Derek Landy Wins Irish Book of the Decade Award – Hell Yeah!

You may hear some grumblings in the press over the next few days. ‘What’s this? A children’s book winning Irish Book of the Decade? Surely some mistake.’ ‘The best book of the decade is clearly . . .’ – insert the title of one of the shortlisted books for adults here, or indeed a different title altogether. For adults again, of course.

The thing is, most people don’t actually read many children’s books, if any. They don’t realise how much fun getting lost in a Skulduggery Pleasant novel truly is. They don’t know about Derek’s zippy use of language, his larger than life characters, his rip roaring plots that reach into your throat, grab you by the tonsils and don’t let go.

How could they? They’ve never actually read a Skulduggery Pleasant book. But they will of course feel completely qualified to comment on the series.

But there’s the thing. Awards like this, awards judged by the public, are all about popularity. Books do not become hugely popular for no good reason. They become popular because, all over the world, they are read and loved. LOVED. People don’t bother logging on to websites to vote for their favourite book unless they are passionate about the book and the author.

Which is where children’s authors have a huge advantage when it comes to on-line voting. Irish authors like Derek Landy, Eoin Colfer, Darren Shan, and Michael Scott have enormous international fan bases and far reaching websites. All of them blog, telling their fans what they are up to. When they blog about an award, these devoted and dedicated fan bases rise up and vote. It’s as simple as that.

The Skulduggery books are mega popular world wide, and Landy’s ‘munchkin army’ as it calls it, has spoken. And yes, at scraping 5ft 4 I include myself in that description. I voted for Derek. I voted for Derek because I’m a genuine fan. I also voted because I wanted to see a children’s author win the award. The only other authors that stood a chance were John Boyne and Eoin Colfer, but Landy’s last Skulduggery Pleasant book was published in April, which means it’s still very fresh in readers’ minds, hence he stood the best chance of actually winning.

Did I believe he could actually win? Yes, actually. I did. And he’ll continue to win on-line voting awards until Darren Shan is shortlisted, and Eoin Colfer’s next Artemis is published and he re-establishes himself as Mr Action-Adventure with Fairies. Then Derek will have a true fight on his hands.

So there you have it. Irish Book of the Decade – Skulduggery Pleasant. Call me delighted. The Irish kiddi lit nerds have taken over the country – it’s now official. Next stop, the world.

Do join us! Now go and read the first Skulman book. Bet you’ll get hooked.

LANDY! LANDY! LANDY! LANDY! LANDY . . .

Here’s some official stuff:

Skulduggery Pleasant tells the story of Stephanie, a feisty twelve-year-old girl, and a wise-cracking magician turned detective who is, among other things, dead! Stephanie’s uncle Gordon is a writer of horror fiction. But when he dies and leaves her his estate, Stephanie learns that while he may have written horror, it certainly wasn’t fiction. Pursued by evil forces intent on recovering a mysterious key, Stephanie finds help from an unusual source….the wisecracking skeleton of a dead wizard.

Derek Landy, author of Skulduggery Pleasant, the Bord Gáis Energy Irish Book of the Decade, said;

“Astonishingly enough, I am not taking this opportunity to gloat, because apparently that isn’t very classy. The wonderful thing about this award is that it was open to every category, and so books for younger readers were as relevant as adult literary novels. Children’s book sales account for 25 percent of all books sold in Ireland, but you don’t get to see this kind of equal footing too often. It shows a real respect for our next generation of readers, and it’s because of these readers that I can accept this award with sincerest gratitude, and without apology. I DO think a little gloating would have made this statement a whole lot funnier, by the way…”

Tom Owens, Chairman of the Bord Gáis Energy Irish Book Awards, commented;

“When Derek Landy’s Skulduggery Pleasant first came to prominence, Derek was hailed as a literary sensation, an unknown author who secured a seven figure sum on the back of a debut novel – not an easy crown to carry! However, not only was Skulduggery Pleasant a huge international success but together with the other three published books in the series, it mobilised many young people not only to start reading but to get passionate about reading. Derek’s story is one of the great Irish literary stories of the Noughties and he is a worthy winner”.

Alastair Giles, Executive Director of the Bord Gáis Energy Irish Book Awards, has said;

“Nearly 60% of the novels on the 50-strong shortlist were literary novels by giants such as John McGahern, Anne Enright, Colm Tobin and William Trevor but by beating such opposition in the web-poll, Derek Landy has shown us how young readers can be energised to care about books and reading. In his short and brilliant career, he has built the Skulduggery series into a juggernaut of popular success on a scale which may yet rival Harry Potter and Twilight. In his wake he is bringing along a whole new generation of young readers and that has to be good news for anyone interested in ensuring the Irish literary heritage will continue to grow and develop into the next decade.”

