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What It’s Like To Write An #OwnVoices Novel (Ft. Autism Pride Month!)

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It’s time for a happy shimmy because it’s Autism Acceptance Month!

And honestly a happy shimmy is the best reaction to this because we autistics do love to stim. And yes, a lot of people call it “Autism Awareness Month” but you know what? People are aware. They just don’t accept us…plus I’m 99% sure Autism Speaks invented this phrase and they are actual problematic garbage. So I’m here for saying Autistic Pride and Autism Awareness and I can’t be stopped. 🙌🏻

Last year I did a post about how to tell if a book has good autism rep + some book recs, but this year, since it’s just THREE DAYS until my novel, The Boy Who Steals Houses, is out, I wanted to do something a little special and talk about…

what it’s like to write a novel with #ownvoices representation!

I have a lot of Thoughts™ about the actual concept of writing #ownvoices novels, because the main reaction to them is usually, “Oh at least that author had an easy time! They’re just writing what they’ve lived.” Ohhhhh sweet crepe, that doesn’t make it easy. So I want to talk about that in a little more detail!

Before I go on though, I’m super excited to point you to The Boy Who Steals Houses’ blog tour!

I’m over at A Little But A Lot with a whole deleted scene (it’s super cute!! and about potatoes and LOVE) and at No Safer Place for a really heartfelt review. So please check them out if you get a chance! There’s also going to be a post coming up about why Autism rep is so important in YA and an interview with my cover designer! 👀

PREORDER DETAILS

Goodreads | Amazon US | Amazon UK | Booktopia | Book Depository

Let’s talk about writing…

I wrote two #ownvoices storylines into The Boy Who Steals Houses. (1) being anxiety rep for my protagonist, Sam. (2) being autism rep for my secondary character, Avery. (Although I lowkey admit Sam could be diagnosed with autism too tbh. But he isn’t labelled on page, so discern what you will 🙌🏻)

Writing #ownvoices experiences left me with a lot of Thoughts™ which I’m about to share with you whilst I eat a chocolate chip biscuits and remember the good ol’ days when I got blog posts up on time. (It is…not…this day.)

1. Writing #Ownvoices includes a lot of pressure.

The thing people don’t realise is that ONE #ownvoices experience ≠ everyone in that marginalisation’s experience. I wrote Avery’s autism to be HIS autism. It isn’t 100% mine. I wrote the way we think and react to things rather similarly, but I didn’t want to author-self-insert, so his character still required a lot of rewriting and research and thought. But some people are going to read this book and think Avery isn’t good rep because he’s not relatable to them. So that’s nerve-wracking?! And I also turn into a moss-covered stump when I think about mistakes I might have made. Because that happens!! I’m not perfect and I’m still growing as a writer and human. (Although, um, not literally growing? I am very smol and that hasn’t changed since I was 14.) (dammit)

I think #ownvoices stories are asked to be perfect and relatable to everyone within that marginalisation. And that can be super intense to take on.

 

2. autism is also such a huge spectrum to try and capture

Basically: YOU CAN’T CAPTURE ALL OF AUTISM IN ONE CHARACTER! It’s impossible. There are higher-needs people who must have a 24/7 carer. There are also autistics out in the world with jobs and families. There are those of us in the middle (meeee and also my character, Avery) who cope with so many things but completely fall apart in other aspects.

Plus Avery isn’t the narrating character, so I built him through a lot of flash backs too.

(And yessss, I would love to write more about Avery…and also Sam and the De Laineys. But it’s largely outside of my control.)

 

3. you have to figure out how to tackle stereotypes

Because here’s the deal: stereotypes can have their nuggets of truth. They did spring into existence from somewhere lol sob. When I wrote Avery, I just wrote him. Then later I started to fret…ok he’s a white teenage boy, aka the most typical autism rep. It was what my story needed, but am I a total fail for this?! He’s also really obsessed with cars…another “typical” autism rendition in media. (But confession: I was obsessing over Baby Driver loooool so that’s where it sprung from.)

But here comes the difference: Avery is more than a stereotype. He has complex thoughts and feelings, he has dreams and wishes. He also is extremely physically affectionate, a boy who craves pressure hugs and was clinging to Sam long after it was “socially appropriate” for brothers to hug. Lots of people equate autism with = hating touch. I hate touch! But not all autistics do.

So here’s the difference when it comes to stereotypes.

…a marginalised character shouldn’t just fit stereotypes and nothing more.

If a character is just a list of stereotypes to tick of a list…then it’s probably not good rep. Because humans are uncanny creatures who don’t fit in designated boxes.

 

4. You also know way way way too much!

You’d think this would be a good thing right?! BUT, UGH, I KNOW TOO MANY THINGS. I think this goes for anyone who is a master of a topic: how much do you say?!? You don’t want to lecture. You don’t want to overwhelm readers with information.

It’s a burden to Know Many Things™. Smh. Bring us cake and condolences. I mean.

 

5. it’s hard to be vulnerable and then put yourself out there

#Ownvoices authors are brave and wondrous things, because we’ve just put our heart on the page. Some people are going to hate it. Some will connect with it. It will be critiqued and analysed. It will be compared to other stories like yours…and maybe you’ll fall short. It’s just A LOT. And you can both want this and also be anxious about it. 

I was so thrilled when I read someone’s review that said Avery reminded them so much of autistics they knew and that they felt the love for autism on every page.

So here’s the thing: I got to write Avery, a messy disaster, who is also unconditionally loved. It was special to me to write that and know it’s hitting other people’s hearts. It makes everything 1000 x worth it. I think there is so much power in #ownvoices stories.

(And none of this is to say “ooh how dare anyone critique my book!” Of course people should critique it. I won’t be reading that lol, but it’s a book like any other, to be loved or not.)

It’s important to know that #ownvoices books don’t necessarily equal easy books to write.

But they do equal absolutely special and heartfelt and IMPORTANT books. Because no one can capture an experience quite like someone who lives it. 💛

And they’re also so therapeutic to write. it’s like finally getting to talk about your perspective, your feelings, your truths — without being interrupted.

I’ve read a lot of books with autistic characters and a resounding theme (especially from non-autistic authors) seems to be “fixing” the autistic character. Getting them to stop their autistic tics and stims, break their routines, make eye-contact, and be more socially apt…and then letting them find love. Autism is always their personal villain. And sure autism really sucks to deal with at times. I live it! I know. I’ll be honest…today was completely shitty for me when my routine got messed up. And I feel a little fragile and drained as I write this blog post.

But being autistic is a huge part of who I am. How I think. How I see the world. And I love that about it. and getting to write an autistic character? It meant the world to me.

Avery’s autism isn’t the villain of the book. His decisions aren’t great (lol, sorry Avery) and he’s naive and vulnerable. But he also wears his heart on his sleeve. He loves Sam fiercely. He’s clever and witty and has an infectious laugh.

And he’s not broken.

I’m just so grateful I got a chance to write this book and fill it with love and ACCEPTANCE and pride.

＊*•̩̩͙✩•̩̩͙*˚˚*•̩̩͙✩•̩̩͙*˚＊＊*•̩̩͙✩•̩̩͙*˚˚*•̩̩͙✩•̩̩͙*˚＊＊*•̩̩͙✩•̩̩͙*˚˚*•̩̩͙✩•̩̩͙*˚＊＊*•̩̩͙✩•̩̩͙*˚˚*•̩̩͙✩•̩̩͙*˚＊

 

right, your turn!! tell me some #ownvoices books you’ve read? and some autistic characters in books you’ve enjoyed?!

 

What Is It Like Having Your 2nd Novel Published? (Ft. I Have A Finished Copy of The Boy Who Steals Houses!)

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In exactly 12 days, my second novel (The Boy Who Steals Houses) will be out in the world.

Why yes I am absolutely 1000% freaking out, how are you. The weeks leading up to release day are equal parts thrilling and terrifying — and I still feel like I’m trying to find my footing after my debut, A Thousand Perfect Notes, came out just last June. Yes. That was only 10 months ago.

Am I tired??? Dude I am Very Tired™.

When I got to make the official announcement for The Boy Who Steals Houses’ release date + title, a lot of people said, “I can’t believe you have a second book already!” But I actually announced I had a 2-book deal right up front! So this was always always coming! I still have to pinch myself that I even landed a 2-book deal in the first place.😍 TBWSH wasn’t even written! It wasn’t even a blimp in my imagination yet! Being trusted — and wanted — like that was such an encouraging way to start my career.

My emotions were !!!!!!!!!!! for days and days.

 

So I thought I’d outline how The Boy Who Steals Houses came to be.

I was going to do this closer to release day but then I realised: “CAIT. IT IS CLOSE TO RELEASE DAY HOLY HECK GET ON THIS.” This is also a good time to admit I have very limited time-and-spacial-awareness. I’m the person who cheerfully believes, every. freaking. time., that I can fit 6 hours of writing into 30mins before bed. And then I wonder why I never sleep, but anyway.

