Style Sheets for Authors

Style Sheets for Authors – a darned good idea! I’ve just finished doing a ‘light Americanisation/Americanization’ of my second Amy Green book and I was fascinated by the differences between the meaning of some Irish-English words and American-English words.

For example American readers have no idea what a ‘gooseberry’ is, ie ‘being a gooseberry’. They don’t have en suites – they have just plain old bathrooms. I guess in America en suites are probably the norm in hotel rooms and houses! And there were loads of other examples.

But there were loads of instances when the meaning of what I was trying to say was lost because – well, because it’s just the way I say it. And it would have been useful for my American editor to have some sort of heads up on these things as they often repeat in my writing.

Hence for the next book I’m going to type up a style sheet for her, a list of all the funny bits and pieces, strange spellings, place names etc – anything I think might be useful in working out what I’m trying to say on paper! Because these are things that are carrying on from book to book if you are writing a series.

You might like to try it too. It’s particularly useful for things like names that are spelt differently to American names – it means the editor won’t have to keep checking on the spelling for each book. In my case, the magazine Clover writes for is called The Gloss, but in the American book they call it the (small t) Gloss. It’s a small detail but it will make life easier for everyone next time around if I jot it down right now on my style sheet.

Anything that makes life easier for my editor and for me makes sense!

See the posting at Book Ends Literary Agency for more on this subject: http://bookendslitagency.blogspot.com/2010/06/style-sheet.html

Let me make it clear. A style sheet is different from a series bible. A style sheet does not include the nitty-gritty details of your world or your characters. It’s for editing purposes. A style sheet should include spellings of names or stylistic changes you’ve made to the spelling of other common words. For example, if you’ve decided that "Prom" is capitalized throughout your book, that would be something you would include on the style sheet. "Prom" is not technically a proper noun.

Yours in writing,

Sarah X

So You Want to Write for Children?

Hi Folks, I'm back from Washington - where I spotted loads of people reading books on Kindles and other devices. This is an article that is currently running in Inis, the specialist children's book magazine in Ireland. Hope it's useful. I have more on children's books, writing a series in particular for you next week.

Until then, yours in writing,

SarahX PS if you like this blog, please do send the details on to friends - thanks! I have a lot of readers now - thanks to each and every one of you. And do let me know if there are any subjects you'd like me to cover - sarah at sarahwebb.ie

So You Want to Write for Children? Some Advice for Unpublished Writers (Inis magazine June 2010)

By Sarah Webb

Recently I spoke to thirty six-year-olds about my new Panda book, Emma the Penguin at the Dublin Book Festival. It was my first foray into the world of the jitter bugs that are 1st classers, and as I watched fellow Panda-person, Gillian Perdue round up her herd of cowboys and teach them how to line dance, I realised just how much I still have to learn about entertaining younger children. But I’d like to share what I have learned with you, in the hope it will prove useful to other writers, especially to those starting out.

Firstly the bad news, it is no longer enough to write an amazing book. There are over 8,000 children’s books published annually, many of which are also amazing. Some of these amazing books will have a lot of money behind them, some of them will be ‘written’ by pop stars or models. Some of them will be written by authors with a long standing track record.

But do not despair. There is a lot you can do to build your profile or ‘platform’ (as the market-eers like to call it) as a children’s writer before your book is published or even accepted for publication.

I’ll start with some general points. It goes without saying that you should put most of your time and energy into your writing. Write for the child inside you, write remembering just how it feels to be 4 or 7 or 9. Dig deep and use your memory. In a recent edition of Inis (Spring 2010) Sophie McKenzie says ‘I remember exactly what it was like being a teenager . . . (I) can vividly remember the years between 13 and 15.’

Yes, modern children now have You Tube, Facebook, mobiles – but they are just different ways of communicating, but emotions don’t change. After all, your parents may not have had televisions or telephones growing up!

If you want to write for children or teens, talk to children or teens, ask them what music they like, what actors, what books, what telly shows. The average 6th class girl’s favourite show is Desperate Housewives – who would have guessed?

Take constructive criticism on your work from people who read a lot of children’s books. Teens make good critics, but younger children generally want to please. You might find an experienced librarian or teacher who will read your work – take on board what they say.

