Roz Maclaren

Teen Fiction with a Dark Twist

Roz MacLaren

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.

What’s involved in writing a book: yet more editing

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It’s all hands on deck, as we get closer to publication day!

What stage are we at?

Venom and Blaze has just been through the second editor. (Yes, even after being through the first editor about twenty million times, there’s still more to fix.) My second editor caught a few things that didn’t make sense and formatted the book to their house style.

What happens next?

After this, it’ll go to the formatters where I’ll get sent a print .pdf for review. I get two chances to spot any other minor things to change (the time for developmental editing has passed.)

Once that’s done, I’ll start working with a designer to come up with a cover that encapsulates my vision for Venom and Blaze.

In other news, the first draft of Fable and Legend is with the publisher and she is currently reading it. I think Fable and Legend is one of the most mature books I’ve written in the series (I don’t mean mature in the sense of content, but in the sense of being written with maturity.)

Is anything else happening?

I’m glad you asked. Yes. I’m currently working on plotting the fourth book in the series, which has a working title of Flame and Phoenix. Whether it ever sees the light of day is another matter. And I’m also editing a YA novel I wrote over lockdown that I recently revisited and found to not be entirely dross. Again, whether that ever sees the light of day, I am unsure. It’s totally separate from the Mirrordom universe.

Oops – I did it again

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The blog has been extra quiet lately. This is because I’ve been working on another story set in Mirrordom (once which is likely going to muck up the trilogy concept because it’ll make four in total. And I’m not even going to mention at this stage that I have plans for a fifth.)

I’ve been working on this one over the winter, simply because I felt the character of Quiver’s mother deserved her own story. And because I ended up writing a throwaway remark in Venom and Blaze that I later realised was quite a cool concept I wanted to explore further.

I can’t say too much at this time – and, of course, there’s no guarantee this book will ever see the light of day. Frankly, if I were my publisher, I’d tell me to go and have a good long think about my actions because I seem to have no concept of the words “chronological order.” Other seasoned authors seem to manage to write their books in the order things happen, rather than my haphazard Oh-I-Think-This-Character-Needs-Their-Own-Story-So-I’ll-Go-Back-And-Write-It-And-Give-No-Heed-To-The-Fact-It-Mucks-Up-The-Planned-Order sort of way. Because this book would come directly after the events of Venom and Blaze so it would become the second in the series, bumping City and Shadow down (again) to third in the series.

I know we’re not supposed to have favourites but this one might just be my new favourite. In a way, it’s quite fitting that Quiver’s mother gets her own story because the very first Mirrordom book I wrote began with her. Although she’s largely overshadowed by other characters, it’s her actions that end up setting a chain of events in motion. Writing about her in her own right gave me a chance to explore her complexities and develop her character.

So what can I say about this book?

Well, we have some new settings. Most of the action of the other books takes place around the castle and the caves. This book features the Glittering City, a farmhouse on the edge of the woods and a lot of taverns – all brand-new locations.

We also have some brand new characters, like Cobalt, Legend and Ballad. Every one of them has their own secrets and Fable finds herself caught up in their stories. We also get to see the return of another familiar character, but I can’t say too much about that.

Part of the reason for writing this blog has always been to document the whole process of writing books and aiming to get them published. At the very least, it’ll be something for me to look back on later and perhaps learn from. So here’s another stitch in the tapestry of working on Mirrordom: throwing yet another novel into the mix. I daresay everyone will be quite used to that by now.

What’s involved in writing a book: more editing

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Editing, as it turns out, is one of those processes that could go on indefinitely. It is, I fear, only the deadline that will bring the matter to an end.

And, of course, I had to go and make the process even longer by changing my mind mid-way through about what I wanted.

Something wasn’t working and I couldn’t put my finger on it. And then the answer came to me in a flash. Cue a rather large re-write which I’m currently in the process of. My editor is being very patient.

What’s my process?

Listening to my instincts. If something feels off, there’s no point in glossing over it, being lazy or pretending no one else will notice. Readers are sharp and they’ve given up their time to read my book. The very least I can do is give them the same courtesy and put time into editing. Tempting though it might be to tell myself I’m overthinking/the book doesn’t need these drastic edits/it’ll all be fine, I didn’t. And I think the book is going to be much better because of it.

How do I edit?

I have gone through my editor’s suggestions and then, using tracked changes, taken an axe to some portions and a quill to others.

I find my brain can’t process the novel in a Word document format, so I change it into that of a professional book (using Reedsy’s editor) and then go over it on my phone, scribbling down any notes in the margins. So far, I’ve done a lot of scribbling. I then go back into the Word document and make those changes.

At the moment, I’m especially looking to improve the flow and make the novel feel less like non-stop action and more like a cohesive story that won’t leave readers feeling like their brains have just been mangled.

When is the deadline?

11 March. Which isn’t very far away.

What’s left to do?

I’m going to finish up this round of reading the formatted book and then making edits. Then format it again with the new edits and read it another time. Then send back to Emma, my lovely editor.

