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Paper Fury

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My Publishing Journey! How I Got An Agent And a Book Deal

It’s getting to the point where I realise my debut novel comes out in less than a week, and I’m just sit here thinking, “I DID IT???”

I’ve been working towards this for so so long. I often say “IT’S BEEN 5 YEARS IN AZKABAN” because it absolutely has and that’s no small length of time if you think about it. These last 5 years have been absolutely exhausting and full of heartbreak and encouragements and successes and nerves and triumphs — and now I get to actually hold my book???? I sometimes don’t know how to believe this is real.

I’ve been busting to share the details of my publishing journey with you! Every author tumbles into publishing a different way, but it’s interesting to read all the versions…so finally, here we go!

And please FEEL FREE when this post ends, to ask me questions! About publishing or A Thousand Perfect Notes! I may use some of the questions in a little Q&A on release day too.

Do you want to know how I started writing? I have one of those fantastic and heart-warming origin stories.

I was about 6 or 7 years old. I “wrote” the Three Little Bears out with eloquent illustrations and then told my family I’d invented it. HEARTWARMING, SEE? Later, at 12, my little sister started writing stories and was getting way too much attention, so I joined in. But it wasn’t till I was actually 15 that I finished a real book (it was probably barely 40K in retrospect ha) and thought, “Yep, this is going to be my life.”

Author. Bestseller. Adored all over the world. Etc. etc.

I grew up as a rather adorable book monster, the kind who’d hide with Tintin and Narnia on Christmas and ignore everyone, and my house was filled with books…so NONE OF THIS IS MY FAULT. I was doomed. I’ve always been obsessed with storytelling and had an incredible imagination — so figuring out I could tell my own stories plus control the ending plus (obviously) get famous for it someday was life changing.

What more could a little sharp-toothed, curious-eyed book monster want?

At 19, I was ready to start querying.

When I say “I researched”, I mean I was freaking obsessed with it. I still am, honestly. I still research and read and watch and listen to so much about the publishing world.

Before I queried, though: I had critique partners. I’d written dozens of (awful) books. I was really into a few teen writer communities and had feedback from authors. I religiously read advice and tips. I didn’t just work hard, I overworked hard, just in case you wonder if younger-me had some chill?

HAHA HAH AH. NEVER, NO.

 

  • Writing out several versions of my query and ANGUISHING over them.
  • I entered a few contests to get critiques.
  • One (professional) author said, not only did my book not work, my query was awful too.
  • I cried.
  • Seriously querying is super hard on your self-esteem.
  • I queried in the UK and USA. I’m in Australia, but this was 2013 and as much as I researched, I couldn’t find many Aussie agents?! I remember the biggest one took ONLY snail mail! Which they posted back to me…ya, thanks.
  • I pretty much angsted and freaked out over making sure I followed every individual agent’s guidelines.
  • I GOT REJECTIONS.
  • I didn’t actually track it very well, because the rejections were devastating for me and I’m sooo not the whole “Put your rejections on the wall!” type of writer. My opinion on that: the heck no. I put encouragement on my walls, thanks.
  • I did about 20-30 queries? Maybe less.
  • They were all form rejections except…maybe…2?????
  • Mostly there was nothing.
  • Technically I’m still waiting to hear back from about 10 agents.  ¯\_(ツ)_/¯
  • I started to think Professional Author Who Said I Wasn’t A Good Writer was right…
  • Then I got one yes.
  • I only needed one yes.
  • I signed with Polly Nolan @ Greenhouse Literary UK (who is, by the way, a super agent and our visions for my writing click so so well and I couldn’t be happier)!!! Seriously best moment.
  • This took about 10 months all up.

Things did go slowly at first.

I was signed for a dark YA fantasy that I’d been rewriting and rEWRITING since I was 15, so it was like The Story™ but it needed help. We did a lot of editorial work first. (I still have no idea why I got signed loooool. I’m relieved I did! Don’t get me wrong! BUT HOW DID I GET SIGNED.) Then we went out on submissions to UK publishers.

Then we got rejected.

So my agent said, “What about another book? What about a contemporary?”

And I being (a) desperate, (b) incredibly motivated to work my eyeballs out, (c) wanting this dream to be a reality mORE THAN ANYTHING, (d) being excruciatingly good at saying “yes” and thinking later, and (e) really open to advice…

I said “I’D LOVE TO!”

(Note: I had written 15 books before this. None of which were contemporary.)

Apparently, it seems, I am tolerably good at contemporary. I insert a smug little cute smile here.

Because in 2015 I wrote a little book called “Tremolo.” After revisions and edits, my agent suggested the title, A Thousand Perfect Notes.

In 2016, when I was twenty-one, I signed a 2-book contemporary deal with Orchard / Hachette Children’s UK.

I actually got the email at 4am, because WHO SLEEPS (#insomniac #life) and waited until about 8am for my family to rise from the dead so I could just lurk awkwardly and stare at them which is absolutely how you convey you have a book deal. I swear, I’m super good at communication.

I stood atop a mountain for about 6 months, just screaming in relief. I am a good writer. I am worth a book deal. I worked so freaking hard and long for this and I made it.

(Also I apologies to everyone I ABSOLUTELY LIED TO for the 16 months between signing my deal and announcing it. Ha ha hahaha. Oh wow. I am great.)

Has it been a super easy road?! OH YOU SWEET SUMMER CHILD.

Haha hahha no.

As you can see, I didn’t have any magical shortcuts. I didn’t do query contests or pitchwars (I didn’t even have a twitter for ages?!) and I didn’t have 4989 agents asking for me or 9389 publishers vying for my book. I am the poster child of: “IT JUST TAKES ONE YES” for publishing. And it is so true. This is success and I am proud and happy! And freaKING NERVOUS.

