Archives for October 2023

When I set up my Instagram page, I did it to document my attempts to get City and Shadow published. I wanted to share the highs and lows, whether that was for myself to look back on later or for other aspiring authors to learn from my (multiple) mistakes.

In a similar vein, I wanted to write a series of blog posts on what’s actually involved in writing a book, from the initial idea to holding the finished copy.

The actual writing

City and Shadow started life off as a couple of notes written on my phone. I’d always loved the word “City” as a name and I thought it would be cool to have a protagonist called that. I was re-reading the old notes for story ideas when I came across that one – and combined it with another one along the lines of “What would happen if everyone had a dark, Mirror-self that was only capable of doing bad things?” Rough, eh?

The writing started in Spring 2023 and didn’t stop until the summer. It seemed to be quite a fast process, and, unusually for me, I didn’t struggle hitting the accepted word count for YA fiction (I’m usually pithier than an orange that’s full of pith). I lost myself in Mirrorworld and even started dreaming of my characters.

The editing process

I let the story sit for a while (okay, not very long) before editing and editing and editing and editing. And editing some more. I asked beta readers for their opinions, sending my work off to strangers in the hopes I’d get some honest feedback (which I did.) I had a wonderful beta reader from across the pond who called out every little inconsistency (of which there were many) and really helped me tighten up the prose.

Agent or publisher?

Then I had to decide whether to look for an agent or try and get it published myself. In the end, I set myself a deadline of September 2023 and, if I didn’t have a publishing offer by that time, I’d go down the agent route.

I kept disgustingly detailed spreadsheets of who I’d submitted to and when, when they’d rejected me and who I would submit to next. This let me see at a glance how many times my baby manuscript had been rejected.

And, much to my delight, by August 2023, I had an offer from a publisher I’d been absolutely dying to work with.

Researching

There are so many amazing resources out there for aspiring authors. I especially found this blog post by Jane Friedman very helpful, along with this one by Lisa Tenor. Both deal with navigating publishing contracts. I also joined the Society of Authors, who have been invaluable and tireless in sharing advice, resources and expertise.

What’s next?

City and Shadow is due to come out in Summer 2024 – and there’s still a mountain of work to be done before then.

The book is yet to go through a detailed edit – and I’ll actually get a team of editors to help me with this, instead of me going through it on my own with a red pen second-guessing myself.

We’ll also be talking covers and picking one that really encapsulates the heart of the book. This means I’ll get to work closely with some amazing and talented designers.

I’m also planning promotional activities as we speak, including getting my book into local book shops, my local library and, maybe (if I overcome my chronic shyness and introversion) doing some kind of book tour.

Stay tuned for Part Two!

The logical thing to do when writing a trilogy is start at the beginning, right?

And yet I started the Mirrorworld stories by writing slap, bang in the middle of the planned trilogy (the planned trilogy that my publisher knows nothing about yet. Unless they read this blog. Which is unlikely because I get less than two hits per day.)

You see the characters in City and Shadow, my upcoming debut novel, decided their story didn’t want to end there. And two characters in particularly wouldn’t let me rest until I’d put their stories down on paper. And, unfortunately, those stories took place several years before the events of City and Shadow. Leaving me with the problem: do I call it a sequel? Do I turn it all into a trilogy and pretend that was my plan all along (full disclosure: it wasn’t. In fact, I do recall telling a beta reader with unwavering conviction that I definitely wasn’t writing any more Mirrorworld stories any time soon as, and I quote, “I don’t see what else can be done there.”)?

Fast forward to today… and I’ve just finished the (very rough) first draft of Venom and Blaze. (It’s a working title. But I’m so in love with it. And in love with the story. It’s very dark. I think you’ll like it.)

Venom and Blaze is one of those stories that just wouldn’t let me drop it until I’d finished. I wrote it on holiday with my mother. I wrote it on my lunch break at my day job. I wrote it whenever I could and, whenever I couldn’t, I was thinking about writing it. And now it’s written. And, once I’ve let it sit for a while, I’ll edit it. Then casually tell my publisher about it and see where it goes.

“That’s all very well,” I can hear you thinking. “But you said a sequel. So where does the third one come in?”

Well, turns out I was wrong. There definitely is more to be done in Mirrorworld. I still have no idea if I’m writing a trilogy, or a standalone story that just happens to have sequel and a prequel. But something is happening at Roz MacLaren HQ. And, while I absolutely can’t share any details yet, I can promise you it’s going to be a wild ride. Are you ready for it?