Emma will go through what I’ve done, see if she agrees, make any tweaks to spelling and grammar and I’ve asked her particularly to make any suggestions about improving the flow.

What would your editing process would be? Have you any tips for me? I’d love to hear all about it in the comments.

What’s involved in writing a book: the editing

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An email arrived in my author inbox today (the first email that came from an actual person and wasn’t spam.)

Who was the email from, I hear absolutely nobody ask?

It was from my newly-assigned editor, the lovely Emma, who had already completed an initial proofread of Venom and Blaze. In my day job as a copywriter and editor, it’s usually me who completes edits and sends chunky word docs back to clients, so it feels a little unnerving to be on the receiving end of an edit.

So what happens next?

I will take a look at Emma’s edits over the weekend. As this is my debut novel, I have no clue what to do. Do I leave tracked changes on? Do I approve her changes? What happens if massive edits are required? Does she make suggestions and action them or does she make suggestions and I action them? I have no idea. And, as a chronic overthinker, I suspect I might end up being a nightmare client.

After I’ve had a look and made any more tweaks, Emma will proofread it for a second time and go through the novel with a fine tooth comb. After that, I genuinely have no idea what happens next.

How am I feeling?

Like it’s all starting to get very real. When I signed the contract to publish Venom and Blaze, the publishing date was in Summer 2024. As I signed in 2023 and I happen to be remarkably short-sighted, 2024 seemed like a very long time away. Now, an actual editor has read my book, made some changes and we’re going to work on it together. It’s all starting to feel like it’s actually happening, and, seeing as I’ve dreamed of this since I was six, that’s quite a big deal for me.

Are you interested in more updates in my What’s involved in writing a book? blog series? Let me know in the comments.

What to read while you’re waiting for Venom and Blaze to be released

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My debut novel comes out this year (THIS YEAR!!!) Still, there’s a good few months to go between now and the summer, so what should you read while you’re waiting for my book to come out?

Scythe by Neal Shusterman.

10/10.

I’m still to finish this trilogy (I’m just partway into The Toll) but I can honestly say it’s been a long time since I read a book that gripped me like Scythe did. Neal Shusterman’s writing style is exceptional and his ability to create multi-faceted characters is incredible.

Katy by Jacqueline Wilson.

8/10.

Like most 90s babies, I grew up devouring Jacqueline Wilson books. I went on the run with Lola Rose, I learned about Victorians with Charlie, I felt left out like Dolphin and I wanted to be a twin like Ruby and Garnet. However, I wasn’t sure the inimitable Ms Wilson could pull off a retelling of the classic story What Katy Did Next. I was wrong.

I should point out I’ve never read the original by Susan Coolidge so there was never any risk of me making any comparisons but I will say Ms Wilson’s version is exceptional in its own right. I’ve no idea if she includes any nods to the original, but she has done a fantastic job of telling a heart-breaking story.

The book is directed at readers that are slightly younger than my target audience, but I’m confident even teenagers would enjoy this one. It did lose marks in my opinion for having quite a slow-moving opening. There is a lot of scene setting before the crux of the story begins. Fortunately, Ms Wilson’s unique writing style pulls the reader through without feeling like it drags.

Heist Society by Ally Carter.

7/10.

I’m showing my age with this one, which was published in 2011! Thirteen years ago?! But it’s one of my go-to novels when I want something slick and suspenseful. As a teenager, I loved Kat’s personality – arguably more than Cammie in Ms Carter’s other popular series, Gallagher Girls – and how her brain worked. Toss in a cast full of characters, like rich boy Hale, and you have the magic formula for keeping me entertained.

What YA books have you read recently? Maybe you’ve written one? If so, I’d love to read it and review it on the blog – so please get in touch.

Last night, I typed “The End”

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I’m excited to announce the first draft of Quiver and Arrow is finished!

What happens next?

Nothing. I let the story sit for a few months. Then, I format it using Reedsy (they have a brilliant, free formatting tool) and read it like it’s a normal book. I find the fallow period combined with the change in formatting helps me spot errors more easily.

After that, I’ll submit Quiver and Arrow to my publisher to see if they think it’s got any merit.

And the rest of the Mirrordom Trilogy?

Venom and Blaze will need edited nearer to its publication date. And then begins the fun bits, like choosing a cover and promoting the story. The same process will happen with City and Shadow.

Will there be any other books in the Mirrordom Universe?

Let’s not rule anything out. I do have a novella planned, but that’s not progressed beyond a scribbled note in my journal.

What else is in the pipeline?

I’m writing a psychological novel for adults, purely for my own pleasure. I’m also working on another YA novel, completely unrelated to Mirrordom.

And then there will be all the work of promotion, engaging with readers, approaching booksellers and, hopefully, achieving my dream of getting Venom and Blaze into Waterstones!

What am I reading?

At the moment, I’m reading The Toll by Neal Shusterman – the last in the Arc of a Scythe trilogy. I’m absolutely loving his work. I’m also still reading The Dark Queen by Dana Gricken. I’ll be writing reviews on both when I’m done.

Are you reading anything riveting? I’d love to hear all about it.