin Colfer (Artmis Fowl), to Darren Shan (horror), Michael Scott (fantasy-adventure), Derek Landy (Skulduggery Pleasant), Oliver Jeffers (picture books) and P J Lynch (illustrations). As well as the Ask Amy Green series for age 10+ (Walker Books and Candlewick US), I also write early readers for O’Brien Press, and adult novels for Pan Macmillan.

My adult novels are popular fiction, with plenty of dialogue and family and relationship dramas. I write to entertain and inform, and I greatly enjoy inventing characters and plots. My latest book, The Loving Kind, deals with plastic surgery, errant boyfriends, loyalty, and revenge. Ireland has an exceptional record when it comes to women’s popular fiction – with Maeve Binchy, Marian Keyes, Cecelia Ahern, Cathy Kelly and Sheila O’Flanagan – all huge worldwide. There are also newer names on the scene – Amy Huberman, Sinead Moriarty and Niamh Greene. There is always a market for good popular fiction but your voice and your style have to be original.

I start my writing day with a walk. Then I settle down at my desk and write from 9.30 until 1.30. After lunch I will edit what I have written, answer emails, write things for my website, do newspaper interviews or other media requests, answer readers’ emails etc. I also work three or four evenings a week – writing my two blogs, answering more readers’ letters, keeping up with my readers on my Facebook page, writing children’s book reviews for the Irish Independent and Inis magazine, and doing other admin work.

A lot of writing is actually re-writing, working on a book until you get it right. Each book goes through many, many different drafts before it is complete. And it can be hard graft. But when you’ve had a good writing day, when your characters really come to life on the page and pull the story along in a direction you never anticipated, then it’s all worth it.

Sarah Webb is the author of the Ask Amy Green series for age 10+, published by Walker Books, UK, Candlewick Books, US, and other international publishers. Her first early reader, Emma the Penguin has recently been published by O’Brien Press. She also writes romantic comedy for adults and her tenth novel, The Shoestring Club, will be published in 2012. She loves encouraging new, unpublished writers, and is a regular speaker at the Inkwell writing workshops and courses. For more information see: www.sarahwebb.ie or www.askamygreen.com

Q and A from Beauty Couture

Here is the interview from Beauty Couture - and do check out their site - nice!www.beautycouture.ie

By: Niamh, August 03

We have a good old natter with super fantastic Irish author Sarah Webb, about her upcoming book, her top advice for budding writers and her secret ballerina ambitions!

Sarah tell us what you are doing with yourself these days?

‘I'm currently working on my 10th novel, The Shoestring Club, set in a clothes shop. It will be published next year, all being well.’

How did you get into writing?

‘I wrote my first books as a single mum, working full time in Waterstone's. At first it was a financial thing to be honest, trying to make ends meet. I started writing articles for local newspapers, magazines and finally wrote a nonfiction book for children, my very first book. But then I got the fiction bug and I've been writing novels ever since and loving it. I now write full time so I'm very lucky.’

What is it you love about writing?

‘Working for myself; creating characters I grow to love as much as real friends; meeting readers and other writers. It really is an amazing job. Solitary and lonely at times, but generally wonderful.’

Do you prefer writing for younger or older audiences?

‘I like both. The teenage books are shorter though which is kind of nice!’

Would you ever like to see one of your books be turned into a TV or film adaptation? Or do you think a film can never live up to a book?

‘ The film rights for the Ask Amy Green books, my series for age 10+ have been bought, so fingers crossed. I'd love to see any of my books on the big or small screen, it would be fascinating to see what a screen writer and director brought to the stories.’

Why do you think the Irish are so world successful when it comes to writing?

‘We love telling stories, to anyone who will listen! And we are also huge, huge readers. Readers often become writers, it's a natural progression.’

There are a lot of successful Irish women authors out there, how did you manage to get yourself noticed in the beginning?

‘ I think the only thing a writer can do is to a- write a darned good book and b- write a darned good book!!! I'm very lucky as I also like writing for magazine and newspapers so that helps in that I can write columns and other pieces. And I also have a background in children's books as I worked as a children's bookseller for so long, so I have plenty to talk and write about.’

Who is your favourite author?