 

Also I hope you are beholding the GLORY that is the finished copy of The Boy Who Steals Houses!! I got sent two (the rest of author-copies will come later) and I may have just cried over my package. (I sent the second one off to my critique partner Maraia who this book seriously wouldn’t exist without.😘)

PREORDER DETAILS

Goodreads | Amazon US | Amazon UK | Booktopia | Book Depository

Also NOTE: It’s out in Australia on the 9th, instead of the 4th! So you get to suffer and wait longer.

I wrote The Boy Who Steals Houses in November 2016.

It was a NaNoWriMo novel! It was also a heckin’ mess. So if that doesn’t encourage you to resuscitate your beloved but also catastrophically messy NaNo drafts — then what will. There is hope out there, in the darkness.

I’d signed my 2-book deal (starting with A Thousand Perfect Notes) back in June of 2016, so I didn’t know what that “untitled 2nd contemporary” was going to be. My plan was to write a ton, cry a bit, and pitch ideas to my editors. I ended up writing two full novels and coming up with a few other pitches. Writing grew strangely hard right then. I had ATPN signed and in edits and there fore I had plenty of time to panic. (Ex: COULD I EVEN WRITE?!?! WAS ATPN A FLUKE!?!? have i ever written a novel in my life).

Am I dramatic?? Pshaw.

Anyway. The pitch that everyone pointed to with a YES was for → The Boy Who Steals Houses.

(What about the other contemporaries I’ve written and pitched? Some got rejected, as that’s the business. And some I’ve scoured their cold corpses and gone through their pockets to take scenes for other books.)

 

TBWSH was officially confirmed to be my 2nd novel around November 2017.

That’s pretty fast ok!! Almost exactly 1 year since it even crawled sulkily into existence.

And next?

edits edits edits edits edits edits edits edits edits edits

Actually the whole process of how TBWSH got to be a final draft felt very different from how it went with my debut, A Thousand Perfect Notes. So basically n o t h i n g is certain. Except cake. Bless cake.

➸ The Boy Who Steals Houses required a rather large edit.

The first things authors do when asked to rewrite something is: cry. I cried. It was a daunting taste and I was a New Green Author Hatchling still (ATPN wasn’t out yet remember). I was also insecure about writing about two things that were very personal to me: (1) anxiety, and (2) autism. When you splatter your heart on the table and people say, “Hm, this needs to be better,” it’s a terrifying moment of: I’m wrong. How could I be so so wrong. I shouldn’t be writing this. Cue me staring into the bottomless pit of despair.

So that life meltdown lasted, um, one day. Then I wanted to work.

The thing with being a traditional author and working with your editor is: they are ON YOUR SIDE. They see your work, they see the imperfections and the gnarly edges that you don’t see. Because you’re way too close to your own vision of the project. Half of my intentions for the story where still in my head. NOT on the page. They kinda needed to be on the page!

So we fixed it. We got MY full vision on the page. I worked with my editors ideas. (My agent is really supportive and close in my journey too and weighs in when I need her!) We made the book 100 x better, kept my vision, polished it, and turned out a book I’m so intensely in love with it makes my heart fit to burst.

Changing your story, your baby, will always be scary. But writing a novel isn’t a one person job. If your editor knows your book’s heart and knows *your* heart, then you’ll both work your hardest to turn this story into a fully incredible novel.

I emphasis this because I get a lot of unpublished writers tell me, “Yeah but I don’t want anyone to *change* me.” And look, I get the stubborn feels? Like I said: this is our baby. Our hardest work. But your editor is here to make it your best work. Not just your hardest. You’ve got the passion. They’ve got the professional knowledge to get your passion into trim shape.

ugh i love just love having people help me with my work lmao otherwise I’m a mess

 

Things That Changed Between Drafts

  • I added in the flash backs!! I LOVE THE FLASH BACKS. These were my editor’s idea.
  • Also fun fact: I legit wrote “backflash” every single time in the manuscript and my editor is like, “Uh did you know it’s flashback?” Well there.
  • I trimmed some scenes. I felt sad losing them, but also…the book was really long and as cute as the scenes were, they were pointless haha. (But you WILL get to see a deleted scene as part of my blog tour! More details will come!)
  • Avery’s character got a large overhaul. He’s my autistic character and I was scared to change him — but also the way he is in the final book? It’s 1000% what I wanted but didn’t quite get to originally.
  • The violence…had to be…toned…down. (Lmao. I swear I’m nice in person in real life.)
  • Approximately 39849839 typos had to be fixed.
  • I actually changed almost ALL the De Lainey kids’ names! The sole De Lainey who kept their name was Jeremy. I named him after A CHILD’S PICTURE BOOK ABOUT A KOOKABURRA.
  • And we did a bit of UK vs Australian translating. Apparently the British do not have “eskys”. What’s wrong with you lot.

Right! So the massive edits were finished! Then what?

Then waiting. Looots of waiting. I’d maybe do a few more tweaks. Copy edits came in. I did a last minute panicked fix of the very final pages.

I got to see the cover! It’s designed by Thy Bui who also did covers for: Shadow & Bone, The Astonishing Colour of After and Everless! I originally did hope it was going to be more yellow, because it’s a Goldilocks retelling. But in the end it’s perfect and I was stoked with everyone’s reactions. The keys are utter perfection and fit in with the story so well!

Acknowledgements writing time: aka when I freak out because WHAT IF I FORGET SOMEONE. I got all emotional while writing them though, so when you read the acknowledgements: picture me with my heart melting like a pot of warmed chocolate.

The dedication? I used a line out of the actual book:

if lost please return to the De Laineys

This captures both everything Sam feels and everything my readers also feel (!!) because, no joke, I am getting constant messages saying “I WANNA BE ADOPTED BY THE DELAINYS TOO.” Mood, my friends.

 

And on April 4th it’s going to be in bookstores 😍 and I’m going to be a happy mess.

This book stole my heart. It is both a story where I wrote vulnerable things and also heart things. There were so many times I thought it wouldn’t make it — but it did. And I just…!! Do you want to get an umbrella so I can cry on you, maybe? Because, me right now.

And look, I don’t know what happens after TBWSH. Being an author isn’t a place of guarantees. I have fingers so tightly crossed that TBWSH will do well, sell well, and be loved — and that I’ll be able to sell another book and keep telling you all my heart’s stories. So we’ll see, OK!?

Right now I’m excited and anxious about release day. I’m in love with this book and I can’t wait for you to meet my disaster son, Sam, and his desperate wish to find the home and family he is looking for.

 

5 (More) Underrated Writer Problems No One Talks About

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It’s a universally well known fact that writers have problems.

Wow…we just have so many problems. And to show how versatile we are, we collect dozens of different kinds and then put them in little glass boxes on our shelves and wave vaguely to them as we show visitors about our house. Yes, oh look right there is the box with No Idea How Grammar Works in it, and next to it is Crippling Self Doubt, and in that last box on the end we have Forgot My Own Plot.

 

(This is actually the most absurd imagery because LOL AS IF WE HAVE FRIENDS OVER.)

 

Now we’re all pretty well apt at wheezing in companionable terror over the average problems. So allow me to talk about…

5 (More) Underrated Writer Problems 

So even if these weren’t on your list of things to angst over, they can be now! Pshaw we talk about the Big Problems™ all the time. Like sure, dude, we all have self-doubt and end up clawing our hair out. That’s not special. Let’s talk about the underrated agonies.

 

You might also like…

➸ 5 Underrated Writer Problems (Part 1)
➸ 10 TBR Problems We Bookworms Face Valiantly

1. WHEN YOUR IMAGINATION WORKS FASTER THAN YOU DO

I want to shout out to my brain for its current habit of envisioning book three in a series where I haven’t eVEN WRITTEN BOOK ONE YET. Fine, I admit: a little of this is on me because I’ve been loafing about when I should be writing. (No really. I actually make bread. It’s very delicious!) But my brain works at at least 100 x the speed of the rest of me.

I have so many books to write. So many ideas to explore. So much potential and ambition?!?!??!?!?!??

But I just can’t physically write all day, every day, so I think about writing a lot more than I actually write. (Although I won’t discount the importance of this because some of our best work is done nowhere near the computer.)

Anyway. Hi. My brain is bored of my slowness, and has 62-books in line to be written while I’m still editing just one. So how are you.

 

 

2. WHEN YOU HAVE TOO MANY OPTIONS TO CHOOSE FROM

This is my life’s bane. I can trace nearly 80% of my writers block back to = elastic ideas. Do you ever just get an idea and have so many options to explore?? So many settings it could be with?? It could work with ALL of these plot points and they’re ALL cool and yet!!! You can’t !!! have them all !!!

One option obviously is to: write multiple books. But I’ll have a plot that can span in fifteen directions, but I only have the characters for one.

For example, a plot I’m developing right now involves kids finding a body in a garden. The plot works for the body to be old AND for it to be new and I just…can’t…c h o o s e.

 

 

3. THE SHEER AGONY THAT IS CHOOSING AND CHANGING NAMES

I’ve always struggled with naming characters, probably because I suck at names in general. I collectively call all my sister’s children “Frank” because it’s just easier ok. I have 46 nicknames for my sister and have, um, never used her actual real name to her face ever?? I don’t even really like my own name, so I (obviously) think of myself as A Fury. So can you imagine me naming my characters?