I have social anxiety and autism, which makes communicating hard for me, but my agent and publisher has been 100% onboard with meeting my needs. I have a big online audience, but it actually did 0% in getting my book deal. (It’s the writing that’s important, peoples!) And little things went wrong along the way…like my ARCs didn’t have my copy-edits in them, and I didn’t get to do a cover reveal, and there’s been lots of niggling things behind-the-scenes that haven’t been perfect. I have stressed. I have eaten through a few brick walls.

I’m not telling you that to complain. I’m saying publishing isn’t perfectly smooth for anyone! It has its highs and lows. I’m pretty sure 0% of debut authors have got it all together.

And between all the waiting and hoping — I was writing. If I can ever give one piece of advice to writers pursuing publication: WRITE AND WRITE SOME MORE. Write literally millions of words. Nothing makes you better and more confident than sheer amounts of practise.

 

And the things I still can’t stop happily freaking out about??

Getting translation deals! Seeing people wanting for my book without me having to spend 398 years begging them to read it like I did pre-getting-a-deal (HAHAH LIFE IS SWEET). My editors saying the most AMAZING things about my owrk. Also my editor crying…oh oh my halo just slipped can someone grab that for me.

Having people understand my work. Having professionals improve my work and now my writing is 100 x better and I still can’t get over that. Having my book go to book festivals in Europe! Getting a gorgeous cover (!!!) Knowing I have a SECOND book coming out in 2019. My publishers bought a book off me that didn’t even EXIST yet. I still can’t get over how amazing that is.

And holding my hard work in my trembling paws and knowing that I finally finally did it after I thought I might never get here.

I am all sparkly and my heart is so full right now!

 

Also, I will just say: getting a book deal is wonderful for the self-confidence. 10/10 would recommend.

Thanks for coming along on this publishing journey! Even if you’ve just started reading my blog or been here for the last 7 years…it’s been amazing to share this with you! Look I’m getting emotional, ugh, someone bury me.

A Thousand Perfect Notes is out in just 5 days!

if you’re a writer, feel free to tell me what your journey has looked like so far! plus ASK ME QUESTIONS! about my book(s) or publishing! i am answering!

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Favourite vs Things I Shriek Plaintively At About The Author Life

A wonderful thing about writing is how we love and rant about it all the time, usually in the same breath.

I do this about types of sandwiches too. It’s honestly very soothing to make favourite vs least favourite lists for just about anything. Although honestly, you could threaten to toss me into a black hole in space and I still would not eat grated soggy carrot on a sandwich. Do I look like a monster with no standards.

Now since I have a book coming out (hOW iS it onLY 13 MOrE DayS) I thought it’d be prudent to talk about what I LOVE vs DISLIKE about the author life! This gives you a great opportunity to get to know more of my utterly professional writing life and not get worried that I wrote my book out of crumbs and crayons while shrieking back at the whispers in the trees.

Haha, I did not. Don’t regret your preorders. Please. I love you.

☆ THAT BRILLIANT BURST OF INSPIRATION

Okay so “brilliant” might be my humble * side coming out, but I can’t even describe the satisfaction that comes when you smack through a plot problem or just get that sliver of an idea that’ll tie two pieces of plot together. And my feelings are just: !!!!!! Seriously, if exclamation marks were a feeling, IT’D BE ME. Those moments are what makes me fall sparkly-eyed in love with writing.

* LMAO WHAT IS THAT. DO I HAVE ONE.

 

☆ REREADING YOUR WORK AND ACTUAL LIKING IT

It took me yeeeears to get there, but HEY. I have arrived. First drafts are still dubious but I actually genuinely love my work and this is so satisfying.

 

☆ WHEN YOUR HUMOUR IS ACTUALLY FUNNY

I swear writing humour is like having someone stand 12ft away away and throw an egg in your mouth. IT’S SO HARD TO MAKE IT WORK. Like: am I sleep deprived or is this brilliant wit??? And half the time my book’s humour is like I just wrote the blooper reel into the book. (I may or may not have a scene in A Thousand Perfect Notes where a “big secret” is revealed and instead of kindness, the love interest just laughs and laughs and laughs. So supportive. Much kind.) But when you know you got that scene’s humour right?? BREAK OUT THE CAKE FOR I AM SKILLZ.

 

☆ WRITING EASTER EGGS

Whyyy did no one never mention how fun this is!?? My book’s are actual minefields of references, sometimes to fandoms or things I like or a meme (or even my blogggg!). But the best is when I can reference my own books. I knoooow. Small things amuse small minds but I get such pleasure out of this.

Although lowkey disappointed that “writing easter eggs” does not involve, in fact, any chocolate eggs. Sometimes the world fails us in the most horrible ways.

 

☆ WRITING HIGHLY-STRUNG EMOTIONAL SCENES

I insert a deviously malicious smiley face here. HA. I love writing those moments where everything and everyone is just breaking, and maybe nearly-crying or fighting emotions or losing their mind over something terrible happening. THIS IS MY MOMENT. I also actually do a lot of unique-formatting with my words too. This pleases me.

THIS IS FROM A WORK-IN-PROGRESS.

 

☆ BEGINNINGS

Bring me the BEGINNING this is where I thrive! Or, well, where I cry marginally less. OK actually in the last fantasy book I wrote I wanted to stab my book’s opening. But usually the beginnings are my favourite because there’s lots of banter and not everyone is DEAD YET.

 

☆ WHEN SOMEONE ELSE LOVES YOUR BOOK.

THIS GOES WITHOUT SAYING. BUT IT IS THE FREAKING BEST THING IN THE WORLD AND I CAN’T EVEN. Also making people cry? Right up there too.