‘I love Marian Keyes, Judy Blume, Cathy Cassidy, Anne Tyler and Dr Seuss.’

What is your everyday, staple beauty product you’d never leave home without putting on?

‘Clinique City Base in Factor 40 - I burn amazingly easily.’

What is your beauty regime like day-to-day?

‘ I use Clinique products like the Foaming Face wash which I find great and not too harsh, and their Dramatically Different Moisturiser. I keep it all pretty simple as I don't have much time.’

Who is your biggest style influence?

‘Honestly? My best friend, Tanya. She's bang up to date with all the trends and has an amazing eye for what suits people. She should have been a stylist.’

Favourite high-street haunts?

‘Top Shop. Pennys for belts, hats etc. And River Island.’

Favourite designer destinations and designers?

‘Seagreen in Monkstown is a fav as it's down the road from me and they have great sales. I love Lainey knitwear and try to invest in a cardigan or jumper every few years in the sample sales. I also love BTs. I could spend hours in their shoe department!’ (Beautycouture.ie HQ is with you on that one Sarah!)

Heels or flats?

‘Flats by day, heels by night.’

Best bargain ever?

‘Probably a black and gold knitted dress by Temperley. I bought it second hand shop for €100 and it looks fab with black boots.’

As a bestselling author how do you juggle family life, friends and your work etc?

‘With difficulty sometimes! I write when the kids are at school, then take a break to do the school runs, then do admin - emails etc - in the afternoon. I also work three evenings a week, replying to readers' letters, copy editing books, and writing articles and reviews.’

Any advice for writers out there?

‘Yes, bum glue! Stick your bum to your seat and stay there. Read a lot. Write a lot. And never give up. Rejection is part of every writer's life.’

What did you want to be when you grew up? 'A ballerina.'

From www.beautycouture.ie

The Magic of Good Writing Days

There’s nothing like the feeling of joy and contentment that washes over you after a good writing day. A day where everything just clicks into place, where the characters dance off the page, wisecracking among themselves, telling the reader secrets that you, the writer, never knew. Right at that moment you start to believe in the alchemy of the creative process. It doesn’t happen very often. In fact, sometimes it can be a right old slog to get words onto paper, but you have to battle through those days, hoping that golden days are to come.

Interestingly, the best writing days often sneak up on you unexpectedly. You may be feeling a bit under the weather, a bit glandy, but you make yourself sit down at your desk regardless and just get on with it.

Slowly, so slowly, you start to move your fingers over the keys and after a few sentences it starts to get a little easier. And after a few paragraphs you begin to relax into your writing; and after a few pages you are lost in another world, a world of your own making, and you look up and three hours have gone by in a flash.

And you roll your stiff neck, flex your fingers, and give a deep sigh, completely and utterly happy. Because for those three hours nothing else mattered – there was just you and your characters, communing on the page.

And those magical snatches of time, when every single molecule of you is caught up, immersed in story, are what make writing the best job in the world. I wish the true alchemy of writing on all of you.

Yours in writing,

Sarah X

Stuck? Move Your Writing Space

Yesterday I just couldn’t write. The children were rattling around the house, it was hot and sticky, and I was tired and sleepy. I spent the morning at the UNESCO City of Literature launch – Dublin is the 4th City of Literature, along with Iowa, Melbourne and Edinburgh, how cool is that – and intended to come home and get my daily word count done. But it just didn’t happen.

So today I was determined to sit at my desk and write, no matter what. But with the distraction of children coming in and out every few minutes I decided I’d had enough. This morning I moved a small chest of drawers out of my bedroom and then moved my desk and chair into the space, just beside the window. Then I sat down. It didn’t feel quite right so I moved my desk again, bang in front of the window. A little bird – a starling I think, sharp beak, sparkling black eyes – settled on my window sill, making me smile.

And the other great thing about working upstairs is the internet doesn’t work up there. So I’m not tempted onto Facebook or any of my favourite blogs or websites. I don’t spend ages ‘researching’ a small fact that I could easily look up later and not in the middle of my precious writing time.

