Roz Maclaren

Teen Fiction with a Dark Twist

Archives for May 2024

The next project

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The year 3034 is the setting for my current work in progress, a novel about a dystopian future. I’m working on this as we speak and really enjoying making predictions about how the world might be a thousand years from now.

I had the idea for this novel based on a BBC programme from the 1960s where a group of adorable youngsters were interviewed about what they thought the future would be like. Something one of the young lads said got me thinking and sparked off an idea.

The novel is told from dual points of view and has a host of new characters and lots and lots of robots!

Currently, I’m 20,000 words in and on the tenth chapter. It’s been one of those that I’ve picked up and put down a few times so there’s no prognosis for when it gets finished – but I know that it will get finished (unlike the many, many other drafts that remain in various states of abandonment on my laptop!) I needed to take a break from it while I processed ideas and figured out what might happen next.

I like to plan all my books out, as I’ve mentioned elsewhere, so I have at least a loose grasp on what might happen next. I don’t find this inhibits me at all, as the story does its own thing regardless of how carefully I plan it.

What is the premise?

It’s 3034. Society is structured into three tiers, with the lowest tier having virtually no rights. Naturally, this highly unfair system causes quite a lot of discontent. There’s a robot to perform virtually every task, from gardening to nursing to teaching.

The protagonist is a girl called Serena who attends the highly-elite Lynwood Academy, which just so happens to founded by the man who created the tier system for modern society. And when one of the robots is found deliberately destroyed on the front lawn, it sparks off a chain reaction of consequences. Who would want to do that? And why?

What genre is it?

In spite of all the robots, I really wouldn’t call it sci-fi. Probably more dystopian YA, which seems to be my favourite to write. I love creating a flawed world and having characters that are idealistic enough to try and fix it. I feel that premise allows me to explore different facets of humanity and how good intentions can lead to differing consequences.

What has been the most fun to write so far?

The little predictions for the future have been the most fun. I love anticipating what technological advances could be achieved by then and how they might impact everyday life.

Who is my favourite character?

My favourite characters are always the villains. They’re the most fun to write, in my opinion, and it allows us authors to unleash our dark side. So, I can’t wait for you to meet Scorpio Lynwood and Governor Blake.

What next?

Next, I have to finish the writing part! After that, the editing part. After that, more editing. And more. And more until I wither away completely.

Not all novels I write are intended to be published – quite a few of them I simply write for fun. This may well be one of them, but I thought it would be worth sharing this part of the journey so anyone interested can get a feel for what’s going on behind the scenes.

I also have to think about promotion for Venom and Blaze, editing for Fable and Legend, editing for City and Shadow, finishing off Flame and Phoenix and then editing Quiver and Arrow. So, along with my day job, I do have plenty to keep me out of mischief.

Can I write two books simultaneously?

Yes, I put a pen in each hand and off I go!

The non-facetious response is actually, yes, I can. I don’t find it too much of a problem – perhaps I’m not doing it properly and immersing myself in it as I should be – but it almost seems to me that the process of doing two together unlocks different parts of my brain. Or perhaps the act of switching tones of voice and changing tack allows me to unconsciously solve problems I’m not deliberately thinking about? I’m sure it’s not the done way to go about things, but I do enjoy having multiple projects on the go at once. So I’m currently working on more books in the Mirrordom Legends and my futuristic novel. Watch this space*!

*If, after ten minutes of watching this space, nothing has happened yet, you can always read other blog posts or take my quiz to find out which City and Shadow character you are. Then come back here and post your results so I can see them!

What’s involved in writing a book: making the cover

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A very exciting email landed in my inbox this week. I opened it with trepidation and trembling fingers.

Because this email was from the very talented lady who is designing the cover for Venom and Blaze. The cover is so important to me – I really wanted it to look dark, engaging and professional.

When Venom and Blaze got accepted by the publisher, I had to fill in a form. This form ultimately went to the designer and the information was used to shape what the final cover would look like. I wrote down how I envisaged the cover, how I pictured the main characters and what the important themes were in the book.

I’ve just had my first look at the cover and I was absolutely blown away. I had high demands – and it far exceeds them. I have a few tiny tweaks to ask for but, in the main, I couldn’t be happier and I can’t wait to show it to you all. I could hardly stop staring at it and grinning like a twit for an entire day.

I am so appreciative of the time and effort that went in to understanding the brief I gave and translating it into stunning imagery and concepts. When I compare this to what I might have tried to come up with if I’d gone down the self-publishing route, it really makes me appreciate talented, skilled designers.

So the big question is: when can I show it off?

Watch this space, but it won’t be long. And it’ll be worth the wait.

What’s involved in writing a book: editing the formatted version

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It was as I suspected. More editing was required.

This time, I was sent the formatted .pdf for review. Lo and behold, I found a handful of tiny errors that had slipped through the first billion edits. (Seriously, was I reading it with my eyes shut the entire time??)

Instead of marking up the .pdf with comments, this time I had to note them down in what was called an errata. Basically, I typed the page number, a short note of what needed fixed in parenthesis, the offending sentence or paragraph and what the correct version should read, with the new bits in a red font.

Once again, I was grateful for writing such a short book. Imagine how many errors there would have been in a longer one. (I’m looking at you, City and Shadow.)

What happens next?

This was my penultimate chance to find errors. My next and final chance will be in the actual physical copy! Yes, my publishers are going to sent me a printed proof to read and I’ll get to hold it in my hands!

At some point after this, I’ll get to work with the designer to create a cover. This is probably the part I’m looking forward to most. Creating the perfect cover was a major factor in why I decided to submit the books to the publisher I did, as I really like their previous examples and their approach in terms of working with the author.

Talking of images, the girl above is very close to how I picture Venom – except Venom probably looks a little more ruthless and she’ll have a ton of spiders with her.

Anything else happening?

Not really. I’m balancing the day job with writing, but I’m constantly plotting for the next novel. I also have a few works in progress, so we’ll see if I can make anything of those.