Um, yeah, I am a nice person. I return my library books on time, I pet my dog, I often vacuum the whole house for my family. And I thrive on the dark glory of making people cry when reading my books. I don’t know what else to tell you. ¯\_(ツ)_/¯

 

☆ HOLDING YOUR BOOK AND KNOWING YOU NEVER HAVE TO READ IT AGAIN.

Hah haha hahha. I’m so sorry. But it is such a beautiful moment…like omg look at YOUR SON. It’s all grown up and wearing clothes a cover now and has hopefully no typos and is ready to trot off into the world and and offend someone probably be loved by all.

I LOVE HOLDING MY BOOK. LOVE IT.

☆ WAITING…AND WAITING…AAAAND WAITING

The road to being an author is 67% waiting and thinking about cheesecake. Let no one tell you differently. This has me shrieking constantly and I’m pretty sure they hear me in Peru and everyone there is just crossing fingers and hoping I pass out at some point to give them a break. BUT I SWEAR, WAITING NEVER GETS EASIER.

 

☆ THE FIRST TIME YOU LET YOUR NEW BABY PROJECT OUT INTO THE WORLD FOR HUMAN EYE CONSUMPTION.

Ughhh I swear this is why I procrastinate so much. It’s that moment when you have to go: “OK someone else is going to read my book for the first time and prOBABLY HATE IT and I will die a quiet slow death in the mountains with only a goat and a square of cheese to last out my final hours before the bog mires take me.”

I mean, that’s literally never happened. But my brain assures me the next time will be it.

 

☆ COPY EDITING

Because it’s hard!! By this point I’ve read my book 500 times and I want to put in a pot with a few stones and when the stones are soft, that’s when I feel like looking at my manuscript again. (lol lol what a roast…what a pot roast.) (YEAH OK I’LL STOP NOW.) But I also am just terrified of typos getting through. I’m a little dyslexic so spelling is…haha. What is that.

 

☆ FINISHING A PROJECT AND ENTERING THE VOID

I need to be working!! Always !! working !! And if I finish a project with nothing immediately to move onto…

This is me 1000% in gif format.

“Take a break!” they say. “It’ll recharge you they say!” WELL I’D RATHER PANIC, THANKS. I like to always be stewing on something, so if I’m in a void where I’m either (a) blocked, or (b) super blocked, or (c) bLocKEd and WaiTING and bLOCKED = then expect me to just stand there shrieking. Forever.

 

☆ WORRY THAT MY CHARACTERS OR IDEAS ARE TOO SIMILAR

Nothing’s more fun than self-plagiarising. OF COURSE. And I’ve written thirty-drafts of novels so it’s up to the point where I am like, “IS THIS NEW GENIUS OR STOLEN GENIUS FROM ANOTHER OF MY BOOKS.” Mostly I just shriek and eat ice cream. There is no cure. There is only dOOM.

 

☆ NEGATIVE REVIEWS

I mean. Obviously. And look I learned my lesson! I read a bunch of negative reviews about two months ago and I have not looked at ANY reviews since. (Except for some super lovely ones people sent me.) Although lowkey d y i n g that I’ve been tagged in some negative reviews. Like I do not expect everyone to love my book, but reviews aren’t for the author so leeeeeave me out of it.

 

☆ ALL THE GENERAL HARD STUFF

Like when you have to rewrite THE WHOLE BOOK. Or you’re absolutely blocked on solving a problem. Or you’re sick of your book. Or if you read super good books by other authors and despair of ever being good enough. Rejection! Forgetting how to use words! Spilling crumbs over your laptop! Chewing through a brick wall! Forgetting your characters’ names! nOT BEING SURE WHAT YOUR BOOK IS ABOUT!

BEING TOLD YOU ONLY GOT A BOOK DEAL BECAUSE YOU HAVE A LOT OF FOLLOWERS. (This is so so unfair lol lol.)

All that stuff.

So fun. Much hard. It makes me all shriek.

And yet somehow it doesn’t outweigh the good stuff?! It absolutely just does not. As hard as writing is (and it is hard and I’ve put absolutely thousands of hours into it), it is still my favourite thing and I will be an unashamed sap here and just say:

i really love the magic of telling stories and i can never never stop

tell me YOUR best vs worst parts about writing?! do you struggle with the beginnings, middles, or ends the most? are you constantly thinking up ideas or can you take breaks?? 

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Announcing My Second Novel (The Boy Who Steals Houses) Coming Out in April 2019!

I am practically beaming with happiness right now okay?! Let me introduce you to my second soon-to-be-published novel!

If you remember from when I announced A Thousand Perfect Notes back in October, I said it was a 2-book deal. And here is news of my sECOND SON. My second novel is called The Boy Who Steals Houses and it’s coming out in April 2019, with Hachette Children’s / Orchard UK! Which is actually less than a year away already.

I’m growin’ up so fast omg hold me.

Now it is still so so early so I’m not going to say a lot (!!) but I’ll do a fun little Q&A for this post and basically continue beaming until I outshine the sun. I know it looks like, “WOW Cait is coming out with all these books so fast!!??!” but trust me there’s been 7 years of work behind this and quite a few sacrifices to the trees and a criminal amount of chocolate.

But I’m so so happy and my heart is so full. There were so many times I nearly quit and screamed myself into another dimension…but here I am. Author of two books. That you will soon be able to read. And I just…my current state is: !!!!!

THE BOY WHO STEALS HOUSES

Can two broken boys find their perfect home?
Sam is only fifteen but he and his autistic older brother, Avery, have been abandoned by every relative he’s ever known. Now Sam’s trying to build a new life for them. He survives by breaking into empty houses when their owners are away, until one day he’s caught out when a family returns home. To his amazement this large, chaotic family takes him under their wing – each teenager assuming Sam is a friend of another sibling. Sam finds himself inextricably caught up in their life, and falling for the beautiful Moxie.
But Sam has a secret, and his past is about to catch up with him.