It is a fantastic disaster.

My go to options are: (1) staring at my bookshelf and filching names off authors, (2) perusing lists on Nameberry.com, and (3) using a place holding name like JO and then it sticking for absolutely forever.

And ohhhh don’t get me started on changing names?!? I used to think once you named a character, BOOM, problems are over. But it turns out when you scrabble into publishing, your editor will have suggestions too. Absolutely everyone in the De Lainey family in my next book The Boy Who Steals Houses went through a name change. Either because of me, or my editor having thoughts. (Literally Jeremy is the only one who stayed — and I named him after FREAKING KOOKABURRA PICTURE BOOK.)

 

 

4. KNOWING WHAT THINGS ARE CALLED

Ok don’t look at me like that. Words are hard, ok. There are a lot of things in this world that we take for granted and have no clue what they are called. Sure I know what a castle looks like. But what are the tower thingies called???? Can I say “small wall” vs “big wall”? What are things called in an industrial kitchen?? What do you call that thingie thing on the house roof?! I want to describe a sailing ship but also: how.

What is — GESTURES VAGUELY TO ALL OF IT — this?????

And, ohhhh you know the true nightmare? Clothes. I can’t even with describing clothes. If you want to know why my characters where jeans and tee-shirts is because I have no idea how to name other things. Every time an American book says “he wore khaki pants” my brain is like: “WHAT.” What are those hipster hats called? What type of shoes are those??? How do you even describe medieval outfits?! Like. how.

And don’t even get me started on language differences. Because “pants” in the UK mean something different to “pants” in the USA!!!!!!

Someone is out there to make me cry.

 

 

5. GETTING SICK OF REREADING YOUR OWN BOOK

I love my books. I love that writing is my job. I’m so lucky and so fiercely proud of my work and this will never stop! If you mention A Thousand Perfect Notes or The Boy Who Steals Houses, I am just one long !!!!!!!!

Also, I am totally ok to never read them again.  ¯\_(ツ)_/¯

Looool. It’s just when you’re polishing up a book for publishing, you read it so many times. Every round of drafts. Every round of edits. (And there are so many rounds.) You reread chapters to check facts. You reread it just before printing. You panic-reread it when your editor says “What do you want for the acknowledgements?” I HAVE READ MINE AT LEAST 10308 TIMES EACH.

I don’t know if this is truly an “underrated” problem for we authors, but I don’t see people whining about it as much so WOW Thank goodness for me, I’ll fill that quota. It’s just such a talent to love every single word of my book and then sort of die when I need to edit it again.

 

right. now please do tell me YOUR underrated writing problems. the little gnarly ones, particularly! and do you suffer with any of mine too?

 

Q&A With Your Favourite (Me) About Publishing The Boy Who Steals Houses

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Somehow it’s only 48 days until my second book’s release!

Less than two months until The Boy Who Steals Houses, ok…um wow!!!! I seriously have to pinch myself because there were about one hundred and five times that I thought TBWSH wouldn’t see the light of day. It’s so so special to me. And you know when you write something super close to your heart, the pressure for it also grows?! IT ME.

Let me pause for the most small and soft and grateful scream.

 

Now I have three things to tell you…

(1) ARCs of The Boy Who Steals Houses are IN MY HANDS!!!! This feeling will never get old!! I can see my words in orderly lines on a page!!! It is my book!!!
(2) How to get an ARC? If you’re in the UK or Australia, you can request with Hachette Children’s. Or it’s also up on Netgalley UK right here. I don’t have control over approvals, but good luck!
(3) and lately, it’s high time we had a Q&A, right?!

Also I’m GIVING AWAY an ARC over on my instagram! So don’t forget to enter!

 

so let’s talk about publishing, writing, The Boy Who Steals Houses, and various devious things

I asked for questions on instagram and got…a lot. (Seriously, can never get over how amazing my followers are! You care so much and it means the world to me.) So I thought I’d share a few answers here too.

 

(and if you want to preorder…which helps immensely…)

book depository | amazon UK | amazon US | waterstones | booktopia

 

I did a similar Q&A last year for A Thousand Perfect Notes’ release too if you want to check it out below!

 

why do you call your books “your sons”?

For the very factual reason that both are narrated by boys so far! And I’ve had people ask why to the boy narrators, and it’s honestly just how things fell. I pitch a lot of books to my agent and editors and we figure out which has the best potential. My first books happened to be told by Beck and Sam. I think gender is less important than just telling your best story.

 

who is your favourite out of your two books?

Ok this is asking me to choose between MY CHILDREN. How dare. (But also I will totally answer because I’m innately terrible: but The Boy Who Steals Houses is my heart book. I love love love ATPN and am so fiercely proud of it. But I poured a lot into TBWSH and it has me all !!!! whenever I think of it.)

 

how long did it take you to write The Boy Who Steals Houses?

It took me 3 days over NaNoWriMo in 2016. Which was the fastest I’d ever written a NaNo book…! And ok, no it wasn’t the best draft, but it was a DRAFT. And for me it’s better just to tumble my intentions all over a word doc and then sort them into sensible piles later. (Ok now I sound like I’m doing laundry…but is writing the same as doing laundry???? I think yes.)

 

is your newest book going to be available in the USA?

It is not, sadly. I live in hope the USA will one day want me but so far…nope. And that is the sound of me whining pitifully in the background. (It would be a dream to get a hardcover, ok?! A dream.) But that’s why I point to Book Depository because the shipping is also free world wide!!

 

how do you format your manuscripts?

When I draft, my total method is “WHATEVER THE HECK I WANT” and I choose whatever font and just go with it. (Although lately I’ve been boring and stuck to Times Roman there as well.) So remember: draft = however makes you happy. It’s for your eyeballs.

But when I format for my agent and/or editor to read, it looks something like…

I use Word, double-spaced paragraphs, Times New Roman font, and the whole thing usually glitters with the reflection of my tears. Aw. I think this is pretty solidly the average formatting? But google. Google knows everything.

 

did you pay your agent before he found you a publisher?

NOOOOOOOnoooooo nOOOOOOOOOO.

I have to wave my arms wildly for this one, because it is the absolute worst trap you can fall into if you think this is an option. This is a scam!

A (legit) agent works like this: ➸ You query an agency (making sure they’re legit too, do your research) and they usually revise your manuscript with you for a while before they go out on submission to publishers. Nobody gets paid until YOU get paid by a publisher. Than an agent usually gets about 15%, depending on your contract.

 

how long did it take you to get an agent?

I queried for about 10 months before I signed. Which is relatively short in the scheme of things, tbh. But I want to say: I got absolutely and entirely rejected. Usually automatic form rejections too. About 50% of agents didn’t ever respond. It was like sending emails into the void. But you know what? It only takes ONE yes. And I only got one full request from my agent (Greenhouse UK) and one offer for representation.

And it was perfect for me. I am all the flail. (One yes!! That’s all you need!!)

 

how do you handle writers block?

mostly i sit on the floor and cry

No rEALLY, just ask my family and my friends. They have to mop up all the pieces lolol sob. I never used to get writers block, but publishing comes with a fair bucket load of self-doubt too (and you know what?! I still get TONS of rejections) and once you start seeing negative reviews and wondering about saaaaales and having impostor syndrome…ahhh, the list goes on. I get stuck. Like a lot.

So the two things I do are: (1) I cram the creative well full again, with lots of reading and watching movies and listening to music and scrolling pinterest (IT’S WORK OK) and I let myself have some space and don’t write. Or (2) I write anyway. I write feral little paragraphs that bite me back, and I just keep at it because something will happen. And sometimes any progress is worth it. You can always edit the nonsense. You can’t edit nothing.

 

Does Sam listen to Twice Burgundy?

I am 500% excited for you to see the A Thousand Perfect Notes easter eggs in this book ok? SO EXCITED.

 

most rewarding part of having a book published?

➸ making readers cryyyyy (also my editor cried, so ¯\_(ツ)_/¯)
➸ getting to hold it!! as a physical book!! my favourite moment
➸  actually telling my stories and knowing people are going to have intense feelings about them
➸ that moment when you write a line and think, “THAT WAS GOOD.”
➸ walking into a bookstore and seeing your book on a shelf…100000/10 best moment of life

 

 

what is the thing you love most about Sam?

ugh I LOVE this kid of disasters and bruises. He has such a very soft heart and he puts all his energy into protecting his brother (Avery) and loving him fiercely enough to make up for the fact they’ve both been neglected and unloved all their lives. Sam’s incredibly flawed — but I adore the intense way he loves and protects things.

#feelings

 

did you have any fears about publishing your book?

YES ONLY ALL OF THEM. What if people hate my book?? What if no one buys it and I never get another book deal?? What if there’s an awful typo? What if I’ve said something unforgivably wrong on accident?! What if all my friends hate it and it gets awkward?! WHAT IF IT EXPLODES INTO A THOUSAND SCREAMING MOTHS AND RUNS AWAY FROM ME?????

 

what inspired you to write this book?

