Tag: Novel Writing

A Change of Nature

Following on from my last post, the theme of nature is still in mind. In the garden, the lavender is growing, the hedgehog is visiting, and stray newts are making random appearances in the grass, despite there being no pond…

With a backdrop of bird’s singing, and the gentle hush of nearby bamboo brushing in a summer breeze, it’s a textured backdrop. Add to this, trips to the beach for some sea air, edged by sienna cliffs of the Jurassic coast, home to nesting birds and basking seals, and more layers of fabric add to the scene.

Sights, sounds, colours, scents and the all-important feels, develop a tangible world. Worldbuilding has been the focus of my novel writing in recent months, that and the courage to attack a re-write with renewed vigour, and a capacity to allow for organic change. The changes were greater than I had first imagined, and the efforts are paying off. The key – layering the world, being true to the world, true to the characters, embodying perspectives and when those perspectives necessarily alter, breathing into the flow and, quite literally, taking flight. There’s a clue there somewhere, though dragons are no secret. Then comes the interesting question of perception, and as I’ve said before, I’m going with my own inventive model of dragon, with explanations rife in a world where magic is its own science.

Subverting expectation is a common theme in my work, often times associated with gender. it’s an interesting concept to combine this with dragons, considering the concept of power, the expectation of power, contrasted with the truth of identity. The answers are coming and I’m excited to see them revealed… after more rewrites. A story is written once, and it is worth taking the time.

For now, a breath of fresh air and some sun… Have a great weekend, everyone…

 

Happy New Year 2022!!

New Year’s Eve was a day for tying up loose ends, making plans, visiting friends, and a quick trip to one of my favourite places in Exeter: the quay.

   

 

The streets were quiet, but the late-night skies were ablaze with fireworks. Now ever-so-slightly-bleary eyed and time to reflect.

2021 has been a memorable year in more ways than one. I was super proud to be able to release The Warder, Blood Gift Chronicles Book 2, and to receive Firebird Awards for both Return of the Mantra (winner of LGBTQ fiction category) and The Warder (winner of YA fiction category). Click here for my award interview.

Like its predecessor, The Warder was a labour of love over many years, and it’s great to hear from readers who have got in touch or listened at various on-line and in-person events this year.

The Warder is the sequel to one of my favourite books of 2018, Return of the Mantra. I wasn’t sure Susie would be able to increase the enthusiasm I had for her characters and her world, but she left me reeling after a couple of pages.”

“The way Susie was able to expand her world without slowing down the narrative was a masterclass in worldbuilding.”

‘This book is a charming story of loss, love and finding yourself in the most unexpected places. It is epic fantasy with a heart that will leave you scarred but begging for me. Plus it has dragons and who doesn’t love dragons. I can’t wait to return to this world.”

Click here for full review.

I couldn’t wait to return to the world either, and have been immersed in book 3, working towards the conclusion of the overarching story that connects these three books. Tying up loose ends is hugely satisfying, while further developing the landscapes of the world, complete with new characters and familiar faces at the next stage of their lives. With colour, depth, texture and layers, I’m excited to get back to the writing.

For now a pause as we tip into January, complete with a fresh new diary just waiting to be filled.

I love this time of year, these moments of calm after the busyness of Xmas, the quiet after fireworks to consider possibilities for the year ahead.

Wishing everyone a Happy, Healthy, Peaceful, Creative, Wonderful New Year 2022!!

Transformation

I’ve been busy with edits for The Warder, honing in on the detail, polishing, steadily working towards publication. There’s a theme running throughout this novel: Transformation.

Prior to publication of Return of the Mantra, brainstorming book cover ideas with the publishers, I came across Adinkra symbols from West Africa. It’s not an idea we went with, but I surprised myself, managing to reduce a story to one word. I have three stories so far in the series, Blood Gift Chronicles:

The Human Condition

If a novel was good, would you care if it was created by Artificial Intelligence?

Inspired by an article in the Guardian, click here, this was a question posed a few weeks ago by Devon Book Club, a weekly forum on Twitter discussing all things books.

My response was one of resistance. My exact words were, ‘This is so inhuman it makes me shudder’.