So that’s where I wrote today, in my bedroom, 2,382 words of my new book, The Shoestring Club. And it felt good. I’ve been having trouble getting into this one as the Amy Green books are so fresh and alive in my head after just writing two in a row, but today the words just flew. So not only did I find a new, quiet writing space, I also found enough head space and a new impetus to empty my thoughts and ideas onto the page.

Maybe a move will also work for you. Is there a corner somewhere in the house that might take a small desk? Have you ever tried writing in the car – believe me, with a laptop, it’s quite do-able! I’ve been that soldier many a time when my children are having an extra noisy day but I still need to be around.

Writing is a funny old thing, sometimes it just takes something as simple as moving to get the creative juices flowing again.

Yours in writing,

Sarah X

Back in Business - Hello Again

Hi All,I'm back after my hols - apologies for the lack of posts recently. Over the next few weeks I will discuss the children's books market - with some news, interviews and general bits and pieces, focusing on the Irish market. If anyone has any questions on the current market do ask me - I'll be talking to booksellers and publishers in Ireland, so any queries are welcome. Yours in writing, Sarah

60 Seconds with Sarah

This is a quick q and a I did for Bord Gais last night - as you can see, I didn't answer all the questions as I couldn't think of a super power I'd like at midnight! Wonder Woman's energy springs to mind this morning as I yawn. I'll wake up soon ;).I'm off to West Cork on Friday to write and have a lovely 2 week holiday, so I won't be posting much for the next 3 weeks - have a brilliant July and talk soon. Yours in writing, Sarah XXX

60 Seconds with……….Sarah Webb

1. What was the last book you read? The Help by Kathryn Stockett, about the world of black maids and the families that hire them. Set in Mississippi in the 1960s, it has some fantastic characters and knock out scenes. I loved it and would highly recommend it.

2. What kinds of books do you most enjoy reading? I read all kinds of books, including books for children and teenagers, which often have brilliant characters and cracking plots. For example I'm off on holidays at the end of this week and I've packed the following: So Much to Tell by Valerie Grove, the biography of Kaye Webb, ex-editor of Puffin Books she was amazing and had such an impact on children's publishing; The Private Lives of Pippa Lee by Rebecca Miller - as I've heard great things about it; Joseph O'Connor's Ghost Light - he writes beautifully; The Love Verb by Jane Green - she's one of the best popular fiction writers around when she's on form; Rules for a Perfect Life by Niamh Greene - great Irish popular fiction; Moneyball by Michael Lewis, a book about baseball and the legendary Oakland A's - I love good sports books!; Personally I Blame My Fairy Godmother by Claudia Carroll and No Ordinary Love by Anita Notaro - more great Irish popular fiction; The Radleys by Matt Haig - zingy crossover vampire book with a difference; and finally Stories from the Queen of Teen Award - stories from last year's shortlisted authors, as I've been shortlisted this year. Oh and also the proofs of John Boyne and David Almonds' new children's novels. Phew! Will I get through them all - just watch me!

3. What was your favourite book as a child? As a child and now my favourite book is Are You There God, It's Me, Margaret by Judy Blume. It's funny, searingly honest and it makes me smile. I read it every year. I also love Maurice Sendak's Where the Wild Things Are. I still read a lot of children's books as they are so darned good!

4. What author past or present most inspires you? Judy Blume first off for changing teen girl's fiction forever. Periods, bras, divorce, peer pressure, bullying - it's all in there - she was the Jackie Wilson of her day and is still writing for children now, well into her seventies. And also Marian Keyes for being so honest in her books and also so honest in speaking about her personal life. Her recent blog entries on her 'black dog' depression have been so moving and I know have made a difference to other people who have exprienced similar feelings, myself included.

5. How did you get into writing? Was writing something you always wanted to do? I used to fill notebooks full of stories from about age 10, and a kept daily diary from 13. I think a lot of writers try to make sense of the world by writing about it from a pretty early age. Plus I've always been a huge reader. I used to read while walking home from school and bumped into many lamp posts and tripped over many dog leads in my day! I think most big readers try writing at some stage. I wrote my first book, a children's cookery book, as a single mum working in Waterstone's Bookshop on Dawson Street. To be honest, I needed the money. I'd been writing articles and reviews for various papers and magazines and I guess I saw a book as the next logical step. It was called Kids Can Cook. My first adult novel, Three Times a Lady, was published in 2000. That was directly inspired by Maeve Binchy, Patricia Scanlan, Sheila O'Flanagan, Cathy Kelly, and Marian Keyes - all trail blazers in their own way.