(1) I wanted to write a genderbent Goldilocks retelling, (2) I go for long long walks every day and pass by a ton of houses, and sometimes they seem very empty and it makes me wonder…what happened if someone just sneaked in to live there, not to steal, while the owners are away? (3) I also wanted to write about autism (it me) and big families (I have one) and brownies (I do not have some right now and it’s making me sad).

 

how long does it take from being accepted by a publisher to being on the shelves?

It’s varies a lot! But an average is about 3 years. (For instance, I sold A Thousand Perfect Notes in 2016 and it was out June 2018.)

 

how much input did you have in the covers?

Noooooone, my friends. My editors and marketing team take care of that! They put so much details into the covers that it’s truly amazing. Beck’s broken and bloody butterfly is directly from a quote in A Thousand Perfec Notes. And Sam’s keys are what keeps him going in The Boy Who Steals Houses.

 

 

do you use a specific writing program?

I swear by Scrivener!! It puts my brain into nice little files and autosaves for me and basically does everything except make me breakfast. So 9/10. Why can’t it cook eggs.

 

how do you plan out your stories?

I basically write bullet-point list outlines. I spend a heck of a lot of time daydreaming to music or when I should be sleeping (lolol what is sleeping) and I piece patches of scenes together by running it all through my head like a movie. My outlines can get up to 20,000-words sometimes, so it’s intense around here. But who has time for being chill.  ¯\_(ツ)_/¯

 

how many words are in each of your books

ATPN = 50,000 words
TBWSH = 69,000 (that moment when the baby outgrows its older brother…)

 

how many books do you think you’ll write?

As many as I can!! I desperately would love to have a book out each year, but a lot of that depends on how well they sell so FINGERS CROSSED it works out. This is my dream! I work so hard with my writing and I have so many sharp and soft and glittering and dark stories to share with you, if I can.

 

how long do edits take you? do you draft other projects while you edit?

Ugh forever. I literally don’t stop editing until the book is printed lmao. Seriously, I love The Boy Who Steals Houses, but if I have to read it again, I will likely scream.
And I’m a one-project-at-a-time kind of person. I’ll have other ideas percolating while I write or edit, but I only actively write ONE project. And there’s plenty of time between edits! Sometimes I wait months between rounds of edits.

 

was it love at first draft?

Noooo…definitely hate. I distinctly remember putting this one in a dark cobwebbed corner and crying over it and thinking it was a disaster. And it WAS. But it got better. And then it got published so like, shout out to those manuscripts you love but are also murdering you.

 

do you ever name your characters after people you know?

No, but shh, can I tell you a secret? I often name books after authors. I write on my bed and stare at my shelf when blocked (aka when I need to think of a name and have NONE). One book in my eye-view was The Erth Dragons by Chris D’Lacey…
The last name of my big family in TBWSH is = DeLainey.
So yeah. There is this.

 

how much say do you get in the editing process?

It’s a collaboration process! Nothing happens without me agreeing to it. The best part is: I’m working with professionals who love my book super fiercely and can see it more clearly than I can (because I’m way too close to the project) and know how to make it better.
I did whinge at a few of the scene cuts ah hahaha…but ultimately I’m glad I cut them! Except there was a pretty terrific potato scene you will never see. I am sad. But it did zero for the plot, though 100% for my personal amusement.

 

which authors inspire you?

Oh so so many, but my particular inspirations are:

➸ Laini Taylor and Tahereh Mafi’s prose
➸ also Jandy Nelson’s prose, let’s be real here, she PAINTS with words
➸ Maggie Stiefvater for style and prose and character complexities and levels of oddness
➸ Adam Silvera for wrecking your hearts
➸ and Cassandra Clare inspires me with her perfect witty banter!

 

feel free to ask me anything else in the comments (about writing/publishing/TWBSH) and i’ll answer!! and if you’re a writer, tell me your top author inspirations?

Secret Meanings Behind Things In A Thousand Perfect Notes (ooOOooh!)

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When reading, we often wonder why the author chose to add that certain scene or description into their books.

It’s like this mysterious…”ooOOooo the red cloak MEANS SOMETHING” and we go and analyse it like vivacious little nerds. And quite often it’s true. The red cloak did mean something. We’re just not saying it meant something very deep. ¯\_(ツ)_/¯ Readers tend to think really well of authors but lolol, my friend, sometimes we are just sleep-deprived dorks.

Now time for me to spill my secrets, isn’t it?!

I want to list 10 things secret meanings behind things I wrote in A Thousand Perfect Notes! Who, by the by, is nearly 8 months old…they grow up so fast, I swear.

I do not promise 100% scintillating meanings, but !!! they still mean something!!!

 

PS. This will have no PLOT spoilers for ATPN! But I will be talking about details and mention Beck’s full name (which is a secret for a bit at the beginning) so — you’ve been warned!

 

(Also if you missed the cover reveal for my next book, The Boy Who Steals Houses…it’s up now!)

 

1. There are stories behind all of their names!

Ok this one is somewhat sensible and I’m very proud of it! The whole story is actually a Beethoven x Cinderella retelling. I always wanted to do a bit of a modernised Beethoven “reimagined”…and this is it!

➸ “Beck” is short for Beethoven, aka after the famous Ludwig van Beethoven
➸ “Keverich” (his last name) is the maiden-last-name of the real Ludwig’s mother!
➸ Joey’s name came from “Johann” (YES they’re pronounced differently, but this was just inspired) who was the real Ludwig van Beethoven’s father.
➸ August Frey is named after August Rush, the movie! So so many people thought I was inspired by This Savage Song by Victoria Schwab….um very much no. I was SO devastated when TSS came out starring AUGUST FLYNN. Like c’mon, universe, that’s rude. But I wrote ATPN in 2015 and TSS didn’t even come out till 2016.

 

2. Also this is why they’re all German!

Because of Mr. Original Beethoven. Also I am German(ish)???? My great-grandparents were German immigrants to Australia, hence my German last name of DREWS.

Fun and useless fact for you there!!

 

3. Twice Burgundy is just a fictitious band I made up for August and Beck to be obsessed with.

I have had SO many people ask me “I couldn’t find Twice Burgundy online to listen to???” Which is actually such a compliment lmao. If I can describe a band interestingly enough for people to really want to hear it — then wow, you go, Cait.

Back when I wrote ATPN in 2015, I was listening to Civil Wars, Imagine Dragons, and Of Monsters and Men. So imagine them sounding roughly like that.

And I named them “Twice Burgundy” for absolutely NO reason and I have so many regrets because I never spell Burgundy right the first time for goodness sakes.

 

4. Beck’s monologue about hating glitter is author-self-insertion at its finest.

At that point I was doing copious amounts of craft with a 3-year-old niece. And UGH I LOVE HER, but sfshgoshr her obsession with glitter destroyed my fragile sanity.

I hate glitter. It doesn’t love you. It wants to see you dead.

 

5. August’s shoelessness is because a lot of Aussies just…don’t…wear shoes?

This isn’t a blanket Aussie culture thing. But it’s pretty common! If you go to some shopping centres near the beach, they even have signs “WEAR SHOES” because so many people turn up without. We are bogans.

I also had a period when I was about 15 where I basically never wore shoes.

I also nearly broke my foot playing soccer barefoot…which like literally as I’m typing this is probably what inspired August’s damaged foot when Beck had to carry her home from school.

EPIPHANY.

6. I didn’t name a specific town-setting because I’m…lazy.

Because, look. If I said that it was, say, Brisbane — then I would’ve had to write it accurately as Brisbane. Duuuude. Dude. Don’t ask me to research. As is, it’s like what happened if Lismore x Brisbane got flung together and sat down in a mess.

 

7. August’s beetroot cupcakes…

…look. Beck is right. Vegetables don’t belong in cakes like that, seriously, August. Get help.

I’m meant to tell you the hidden meaning behind it but it’s only that I have been subjected to this. And writing books is nothing if not working through past traumas.

 

8. The Maestro is inspired by the Evil Step-Mother of fairy tales.

One thing I’ve noticed as I drift about the blogosphere like a well-meaning ghost, is that ATPN is making it onto so many of your lists…ALL FOR EVIL PARENTS. That stuck out the most lmao.

Truly, the Maestro is a deeply terrible person. What’s worse is that she’s justified her abuse to Beck. She’s making him “a great pianist” by force. And to her, that’s all that matters. He refers to her as “mother” like once throughout the whole book because he knows mother/son is not their relationship.

So she also plays into the “abusive/mean music teacher” stereotype (which is a very common trope in the music world) but she also takes her roots from fairy tales.

ALSO I’M SORRY, OK???? I hate her too.

 

9. Why present tense/3rd person?

It’s not the most common choice and I actually terrified myself into a spiralled hole pre-release that no one would like it. But I like it. And I’m important ok. (Also super humble.) But it’s the tense I love the most and feel so comfortable with. Present tense brings you deeply into the moment, like it’s happening to you — right now.

So you can suffer with Beck. Nice.