Quiet Reflections for a New Decade

Tuti Island

Two decades ago, or thereabouts, I was in the Sudan. Last year, after returning my revised manuscript to the publishers, I thought about a snippet from life in North Africa, and a place called Tuti Island. The snippet begins with a walk along the river Nile, where I spotted some boys tormenting a small turtle they had fished. Feeling sorry for the turtle, and possibly unwisely, I handed over a few Sudanese pounds in exchange for the turtle. I headed off down the river, intending to release it, but everywhere I went, the curious boys followed. Unable to find a quiet spot, I took the turtle home, filled the sink with water and stones, and fed it flakes of fish. It wasn’t ideal, but then I heard about Tuti Island, a nearby place which friends were sure would offer a quiet spot for releasing the turtle. So one day I put the turtle in my basket, caught a bus, then a boat, arriving at the small island situated where the White Nile and Blue Nile meet. I found a deserted strip of sand, placed my turtle in the water, and watched it swim to freedom.

I never forgot that island, or the colours and designs the Sudan inspired. And so my recent painting is titled ‘Tuti Island’.

Christmas and New Year have been a series of quiet reflections. Following a year of ill health and loss, it’s a comfort to slow things down, to take deliberate note of the small details, and breathe the fresh air. With its dark evenings, crisp air and sodden ground, winter feels like the perfect time to just take the time, to take stock, to gain a wider perspective, to remember that the moment is now to create what we choose.

As a writer who also indulges in painting, I am no stranger to the blank page, and the blank canvas. And yet perhaps it’s never really blank to start with. We create, and we recreate, capturing moments, thoughts and lives we’ve known and returning them to us in fresh new forms.

The last decade saw my first novel published, the new decade promises more. So much of Return of the Mantra was inspired by life in Africa: people, places, situations I had known, recreating the real into an almost unrecognisable fantasy. The Warder picks up the story ten years on, and by this time it really does have its own life and momentum. I was particularly encouraged to see a recent comment on Twitter from a reader, saying how much they loved the character, Wanda. He was inspired by orphaned children I had known, out of a desire to create an unlikely hero, a gifted young boy. In book 2, aged 18, Wanda takes a more prominent role. Together with his female counterparts they are exposed to a land beyond their shores, and so continues their journey in understanding that the world is not a dichotomy of black and white, good and evil. Rather, it is shades of grey, cause and effect, where personal growth and self-discovery are essential in realising the effect each character has. Not too unlike the real world.

And on that note I wish you a Happy New Year and a peaceful new decade.

Good News Wrap Up!

So after what has proven to be a challenging year in more ways than one, it seems like a good idea to focus on the good news, and there is lots. Most recently my publisher has produced an updated front cover for Return of the Mantra, ready for reprint, to include the series titles – Blood Gift Chronicles Book One.

AND we’re ready to go with international distribution!! Click here

Representation in Fiction

Writing a book is one thing. Marketing a book is quite another. In talking about Return of the Mantra I often reflect on the process of its creation: what inspired me, what the essence of the story is… It’s harder than it sounds. How to sum up the pages into a brief description? Anyone who writes will understand the pains of reducing a story into a one page synopsis, and then a paragraph long blurb. Even now, when people ask what my book is about, I struggle to find those one or two lines to do justice to the story I spent years nurturing into creation.

Cause and Effect

A girl was walking the streets of Exeter dressed as a bee, carrying a placard with the simple message, ‘Tick Tock, Tick Tock’. She was one of hundreds of children and young people, striking from school, marching to the County Hall to deliver their impassioned message: it’s time to declare a climate emergency NOW!

Ask the Author

I remember the days of tape recorders and cassettes, the horrifying sound of the tape being chewed, and the delicate task of winding it back with a pen. And the excitement of opening a gifted multipack of blank tapes, deciding and sorting an order to record. Gran still called the radio a wireless, and TVs sported three whole channels that could time out, leaving you with trade test transmissions.

Happy New Year – 2019!

As evening approaches, I imagine people discussing their resolutions for the New Year. I’m not one for resolutions. Instead I try to stick to the simple motto: keep trying to do better. In life as in writing, with practice, hopefully we improve.