Write from the heart and don’t be afraid of strong emotion. In Jacqueline Wilson’s books siblings jump out of high towers, killing themselves (My Sister Jodie), mums have nervous breakdowns and take emulsion paint baths (The Illustrated Mum). Oliver Jeffers’s latest picture book, The Heart and the Bottle, features a girl whose father has just died. She does not know how to cope with the grief so she takes her heart out and places it in a bottle for safe keeping. Strong stuff!

If you want to write commercial children’s fiction, you must have an eye to the market. Read children’s books – especially in the age group/area you are interested in writing for – library/bookshop recommendations, modern classics, bestsellers and award winners. There are many good guides out there to help you pick fantastic books to read, my favourites being the Ultimate Book Guide series published by A & C Black, a must for anyone serious about writing for children or teens.

This reading will also help you be aware of what modern children like and are interested in – and what works in a book. And also it’s fun; some of the best books out there are children’s books. It will also help you work out what age group you are writing for: early reader, confident reader, teen reader. This is vital. Children’s books are categorised in most shops and libraries by age. Young readers are aspirational – they like to read about children older than they are. If your character is 11, your readers will probably be 7/8 to 11.

Are there any gaps in the market? In a word, yes. At a recent Irish Pen event called ‘New Kids on the Block’, Svetlana Pironko, Director of the Author Rights Agency, Siobhan Parkinson, Children’s Editor at Little Island (New Island’s imprint for children and teens), and Paddy O’Doherty, Children’s Editor at Puffin Ireland, explained what they were looking for. Paddy would like to see fiction for the 7 to 9 age group, but especially 8 to 12 fiction. She says ‘read Puffin books’ and see where the gaps in the list are – and try to fill the gaps. She is very interested in good animal and child stories like Charlotte’s Webb, humour for girls – Louise Rennison type books (she kindly mentioned my own Amy Green books as the type of thing she is looking for), and Fantasy. She said the books must be ‘well written, with original ideas and voice, and a real sense of control’. She wants to feel that the author knows what she (or he) is doing, that they have a sense of authority. And overall she is very keen on reading more manuscripts from new authors – all good news! Siobhan Parkinson is looking for novels for age 9+ and teens. She is personally not a huge fan of fantasy, she prefers realistic novels and she, like Paddy is looking for ‘originality, a strong voice, someone who is in control of their writing’. Svetlana, however is a big fantasy fan and finds this sells best to international publishers. She also likes teenage/crossover fiction and says universal stories are vital; she is interested in books that can travel. In the UK, the publishers are veering towards ‘brand’ authors, authors they can work with over a number of books. And this goes for the picture books as well as novels. Oliver Jeffers for example has just signed a four book deal with Harper Collins for his new picture book series, The Hueys. Cathy Cassidy’s new book, Cherry Crush, will be the first book in a new series for girls.

Once you have written your book, what next? While awaiting publication (or your manuscript to find a home), there are many things you can do to start building your profile. Of course, you must start working on your next book, that goes without saying. But you can also begin creating an on-line presence. A website, a blog or both. A Facebook, My Space or Bebo page. Down the line, your readers should be able to find out more about you online and contact you – it’s part of the job of a modern children’s writer.

Blog about what interests you – whether it be books, writing, music, fashion, the universe – as long as it’s interesting. Decide your blogging market – are you targeting parents, teachers, librarians, or children themselves? For blogging inspiration, check out David Maybury’s blog, the children’s literature blog of record.

Reviewing children’s books for Inis magazine is a good way of keeping in touch with current books and also getting your name out there. And it goes without saying, do join CBI and attend some of the wonderful events and workshops. Attend author events and hear other children’s authors speak about their work. Immerse yourself in the children’s book world and you will have a better chance of spreading the word about your book to the right people when it is published.

Start reading your work to children right now. Think about what you have to offer as a performer. If you want to write for children, these days you have to connect with them LIVE. Find your own special way of doing events – standing in front of children and reading is not enough. The first and only commandment of doing events is: Thou Shalt Not Bore.

I use a lot of show and tell during my talks. I show the audience photos, toys, books and clothes from my childhood and talk about what I was like as a child and teen. Then I use these stories to explain how I became a writer. Marcus Sedgewick uses powerpoint to illustrate his talk on ‘where he gets his ideas’, other writers like Patrick Ness use clipboards to demonstrate their points.

Finally, be optimistic and have a strong constitution. You will probably be rejected many, many times before you make it. Even after fifteen years and twenty-seven books some of my ideas are still turned down. Write because you can’t not write. Multi-award winning writer Patrick Ness says write with joy. I would go further, I would say write as if it’s your last day on this earth. Give 100% every time you sit down at your desk. And hopefully your joy, passion and dogged hope will translate onto the page. Good luck and keep the writing faith!