 

10. There is an Avery (from my next book, The Boy Who Steals Houses) cameo in this book!

I am so ridiculously proud of it. I was really lucky to land a 2-book deal upfront so while ATPN was still in edits, I already knew The Boy Who Steals Houses would be my second book. I could sneak a reference!

THIS IS PAGE 18.

 

➸ Avery is Sam’s (my narrator) brother in The Boy Who Steals Houses
➸ So TBWSH is actually set in the same town/same school as A Thousand Perfect Notes!
➸ It’s also set a year later.
➸ And yes ajfdklsad there are references to TBWSH in A Thousand Perfect Notes too! Keep your eyes peeled.
➸ Why does this make me so dorkily proud of myself? I swear the bar is so low for me to feel clever. But here we are.

 

➸ find my sons on Goodreads and Book Depository!

 

 

feel free to ask me if there are any other reasons behind other things in ATPN!! and if you’re a writer: tell me some dorky reasons behind your writing-choices?

Do You Want To See The Cover for The Boy Who Steals Houses?!

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I’m absolutely beaming right now because it’s time to share the cover for The Boy Who Steals Houses!

We are coming ever closer to the April 4th release date (70 days to go, to be specific) and I’ve been doing exciting things like writing acknowledgements (still a surreal experience!!) and seeing page proofs and excitedly awaiting the moment when I get to hold a physical copy of TBWSH. Which is, arguably, the very best moment of all.

But the cover…!!

Are you ready?!

 

Book Depository | Hachette UK | Amazon UK | Amazon US | Booktopia Australia

Preorders do so much good for new small authors (like meeee) and bonus, the book is usually a bit cheaper before release day! If you’re in the USA, your best option is Book Depository! They do free shipping too. Amazon US will get it in, but so far only the kindle is up for preorder. I think this is because I’m not published in the US. But who would know!

and you can add it on goodreads…!

 

🗝 yes there will be ARCs and it’ll be up on Netgalley UK!

This should happen early February, but I’ll keep you updated from where you can request. (Physical ARCs will only be for those in the UK and Australia, as far as I know.)

 

🗝 and this is a good time to say…if you ever want to interview me or share about TBWSH or ask any questions — GO FOR IT.

I do not bite (well, not on weekends anyway) and I love you so much. I’ve had a few people message me starting off with, “I’m so sorry to bother you…” pfftshtfffsfs. YOU ARE NOT A BOTHER. I’m immeasurably grateful to you.

 

🗝 The Boy Who Steals Houses is not a sequel to A Thousand Perfect Notes.

They’re set in the same universe though!! There may or may not be a wonderfully placed cameo or mention or two.

 

🗝 It’s 360 pages!

Compared to ATPN’s 288…so someone got long-winded ha ha. Although, as I was reading through for the 180th time and crying over copy-edits, I pledged to myself never again to write over 300 pages. So much more to edit. Why do people write 100K books. Why…why would they.

 

🗝 The keys on the cover mean things.

So many things…

 

🗝 There’s a lot going on in this book and I’m very proud of it.

It has homelessness and big messy families. It has anxiety and autism. It’s set in summer, so there’s popcorn and mangoes and a soft yellow pocket of happiness before everything goes really bad. It has brothers with a very intense relationship. It has a very soft and tentative romance (between a Hufflepuff and a Slytherin). It is a genderbent modernised Goldilocks retelling. There is banter and snark…and also tears and bloody knuckles. When I say “I’m going to make you laugh AND cry…” dude, I mean it.

It is dark and light and about being lost and found.

It’s about looking for something and stealing the impossible.

And there is a heck tonne of brownies in it because I drafted it for NaNoWriMo 2016 and I was home alone for a week and brownies is one of the few things I can bake. So like. There sits the truth of my inspiration.

 

🗝 I’m never going to get over this whole AM AN AUTHOR thing.

It’s just my dream, ok?! The process isn’t all perfect and I still have so many wishes I’m desperate to come true. But just !! knowing people read and enjoy my work, having publishers and an extraordinary agent who root for me, and being able to unravel the stories that make my heart beat faster…I’m so so grateful.

(And wouldn’t be here without my blogger-friends’ support! So thank YOU.)

 

me @ not being able to wait to take proper photos of it

well I am a happy swamp right now!!!! what do you think?! are there fairy tales you wish were done in contemporary and/or genderbent? ready to be broken by meeee again? 

Curious Writer Questions To Answer (And I Talk About Quiet Dreams, Critics, And Tropes I Love To Write)

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It’s time to answer some curious writer questions.

Mostly because I get to say curious and curiouser and remind myself that Lewis Carroll is pretty heckin’ famous despite making up his words because he couldn’t think of any existing ones. If that isn’t a big mood. That is like the origin of writers waving their hands vaguely and saying, “Can you pass me the thingie thing,” because wording on the paper is easier than wording with the mouth.

Anyway.

I am here to answer some QUESTIONS (that I pretty much stole) because I really love answering questions! I also love how writers can be so different with their processes and styles and reasons-for-writing — it’s most fascinating to discuss.

I’m always curious about other writers, so here let me just answer…

I got these questions from @rebeccarmix (who is fantastic on twitter you should follow her!!) from a thread here and am turning them into a blog post instead of a tweet thread because LET ME RAMBLE ON AND ON. So if you want to grab these questions for your blog, make sure to link back to Rebecca!)

Otherwise it’s nearly NaNoWriMo…so hey! Let’s talk writing!

OMAGHAOGH IT’S NEARLY NANO.

what are your favourite kinds of scenes to write? why?

Oh, hands down, it’s the banter scenes. I absolutely love them. Although the true irony is I put a lot of effort into making my banter sound, well…effortless. When it flows though, I AM MAGIC. I AM A MAGICAL CREATURE AVAST AND ADORE ME. (Usually it is a struggle that makes me cry tho so like, do not worry about my ego. It’s that smudge on the floor generally.)

I also really like the scenes were I absolutely break. everything. and. everyone.

(I am NICE.)

 

we’re all our own worst critics—so, what about your writing are you genuinely proud of? don’t hold back.

I’m genuinely proud of my prose! It can be a purple and flowery, and I use a lot of metaphors built from gossamer and eggshells and I freaking love it. I think, if you write the kind of books that you crave reading, then you’re on a good path.

I’m also super proud of MY DISASTER SONS. Ugh they are such ridiculous messes and make terrible decisions, but they feel like real people to me and I just??? I love writing my characters. I love it even more when my readers fall madly in love with them too.

 

what do you love about writing? what excites you? what makes all of this nightmare struggle worth it?

✧ i love love love writing outlines and developing threads of new stories and thinking, wOW DON’T MESS THIS UP CAIT, THIS COULD BE GREAT. (No pressure clearly.)
✧ publishing excites me. WILDLY!! seeing my book’s cover for the first time!! getting copy-edits back!!
✧ dude?! copy edits excite me !! I’m a real author!!
✧ I love finishing. Don’t get me wrong, I do love the writing process and losing myself in writing a scene, but that moment when you FINISH?! it is glorious.
✧ when you’re typing a line and you think, “Wow. Wow that was good.”
✧ the part where i explode into a thousand moths and vanish into the grim moors to avoid my problems

 

what’s something you’re not as strong in that you’d like to improve?

I need to get better at world building WOW do I just. I get so scared of info-dumping that I leave you with three breadcrumbs and a piece of cotton fluff and say, “Yes this my world, adore it.” Which is…not helpful.

I also want to get better at characters?! I tend to write many similar personalities (panics) and my idea of romance is often they kiss and then someone gets shot/falls off a cliff. You think I’m exaggerating but those are ACTUAL SCENES I have written. Because like what do you do with post-kiss emotions??? Burn them with fire???? hElp

 

we talk a lot about “big” writing dreams (movies! shows! bestseller list!) but do you have a smaller, quieter dream for you and your work? what is it?

✧ go into a library and see my book there !! (seeing it in a bookstore WAS UNREAL I’M STILL FLAILING)
✧ be blurbed by an author I admire (might be considered still a “big” dream though bUT I WANT THIS)
✧ have a shelf lined with books I have written
✧ hire someone to draw fanart for my books ajfdksald
✧ the cover of my book = on little edible cupcakes
✧ meet my agent/publisher in London someday!

 

are there things that pop up in your writing over and over again whether you like it or not? what are they?

The theme of “protecting” comes up a LOT. I find myself drawn to writing about characters who both need protecting and will do anything to protect another.

I also write a lot about violence, which is very ironic for someone who is a pacifist. But I like to explore things that make me angry or that make me want to do something to help. I write about how violence is also invisible bruises and how, just because you can’t see pain, doesn’t mean it isn’t there.

I also write a LOT OF SLYTHERINS AND HUFFLEPUFFS OK. I CAN’T STOP. IT JUST HAPPENS. The stab and the soft. My children.

 

what are some tropes that you unapologetically adore writing? what are ones you never write bc you can’t stand them?

LOVE
✧ tiny feisty people who bite ankles
✧ nearly-happened-but-then-didn’t kisses
✧ monsters who want to be human
✧ sassy mouthed flirts who are secretly damaged inside 

HATE
✧ alpha males ughghg my boys will nEVER
✧ any sort of cure storyline ¯\_(ツ)_/¯
✧ they-break-up-they-get-together-they-break-up
✧ mean girls

 

if you could hop in a time machine and give baby-writer you one piece of advice, what would it be?