Goodreads  Book Depository  Waterstones  Amazon UK  Pinterest Board!

 

To be clear, on one has asked me anything yet. But I am prepared. Hence here is a presumptuous Q&A where I will answer questions no one asked.

Q: What’s the title?
A: The Boy Who Steals Houses!

Q: Why is this vaguely familiar to me, a keen observer of your blog.
A: Because, you clever finch, you might remember me talking about this project back in 2016 when I wrote it for NaNoWriMo! It was a book I finished in 3 DAYS and I was pretty excited about that. I never knew if it’d end up being an actual published novel but look!! look!! I’m so happy I can’t even explain !!!

Q: So is this a sequel to A Thousand Perfect Notes??
A: It is not. It is a standalone, but it’s in the same world as ATPN and it’s set 1 year later. In fact Beck and August from ATPN go to the same school as Sam and Avery from TBWSH.

This is page 18 in A Thousand Perfect Notes…

I am ridiculously pleased with myself and my Easter Eggs, ok. RIDICULOUSLY PLEASED. The scheming here from me is wild.

Q: Can we call agree TBWSH is a horrible acronym and looks like mouthwash.
A: Yep. I’m gonna go ahead and agree.

Q: Also tell me about the title.
A: Can you believe I, the infamous horrific titler, actually TITLED THIS ONE MYSELF. I’m so proud. (FYI A Thousand Perfect Notes was named by my agent! I originally called it Tremolo because I cannot title.)

Q: How do you steal a whole house.
A: You know what? You’ll have to wait and see.

Q: Will there be ARCs?
A: I assume so but it is waaay too early. I have literally only just sent back an early round of edits. This isn’t quite even book-shaped yet.

Q: So do you have a favourite between your two sons now?
A: Nooooo. I mean, I love them both to death and each has a special place in my heart. But TBWSH has definitely stolen (har har) my heart and it’s one I can’t ever stop thinking about. Sam and Avery are the softest cinnamon sons, who also make such bad decisions I have no idea how they’re still alive. This book is dark. It’s very raw and honest. It’s extremely special to me.

Q: Are there dragons this time????
A: um, still no

Q: Is there cake?
A: YES. Actually, funny story: when I wrote this, I was living alone (my sister doesn’t count as a person because she was there but useless in the kitchen) for a month and basically living off sandwiches and brownie because apparently cooking is hard and I am small and tired. In the end there was brownie in like every third chapter of TBWSH. It’s not quite that bad now, but the whole book is an ode to brownie.

Q: Will I cry tho. Is it happier or sadder than ATPN????
A: Dude, you know it is sad. You already know. And it is just as dark as ATPN…

Q: What’s with all the yellow?
A: Yellow is a really important colour in the book! Also I’m not sure if the protagonist, Sam, is a Hufflepuff or Gryffindor…I will get back to you on that. And also, this is a genderbent Goldilocks retelling!

Q: So you are writing about autism.
A: Yes! There is an autistic character in here from an autistic author. And look, I just want to smile in a very deviously satisfied way to all the people who’ve told me that autistic authors DON’T get published. They do! Hello! I know I am very lucky, but I’ve also worked monstrously hard and I’m not undermining that by saying it’s all luck and timing. And while this book has an autistic secondary character in it (Avery), it isn’t actually about autism. Because autistic kids get to have plots and narratives too. This also isn’t the “usual” autism narrative you see. Avery isn’t a math genius, he has a lot of stims/tics, and he gives me a chance to talk about the autistic kids who aren’t low or high functioning and how the world either demands too much or too little from them.

Q: What does this mean for the blog then?
A: You get to put up with me mentioning two books all the freaking time. Please don’t go.

Q: When will we see the cover?
A: I haven’t even seen the cover! Probably not for quite a while!

Q: Anything else you want to spill? Look I can see you shimmying around. Just spill it.
A: OKAY!! So if you’ve preordered a copy of A Thousand Perfect Notes, there is actually a sneak peek (half of the first chapter!!) of The Boy Who Steals Houses in the back!! YOU GET TO MEET MY SONS, SAM AND AVERY, VERY SOON. In 19 days to be exact. And then you get to wait 320 days for the rest. ¯\_(ツ)_/¯

Q: What else goes down in this book?!
A: There are two homeless brothers + also a very very big messy chaotic family + a lot of banter + the cutest awkward romance ever + more bad decisions than is healthy for anyone tbh + a glitter catastrophe like you’ve never seen + one of the biggest character-casts I’ve written + it GETS DARK.

Q: Tell me something cool.
A: um on Waterstones it’s being compared to “Perfect for fans of Jandy Nelson and Jennifer Niven.” And I just !! That’s pretty neat! Don’t mind me as I explode into the sun!

APRIL 2019. I’m so happy you’ll meet Sam and Avery!

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Are Writer Stereotypes True Or Has Someone Been Lying To Us All?!

When someone shouts “WRITER!” a lot of stereotypes immediately come to mind.

Most of them are to do with fear, and we tend to fling salt and then make for the hills to get away from these types of creatures. HAHHA JUST KIDDING! (Am I tho.) But writer stereotypes can be quite a lot of fun and always somewhat accurate. They didn’t evolve from nothing after all. Someone started it.

Now there are a sheer bucket load of stereotypes out there and obviously we won’t fit them all, so:

Today I want to list some common writer stereotypes and see if I fit them or not!

I actually tweet a heck of a lot of these on a regular basis and people seem to reply with “hey im bein attacked” a lot. So I think I’m onto something. Now let’s see just how much of a walking cliche I am.