Sarah Webb is the author of the Ask Amy Green series for young teens, published by Walker Books, UK, Candlewick Books, US, and other international publishers. Her first early reader, Emma the Penguin has just been published by O’Brien Press. She is on the board of CBI and is the Children’s Reviewer for the Irish Independent. For more see www.askamygreen.com or www.sarahwebb.ie She also writes romantic comedy and her tenth novel, The Shoestring Diaries: Julia, will be published in 2011. She loves encouraging new, unpublished writers, and is a regular speaker at the Inkwell writing workshops and courses. She is delighted to report that many of the writers going through Inkwell’s doors are now published.

For marketing and publicity tips for published writers, see Sarah’s article on the CBI website – CBI Info section - www.childrensbooksireland.ie

Beats and How to Spice Up Your Dialogue

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

The Mind of a 7 Year Old

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

More on Writer's Stamina

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

Creating a Series Bible

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

Motivation and Spiders

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!

A Writer's Manifesto

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

Another Word on Editing

A Word on Editing

Humble apologies for the lack of posts recently. What with Easter and friends visiting, it’s been pretty hectic the last few weeks. At the moment I’m working away on the edits of the third Amy Green book – Bridesmaid Blitz (out in Oct). I had an email from my editor today and I’d like to share it with you as it’s lovely.

Writers work away in this funny vacuum, not knowing if what they are producing is hitting the mark. I am very lucky to have two editors in Walker Books, both of whom really know their stuff. After a pretty stiff and thorough rewrite – after a very frank editorial meeting in London with both of them – I submitted Amy Green 3 mark 2 nervously, hoping they would like what I’d done.

I’d hacked the middle out of the book. It was veering away from Amy’s story and I had to bring it back and the only way I could do this was to rewrite a good chunk of the main plot. So I got rid of about 1/3 of the book (about 17,000 words) and created lots of new scenes.

There were a lot of different subplots in the original draft and I got rid of several of these – including a school production of Grease that I was rather fond of – but by tearing them out, gave the main story (Amy’s story) room to breathe.

Luckily my editors liked what I’d done. However there are still three reasonably big plot problems/blips that I now have to iron out.

In the editorial letter (I didn’t get one for the 1st rewrite as there was so much to do!), my editor has broken it down into sections – bless – to make things easy for me.

I have to 1/ build up the Seth/Polly subplot – which I’ve just done. 2/ Work on a particular agony aunt letter that doesn’t quite click. And 3/ work on Amy’s relationship with – look away if you’re an Amy Green fan, plot spoiler coming up – relationship with her new baby sister, Grace.

I spent this week working on the Seth/Polly subplot – researching breast cancer, treatment, drugs and clinical trials. Then I wrote new scenes using the research. But here’s the thing: I had no idea whether I’d overwritten the scenes (they are pretty sad – but cancer in all its forms is hardly a walk in the park!), used too much or not enough technical information; whether they held the reader’s attention or if they were too slow moving. I’m always aware that young readers have a hell of a lot of other demands on their time and, above all, I aim to hold their interest.

So I sent the new chapters to my editor for some feedback – and here’s a snippet of the email she sent me:

Wow! These new chapters are absolutely brilliant! I love them. There is so much emotion in there, and all the facts about the cancer/drug trial etc are really interesting – you’ve gone into just the right level of detail. It all feels so much more real now. Never mind Amy, I feel like Niagara Falls! (Amy cries a lot in the chapters)

Right, I’m off to mop up my mascara!

It made my week!

I’m lucky to have editors who care about my writing and who really get what I’m trying to do. I’m truly blessed. To the gods of writing up there, I thank you for bringing us together.

I wish you all such kind and thoughtful editors.

Yours in writing,

SarahX

On Writing and Getting Published

Sitting at my desk, looking out at the dark, listening to Jose’s Heartbeats and Bon Iver and thinking about two emails I got today from lovely, hard working, decent women, B and L. Both have a dream – to be published writers. One is writing funny, sweet stuff for younger readers, the other, popular fiction. Both have been rejected soundly over and over again and are looking for some advice. And it’s so hard to know what to say. The publishing world can be hard, hard, hard. And you need a strong constitution to survive, you literally have to be writing fit, willing to sit at your desk until the early hours of the morning if that’s what it takes. Willing to chose writing over everything. Willing to give up things you hold dear. Willing to switch off the telly, cut friends and family short during phone calls, ban your mother from visiting while you’re trying to work, shoo the kids away when you're working. And it’s tough.