Write more books before you’re published and panic about meeting expectations!!

NEVER LOOK FOR REVIEWS. WAIT FOR NICE PEOPLE TO TAG YOU FOR GOOD ONES BUT (SMACKS HAND) GET OFF GOODREADS YOU LIMP LETTUCE

Just accept your 1st drafts are horrible. They are little night-demons. Let them be. They will settle down someday and wash their nasty little feral faces and learn manners, it’s ok. You are not a failure for needing to write a book 4 x to get it right.

 

what’s the last book/last books you read that made you go HOLY SHIT that’s some good writing!!?

oh!! OH!! I have read so many good ones this year! But ones that just made me sit with my jaw hanging while I whispered, “I want to learn to write like that,” are definitely:

   

do you have a book out? a book you’re working on? tell me about it!

You already know about my first son, A Thousand Perfect Notes, which has been out for FOUR MONTHS already! (And also just sold rights to be translated into both Czech and Slovak! And Polish!) And if you haven’t read it yet (OMG YOU SHOULD YOU LOVE ME) it’s about music and domestic violence, disaster siblings, the softest friendship, a whole lot of dubious cakes, many good dogs, and saving yourself.

And my second book, The Boy Who Steals Houses, is out in April (WHICH SEEMS SOON) and I swear the cover reveal is coming soon. Eventually. Maybe. (I have really no idea lmao.) But just know !! it is about homeless disaster brothers, a messy big family, autism, thievery, a very long string of bad decisions, lifesaving waffles, a prickly Slytherin girl and the softest honey Hufflepuff boy.

As for my current WIPs?!? It’s hard but I can’t really tell details much anymore. But I’m hoping my NaNo project will be something that tastes delightfully and wickedly of a story that’s Jumunji x Stranger Things.

ooh talk to me!! tell me what you’re working on? and what themes/tropes/topics do you find yourself writing again and again? have you read a book lately that’s inspired you?

5 Things I Did (Before I Was Published) To Become A Better Writer

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One of the top questions I get asked now that my first book is out in the world is, “hEY BUT HOW DID YOU DO IT???”

And to this I say: ¯\_(ツ)_/¯

Okay I’m juuuust kidding. I do actually have about 13% of a clue what I’m doing. This is a staggering percentage and we are all in awe of it. (Hush. Act in awe.) I’ve basically been writing seriously for 9 years. I’ve been agented for 5 years and had a book published by Hachette UK for, ah….2 months. SO! I have a lot to learn still about being a published author. (I still rather feel like the child with muddy gumboots in a room full of Adult Authors.)

But I did get here. And I did do a lot of things that I truly think helped me get here. YES there’s a bit of luck and timing involved, but also freaking haaaard work. It’s easy just to say: “Oh look!! Cait has a big blog!! Now she has a book deal!! It came so easy for her!!”

Haha. Haaa hahahaha. No. I worked hard for YEARS so let’s see what I was doing, hmm?!

1. I WROTE MILLIONS OF WORDS AND OVER 30+ BOOKS

If you’ve followed my blog for a while, you’ll know I am a wild writer like this. In 2017 I wrote a million words (including outlines that went over 40K sometimes, and 7 novels…some of which were over 130K). That is a LOT OF WORDS. And truly, I needed them to learn how to write. Some might learn to write a lot faster than I did…but I needed SO much practise. All these horrible gnarly drafts (starting from age 15) got my to where I am = a published author.

Are these 30 drafts something you might read someday???

LMAO. They are not.

“So what was the point of writing them all??? Wouldn’t it have been better to write less books but write them better and work on them harder?”

Look this is a seriously good question. I did edit some and rewrite others. Actually the 16th draft I wrote was what became A Thousand Perfect Notes.

Personally, I needed to write a lot to learn. I wanted to experiment. I wanted to chase that glittery idea that probably wasn’t marketable. I had the time to do this and the energy, so like, why not?! I would NOT be writing how I am today if I didn’t have dozens of “practice novels” in the dust behind me. 

Most of these novels are: (A) HORRIBLE because I wrote them when I was, um, smol and deluded, (B) some I’ve actually repurposed bits and pieces into newer novels, (C) they gave me a chance to experiment with so many styles and genres! I learned my favourites and what I didn’t like to write about, and (D) I might still go back to some of them!!

Nothing is wasted. They all taught me.

This doesn’t mean YOU have to write 30 novels before you’re published. The point is: WRITE WRITE WRITE. Don’t just write one book, write more. Don’t except yourself to be excellent now. Practise. If you write and it’s not as good as it was in your head? WRITE SOME MORE. 

And heyyyyy = have fun with this, ok?! I have such fond memories of all these books and characters!

2. I LEARNED HOW TO REWRITE AND EDIT

This follows directly on from the last one but seriously: DO NOT JUST WRITE FIRST DRAFTS. You learn almost everything by rewriting and editing. Books aren’t writing, they’re rewriting. So if you’re dreaming of being an author and you’ve never learned to edit??? Goooo, fiend. GO. This is absolutely where you need to apply yourself.

3. I RESEARCHED PUBLISHING ALL. THE. TIME

People often think researching is sitting down for an hour and Googling around. WELL ACTUALLY. It’s something you kind of need to do…all the time. For years. I didn’t learn about agents and book deals and editing and submissions all at once. I learned it over several years with constant reading of author blogs, agent blogs, tweets, youtube vlogs and teaching sessions, articles, facebook groups, etc. etc. I just SUBMERSED myself in it as much as possible.

YES I asked real people questions…but mostly I learned by reading the information available online. There’s a lot. It’s hard to know where to start, but soon you click on one thing that leads to another and another and VOILA. You are gathering information. (You don’t have to do this ALL in one day!! So don’t be overwhelmed!)

PRO TIP: Don’t ask me “how do I get published” if you’ve never never researched for yourself. #siiiiigh (But I am VERY MUCH HERE to answer specific questions if you have them! And providing I can actually help!)

4. I LEARNED TO HUSH MY LITTLE SELF AND LISTEN

This is actually hard because you NEED to learn to listen and take on advice…but you also can’t listen too much. Like sometimes I absolutely freak out (STILL!!) because there’s so much to learn and know and remember and EVERYONE’S ADVICE CONTRADICTS. What can I write?? What can I not write?? Do you want this type of agent? Should you pitch? Query? Hire an editor? Get sensitivity readers? What country should you aim for? Should your debut be a series or standalone? Is your style marketable? If you get anxious about all of this, will you turn into a lizard? DoES ANYONE KNOW WHAT THEY’RE DOINGGGGGGG.

Anyway. It’s a trip to figure all that out.

But it’s still important to: 

  • Listen to what agents tell you (nope you are NOT the exception to a rule)
  • Listen to what readers are saying (because they will point out things you didn’t think about, especially regarding content if you’re writing something not directly in your experience)
  • Listen to what your writing buddies are saying (and GET SOME if you don’t have any! Seriously you can’t pick up all the problems with your novel yourself. There are always things that get left in your head and don’t make it to paper like they should. FEED BACK IS 100% THE BEST THING. Don’t be scared of it. Don’t hate it.)
  • Listen to the trees. Most people say “why would you do that” but seriously you can say it’s important to sit in a forest and listen to the trees but in reality you can just take a nap. You deserve a nap. We all deserve a nap.

5. I READ UNTIL MY EYEBALLS FELL OUT

I can’t even saaaaay how important reading is! These are your BEST TEACHERS. If you ever get stuck with writing (“how the heck do I write an action scene?!”) read back through like 5 or so of your favourite books’ action scenes. ANALYSE them. You can do this for any type of scene! Dialogue. Characterisation. Description. Let books TEACH YOU.

You also need to read so you know (a) what’s overdone or trending or popular or avoided (probably for good reasons!), (b) what’s happening amongst your bookish peers, and (c) because it stops you turning into a goblin who eats children at night.

Also 10/10 you can buy books for “work now”. This is perfect. Nothing can go wrong.

  

 

what’s the best writing advice you’ve been given?! and do you prefer 1st drafts or doing rewrites/edits??

How To Keep Writing When You Have A Mental Illness (And Just Kinda Want To Shriek)

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Yes, many writers struggle with mental illness. And no it’s not charming or helpful for our work.

Writers are often stereotyped to be, at the very least, depressed. And (I’m not kidding) there are people who openly say artists HAVE to be mentally ill to create good art. And do you want to know what I think?? mY FULL OPINION IS: NO.

Writing while being mentally ill is hard. It’s not a lot of fun and often it makes us quit, or lose opportunities, or not enjoy something we truly love because it’s such a fight to keep it up. You need support. You don’t need to be stigmatised or told you’re “broken” or told your work is more valuable if you’re struggling or sick.

I have been diagnosed with social/general anxiety and depression. I don’t say much about it online, but sometimes I want to mention it, because it’s helpful to know you’re not alone. We writers tend to look at other’s work and think, “Yeah they have it together and I never will.” Haha h HAH AH HAHA. No, my friend. I am just a constant silent scream.