I’m just taking a short breaking from working through the line edits for Amy Green, Bridesmaid Blitz which will be out in October. The timing’s pretty tight so I’m trying to devote as many hours to them as I possibly can, day and night.

Line edits come after the structural edit (sometimes there can be more than one of these if the editor has encountered lots of things they’d like to see changed or worked through) and accompanying author’s re-write. It’s when the editor (or sometimes a different editor) goes through each line of the book, making notes and suggesting changes; some small, like changing a word or adding a line, some bigger, like moving a scene, or checking a character’s motivation rings true.

It’s a vital part of your book’s progression from manuscript to finished bound book, and it’s important to put everything you can into it. By the end of the editing process you should a/ know every chapter practically off by heart and b/ be ready to let your work go, knowing you’ve done all you can to make it the best book possible.

And yes, you can get more than a little sick of your own book by the end of things, that’s kind of normal. It drives you on to write the next book and start the whole process all over again. Like childbirth, you forget the hard bits and keep writing regardless.

There are several issues that are reoccurring throughout my Amy Green book, which is now in its fifth draft. The main one is my ‘beats’ or lack of. ‘Beats’ are (and I’m quoting a book on editing here by Renni Browne and Dave King) bits of action interspersed through a scene, such as a character walking to a window or removing his glasses and rubbing his eyes – the literary equivalent of what is know as theatre as ‘stage business’.’

So there you have it – ‘beats’. Bits that spice up the dialogue, and often, make sense of what’s happening when characters are talking.

My problem – this is book 3 in the series. I now know my characters so well that the action unfolds right in front of my eyes. But I have to keep remembering that my readers don’t know my characters the way I do. They may need some nudges in the right direction. They won’t know Amy is staring at her feet and mumbling unless I say or show she is.

But too many ‘beats’ and the dialogue starts to sound stilted and unnatural. It’s a difficult balance.

‘Beats’ – good word, isn’t it? Better get back to the line edit – it won’t wait!

Yours in writing,

Sarah X

Quick one today as I’m supposed to be writing my new Ask Amy Green book – book 4 – Party Drama-rama.

I was flicking through my daughter’s school workbook this morning – Window on the World Activity Book B. She’s in Senior Infants and she’s just 7.

The book is fun, colourful and relevant. But the writer in me instantly thought how useful books like this are for finding ideas and stories to interest this early reading age group.

In the pages she had drawn things from her own life and things that interest her. Her favourite toy for example is her Nintendo DS. Computers are a big part of her life – lots of pics of those! (Draw things that need electricity). And boats. Lots and lots of boats! (Draw things from your summer holiday).

It’s a fascinating insight into her world – the things she likes, the colours she uses, the way she sees everything around her.

What a great way for a writer to get into the mind of a 7 year old. Grab your child’s (or rob your niece or nephews’) workbook today and look, really look at what she or he is drawing and writing about. You may be surprised. I certainly was!

Yours in writing,

Sarah X

I was at Fighting Words all day – Roddy Doyle’s creative writing centre in Dublin – enjoying myself with Griffeen Valley Educate Together in the morning, and Presentation Warrenmount in the afternoon. Spending a day with children and teenagers, all creating their own work, their own way, is a joy, especially after the hectic, hot house of a weekend with lots of adults (or people pretending to be adults!).

Yes, it was the annual Children’s Books Ireland Conference and I had a fab time catching up with fellow kiddy litters and generally discussing all things book like. I especially enjoyed seeing the Dubray booksellers who I have worked with on and off over the last few years. I look forward to doing so again, they are a great bunch of lassies altogether.

On Sunday morning Mags from CBI rang me at 10, waking me up. It was my first child free weekend in about oh, seven years, and I was having a much deserved lie in. And no, it had nothing to do with the pink bubbly stuff or the fact that I stayed up far too late watching American Idol – one of my sadder addictions.

Anthony Browne was ash-bound and Mags asked would I mind interviewing Niamh Sharkey. I said I’d be delighted – I’m a big fan of Niamh’s art and she’s one of the hardest working, most professional illustrators this country has ever produced. I spent the next two hours looking at her excellent blog – http://niamhsharkey.blogspot.com and re-reading some of her books.

Niamh was excellent and I know everyone really enjoyed hearing about her work and especially her new book, On the Road. She would have been fantastic without me, but it was an honour to sit beside her.

The whole weekend was most interesting.

What did I take away from the experience?

