Sara has an exceptional talent for describing the craft of writing, so when the first attempt at recording the podcast didn’t work Sophia was determined to try again. This time it went better. Sara Collins was a lawyer for seventeen years before she embarked on a Creative Writing Masters at Cambridge University. While there, she won the 2015 Michael Holroyd Prize of Re-creative Writing and was shortlisted for the 2016 Lucy Cavendish Prize. So it is perhaps not surprising that the book she began writing then ended up winning the 2019 Costa First Novel Award. She is now working on the screenplay of the book.

Thanks as always to Christopher Pett for production and editing.
(Sara Collins image credit: Justine Stoddard).

Links to resources: 

The Confessions of Frannie Langton: https://www.penguin.co.uk/authors/134770/sara-collins.html (UK) https://www.harpercollins.com/author/cr-131969/sara-collins/ (US)

Sara on Twitter: https://twitter.com/mrsjaneymac

The Costa First Novel Award: https://www.thebookseller.com/news/collins-and-coe-among-category-winners-costa-book-awards-2019-1147381

Agent, Nelle Andrew at PFD: https://petersfraserdunlop.com/agent/nelle-andrews/

The Oprah magazine: https://www.oprahmag.com/entertainment/books/a27813977/sara-collins-the-confessions-of-frannie-langton/

Discussion by Emma Darwin of Rose Tremain’s essay ‘The First Mystery’, in which she talks about reimagining experience and research: https://emmadarwin.typepad.com/thisitchofwriting/2011/11/yours-to-remember-and-mine-to-forget.html

Robert happened to be writing his first children’s book at a time when Anthony Horowitz’s Alex Rider series was about to make child spies the next big thing. He didn’t know this at the time, but he describes how useful Alex Rider was in getting his story noticed. He then went on to sell 13 million books – and counting – of the Cherub series starring James Adams, which are the most successful books I know for getting pre-teen boys avidly reading. That said, 40% of the people in Robert’s queues are girls, and he can write strong female characters too.

Thanks as always to Christopher Pett for production and editing.

Links to resources: 

Robert’s website: https://www.muchamore.com

Eddison Pearson literary agency : https://www.eddisonpearson.com

Cressida Cowell instagram: https://www.instagram.com/cressidacowellauthor/

Photo credit: Ed Miller 

Annie talks to Sophia about what an editor is looking for in a great story, what it was like to work with authors like Philip Pullman and Malorie Blackman, and why chemistry with an author is important. It's great to get Annie's insight into the marketing process and what a publisher is thinking when it comes to launching your book.

Thanks as always to Christopher Pett for production and editing.

Links to resources:

Before I Die by Jenny Downham: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Before_I_Die
Tales on Moon Lane: https://www.talesonmoonlane.co.uk
West End Lane Books: https://welbooks.co.uk
Muswell Hill Bookshop: http://www.muswellhillbookshop.com

Candy was born and raised in the Philippines. For years, as a pre-published writer, she was the author of the blog 'Notes From the Slushpile'. Eventually, her debut novel, 'Tall Story', won the National Children's Book Award of the Philippines in 2012 and the Crystal Kite Award for Europe in 2011. 'Tall Story' was shortlisted for 13 further prizes, including the Waterstones Children's Book Prize, the Branford Boase Award, the Blue Peter Book Award and the UKLA Children's Book Prize. Her second novel, 'Shine', won the Crystal Kite Award for the British Isles in 2014. 'Bone Talk' was shorlisted for the Costa Book Awards and the CILIP Carnegie Medal in 2018.

Thanks as always to Christopher Pett for production and editing.

Links to resources:

Candy’s website: https://www.candygourlay.com
The CILIP Carnegie medal: https://www.carnegiegreenaway.org.uk
Notes from the Slushpile: https://www.notesfromtheslushpile.com
Money, Time, Confidence: What Writers Need to Thrive: https://www.alcs.co.uk/news/money-time-confidence-what-writers-need-to-thrive
Bookseller conference: https://www.thebookseller.com/childrens-conference
Unbound: https://unbound.com
Times/Chicken House Childre’s Fiction Competition: https://www.chickenhousebooks.com/submissions/
Undiscovered Voices: http://www.undiscoveredvoices.com
SCBWI: https://britishisles.scbwi.org
Lee Weatherley’s tips on how to write a synopsis: https://www.notesfromtheslushpile.com/2007/06/lee-weatherly-tips-on-how-to-write.html

Sophia and Karen talk about how to hook reluctant readers with pacy plots and catch phrases, working with unpublished writers (pre-published writers) and why voice is so important. Karen also brilliantly describes the essential boost for your self-esteem that having another creative pursuit, such as sewing, can give you.

Thanks as always to Christopher Pett for production and editing.

Links to resources:

Karen’s website: http://www.speckledpen.com
Karen’s blog about sewing: https://didyoumakethat.com
Unbound (for crowd-funded books): https://unbound.com
Wool and the Gang: https://www.woolandthegang.com 
Deep Work by Cal Newport: https://www.calnewport.com/books/deep-work/
Reacher Said Nothing by Andy Martin: https://www.waterstones.com/book/reacher-said-nothing-lee-child-and-the-making-of-make-me/andy-martin/9780593076637
Art School, Smart School: https://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/b04pr1w2

Caroline is the writer of over 30 books for children, including the series: 'The Roman Mysteries', 'The Roman Quests', 'The Time Travel Diaries' and 'The PK Pinkerton Mysteries'.