So SHOUT OUT TO YOU. I think you’re doing great. And if I may share some things that have helped me…

Tips To Help You Keep Writing If You Have A Mental Illness

…Make Visual Reminders Of The Good Things

For me personally, my brain likes to delete everything good that ever happens. This sucks, but I don’t think it’s fully our fault. So I collect good things. Nice comments about my work. Tweets of people flailing. A really super epic thing my agent said. A beta reader’s comment.

Print them. Stick them to your wall. Put them in a folder on your laptop. DO IT.

This is not narcissistic. And I was about to say “this is not pride”…but actually: BE PROUD.

Recently I had an excruciating round of edits. I ended up with 7 pages of edit notes and this insurmountable dread that I couldn’t do this. I must’ve failed so so bad for my book to need this much work, right??? Well, for starters: no, brain! No! Making something better doesn’t always mean the last version was trash. But that aside, what I did was: I picked out the comments on my edits that were super encouraging and I enlarged them, printed them, put them on my wall.

I have a note that says “Your writing is brilliant here” —> That is the comment I look at when I’m feeling like a pile of stale crumbs.

 

…PACE YOURSELF WHEN IT COMES TO CRITIQUES.

Um, yeah, you still need critiques. You are not going to be a great writer until you get them. (TRUST ME.) Now you already know your brain is going to buckle when you get told what sucks, so pace yourself! Actually prep your brain with coping mechanisms!

Keep these in mind:

☆ don’t get TOO many opinions all at once
☆ you will overwhelm yourself and then turn into a potato and fall into a muddy paddock and ne’er return
☆ 2-3 critique partners/betas is a good idea (I like to have 1 who’ll fangirl + 1 who’ll be tough….balance!)
☆ do not work on critiques the second you get them back!! leave it a few days, a few weeks! mull on them!
☆ be teachable, because you seriously didn’t get it perfect on the first try
☆ NO ONE GETS IT PERFECT. YOU’RE NOT A FAILURE
☆ look at critiques as an opportunity to spend more time with your favourite characters
☆ eat between 2 or 9 cakes

 

…YOU DON’T HAVE TO WRITE ABOUT YOUR MENTAL ILLNESS.

While I do love the #ownvoices movement, I think it brings this expectation to write your own experiences. You do not have to if you don’t want to. There is a need for your voice, your story, your experience on the topic! Of course! But you are actually free as an artist to art about whatever you heckin’ want.

I almost always write anxious characters. But the first time I decided to address anxiety with a label and treatment? My 27th writing project.

Writing your experiences can be (a) triggering and send you backwards, (b) exhausting, and (c) a lot of pressure. So you don’t owe anyone your experience, but do share it if you want to!

 

…WRITING IS HARD FOR EVERYONE.

I have seen people say “No one will publish me because I have X illness.” And look…there are awful agents out there and narrow-minded publishers. Good writing and good authors get snubbed because they’re “too different”. Not denying. It’s not fair and it’s not right either. People gatekeep and diverse authors and books are often turned away because “oh we already have one of those”. (As if every book is the same?!)

But also: Writing is hard for everyone. I mean really hard. I’ve thought of my atypical brain as a reason I haven’t gotten an opportunity. (My first book didn’t sell. It got thoroughly trunked. A Thousand Perfect Notes is the 16th book I wrote and my 2nd attempt at getting published.) But I do think. more often than not, mentally ill authors have the same fails other authors do: bad timing and our writing needing to get better.

There’s a difference between “no one gets my writing” and “my writing needs to get better.”

The point is: when your brain says “this is too hard because of who we are” = your reply is needs to be refusal. You’ve got this.

 

…DON’T FOLLOW SOMEONE ELSE’S SCHEDULE.

There is always that feeling that you have to do “this and then this” to be a writer. I can thoroughly promise that you don’t. Don’t let someone tell you that you have to write every day or use this-and-this writing program or plot with the snowflake-method, etc. etc. Try a ton of methods and skip what you hate.

Do you need to write 500 words and lie down? DO IT. Do you need to write 200 words at a time? THAT’S FINE! Does it take you a year to finish a draft? AT LEAST YOU FINISHED IT!

There are so many ways to get to your goal.

 

…DON’T QUIT. TAKE A BREAK.

I see so many writers say “I can’t do this anymore I quit.” When what they really need is a break. A decent break. I have been one of these writers, don’t worry! I stopped writing for about 6 months. Then I went back because ohhhh look at that…I just needed time off. Maybe it takes you longer if you’re struggling with overload and overwhelm, but give yourself that grace.

So before you get to “I quit”, try:

☆ taking a break!
☆ don’t write or think about writing for at least a month
☆ refill your creative tank
☆ if you need time off??? you take it. you don’t have to do everything all at once
☆ what if you ate a lot of waffles. I’m not saying it’s the cure but I’m not saying it isn’t…
☆  no one should be working all the time
☆ if you still “need” to be working or you panic (I get that!) then try doing something else: plot a new fun story, listen to some different music, write “bloopers” into your story (these are fun!!) or switch up your writing routine
☆ get someone to flail over your characters. 10/10 this helps
☆ raise a kraken as your son

 

…THE BEST WAYS TO GET BETTER ARE BY READING AND WRITING.

This is my #1 advice for any writer at any time. Write tons of books. It doesn’t matter if some are hellishly ugly. Write more and more. You get better by practising. I know this feels like an insurmountable request at times (mental illness often comes with feeling so exhausted from just trying to live) so remember no one is asking you to write a million words today. Or even tomorrow.

But don’t throw it because it’s not working. EVERY writer needs to practise.

SHOUT THESE AT YOURSELF EVERY TIME YOU FEEL LIKE YOU CAN’T DO THIS

  • you don’t have to write EXACTLY LIKE YOUR FAVOURITE AUTHOR to be considered “good”
  • just because it’s not good now, doesn’t mean it won’t ever be
  • yes your brain will self-sabotage and yes you might be physically incapable of writing for a while…but you can still do this. Even if it’s not right this minute.
  • it actually doesn’t matter how long it takes you to achieve your goal
  • holding your own book is 5000000% better than you even can imagine. THINK ABOUT THAT. YOU CAN GET TO THIS.
  • the internet shows you a lot of success stories but I guarantee those authors bled and wept too
  • a ton of your favourite authors are also struggle with mental health! These authors are open about their journeys with mental illness online: VE Schwab and Katrina Leno have anxiety, Maggie Stiefvater and Adam Silvera and John Green have OCD, and Patrick Ness has depression/anxiety.
  • remember to love writing (I know that’s hard) but sometimes it’s actually the perfect escape from your own spiralling thinking to some place where you can control the adventure
  • your story IS important!! no one can tell it like you can.
  • you got this because you’re kind of made of magic

don’t feel pressured to share your mental health struggles if you don’t want to! but if you do…feel free to add your tips in the comments! what keeps you writing? do you write about your mental illness or do you prefer not to?

 

Your Frequently Asked Questions Are Being ANSWERED! (About Publishing, Querying, And If I Ever Sleep???)

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For the first time in my small slightly rabid life, I am about to do a Frequently Asked Questions post.

FREQUENTLY. Do you see that?! Usually I am either (a) making up questions to ask myself because apparently I’m just that needy, or (b) just answering some random questions I’ve called out to the universe for! But this time it’s: FREQUENTLY. Because being an author means a lot of you have the same questions. Good questions! I will give good answers! Lmao complete lie I will most undoubtedly leave some troll answers. I’m just definitely feeling like I’ve made it as an author ok.

Anyway just in case you didn’t see me mention it 29894 times: my debut A Thousand Perfect Notes is now OUT. You can add it on Goodreads and buy it on BookDepository (which does free world wide shipping) or Amazon US. And my neeeext book, The Boy Who Steals Houses, is out April 2019.

I’M FINALLY A REAL LIVE AUTHOR HOW DID THAT HAPPEN.

 

LOOK AT MY SONS

PS. That is not the final cover for TBWSH haha no. But I’ve been told it will be yellow!

Also my author copies arrived and I am 100% using this post as an excuse to show you my ultimate stacks.

WHAT INSPIRED YOU TO WRITE A THOUSAND PERFECT NOTES

I get asked this a lot. And I also go ahead and flap around nervously because THE ANSWER IS SO HUGE. I get inspiration from everywhere. I pull a book together from hearing a piece of music, reading a line out of a book, listening to someone say three words, writing something that means a lot to me, etc. etc.

Some of the influences for ATPN specifically are:

  • It’s a very very loose retelling of a classical composer’s life (can’t say who because it’s a spoiler, but you’ll know when you read it!)
  • Also “apparently” this specific composer was forced by a parent to play all night…
  • Also a small smoosh of a genderbent Cinderella in there (AUGUST IS PRINCE CHARMING)
  • I’m also a pianist, so I wanted to write about a musician!
  • I wanted to talk about low self-worth. I think it’s a devastatingly universal topic.
  • And, um…ok about 13% of the reason I wrote it is also because I wrote “COMPOSER RETELLING HIS NAME IS BECK” on a sticky note on my wall and picked it randomly amongst dozens.
  • I DON’T KNOW WHAT TO TELL YOU. PRETEND I HAVE A BETTER ORIGIN STORY.