Recently I was at a 40th birthday party and they were serving delicious looking champagne cocktails. I was on 7UP. A woman asked me why I was on the dry and I told her the truth – that I couldn’t drink and write the next day, that alcohol makes my mind muzzy, so I wasn’t drinking.

She looked at me sideways and said ‘You’re joking?’

I shook my head and explained that I had a book to finish and I had a certain amount of writing days to do it in, and that if a sacrificed a writing day the book ran the risk of being delivered late, which would have a knock on effect, meaning it might not get published and I would disappoint my readers. And that if I didn't get my 2,000 words done a day I felt a failure.

She looked very disappointed. ‘I thought writing was supposed to be fun, Sarah. You make it all sound like such hard work and a very stressy. You must be doing something wrong.’

I just smiled to myself. ‘Maybe,’ I said and excused myself.

I’m not very good at parties anymore. I seem to have lost my small talk app. I’m very comfortable with close friends and family, but stick me in a non book atmosphere or a pub and I’m like a plant without water. I don’t do sport, find most people don’t do politics anymore, and the only subject I want to talk about anyway is writing. Or books, especially children’s books. I’m obsessed. With books and writing.

But here’s the thing – that’s pretty much how you have to be if you want to write books of any kind. OBSESSED. You have to have a compelling, addictive urge to get what you want to say down on paper. And it’s not pretty, it’s not sociable, and it’s certainly not healthy. But you know, sad as it may sound, writing makes me happier than anything.

So what I would say to the two lovely women is this: If you really, really want to get published, keep writing. Write as much as you can, as often as you can. If your first book doesn’t make it, write a second. If that one doesn’t make it, write another. Write because you can’t not write.

I write therefore I am. I am therefore I write. Keep the writing faith!

Sarah X

More on Writing for Children

This piece will run in Inis Children's Book Magazine - but here's a sneak peek. Hope it's useful, SarahXXX

So You Want to Write for Children? Some Advice for Unpublished Writers by Sarah Webb

Recently I spoke to thirty six-year-olds about my new Panda book, Emma the Penguin at the Dublin Book Festival. It was my first foray into the world of the jitter bugs that are 1st classers, and as I watched fellow Panda-person, Gillian Perdue round up her herd of cowboys and teach them how to line dance, I realised just how much I still have to learn about entertaining younger children. But I’d like to share what I have learned with you, in the hope it will prove useful to other writers, especially to those starting out.

Firstly the bad news, it is no longer enough to write an amazing book. There are over 8,000 children’s books published annually, many of which are also amazing. Some of these amazing books will have a lot of money behind them, some of them will be ‘written’ by pop stars or models. Some of them will be written by authors with a long standing track record.

But do not despair. There is a lot you can do to build your profile or ‘platform’ (as the market-eers like to call it) as a children’s writer before your book is published or even accepted for publication.

I’ll start with some general points. It goes without saying that you should put most of your time and energy into your writing. Write for the child inside you, write remembering just how it feels to be 4 or 7 or 9. Dig deep and use your memory. In a recent edition of Inis (Spring 2010) Sophie McKenzie says ‘I remember exactly what it was like being a teenager . . . (I) can vividly remember the years between 13 and 15.’

Yes, modern children now have You Tube, Facebook, mobiles – but they are just different ways of communicating, but emotions don’t change. After all, your parents may not have had televisions or telephones growing up!

If you want to write for children or teens, talk to children or teens, ask them what music they like, what actors, what books, what telly shows. The average 6th class girl’s favourite show is Desperate Housewives – who would have guessed?

Take constructive criticism on your work from people who read a lot of children’s books. Teens make good critics, but younger children generally want to please. You might find an experienced librarian or teacher who will read your work – take on board what they say.

Write from the heart and don’t be afraid of strong emotion. In Jacqueline Wilson’s books siblings jump out of high towers, killing themselves (My Sister Jodie), mums have nervous breakdowns and take emulsion paint baths (The Illustrated Mum). Oliver Jeffers’s latest picture book, The Heart and the Bottle, features a girl whose father has just died. She does not know how to cope with the grief so she takes her heart out and places it in a bottle for safe keeping. Strong stuff!