 

 

1. WRITERS STAY UP LATE AND WORK BEST IN DARKNESS.

✓ ✗ Look I’ll go ahead and cheat for the very first one, which sums me up entirely. I’M SORRY. But I’m torn for this because (a) I do stay up late because I am an insomniac, so hello I will wear this stereotype’s hat, but (b) I actually work best in the morning! But night time I want to dissolve into the mud from whence I came. Being an upright human is hard.

2. WRITERS DRINK A LOT OF COFFEE + GO TO COFFEE SHOPS TO WRITE.

✗ Soooo false for me. I do not fit this AT ALL. I barely drink a coffee every six months?!? I mean it tastes nice and all but it does absolutely 0% for me so I find it a pointless drink. Like I’d rather consume blood of my enemies or whatnot. Instead coffee makes me sleepy. THAT IS THE OPPOSITE OF WHAT IT’S SUPPOSED TO DO SGHJSF GHSGH.

And I can’t concentrate with even the slightest noise. I c a n n o t. For goodness sakes, I put on noise-cancelling headphones because the clock ticks. So no coffee shops. HILARIOUS.

3. THE WRITER UNIFORM IS: PYJAMAS.

✗ Again! So false for me! I actually hate wearing pyjamas?! I usually wear the clothes I’m going to go for my morning run in so I can save time (the level of over achiever here is wow). And if I do bother to have pyjamas on my bed, mY DOG LIVES TO EAT THEM. I cannot win here.

I am the writer who gets dressed + eats breakfast + brushes my hair = then curls up in bed to take a nap while dictating to my dog because he’s pAYING for those pyjamas he just ate.

4. WRITERS ARE ALWAYS CRYING OVER HAVING TO WRITE.

WRITING MOOD

✓ I was going to say “oh! no definitely not!” because I really enjoy writing and it makes me so happy!

BUT. YET.

I still always cry over it. Only internally though, because I have the emotional range of a loaf of sourdough bread. But my schedule is basically:

  • begin the book = cry because it’s hard to get the rhythm of it
  • write the middle = cry because middles so often suck so you gotta work 50 x harder
  • write the ending = cry because it’s OVER and you aren’t ready to say goodbye to your smol cinnamon murder children

Although to be truthful it’s not so much “cry” for me as “cranky whiner”. I’m super good at it. Frowning is my resting face.

5. WRITERS ARE PARTIALLY MADE OF CRUMBS OR ARE SIX DRAGONS IN A TRENCH COAT.

✓ This is true. No one should ever be surprised with how fantastically writers fake things. We write stories lies for a living, c’mon! Of COURSE we can fool you into thinking we are indeed human. And I’m definitely made of crumbs because wherever I go, there go crumbs before and after me. My most loyal followers and friends.

6. WRITERS ARE OBSESSED WITH STATIONERY.

✓ IT’S NOT A PHASE, MUM. IT’S TRUE LOVE AND I WILL MARRY THE JOURNAL I JUST MET. NONE CAN STOP ME.

Now you’d think being a writer and working entirely on a laptop would mean no stationery needed right??? RIGHT! I absolutely don’t even need a single pen or a scrap of paper to write a book. Do I collect stationery anyway? Absolutely. Does this make sense? Absolutely not. Will I stop? Again, absolutely not.  ¯\_(ツ)_/¯

Also no no I can’t use my 1 out of 184 unused pretty journals. My handwriting is horrible. Obviously???

7. WRITERS HATE EDITING.

✓ ✗ I’m going to claim true/false for this because there are some of my books I freaking LOVE editing. Every time I get edits back I actually do a happy dance * because I loooove spending time in that world.

But when there’s plot holes that look a bit like rips in time in space…haaaaaaa. rESCUE ME, OH PLEASE.

And I hate line-editing / copy-editing because I’m a little bit dyslexic and catching typos is a nightmare.

 

* This is a phrase here which means: I give a very small smile and blink twice to signal delight because I’m Vulcan.

8. WRITERS WILL CORRECT YOUR GRAMMAR.

✗ Faaalse false false faaaaalse. I won’t even correct my grammar, so yours is totally safe here, mate. I do not understand grammar. I swear I did some of this stuff in school (BUT THAT WAS 8 YEARS AGO) and promptly blocked it all because it was apparently traumatic. These days I write with very bad grammar and then slam some word art onto the page to distract my editors from the nightmare that is: me.

9. WRITERS WANT TO DRINK READERS’ TEARS.

✓ I WANT NOTHING MORE. My #1 goal in life is for people to say “I CRIED” and I’ve actually been achieving that with my upcoming debut, A Thousand Perfect Notes. And if you think you’re crying for that…hooooly heck, you just wait until my 2019 book. You’re going to BAWL. * I’m so excited. I’m so so frikkin’ excited. 

* MY EDITOR CRIED.

10. WRITERS HISS AT PEOPLE AND LIVE ALONE IN A COTTAGE IN THE DEEPEST MOORS.

MY HOUSING PREFERENCES

 

✓ True. I mean. Just true. Do I fit the antisocial writer stereotype, who has been in the same pair of jeans for 5 years and shrieks at sunlight and avoids actual Humans whenever possible? Oh yes, so much yes. Although the saddest part here is that I do wear my jeans forever because I HAVEN’T GROWN SINCE I WAS 14. I’ve just bought a shirt made for a 12 year old and my mum was like, “Ohh is that too big?? Want me to hem it??”

So yes, I’ll be in my Hobbit Hole if you need me, clearly with my people.

ALONE.

what writer stereotypes do you fit or break?!? and tell me some more stereotypes i missed out on adding to this list!

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Q&A With You Favourite (Me) About Publishing My Debut A Thousand Perfect Notes

April 7th marks exactly TWO MONTHS until my debut is published so I’m celebrating with a Q&A!