I adore Marcus Sedgewick. Just adore him. He’s funny, honest, clever and during his talk gave a fascinating insight into the research behind one of best books, Revolver. And he was doing it all while sick. Most impressive. I’m now determined to see him again in the full of his health – you honestly would not have known.

He also succinctly pinned down the 2 most commonly asked audience questions – where do you get your ideas? And how much money do you make? (Honestly, people ask this all the time, especially children!)

I also adore the Spanish illustrator, Elena Odriozola, and look forward to seeing more of her extraordinary artwork in the future.

And the other speakers – not a dud among them. Nikki Gamble was excellent, Siobhan Parkinson gave a storming talk, her first a Children’s Laureate – and all the other speakers were also top notch. Unfortunately I missed Michael Rosen, but I am hoping to catch him at the Mountains to Sea Festival in early September in Dun Laoghaire – hope he can make it!

If you are interested in writing for children, do go along next year – it’s a hugely valuable experience. And thanks to Tom, Mags, Jenny and their team of volunteers for their hard work. Or check out the ‘Between the Lines’ seminar on Sat 11th September in Tallaght, run by CBI and SCBWI. Well worth a visit. http://childrensbooksireland.ie for more details.

Yours in writing,

Sarah X

More on Writer’s Stamina

In yesterday’s Irish Times, Frank McNally wrote about Michael Collins, the Limerick writer who now lives in America. I met Michael two years ago at the West Cork Literary Festival and he’s a most interesting man to talk to.

Anyway, according to Frank, Michael writes between 3am – AM! – and 6 am, then he teaches all day, writes again between 4pm and 6pm, and sometimes between 9pm and 11pm. Holy moly! Superman writing stamina that. Oh and he also runs ultra-marathons. And yes, the man really does exist.

But this got me thinking about writing mothers and their stamina. When Amy was a small baby I used to write while feeding her, scribbling in my notebook over her little prone body. And I’m by no means the only mum who has written a book while their child was tiny.

Most writing mums don’t really get much in the way of maternity leave. With Jago, my third, I gave myself a much longer break from writing, but it was still only a few months before I was itching to (and needed to financially) get back to my desk. I know, I know, it’s a disease!

Ireland has produced an explosion of strong, intelligent, creative, witty, highly professional writers over the last fifteen years, women who are respected and loved all over the world. We have authors like Anne Enright and Claire Kilroy flying the flag for literary fiction; in the popular fiction corner, the great Maeve Binchy, and the other popular fiction giants, Marian Keyes, Sheila O’Flanagan, Cathy Kelly, Patricia Scanlan, and more recently Cecelia Ahern; Alex Barclay and Arlene Hunt heading up the crime team. And Galway based Kate Thompson has won more children’s literature awards than I can remember. And now, and now, our first Children’s Laureate is a woman – the wonderful Siobhan Parkinson.

Let’s hear it for the girls!

Last time I counted there are around twenty-five Irish women writers making a living from writing fiction. If you include children’s writers, illustrators and non fiction writers, I’m sure there are at least a dozen more. So there close to forty Irish women writers chipping away, day after day, creating, creating, creating.

Isn’t that something to celebrate? I’m proud to be part of the tribe.

McNally said in hsi piece ‘Any writer who starts work at 3am every day deserves some respect.’ Hear, hear. But please also raise a glass to the writing mums: the writing and minding toddlers at the same time women; the mothering by day, writing by night women; the juggling school runs, book launches and what’s-in-your-handbag-interview women; the ones desperately trying to keep their plot running in their head while sitting in the hospital waiting room with a teenager with a broken finger women (ie me!) so they can drop the teenager back to school with a strapped up finger and get back to work; the ones who wrote whole books while sitting outside the school waiting for their kids. Here’s to me and you, ladies!

Yours in writing,

Sarah X

As some of you will know I am currently working on book 4 of my Ask Amy Green series for young teens. My series was called Amy Green: Teen Agony Queen, which although it sounded pretty zippy, apparently means some parents, teachers and librarians weren’t buying it for age 10/11+ which it is aimed at. The clue was in the word ‘teen’! So Walker, who are very sensible when it comes to pretty much everything, tweaked the series name slightly.

I digress – yes, again! I know, I know, I’m always digressing!

Back to my point. In order to keep track of the ages, physical characteristics, birthdays, clothes, hair, eyes, dancing ability, musical tastes, name of ex-girlfriends/bands/schools and a myriad of other details I need to remember which is only growing and growing with every book, I have a big spiral notebook in which I jot down these things. I refer to if I get a bit confused/lost/freaked out.