If you want to write commercial children’s fiction, you must have an eye to the market. Read children’s books – especially in the age group/area you are interested in writing for – library/bookshop recommendations, modern classics, bestsellers and award winners. There are many good guides out there to help you pick fantastic books to read, my favourites being the Ultimate Book Guide series published by A & C Black, a must for anyone serious about writing for children or teens.

This reading will also help you be aware of what modern children like and are interested in – and what works in a book. And also it’s fun; some of the best books out there are children’s books. It will also help you work out what age group you are writing for: early reader, confident reader, teen reader. This is vital. Children’s books are categorised in most shops and libraries by age. Young readers are aspirational – they like to read about children older than they are. If your character is 11, your readers will probably be 7/8 to 11.

Are there any gaps in the market? In a word, yes. At a recent Irish Pen event called ‘New Kids on the Block’ event, Svetlana Pironko, Director of the Author Rights Agency, Siobhan Parkinson, Children’s Editor at Little Island (New Island’s imprint for children and teens), and Paddy O’Doherty, Children’s Editor at Puffin Ireland, explained what they were looking for.

Paddy would like to see fiction for the 7 to 9 age group, but especially 8 to 12 fiction. She says ‘read Puffin books’ and see where the gaps in the list are – and try to fill the gaps! She is very interested in good animal and child stories like Charlotte’s Webb, humour for girls – Louise Rennison type books (she kindly mentioned my own Amy Green books as the type of thing she is looking for), and Fantasy. She said the books must be ‘well written, original ideas and voice, with a real sense of control’. She wants to feel that the author knows what she (or he) is doing, they have a sense of authority. And overall she is very keen on reading more manuscripts from new authors – all good news!

Siobhan Parkinson is looking for novels for age 9+ and teens. She is personally not a huge fan of fantasy, she prefers realistic novels and she, like Paddy is looking for ‘originality, a strong voice, someone who is in control of their writing’.

Svetlana, however is a big fantasy fan and finds this sells best to international publishers. She also likes teenage/crossover fiction and says universal stories are vital; she is interested in books that can travel. In the UK, the publishers are veering towards ‘brand’ authors, authors they can work with over a number of books. And this goes for the picture books as well as novels. Oliver Jeffers for example has just signed a four book deal with Harper Collins for his new picture book series, The Hueys. Cathy Cassidy’s new book, Cherry Crush, will be the first book in a new series for girls.

Once you have written your book, what next? While awaiting publication (or your manuscript to find a home), there are many things you can do to start building your profile. Of course, you must start working on your next book, that goes without saying. But you can also begin creating an on-line presence. A website, a blog or both. A Facebook, My Space or Bebo page. Down the line, your readers should be able to find out more about you online and contact you – it’s part of the job of a modern children’s writer.

Blog about what interests you – whether it be books, writing, music, fashion, the universe – as long as it’s interesting! Decide your blogging market – are you targeting parents, teachers, librarians, or children themselves? For blogging inspiration, check out David Maybury’s blog, the children’s literature blog of record.

Reviewing children’s books for Inis magazine is a good way of keeping in touch with current books and also getting your name out there. And it goes without saying, do join CBI and attend some of the wonderful events and workshops. Attend author events and hear other children’s authors speak about their work. Immerse yourself in the children’s book world and you will have a better chance of spreading the word about your book to the right people when it is published.

Start reading your work to children right now. Think about what you have to offer as a performer. If you want to write for children, these days you have to connect with them LIVE. Find your own special way of doing events – standing in front of children and reading is not enough. The first and only commandment of doing events is: Thou Shalt Not Bore.

I use a lot of show and tell during my talks. I show the audience photos, toys, books and clothes from my childhood and talk about what I was like as a child and teen. Then I use these stories to explain how I became a writer.

Finally, be optimistic and have a strong constitution. You will probably be rejected many, many times before you make it. Even after fifteen years and twenty-seven books some of my ideas are still turned down. Write because you can’t not write. Multi-award winning writer Patrick Ness says write with joy. I would go further, I would say write as if it’s your last day on this earth. Give 100% every time you sit down at your desk. And hopefully your joy, passion and dogged hope will translate onto the page. Good luck and keep the writing faith!