CAN YOU SEND ME A REVIEW COPY?

You have to request via my publicist at Hachette Children’s UK! I’m not in charge of this and I’m not super rich so I can’t just send copies to anyone.

Also, when a book is out, usually now is the time to buy it! I know that’s not possible for everyone so: ask your library to order it in too!

WHAT IS YOUR DAILY ROUTINE AS A WRITER?

I actually don’t have one. I write in intense hits, instead of daily. But my average-sort-of-process-to-writing-a-book is:

  • Spend anywhere from 1 week to 2 years thinking up a novel idea.
  • Plot the WHOLE THING in my head like an epic movie.
  • Hate myself for all the explosions I put in due to dramatic soundtracks while plotting????
  • Cait??? This is a freaking contemporary??? You caNNOT.
  • Write an outline (usually 20,000-words). This totally eliminates writers’ block for me while drafting!
  • Write the 1st draft (anywhere between 3 days to 10 days).
  • Give it a break (anywhere from 3 weeks to 10 YEARS)
  • Pitch to my agent and see if she likes it!
  • Rewrite or edit extremely intensely (often I rewrite every. single. word)
  • Get feedback from one or two betas or my sister if I cry enough on her and she takes pity on my pathetic soul
  • REWRITE / EDIT SOME MORE
  • Send to agent.
  • If she says yes we should submit it to publishers: moooore edits and rewrites!
  • Submission to publishers!
  • If I’m lucky enough to land a deal — GUESS WHAT MORE EDITS AND EDITS AND EDITS.
  • A little book, in your hand. And me, sobbing vaguely in joy and also slight deranged madness in the background.

HOW DID YOU GO ABOUT QUERYING FOR ATPN AND HOW DID YOU KNOW WHO TO QUERY?

So firstly: I didn’t query ATPN! I signed with my agent for a fantasy book that we submitted to publishers and it didn’t sell. ATPN was the second book I wrote and gave to my agent. (See?! You have more than one shot at these things!)

And secondly: if you’re asking things like “who do I query”, I’m not trying to be mean, but you NEED to do more research. You need to google and read up on the immense volume of advice that’s out there. I know it’s intense, but you need to do it. Don’t rely on other people to walk you through it, ok? It’s not particularly fair on them to do the work for you. If you want to be an author, you need to do the work yourself.

ARE WE EVER GOING TO GET [INSERT BOOK I’VE BLOGGED ABOUT IN THE PAST]?

Ok so the awkward part about being a blogger and now a traditionally published author is that I have talked about a heck of a lot about projects that you will never never get to read. I’m SORRY. There are so many factors, from (a) if I even like that book anymore, (b) if I’ve kind of reused parts of it in other books thus killing it bloodily, (c) if my agent thinks it’s a good idea?! (d) if publishers are looking for that kind of story, (e) etc. etc. etc.

So I currently have a 2-book deal. I have NO IDEA what will come next! I’m working on things™ and I can’t talk about them! So I won’t say “no” to anything OR “yes” to anything. Don’t you love me.

WAS A THOUSAND PERFECT NOTES OR THE BOY WHO STEALS HOUSES MORE FUN TO WRITE?

Definitely TBWSH was more fun! As you know, ATPN is pretty dark and tense and the cute smoosh parts are brief. TBWSH has a lot of banter and shenanigans (BEFORE I TOTALLY RUIN YOU WITH THE DARKNESS) and there’s a big family in there…so the antics are madness and so so much fun.

I’M SO EXCITED FOR YOU TO READ THIS AHHHHHHHHH.

WILL YOUR BOOK BE OUT IN AMERICA SOON?

For now the answer is no! This isn’t up to me. An American publisher has to want to buy ATPN from my UK publisher and so far no one has.  ¯\_(ツ)_/¯

Book Depository has free shipping though and it is currently up on Amazon US (although they run out of stock quite fast sometimes?!)

HOW MANY AUTHOR COPIES DO YOU GET?

This depends on every individual author and what’s in their contract! I’ve just gotten mine and I got 20! Now 19 because my family seems to think they are fREE FOR ALL.

JUST KIDDING. I LOVE YOU MUM. THANKS FOR KEEPING ME ALIVE IN MY CHILDHOOD.

DO YOU STILL HAVE TIME FOR FRIENDS AND FAMILY WITH YOUR CAREER?

HAHAH JUST KIDDING.

I mean, I need to spend time with family so I can steal their habits and mannerisms, their speech and weird Sunday lunch stories because like how the heck else do you write.

WHY ARE YOUR BOOKS YOUR “SONS” AND NOT “DAUGHTERS”?

Because I’ve only written by boy narrators at this point so thEY ARE MY SONS.

HOW LONG DOES IT TAKE TO ACTUALLY GET PUBLISHED?

Duuuude. There is no ANSWER FOR THIS! Some people take years. Others take (I’m not even kidding) 3 weeks to land an agent and a book deal. It’s your journey and it’s going to be different.

But for me:

  • It took 3 years to go from 1st draft to published novel.
  • It generally takes about two years from signing your contract to getting your book on the shelf.
  • If you sacrifice honey cakes and your least favourite sister to the fairies, maybe things will go faster.
  • Not that I…have….done that….

I also wrote a post on how I got an agent and a book deal.

HOW DOES BEING A PUBLISHED AUTHOR COMPARE TO WHAT YOU THOUGHT IT WOULD BE LIKE?

I actually had no idea what to expect. I mean, it ain’t all glamourous. Things aren’t smooth….there have been a lot of disappointments and hiccups in the behind-the-scenes of what I wanted my “perfect” publishing journey to look like. But hey me?!? Unrealistic expectations much?!

Also I never never realised just how freaking GOOD it would feel to hold your own book. To see it on shelves!! To have people saying they over it and it means something to them. And to make your editors cry. To have professionals in the industry ABSOLUTELY LOVE YOUR WORK.

UGH IT’S SO SURREAL AND INCREDIBLE.

WHAT’S YOUR NEW BOOK ABOUT AND WHEN IS IT PUBLISHED?

It is called The Boy Who Steals Houses and it’s out April 4th, 2019! You can read the proper synopsis on Goodreads but basically it’s about two homeless brothers who break into houses when the occupants are on holidays. Until one day it goes badly wrong…and they end up in a house with a huge noisy family. Genderbend Goldilocks retelling?! WHY YES.

It also features horrible decision making, #ownvoices autism rep, immense amount of sibling bonds, and the kind of ending you’re going to scream at me about. ¯\_(ツ)_/¯

DID YOU HAVE MUCH SAY IN YOUR BOOK COVER DESIGN?

Nope! Total surprise for me and I freaking loved it.

HOW LONG DID IT TAKE YOU TO WRITE A THOUSAND PERFECT NOTES?

10 days for the first draft.

DO YOU EVER SLEEP?

WHAT IS YOUR FAVOURITE THING ABOUT A THOUSAND PERFECT NOTES?

  • It is shiny
  • It is smol
  • It is mine

ADVICE FOR WRITERS WHO WANT TO PURSUE THIS AS A CAREER?

But if you want a book deal? DON’T. QUIT. It seems like the most cliche advice. But seriously! If your book fails? Write another! If you get rejected? Rework it. If you’re not good enough? Write and write and read good books and then write and write some more.

HOW DO YOU GET MOTIVATION TO FINISH WRITING BOOKS?

Holding a finished copy of your book is actually the most motivational thing ever. And I just WANT THIS?! I don’t know how else to explain it! I want it so so so much so there was no way I was ever going to quit or slow down.

WHY DID YOU USE GERMAN IN YOUR BOOK?

Again, because it’s based on a German classical composer’s life! I also had the amazing help of Maraia and Sebastian to make sure my German was, ya know…actually intelligible. My last name is German and my great-grandparents were German immigrants to Australia, but let me tell you: I GOT NOTHING STILL.

WHAT PLANS DO YOU HAVE FOR UPCOMING NOVELS?

I caaaan’t say! Did you know I kept ATPN’s book deal a secret from you for like 16 months? Ya. So I can’t keep you 100% up-to-date on what I’m doing with my publishing journey, but so right now just know I’m working on various drafts, my agent and I have PLANS™ and my publishers * probably want to buy me a pocket dragon because they love me so much.

* This is a full lie.

WHY DID YOU BREAK MY HEART WITH A THOUSAND PERFECT NOTES?

WHERE ARE YOUR BOOKS AVAILABLE?

In Australia, Europe and New Zealand = in bookstores! If it’s not, ask them to get it in.

Rest of the world? Try ordering online at Amazon, Book Depository, Wordery, Booktopia, Waterstones.

OR ASK YOUR LIBRARY.

so if you’ve had a burning question and I missed it?! go ahead and askkkkk. i don’t bite! except when i’m very hungry. and let me know where you get inspiration for your writing from!!