Two months is honestly not a long time, so I’m only mildly freaking out. And I know you might be sitting there moaning, “Cait, it IS a long time…” then, oh oh you sweet summer child. I’ve been working towards being published for 7 years so I’ve gotten so good at waiting. *

 

* A phrase here which means “is really good at screaming for hours into the void which sometimes screams back and then we harmonise and that’s how I pass the time waiting to be published”.

Now this is a special Q&A for two reasons being: (1) I’m going to talk about publishing and writing, and (2) these are questions YOU actually asked!!

Wild, right?! Usually I ask my own questions and interview myself because I’m a blogger and that’s what we do. BUT NOT TODAY! I did a call-out on instagram and also last week on my recap post and thanks for the MASSIVE response. I love you too. Even though I unfortunately can’t answer all the questions or this post would be longer than my debut. (I’m really honoured though.) So I’ll just answer the publishing ones this time, OK!?

 

You can preorder via: Book Depository, Amazon, Booktopia, Hachette Australia, Hachette UK, Waterstones, Wordery! And add ATPN on Goodreads!

 

also if you want to know what’s up with the tropical theme these days… ¯\_(ツ)_/¯ I LITERALLY HAVE NO IDEA. I’M JUST GOING WITH IT.

 

if you could pick one song to be the soundtrack to your book, what would it be?

A combination of Chopin Etudes and Beethoven symphonies! READ THE BOOK AND YOU WILL KNOW WHY.

Is publishing a book everything you dreamed it to be?

YES I’M A HUGE FAN OF THE FACT I GET TO HOLD MY BOOK AND SOMEDAY IT WILL SIT IN A BOOKSTORE AND I WILL RULE THE WORLD.

 

Will you ever do signings and go to book events and such?

As of now, probably not, but…ya know…”never say never.” Things are complicated by me living in a tiny tiny town in Australia but being published in the UK, as well as I have pretty severe social anxiety. But I’m online. Literally all the time. Isn’t that nice.

 

what do you think is the no #1 thing all writers should keep in mind when writing a book?

Write something that means a lot to you, like a lot of a lot. Write what’s gnawing away at your heart. Because you’re going to be rereading this darling 801 times if you’re publishing, so you want to love it loooool. (And also because writing on your heart makes an authentically amazing story…minor details there.)

do you still plan on continuing book reviews after A Thousand Perfect Notes and your other secret project? If so, are you going to change the way you review somewhat?

Yes I am still reviewing! The only change is that I’m no longer going to do 2 or 1 star reviews. I’M PUTTING AWAY THE SALT. This is my choice because I would feel weird seeing a favourite author of mine insulting a book. However I won’t lie! I just won’t review books I don’t like, #easy.

 

when you wrote ATPN, how much chocolate was murdered? And what kind?

You are NOT going to believe this but…literally zero chocolate was harmed in the making of this book. My family had just started doing this Paleo-version-diet for health reasons and we were on this stage where you basically eat pumpkin and boiled chicken and this is 50000% the reason there is so much frikkin’ food in ATPN. I was dying. I’m still damaged.

 

how did you decide to pursue traditional publishing rather than self-publishing?

Traditional was always my dream! I want to be in a bookstore. I want to have a contracts and career. I want to work with professionals who make my books 100 x better and kindly say “NO CAIT” when I make my characters kiss and then throw them off a cliff. (This has happened 2 x now. I sense a theme.) I’m not saying indie authors can’t do those things and I respect them! But it wasn’t the route for me at all.

 

what’s something you love about traditional publishing? what’s something that frustrated you?

I love the advice, the edits, the support, an entire professional house organising your book. I love having my editor say I made her cry. (SHOULD I ADMIT THIS.) Frustrations are definitely: waiting and waiting and…you know. wAITING! Because things move slowly. And if I have a cool piece of news to share I will be waiting 6 to 12 months to tell you.

 

tell us a secret about your book.

IT DOESN’T HAVE A DEDICATION BECAUSE I COULDN’T FIGURE OUT WHO TO DEDICATE IT TO.

 

 

what kind of cake will you celebrate your book release with?

ALL OF IT.

 

 

how much say did you get in picking the title/cover.

I am really bad at titling (insert tragic laughter) so my title is actually thanks to my agent! And I didn’t pick the cover, but Orchard said: “What do you think?” And after I finished petting my laptop screen, I said: “I LOVE IT.”

 

did you get a final say in what stays and what goes in the book itself? (I’ve hear authors don’t, so I’m wondering)

I hear people say this aaaall the time and at this point I’m like, “IS THIS A MYTH RIGHT AFTER THE KRAKEN???” My experience has been full collaboration with my agent/editor! Of course they want changes, they want to make the book better! And I want that too?! I don’t understand writers who refuse to change with advice…how else do we grow? (And I suspect if you end up with an editor that 100% wants to change the entire theme/message of your book, thennnn they’re not really suited to your vision, hmm?)

 

did you have to literally sign a contract?

YES. THIS MAKES ME LAUGH. It was not in written on gold paper tho and I did not sign with a majestic quill. #Disappointing

 

how long did you work on ATPN before you began query lettering?

I didn’t query ATPN! It’s actually my second book. My agent signed me for a fantasy and it went on submissions and got rejected. So I wrote ATPN and my agent and I went on submissions again. This time: 2-BOOK DEAL. I wrote the first draft of APTN in June 2015 and it sold in June 2016. The actual story is set in July. The perfectness of all this pleases me. (And it only went through 2 drafts before selling!)

what was it like when you first held a copy of it in your own hands?!

A LITTLE BIT OF HYPERVENTILATING BECAUSE THERE WERE SO MANY YEARS I NEVER THOUGHT I WOULD GET THIS.

 

which Hogwarts House do your main characters belong to?

Beck is a Hufflepuff. August (love interest) is Ravenclaw. Beck’s 5-year-old little sister is a Gryffindor! I think. (If you’ve read an ARC, give me your opinions!)