For marketing and publicity tips for published writers, see another of my articles on the CBI website – CBI Info section - www.childrensbooksireland.ie

Writing for Children

I did a talk recently for Irish Pen on writing for children - and I thought I'd pass on some of the notes from the event. The most useful things I can tell you writer to writer:

1/ Read children’s books – especially in the age group/area you are interested in writing for – library/bookshop recommendations, award winners etc. There are a lot of good guides out there to help you pick fab books – esp the ultimate book guide/teen book guide

It will also help you be aware of what modern children like reading – and what works in a book. And also – it’s fun – some of the best books out there are children’s books. I read very few adult books these days. If a young reader does not like the first few pages of a book, they won't read on. So books for young people have to catch the imagination from the very first lines, making them darn good reads.

It will also make you aware of the different age groups - picture books, early readers (age 4/5 to 7/8 depending on the child), confident readers age 9+, readers 11+, YA/Teen readers. You must know what age you are writing for - every publisher will expect you to know - if you don't know, how are they supposed to know? Be very clear about what age group you are writing for. This is often the first mistake people make when writing for children. No book is for 5 to 16 year olds - think about it. OK, maybe Harry Potter, I'll give you that one. But unless you are JK Rowling you give yourself more chance of getting published if you do the leg work - starting with reading in the age group you would like to write for.

More to come (12 points in total in fact) . . .

SarahXXX

Every Writer Needs a Friend Who Writes

Today I was thinking about how lucky I am to have friends who are also writers. Darned good ones too - far better than I am! I love being able to send a friend a cover design and get some honest feedback - 'Honey, not in a million years, the woman on the cover looks like a slapper.' 'Babe that lettering has so much character it could practically walk off the page.' 'Don't let them murder your book like that - demand a rethink.' Oh, yes, writerly friends can be brutal - but refreshingly so.

And they'll also tell you the truth about your work - if you are very lucky. 'Not your best to be honest, but put it behind you and move on. The next one sounds like a real gong winner.' 'Amazing stuff. My favourite by far. You go for it, girl.' Sometimes you need to hear the truth, other times you just need a writerly hug.

Writers understand, really understand what it means to write, the nail biting horror of publication day (sorry, maybe that's just me!), the sheer drudgery of it some days, the unimaginable joy of it other days. Trying to edit while cooking fishfingers for the kids yet again, trying to glam up for photographers who are coming at 10am on a Saturday morning, the crushing review or even worse, no reviews at all. Knowing they understand and truly care, that means everything to me.

Writing is a lonely old game - tapping away at a keyboard, day after day after day. It's nice to have someone on the other end of a phone, or email, or Facebook who can say 'Cheer up, chuck, only another 50,000 words to go. Nearly there!' And actually mean it.

So here's to all my writer friends - and I do hope you all find some good writer friends of your own. And if you do, hang on to them and never let go.

Do not protect yourself by a fence, rather by your friends - old Czech proverb. Hear, hear!

Yours in writing, SarahX

The Truth About Book Pr and Events

That's the funny thing about doing events and publicity for books - publication and all it entails: launches, radio interviews; writing columns; getting pics to go with the columns taken at odd times like 5pm (kids' tea time in our house and always a zoo!), Sat morning just before you have to get the kids out to soccer; book events and book tours - it makes you realise how much you actually enjoy a normal writing day. Some writers love the whole buzz of publication - but most don't. Most - me included - would like maybe 2 or 3 days of it - just to mark the fact that a new book is actually out - and would then like to be allowed slink gracefully back behind our desks to write again.

But such is the life of a writer these days - you must do whatever you can to make your book sell so that a publisher will actually pay you to write another one. And if that includes telling journalists (who I must say are mostly lovely) what you had for breakfast, so be it.

But the most important thing is the writing - get that right first. Worry about all the rest of the hoopla later.

Here's something I've learned over the last 15 years - if your book is really, really good, word of mouth is the most vital ingredient of all when it comes to book sales. You can have the best cover in the world, be on all the radio and telly shows, have bookmarks and posters coming out your ears, and if the book isn't up to scratch no one will recommend it to their friends or family.

So heads down and write!

But I must say visiting 8 schools all over England and meeting some amazing girls and teachers was an experience I will never forget. More about that next week . . .

Have a fab weekend.

And remember - heads down, the writing's the thing!

Sarah XXX

What I've Learned About Writing

Amy Green 2: Summer Secrets and The Loving Kind (adult novel - about plastic surgery and ghost-writing pretty much) are both out next week and I'm bricking it. Most writers worry terribly that their books will:

a/ not be on the shelves at all - lost in transit or stuck in a box at the back of the shop (happens I'm afraid)

b/ be badly reviewed - we are sensitive souls - saying that I've only ever had one stinky review in 15 odd years so I'm doing well. And dozens of nice ones - isn't it terrible the way we remember the bad ones?

