A few weeks ago something happened
that I had worried would never, ever happen.
I signed a publishing deal with Oxford
University Press for my children’s fantasy adventure book –
Mold and the Poison Plot.
Gosh. Even writing that seems
bizarre!
I feel a bit like Dorothy when she woke up in OZ - dazed and stunned and
wondering if it's all a dream. Weeks later I'm still wondering if
I've had a bump on the head!
Getting the very thing I’d been
dreaming of for years is an amazing thing. But it has actually,
properly, REALLY happened. During a meeting with my soon to be editor at OUP HQ
in Oxford last week it finally sank in. A whole team of wonderful, talented
people would be working with me to publish MY story! WOW!
 | ||
| Myself and my agent Kate Shaw outside OUP |
I
suppose you might be wondering how I got to this point so let’s Cue The Backstory
and vanish back in time…
As soon as I began writing in 2010
it became clear just what a difficult and competitive industry I was trying to
enter. I did my best and followed all
the advice: Writing draft after draft, joining SCBWI, setting up a crit group, writing another book, going to events and
conferences and workshops, reading books on craft and writer blogs and then
writing some more.
I finished several projects, was
rejected many, many times and kept on going regardless. I felt I was making
progress but just not enough to break through.
I had been writing for over three years
when the idea for this book popped into my head. I spent the next three months furiously
writing the first draft and then, took a leap of faith and sent the first three
chapters to The Golden Egg Academy.
Although I felt I had a plot and a
voice and a story worth telling I also knew it wasn’t at the level it needed to
be, not yet and I hoped GEA would help me get it there.
In January 2014 I met Imogen Cooper
for the first time and our discussion sent sparks of inspiration flying in my
head. I was lucky enough to be recommended for mentoring and my subsequent
meeting with Maurice Lyon gave me such a clear path for the redraft that it
almost didn’t feel like editing!
I did more work with Imogen until I
finally felt it was ready to be seen by agents and in October 2014 I met and
signed with the marvellous Kate Shaw from the Viney Agency.
More edits with Kate followed where
I had to lose a full 10,000 words and then the hardest stage of all –
submissions to publishers!
It was this part that felt the most
terrifying. This was the make or break. Either someone would buy it or they wouldn’t
and if they didn’t then I was looking at having to say goodbye to my much loved
story and start again with something new…
Holding my nerve and staying
positive through rejections was much easier with the help of my lovely
supportive agent but it still tested my very sanity at times. (big thanks to my
writer friends who put up with me and managed to make me laugh when I wanted to
cry!)
And then the interest from
publishers began and I held my breath, wondering if that interest would become something
more concrete… and oh frabjous day it did!
And
so, we can return to the present day –
Summing up then, it’s taken two
years since first beginning Mold and the Poison Plot to secure a book deal with
OUP that will lead to its publication in
Spring 2017 – nearly FOUR YEARS after starting it and SEVEN YEARS after I began writing!
The years of scribbling away may have been
long and often arduous but they have given me so much more than a publishing
deal; I’ve learned what makes me really
happy (stories and writing), discovered I have more strength and grit than I
ever imagined (who knew?), found supportive and wonderful friendships that I
hope will be part of my life forever ( I’m not giving them
any choice in the matter.) and a whole host of wonderful things to look forward
to in the future from launch parties to school visits and hopefully more books!
I feel very lucky indeed and I'm going to do my best to enjoy it all, keep learning and try to remember always that the journey is just as important as the destination.
Feel free to ignore the next bit everyone!
It is a bit Oscar speech I’m afraid but I wanted those included to know how very
much I appreciate them all. I could have waited for the book acknowledgements
or my launch party speech but that is far away and life is uncertain so I just
wanted to get it out there now –
I will be forever grateful to -
1)
The Golden Egg Academy, most especially Imogen
and Maurice - for offering not just insightful editing advice and instruction
on story but never ending support and the most wonderful writing community of
which I am so happy to be a part of.
2)
My agent Kate Shaw for believing in me and my
story.
3)
My crit
group past and present who have been clever and funny and marvelous over the
years (Thank you - Miriam, Allison, Meira,
Gail, Karen, Tania, Paula, Larisa and Michelle)
4) Vashti and James for being the best writing chums a girl could ask for.
5) Jude for knowing me forever and loving me anyway.
6) My mum who took me to the library every week, sat
and listened to me read endlessly and always believed I could do anything.
7)
My dad who told me such good stories about the
pet crocodile he had as a boy in India that I believed they were true for
years! Still kind of wish they were.
8)
Steve – who supported me in every way possible,
never grumbled about my new obsession and took his own joy from seeing me
happy. Love you.
9)
Luke – my heart, my reason for writing, my
sounding board, my harshest critic and always my baby boy. Sorry for the mushy
stuff.