 

what has been the most difficult thing about the editing process?

The technical stuff has been so hard?! Like catching typos and inconsistencies! After you’ve changed so many little things over all the edits, you get to a point where you DON’T KNOW WHAT VERSION STAYED OR WENT. help.

 

could you talk us through the querying process please?

I queried back in 2013 which was like…so…long ago. I don’t know how things have changed, because they change constantly! But for me it was: write a query —> find agents who fit my criteria —> submit it to them (also following their submission guidelines) —> stare at inbox for 10 months —> get absolutely no rejections or acceptances —> UNTIL THAT ONE.

how do you write when you have Depression and Anxiety AT THE SAME TIME?

It’s actually what helps me the most! Escapism, too probably?! When I’m focused on a project and basically living 80% in my head…life is pretty good. Also the more anxious I get, the faster I work. I’m like a frenzied office worker after too much caffeine but without the caffeine and more typos.

 

As an Australian, how did you go about looking for agents for your book? Options in Australia seem limited compared with elsewhere in the world, but I assume there are challenges with having an agent from overseas.

So like I said, I was querying back in 2013 and I think I found 2 agencies in Australia to send to?!? Curtis Brown only took envelopes for goodness sakes I time-travelled back to 1984. Anyway. I queried in the USA and UK more extensively and ended up working with Greenhouse UK! (WHOM I LOVE.) I guess the only drawbacks are (A) I’ve never met my agent in person, (B) timezones often suck for emailing because office hours is when I sleep, and (C) it takes 89 working-years for mail to get here (THANKS AUSTRALIA POST).

 

HOW ARE YOU SO EPIC???

THIS IS HOW I WAS BORN.

 

 

the hardest part about writing a book that deals with the topics that your book deals with?

My book features a lot of abuse and low-self-worth which are pretty hard-hitting topics, right?! I think one of the hardest things was writing that a way that wouldn’t make the reader close the book and say, “Everything is depressing.” Because it is, but that’s not the point of the story. The point is believing you are worth something and I hope readers get to the end and bawl their hearts out and get that.

 

what is your favourite part of book publishing?

Holding my ARC! Reading editorial notes where my editors !! love !! my work !! (This is ridiculously surreal and awesome I can’t even explain.) SEEING MY BOOK IN THE WILD. Having a reader told me I made them cry! Realising I am an author now….and I just???? I’ve wanted this for so long.

 

does it have a swoon worthy romance???

More an awkward gangly romance that starts off as friendship!

 

how do you get over writing block?

Actually I’ve had very bad writers’ block this year…more like an epic slump. (I blame it on reading negative reviews oops + the general nervousness of my book coming out + general panicking about the future etc. etc.) I work through it with devouring as much art as I can, so music, TV shows, reading and reading and reading. Refill the creative take! PS. I also force myself to work anyway.

 

how do you get through your insecurities about your writing? I’m afraid my writing isn’t good enough, that everyone will hate it or tear it apart!

I think I’ll always be somewhat insecure?! That’s a bit of the writer’s life and it sucks, but it can also help keep you grounded. But seriously, also tell yourself YOU’RE GOOD. Write and write and write. Write a million words. Write several books. Edit. Work hard and it pays off, so when the niggling voice comes telling you that you suck: slam your paperwork on the desk. YOU HAVE DONE THE WORK. YOU DO NOT SUCK.

 

 

how did you start writing?

I was 12 and my little sister started and got way too much attention for her little stapled-together stories so, obviously, I started. I got serious about it at 15. I was agented at 19. I sold my book at 22.

 

do you have a favourite genre to write? I feel like its not contemporary cause you love epic battles and magic etc.

I actually love writing contemporary. I used to be solely into fantasy, but I do enjoy characters who can use toasters and WiFi. It’s very helpful. But magical realism and epic fantasy are also VERY high on my love list. I will write them too someday!! Watch me!!

 

how do you stay motivated to write?

It’s amazing how motivating a publishing deal is. SO motivating. Also this is my job, this is what I want to live of (someday!!). And I’m also really competitive with myself. So ohhh I wrote a book in 4 days? *SLAMS FIST ON THE TABLE* HOW ABOUT IN THREE.

 

are you planning to translate the book?

It’s not up to me! That happens if foreign publishers buy rights, so cross your fingers!

 

 

As a writer, is it just me or after a while you start hating the novels your currently writing? Does that feeling change when you get published and have editors to help you out, or get positive feedback?

I think we all end up hating our books a little at some point (laughs until cries and dies). But underneath it all, I always passionately adore my book. If I didn’t, I don’t think it would be a good story?! You go through so much rejection and setbacks and it’s such a slow process, that you do need to be your #1 fan.

 

And will we see more books from you in the near future?

YES. 2019.

 

how to go from drafts to querying? At what point do you stop drafting and send queries? Maybe just what exactly querying looks like?

It’s definitely hard to know when your book is DONE. But I do think you’ll know instinctively? You have to have rewritten and edited that little beast within an inch of its life and have it polished as shiny as you can make it. (Get help with this! Critique partners and betas are invaluable to tell you where the problems are because often we writers are too close to a project to see them all.) Querying just looks like: writing a hooky letter, use your characters voice, show the highest stakes and what there is to lose, and make it 2-3 paragraphs. Know your genre. Know your audience. KNOW THE AGENT YOUR QUERYING. Don’t self-depreciate, but don’t be arrogant either.

 

something that has surprised you so far about the publishing process?

All the waiting you have to do! IT IS A LOT. Waiting turns me into an egg.

 

how did you come up with your characters’ names?

They are ALL special names with multiple meanings! Most of them are spoilers though so I have to smother myself (I’M SORRY). Except I will say August’s name came from the movie, August Rush, and Beck’s full name is his embarrassing secret.