Amy Green 1: Boy Trouble got some smashing reviews, my best yet - so that was very heartening.

We also worry that our regular readers, our life blood, won't enjoy the new book as much as the last one. And yes, some of them are very honest and will tell you exactly what they think of it!

But most of all, we worry that our new book will be largely ignored - no reviews, no reader letters, no sales.

Yet still we write . . . we can't help but write!

I've just sent Amy 3 to my editors in London - fingers crossed they will like the changes I've made to the story. I pulled out the entire middle section and rewrote it with as much passion and energy as I could, concentrating on the central 'theme' and plot of the book - and trying not to go off message this time! I think it worked - let's see if my editors agree. I'll keep you posted.

Tomorrow I'll start working on Amy 4 - having a look at what I've already written, changing the start, moving scenes around, and again, trying to concentrate on the central 'theme'. (No, no 'break' - I have lots of events coming up in Feb so I have to use my time wisely - anyway, to me planning and playing with a new book is a break! It's fun - and if I can take my time over it - yeah!)

Over the last 2 years I've learned so much about writing - things I wish I'd known when I started out in this business. I've learned to write with energy and passion - not to 'hold back' - to throw everything I have onto the page, every single writing day of my life.

I've learned how important big, wonderful, interesting characters are - characters readers can identify with and fall in love with. Characters with big hearts and big flaws. Clover in Amy Green has been a big hit with readers - she's certainly larger than life, but realistic too I hope.

My grammar still needs some work - should I be saying 'learned' or 'learnt' for eg? My spelling - also not so hot. But I can live with that - and I can try and improve!

I've also learned the importance of concentrating on the central message or theme - what is it I'm trying to say exactly? What's at the heart of the book? For this, I often need help from my editors - and sometimes this 'theme' doesn't come until I've finished the book and am working on rewrites. In Amy 1 for eg the theme was learning to be yourself, and not being swayed by peer pressure. Book 2 - the danger of keeping secrets and not being honest.

I've learned that I tend to fly through scenes too quickly - sometimes I need to slow down, give my writing room to breathe (this was a recent discovery!).

Oh and for an agent, editor, and publishing team to really get behind your book - it has to be pretty special. Aim for pretty special - be original and be yourself.

Yours in writing,

SarahX

Writers' Routines

Writers’ routines – from Patricia to Isabel, and even Jack Kerouac Interesting piece in the Irish Times the other day by Frank McNally about writers and how they start their writing day.

Here’s Isabel Allende on the subject: ‘I light some candles for the spirits and the muses. I meditate for a while. I always have fresh flowers and incense. And I open myself completely to the experience that begins in that moment . . . And slowly the story seems to unfold itself, in spite of me.’

Patricia Scanlan also lights candles before she starts writing, and says a little writing prayer.

Jack Kerouac went about things a little differently. ‘You think about what actually happened, you tell friends long stories about it, you mull it over in your mind, you connect it together at leisure, then when the time comes to pay the rent again, you force yourself to sit at the typewrite, or at the writing notebook and get it over with as fast as you can.’

And Patrick Dennis (no, me neither. Apparently he was a big writer in the 1950’s.) said ‘I always start writing with a clean piece of paper and a dirty mind.’

Gore Vidal: ‘First coffee, then a bowel movement, then the muse joins me.’

And finally, William Styron. 'I like to stay up late at night and get drunk and sleep late. I wish I could break the habit but I can't. The afternoon is the only time I have left and I try to use it to the best advantage, with a hangover.' Lived till 81 all the same.

Just goes to show – every writer is very, very different!

So how do I start my writing day?