6. If you could have written any book throughout history which would you pick? Are You There God, It's Me, Margaret. It's inspired. And The Accidental Tourist by Anne Tyler, another brilliant book. I'm sure I'm supposed to say something high brow like Ulysses, but that's just not me. For me, in novels, the character is the thing. To fall in love with a book, I have to love the characters.

7. What do you do to unwind? Read! Walk the pier in Dun Laoghaire. Chat to friends. Watch Grey's Anatomy (the only telly programme I watch) or a DVD.

8. If you had to choose a favourite holiday memory, what would it be?

9. Do you have a guilty pleasure? If so, what is it?

Sport movies or films with any kind of sport in them - it's true. I don't watch sport on the television, ever, but I love films like Field of Dreams, Jerry Maguire, and Bend it Like Beckham. 10. What super power would you most like to have?

11. If you could have three wishes come true, what would you wish for?

12. When you were young, what did you want to be when you grew up? A ballerina. I never dared dream of being a writer. I think I wanted it too much to even dream about it for fear of jinxing things.

13. What famous person dead/alive would you most like to meet and why? Maurice Sendak, because he has produced some truly amazing books and I have a feeling he's just a big kid at heart!

14. What three words would describe you best?

15. Do you have a facebook or twitter account? Yes, I like Facebook very much. It's a great way to keep in touch with friends and family, and it also makes it nice and easy for readers to pop in and just say 'hi'. I love connecting with readers. I don't Twitter. I waste enough time on Facebook.

16. Who would you most like to write your biography? Martina Devlin, novelist and columnist. Although she probably knows me a little too well for my liking!

17. What three items could you not live without? Books, my family, my laptop. Oops, sorry, that should of course read - my family, books, my laptop.

A Note on Word Count

Word counts – I’ll get straight into it, starting with books for grown ups. Popular fiction in particular. My first book, Three Times a Lady was roughly 100,000 words. Here’s how I worked out the word count - I literally counted the words in a Cathy Kelly book, a Sheila O’Flanagan book and a Marian Keyes book and figured that 90 to 120k was about right! This was in 2000. (When I say counted – I counted the number of words on one page and multiplied it by the number of total pages – I’m not a complete lunatic! But you knew that, right? Someone in a writing class I once taught thought I was suggesting they count every word – honestly!)

Some of my other books have been shorter – 85k, 86k, some longer. 126,000 is the longest – When the Boys Were Away. That year publishers were looking for longer books and my story luckily just naturally longer.

I have a feeling the next adult book will be shorter. It’s for a slightly younger age group – older teens, 20s, early 30s – and so far the story just seems to be zipping along and not getting sidetracked by sub plots, which can stretch a book out. So I’d say 80 to 90k.

I’ve asked a few of my friends who write popular fiction and they are mainly in the 90k to 110k category.

Children’s books are a little more complicated. I am constantly asked how many words should a children’s book actually be?

Now, this is a rather vague question. So I ask ‘What kind of children’s book?’ And they say ‘Oh, you know, a novel. Anyone would love it. I’d say age 6 to 80.’ My heart always sinks at this, as it means the writer hasn’t grasped one of the fundamentals of writing for children – and this is that you must know your audience.

Children of 6 do not read the same books as teenagers of 14. And yes, of course there are rare ‘crossover’ books like Harry Potter or The Boy in the Striped Pyjamas’, but in general different age groups have different tastes. And their stories need different word counts.

Knowing you audience and their needs is an interesting one – I’ll make a note to come back to it at a later stage. But for now – word count.

These are very much just guidelines, oh writerly ones!

Picture books are short generally, people, SHORT. Read some picture books, count the words and get a feel for it. Usually less than 400 or 500 words.

Early readers are also SHORT. My Emma the Penguin book in the O’Brien Panda series is 800 words long, and, I hope, not a word out of place. Most publishers will tell you what word count they need for their early reading series – contact then and ask. Just ring O’Brien Press – 01 – 492333 (Dublin) and ask them. They are very helpful. I’m not sure what they are taking on at the moment, but again, that’s useful to know too – again, just ask them. Friendly folk, the O’Brien gang.