And it’s proved invaluable. Each character has their own page, or in the main characters’ cases, pages. Even very minor characters are covered. And I have sticky notes attached to the top of pages with some of the characters’ names on them. It’s all messy, messy but it works.

For example on Mills’s page I have:

Mills Starr, age 13
Dog – Simba (Jeepers, quite honestly I’d forgotten I’d given the Starrs a dog – darn it!)
Claire – Mills’s big sis – in Perm at a ballet school
Mills – great cook
Long dark brown hair she wears in a ponytail mostly
Classic dresser – quite safe
Good with engines – can jump start cars (with leads I mean, not stealing them – she’d never, ever do something like that.), check oil and water etc
Dad – Allan – age 56 – mad into model boats and airfix – bit of a geek (Rex hasn’t actually appeared in any books but he has been referenced), Titanic nut
Mum – Sue Starr – 51 – Cath Kidson addict and loves baking
Mills’s birthday – Valentine’s Day
Says ‘Holy Moly’ a lot
Her real name is Amelia
Salutes at magpies and is scared of crossed sticks
Into star signs
Lives in 21 Sycamore Park
Hiccups in her sleep
Fave food – choc brownies
Fave colour – pink
Collects stones from the beaches she’s visited
In 2O, Mr Olen’s class
This list goes on and on and on and on . . .

I won’t bore you with any more – but you get the idea. You should see the pages for Amy and Clover if you think Mills’s is looking long!

As well as being useful, it’s also fun. I only wish I could draw so I could sketch my characters too. I do envy the author/illustrators.

Anyway yesterday I found out that what I’ve been doing – my notebook of characters – is called a ‘series bible’. Great name, eh!

So folks, how’s your own series bible coming along? Start one now before you need one – it will make your writing life a whole lot easier, believe me.

Yours in writing,

Sarah X

I had the great pleasure of attending the welcoming ceremony for Laureate na N-Og, the new Irish Children’s Laureate. Exciting stuff.

The first ever Laureate is Siobhan Parkinson. Siobhan has written many excellent books for children of all ages, and has won many awards. She has also edited two children’s books magazines, has a PHD in languages, and is currently the editor for Little Islands, the children’s imprint at New Island. HIghly qualified as you can see and a very witty, intelligent lady indeed.

She will do the role proud.

Here’s an article on the event from The Bookseller:
Puffin author crowned Irish children’s laureate
10.05.10 | Graeme Neill

Puffin author Siobhan Parkinson has been announced as Ireland’s first laureate for children’s fiction. Irish president Mary McAleese announced Parkinson as Laureate na nÓg at an event today (10th May) at the Irish Arts Council in Dublin, where she was presented with the Laureate na nÓg medal.

The role will be held for two years and was established by the Arts Council “to engage young people with high quality children’s literature and to underline the importance of children’s literature in our cultural and imaginative life”.

Pat Moylan, chairman of the Arts Council, said: “The Arts Council is proud to initiate Ireland’s first laureate for children’s literature. Laureate na nÓg seeks to broaden and enrich young people’s imaginative worlds, to encourage a love of reading and to inculcate the value of literature among
children and young people.

Parkinson said: “I am thrilled and honoured to be chosen as the first Laureate na nÓg. I believe that children’s literature lays the foundations of the imaginative life of a people, and that every child deserves to have access to a reading haven—a well-stocked and well-run library in their
school and in their community.”

Parkinson has had more than 20 books published since 1992. Her titles include Sisters – No Way!, Amelia, The Love Bean, Breaking the Wishbone and Four Kids, Three Cats, Two Cows, One Witch (Maybe).

The project is supported by Eason and the Irish Times.

I was watching the Arts Lives documentary featuring Colum McCann and his life in New York the other night, a most interesting insight into another writer’s life.

What really struck a cord with me was this. He said if you give him two students, one a brilliant writer, the other a pretty good writer with a heap of stamina, he’d put his money on the one with stamina making it in the publishing game.

I completely agree with him. Talent alone is worth diddly squat if you’re not prepared to work, HARD. All the time. Even when you’d rather cut off you own arm than write. Even when you’re tired, sick, bored, feel sad/grumpy/down-hearted. When you’d far rather watch Grey’s Anatomy, drink tea, talk to your friends on the phone, play with the internet. You just have to get on with it.

Last night I was at the launch of Claudia Carroll’s new book: Personally, I Blame My Fairy Godmother. Great title, isn’t it? She has a real gift for quirky titles. Sinead Moriarty – who was also at the launch – and I are very envious. We both struggle with titles sometimes. Although my new adult book: The Shoestring Club, didn’t cause me much grief at all.