Breakfast (with the kids – often with CBEEBies on – I can just about stand it as it doesn’t have an ads, I’ve banned everything else in the morning) I try to read the Sunday papers while eating – this goes on until Friday generally – and zone out the noise. Get the kids to school. Walk – usually for about 30 mins – gets rid of the cobwebs and stretches my neck and back out. Usually down the West pier in Dun Laoghaire. No music, just my own thoughts to amuse me. Ideally I think about the scene I’m about to write – but usually I just worry about the teenager and pipes bursting and the usual stuff. (No, we didn't leave our taps running - honest. Not guilty!) Home. Try to avoid talking to anyone. Sit down at my desk. And here’s my one quirk I guess – switch on the pink fairy lights over my desk. That’s when I know I’m supposed to be writing – when my lights are on. Try not to mess around on the internet. Fail. Check emails, Facebook. Check out the cute kids singing Eye of the Tiger on You Tube. Tell myself to get on with the writing. Start writing. (It can take me a good hour to get to this stage I am ashamed to admit.) Look up two to three hours later and wonder where the time has gone. And if I’m lucky, I’ll get my 2,000 words done in that time. And that’s my writing morning. Afternoon – edit, write other bits and bobs, do my blogs etc. No candles I’m afraid – will fairy lights do?

What's your own routine like?

Yours in writing,

Sarah X

PS I’m going to ask some of my writer friends for their routines and post them for you. I bet Martina Devlin is far more disciplined than I am!!!

The Best Books on Writing

The Best Books on Writing I’ve Ever Read

I’ve been rubbish at writing decent blogs recently, so I thought I’d knuckle down and do a useful one for all you keen writers out there. So here’s a list of some of my favourite books on writing and why I like them.

Now and again most writers need a bit of a kick up the bum, some ‘just-get-on-with-it’ encouragement, and a good writing book does just that. It can also inspire or simply give you time out and make you think.

Currently I’m bang smack in the middle of a big rewrite of Amy Green book 3. I know where I’m going – which is brilliant – but it’s taking a little while to get there! I am enjoying it, but it’s bloody hard work at the moment and I need to get it finished by the end of Jan, so I can write Amy 4.

Writing to deadlines is tricky but I guess after 10 years or so I’m used to it. And if you really need more time, editors are usually pretty nice about it. I’ve had to delay books before – mainly due to the birth of Amy and Jago! But I don’t like doing it. I guess I’m my own worst enemy.

But back to the writing books.

Number 1 on my list is the wonderful Julia Cameron and her The Right to Write. First published in 1998, I’ve read this book about four or five times now, and dip into it a lot. I find it calming, sensible, inspiring. Julia talks about making time to write, being honest on the page and loneliness (I get very lonely some days – I’m a sociable kind of person and I find being alone all day tough – shame I love writing so much!); and her book is full of great advice. I’d highly recommend it to any writer – no matter how far along the writing journey you are. She writes beautifully and it’s a joy to read. ‘Just as a good writing day clears the air, a good writing day clears the psyche.’ 9 ½ out of 10

Number 2 is a newish book: The Forest for the Trees by Betsy Lerner. Billed as ‘An Editor’s Advice to Writers’, if you want to know what your average editor is thinking, this is a fascinating book, full of interesting information, and a real eye opener. An excellent book for writers who are on the road to publication and want some insight into how the book business works, albeit in America. Betsy writes very well and touches on a lot of really interesting subjects, from writers’ egos to being fearless on the page. Great stuff! I bought it in Chicago so you may need to get it on Amazon. 8 out of 10

Number 3 – Writing Down the Bones by Natalie Goldberg. Another classic. Sub title is Freeing the Writer Within. A little more new agey than Julia Cameron’s book, but great for dipping into if you’re feeling a bit low writing wise. Natalie deals with all kinds of things, from verbs to editors, and the importance of being specific. Great for writers just starting out and looking for some inspiration and ideas. But not as good as Julia’s book. 8 out of 10

Number 4 – Anne Lamott’s Bird by Bird. I love this one mainly for it’s story about her brother. He was trying to do a whole project on birds in one night and was freaking out. His father told him ‘Bird by bird, buddy. Just take it bird by bird.’ Which is how we should approach every writing day – word by word. Another quote I like is ‘That thing that you had to force yourself to do – the actual act of writing – turns out to be the best part . . . The act of writing turns out to be its own reward.’ So true. It’s not a writing guide as such, more a writing memoir so best for those just wanting some time out and some empathy from a fellow writer. Another American gem. 8 ½ out of ten

And finally a newish book which I think will become a classic for new writers and especially young writers – Juicy Writing by Brigid Lowry. Now, it’s not for everyone, it’s very jaunty and practical and positive, but I wish I’d read it when I was starting out. It has a very ‘you can do it’ attitude and is full of practical advice, writing exercises, and ideas on what to write about. Written for teenagers, it’s a fab book for any age and highly recommended for writers starting out or writers who would like some solid, practical advice. 9 out of 10

Hope this is useful!

Yours in writing,

SarahX