Thanks as always to Christopher Pett for production and editing.

Links to resources:

Caroline’s website: https://carolinelawrence.com/

'How to Write a Great Story' by Caroline Lawrence: https://carolinelawrence.com/how-to-write-a-great-story/

John Truby 'Anatomy of Story' course: https://truby.com/the-anatomy-of-story/

'Save the Cat' by Blake Snyder
Website:  https://www.savethecat.com
Book: https://store.savethecat.com/collections/save-the-cat-books/products/save-the-cat-the-last-book-on-screenwriting-youll-ever-need

Russell T. Davies on Desert Island Discs: https://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/m0009zlq

'Drawing on the Right Side of the Brain' by Betty Edwards: https://www.drawright.com

'The Artist’s Way' by Julia Cameron: https://juliacameronlive.com/the-artists-way/

'Jupiter’s Travels' by Ted Simon: https://jupitalia.com

WritePro by Sol Stein : https://www.writepro.com

Over a 20-year career, Cliff has written many fantasy, sci-fi and supernatural stories for children and young adults. The Doomspell Trilogy, his debut series, sold to 26 countries. His 2006 ghost novel, Breathe, was voted as one of the top 100 adult and children's novels of all time by the Schools Network of British Librarians in 2013.

Thanks as always to Christopher Pett for production and editing.

Links to resources:

Cliff’s website: https://www.cliffmcnish.com

Cliff’s posts on 'Notes From the Slushpile': https://www.notesfromtheslushpile.com/2013/05/deepening-character-conversation-with.html

https://www.notesfromtheslushpile.com/2015/06/the-devil-is-in-detail-writing-villains.html

John Truby on writing: https://truby.com

'Save the Cat' by Blake Snyder
Website: https://www.savethecat.com
Book: https://store.savethecat.com/collections/save-the-cat-books/products/save-the-cat-the-last-book-on-screenwriting-youll-ever-need

‘Morning pages’, from 'The Artist’s Way'  by Julia Cameron: https://juliacameronlive.com/basic-tools/morning-pages/ 

'On Writing: A Memoir of the Craft', by Stephen King: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/On_Writing:_A_Memoir_of_the_Craft

'The Seven Basic Plots' by Christopher Brooker: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Seven_Basic_Plots 

Caroline is a bestselling crime writer of books such as 'In a Cottage in a Wood', under the name Cass Green. She teaches the short course in writing crime fiction at City University, London. As Caroline, she’s also an award-winning writer for young adults, with books including 'Dark Ride' and 'Cracks'.

Thanks to Christopher Pett for production and editing.

Links to resources:

Caroline’s website: https://cassgreen.co.uk

The plotting mountain - traditionally known as Freytag’s pyramid: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dramatic_structure

Writing Advice from Matt Stone & Trey Parker @ NYU | MTVU's "Stand In”: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vGUNqq3jVLg

Raindance screenwriting courses with Eliot Grove: https://www.raindance.org/courses/

'Save the Cat' by Blake Snyder
Website: https://www.savethecat.com
Book: https://store.savethecat.com/collections/save-the-cat-books/products/save-the-cat-the-last-book-on-screenwriting-youll-ever-need

John Truby on writing: https://truby.com

'Take Off Your Pants' by Libbie Hawker: https://www.hawkerbooks.com/libbie

'Stealing Hollywood' by Alexandra Sokoloff: https://alexandrasokoloff.com/books/writing-workbooks/

'Into the Woods' by John Yorke: https://www.johnyorkestory.com/thebook/

'The Story Grid' by Shawn Coyne: https://storygrid.com/resources/

'Reacher Says Nothing' by Andy Martin: https://www.newyorker.com/magazine/2016/11/14/how-jack-reacher-was-built

'David Almond': http://davidalmond.com/on-writing/

Val McDermid interviewed by Danuta Kean, 2017: http://www.publishingtalk.eu/writing/why-weddings-can-be-murder-for-val-mcdermid-interview/

'Deep Work' by Cal Newport: https://www.calnewport.com/books/deep-work/

It took Sophia ten years to get her first contract. If you’re writing your own stories, these conversations are designed to help you avoid all the mistakes she made. We look at themes such as plotting, creating compelling characters and what a publisher is thinking when they come to consider your book. You can hear our favourite tips, learn from our writing gurus, and listen to us disagree about what works as we explore the highs and lows of writing a book.

This series focuses on the world of children’s books, but almost all the ideas we discuss apply to writing fiction generally. So whatever you’re working on, settle in to listen to some serious talk about writing.

Before she started writing crime as SJ Bennett, Sophia was the author of ten books for teens, including 'Threads', which won the Times/Chicken House Fiction Competition in 2009, and 'Love Song', which won the RoNA Romantic Novel of the Year in 2017. She’s a visiting lecturer in Writing for Children, a Patron of Reading, and a Consultant Fellow of the Royal Literary Fund. Her latest book, written for Tate Publishing, is 'The Bigger Picture: Women Who Changed the Art World'. You can find her on Twitter https://twitter.com/sophiabennett, Instagram https://www.instagram.com/sophiabennett_writer/  and her very own website http://sophiabennett.com. 

Follow us on Twitter @prepubpodcast, let us know what works, and tell us who you'd like to hear from in future episodes.