Anyway, back to the launch. I met a very lovely journalist who has been writing a book for quite some time. Several years in fact. She’s a few thousand words in and has taken writing workshops to get her motivated. Yet she was at the launch and admitted to watching Grey’s Anatomy and other shows. Did I give her the lecture on sticking her bum to her chair and getting on with it? I did not. If she’s going to finish her book, she will. And no-one, especially me is going to force her to do it if she’s not ready. Will she ever do it? I believe in this case, yes, she will. She’s a great writer, has a quirky sense of humour, and the stamina (from years as a journalist) to do it.

I meet so many people who tell me ‘I could write a book/I’m going to write a book one day when I get time/I’ve written three hundred words of a book (the average popular fiction is 100,000 words!). I always smile at them and say ‘Lovely. Good for you.’ But in my head I always hear Maeve Binchy’s immortal words ‘But you haven’t written one, have you?’

You have to make the time to write. Question is, do you really, really want to?

Yours in writing,

SarahX

Motivation and Spiders

This morning I was up a ladder with a sweeping brush, attacking age-old cobwebs that have happily lived on our wooden ceiling for years. But today it bothered me.
OK, that’s a lie. Today I was looking for something to do that didn’t involve sitting down at my desk.

It hasn’t been a great week writing-wise. I squeezed out 500 words on Monday; Tuesday was bit more successful, but yesterday I gave up altogether and spent the day doing other things.

And I had a great time – chatted to Ryan Tubridy on his radio show live from the Dead Zoo (opening again today – hurrah!), read the new Patrick Ness (best yet – Monsters of Men – amazingly fab book) in bed in the afternoon, met some book friends in the evening for an early dinner.

And then. AND THEN – went to see Rufus Wainwright in the Grand Canal Theatre. Quite the showman. Very strange first half – Rufus in a theatrical coat with feather ruff and 17 foot train, very jaunty and touching second half, complete with lots of stories and asides. What a sweet, funny, talented man he is.

Anyway, today I have my writing mojo back and after this quick blog I will get straight to it.

But here’s the thing – sometimes you can’t force the writing. If you’re exhausted, if your spirits are low, if there’s too much going on in your life to concentrate you just have to take some time out and replenish your writing soul. But take too much time off and it’s hard to get back in the writing saddle.

So if you haven’t been writing in a while, stop chasing spiders up ladders and get to it.

Back to your desks, people.

Yours in writing,

SarahX

PS Jodi Picoult gets up at 5.30 every morning, walks for 3 miles, sends her kids off to school and then writes until they get home. But I bet she has off days just like the rest of us!

According to my Oxford Concise a manifesto is ‘a public declaration of a policy and aims’.

I’m currently planning a tour in October for 3 teen/tween writers – 3 days, 3 cities, 3 remarkable writers – title yet to be decided, but we have some pretty nifty names already. The writers involved are Judi Curtin, writer of the fab Alice and Megan series, Sophia Bennett, writer of the equally fab Threads series set in the London fashion world, and moi!

And I came up with a tongue in cheek manifesto:

No vampires
No werewolves
No boys that go bump in the night

Real girls
Real drama
Really amazing stories straight from the heart
Prepare to be pinked!

We all write books for age 9/10+ with characters who are in their early teens. We all deal with real life issues – family drama, friendship problems, bullying – hence the no vampires, no werewolves bit.

So it got me thinking – maybe I should have my own writing manifesto, a Sarah Webb Manifesto. A ‘public declaration’ of my writing intentions.

So here goes:

I guess my most important aim is to entertain.

First commandment of popular fiction of any kind is (as the lovely Claudia Carroll once said): Thou shalt not bore. Quite right too.

Second aim – to say something.

I know this sounds a little vague but sometimes I read books that don’t actually say anything. They just potter along, telling a nice story, but not really going anywhere. I think books should have something solid rooted at the heart of them – a theme if you like.
Sometimes that theme doesn’t make itself fully known until you finish the 1st or 2nd or even the 3rd draft, but it’s often bubbling away under the surface of your words, slowly rising to the surface.
For example in the first Amy Green book I wanted to tell readers it’s OK to be yourself. In fact it’s pretty darn cool to be yourself. It’s a theme that runs through all the Amy Green books.

My third aim is to write with passion and with confidence.

I’ve been writing for many years now and I’ve started to understand what both these things really mean and how important they are. Write without passion and you’re doomed. The confidence bit – that can be learned over time. But if you write with both passion and confidence – then you might just have a pretty good book on your hands.

So there you have it – three aims for my own personal manifesto.

What are your aims when you write?

Do you have a writing manifesto?

Yours in writing,

Sarah XXX