Novels for age 8/9/10 - 30,000/35,000 is the norm. Of course some books are longer than that (Yes, yes, you don’t need to mention Harry Potter), but if they are going to be must longer they need to be pretty darned good.

Novels for age 10+ – my Ask Amy Green books are usually around 50,000 words which is quite long for this age group I am told. Judi Curtin’s are about 30,000, Cathy Cassidy’s about 30 to 40,000. But Amy just has a lot to say I guess!

Older teens – less than 60/70,000 would be the norm. But fantasy books do tend to be longer.

The best thing to do is always – ALWAYS – to read a hell of a lot of books in the age group and the genre you intend to write for. Get a really good feel for it and then with that in mind, write your own book. Won’t you get influenced by other people’s work? It’s a risk worth taking. If you are influenced by excellent children’s books – and note I said influenced, by which I mean inspired, I am not suggesting you write ‘like’ anyone else but yourself – surely this is a good thing as long as you stay true to your own voice and your characters and plot are wholly original.

Below I’ve posted a section from the blog of American literary agent, Mary Kole who has some darned good advice and comments on word count on www.kidlit.com – check it out.

She points out that these are just estimates gathered from her (wide) experience. And they relate to the American market in particular, but are also useful for the UK/Irish market: Word counts -

• Board Book — 100 words max • Early Picturebook — 500 words max • Picturebook — 1,000 words max (Seriously. Max.) • Nonfiction Picturebook — 2,000 words max • Early Reader — This varies widely, depending on grade level. I’d say 3,500 words is an absolute max. • Chapterbook — 10,000 words max • Middle Grade — 35,000 words max for contemporary, mystery, humor, 45,000 max for fantasy/sci-fi, adventure and historical • YA — 70,000 words max for contemporary, humor, mystery, historical, romance, etc. 90,000 words max for fantasy, sci-fi, paranormal, etc.

And here’s more useful stuff from Mary: Now for the more practical, everyday truth. Personally — and this sounds extremely crass and judgmental of me, I know — the lower your word count, the more I like you, right off the bat. For example, right now, I’ve got about 150 queries and 8 manuscripts in my queue. And that’s from, like, the last couple of days. That’s a lot of words for me to read. When I get a query for anything over 80k words that sounds really cool, I groan a little bit inside. It’s not the word count, per se, because, if something sounds cool, I really do get excited to read it. It’s that I have so many other submissions on my plate, so I half-dread loving it a lot and having to read all those 80k words. And if I take it on, I’ll have to read those 80k words over and over again as we revise. It represents a big time commitment. I realize this is arbitrary and perhaps lazy of me but… welcome to the world of a very busy agent. Sometimes, we have these thoughts. There are times, though, (and these are the rule, not the exception, I find) when an inflated word count isn’t earned, isn’t awesome, isn’t because every word deserves to be there. I usually find that first-time fantasy, paranormal or sci-fi authors are the worst offenders. They craft a redundant manuscript full of lavish description that moves at a snail’s pace. Then they send it to me and proudly say that there are 155k words and that it’s the first in a trilogy. I read the writing sample and see paragraph after paragraph of dense text with no breaks for dialogue or scene. These are the high word count manuscripts that are problematic. Because, clearly, the author hasn’t revised enough. And if I tell them what really needs to happen — that they need to lose about 50% of their words — they’ll have an aneurysm. But, truthfully, if your word count is anything over 100k in children’s, it better be higher-than-high YA fantasy. And all those words better be good. Cutting words and scenes and “killing your babies,” as I like to put it, is one of the most hard-won revision skills any writer can have. And it usually comes after you’ve done lots and lots and lots of revision in your life. Many debut authors haven’t yet learned how to make — and enjoy — this type of word sacrifice. It shows.

Interesting, honest stuff! I'll be keeping an eye on Mary's blog from now on!

Yours in writing,

Sarah X Word count of this blog - 1, 318!

My Top 10 Villains

Just did this list Sugar Magazine - Queen of Teen publicity - thought I'd share it with you. I do love doing lists. Back to editing Amy 4 now!SarahX

Top 10 Villains

1/ The Child Catcher in Chitty Chitty Bang Bang. The mere thought of that crooked nose and tall black hat makes me shiver. Scary, scary, scary!

2/ Wicked Witch of the West – Wizard of Oz. Another fantastically over the top villain, green faced this time and one of my favourite films of all time. ‘I’ll get you my pretty, and your little dog too.’ Classic stuff!

3/ Jardis, the White Witch from the Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe by C S Lewis who has turned Narnia into ‘endless winter’. Nasty woman who is killed by Aslan, the lion – hurrah!

4/ Annie Wilkes from Stephen King’s book, Misery. Nothing scarier than a character that appears friendly and normal but turns out to be an obsessed ‘number one fan’ with malefic intent. Wonderfully played by Kathy Bates in the film.

5/ All the baddies in the Skulduggery Pleasant books by Derek Landy. There are too many brilliant named villains to choose from: the Faceless Ones, Serpine, Vaurien Scapegrace, Baron Vengeous. Fantastic fantasy-horror books, fantastic villains.

6/ Daniel Cleaver in Bridget Jones’s Diary by Helen Fielding – he caused untold hurt and embarrassment to Bridget and for that alone and for dis-services to girlkind, he deserves to be on this list! He was of course played by Hugh Grant in the film.

7/ The Joker – my favourite comic book villain. Jack Nicholson is pretty great in the film version too. Such a creepy smile.

8/ The Queen in Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs. And the Wicked Fairy in Sleeping Beauty. Horrid women, the both of them! I was terrified of them as a child listening to the fairy tales and watching the Disney movies.

9/ Lord Voldemort from J K Rowling’s uber fantastic Harry Potter books, arch enemy of Harry Potter and all round evil guy.

10/ And finally Nan Mahon from Circle of Friends by Maeve Binchy. Nan betrays her best friend, Benny, stealing her boyfriend, Jack, and lying and cheating her way into his affections. She’s a nasty piece of work but the truth comes out, Nan apologises to everyone (although I’ve never felt she really means it), and Jack wins back Benny’s heart in the end. Aah, happy ending and one of my favourite books.

The Sky is Everywhere by Jandy Nelson

Now and then I like giving you a heads up about fab books, and this is one of them. Published for teens, but I'm 41 and I LOVED it. So for everyone with a beating heart really! The official Inis magazine review is below but can I just say this is the most beautifully produced book I've seen in years for teens - textured cover with sky scene, stunning interior images - poems written on scraps of paper (part of the story), highly unusual blue print instead of stark black, it just looks amazing. As Sonya Sones said in her recent review 'I think I might even want to marry this book.'See http://www.theskyiseverywhere.com/ for more details of Jandy.

Here's that review:

JANDY NELSON THE SKY IS EVERYWHERE Walker Books, £7.99 (PBK), ISBN 9781406326307

‘Gram is worried about me. It’s not because my sister Bailey died four weeks ago, or because my mother hasn’t contacted me in sixteen years, or even because suddenly all I think about is sex. She is worried about me because one of her houseplants has spots.’

From the quirky, direct opening lines of The Sky is Everywhere, you know this beautifully produced book is going to be a little bit different. When her vibrant, confident sister, Bailey dies suddenly, quiet music-geek, Lennie Walker is thrown into emotional turmoil. Despite her lack of romantic experience, she finds herself with two suitors, one of whom is Bailey’s ex, Toby who is struggling with his own feelings of grief and guilt, causing Lennie even more confusion. The other boy is Joe, a gifted musician who slowly makes Lennie feel that one day, maybe, she’ll be able to swallow down her sorrow and move on with her life.

The writing is lyrical and full of telling detail, capturing the heady highs and lows of one very special teenager’s journey from grief, to acceptance and, finally, redemption. Lennie’s voice is spot on, funny, poignant and crushingly real. In quiet moments I still hear her whispering hard won teen wisdom in my ear.

This is my very favourite kind of book, the kind of book you don’t just read, you live. I’d highly recommend it to anyone teenager or adult who enjoys heartfelt, magical, redemptive fiction with a touch of heady romance thrown in for good measure. [Sarah Webb]