 

what is your advice for an aspiring author? I’ve always loved to write, but within a few chapters I feel like my writing is terrible and I never finish.

Keep going KEEP GOING KEEP KEEP KEEP GOING. You have to finish and learn to edit and rewrite and write another book and then another. I seriously can’t stress this enough. It took me about 16 books to find my voice and feel confident about my writing…hopefully it won’t be that long for you (!!!) but practise. It is the secret.

 

 

how do you sit and write SO much in a day?

I can hyper-focus! I think this is a huge perk of being on the autism spectrum, but writing is my obsession so just leave me alone in my invented world in my head and I will write for 8+ hours a day. Occasionally I take a break and look for a spoon in the fridge but YA KNOW. WHAT IS REALITY.

 

what books were your inspiration for your own book?

Actually my inspiration more came from historical classical composers’ lives + genderbent Cinderella! Although if you want to know some comparative titles to read while you wait, try these:

   

You mentioned you had a different title for your book. So…what was it? I’ve been curious ever since you said that.

It used to be called Tremolo! Which I still actually…um…call it that because old habits die hard.

 

Awww! I can’t wait for my heart to be shattered.

SAME. I’m excited for your pain too.

 

 

You can preorder via: Book Depository, Amazon, Booktopia, Hachette Australia, Hachette UK, Waterstones, Wordery! And it’s not coming out in the USA as of yet, folks. But Book Depository and Wordery have free world wide shipping!

 

sorry that i didn’t get to everyone’s questions, but ask ANYTHING (doesn’t have to be publishing related!) in the comments and I’ll answer there! any of these answers surprise you?! and HEY WRITERS: what is your publishing dream goal?? 

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Should Writers Start A Blog? (Is It Helpful Or Will It Explode Your Hair?)

It’s very common for writers to have someone whisper-shriek in their ear, “OH! You should blog if you’re a writer!”

The question we all are obviously asking is…Well?? Is it true? Should you blog if you’re a writer? People say it all the time, BUT WHY, JOHN. What exactly does it do? Is it beneficial? Or is it another thing to make your hair spontaneously light up and explode into dozens of fiery flames?

Since I am, in fact, a blogger and an author, I feel like I’m 14% qualified to tackle this subject. So BUCKLE UP. You’re in for a mouthful of my opinions.

Now obviously I do love blogging because HELLO! I wouldn’t be here typing this and fighting with my broken keyboard  * unless I really enjoyed it. But there are pros and cons. So let’s unpack them.

Also FYI: this post is from the point-of-view of a traditionally published author. I’m not speaking for indie authors as I am not one! And this is also from the point-of-view of me, which is dubious at best, and my book is not quite out yet. (73 DAYS TO GO.)

Now let’s get to it.

 

* Yes it’s broken AGAIN. I have had this new computer (back on warranty) for 3 months and the stupid keyboard types spaces on its own. This is not a sci-fi adventure, you frikkin’ space bar. Settle down and move oNLY WHEN I TELL YOU TO.

QUESTION #1: “DOES BLOGGING HELP YOU GET A BOOK DEAL?”

For me it absolutely did not influence whether my agent or my publisher signed with me. I don’t even think they were aware I was an established blogger until recently. So blogging has a heck of a lot of benefits but PLEASE don’t sit there thinking that if you can only scrounge up 12 followers after a hundred years blogging that you are worthless as a writer.

A publisher is not publishing your blog.

I’m also pretty sure if you said, “Should I work on my book or my blog?” that most people in the publishing world would be like: “uM YOur bOOK OBVIOUSLY.”

QUESTION #2: “SO OBVIOUSLY BLOGGING = NO BIG DEAL THEN.”

No no come back here you little fishling. I’m not finished yet.

Publishing isn’t solely about your book either: it’s about you. Having an online presence is important! Most publishers are here to sell your career, not a single book. Being successful online isn’t a make-or-break thing (I mean did you see how famous The Hunger Games got?! Suzanne Collins isn’t online at all), but it’s definitely somewhere you can:

  • give updates on what’s happening with your books
  • generate excitement for your books
  • lure new readers in sneakily by being a stunningly fantastic person so they go “oh! I must read that author’s book then!”
  • sell your books
  • create hype for your books
  • give teasers
  • give recipes for disaster
  • conjure leagues of darkness etc. etc.

One of my biggest reasons I blogged pre-being-anywhere-near-to-being-published was so that I could build an army to buy my book when it came out. I wouldn’t be UNKNOWN.

I have no idea if this will hugely affect my sales, but I HOPE! I’ve cobbled together at least 60,000 followers before I signed my book deal, so C’MON ON. If at least 10% of you buy my book, that would be amazing?! I have raised you from the darkness, work with me now, fiends.

For me, blogging = definitely has been beneficial for raising an audience. And now you’re all really curious to see what damage I can do in 300 pages. Trust me: it’s a LOT. Be excited.

Also as an author with autism and social anxiety, I knew waaaay back that I personally wasn’t going to be able to attend book signings or conferences (at least right now). So I’ve put a heck of a lot of work into my blog to try and balance that out.

QUESTION #3: “DOES BLOGGING HELP IMPROVE MY WRITING AT LEAST?”

I have heard people mention that blogging is a good way to practise writing. And my entire opinion on that is: HAHAHAHA no. I do not blog like I write novels. You’ll see bits of me in A Thousand Perfect Notes (examples include cake scenes and a 5 year old who would rather have a pink knife for her pretend-kitchen than a whisk).

But writing for a blog is sooo different to writing for a book?! For me, blogging is about visuals and writing engaging/short/witting posts and using terrible puns at every opPUNtunity. Whereas writing is about creating worlds and engaging characters and putting stories inside stories inside stories. And also using terrible puns at every opPUNtunity. They have that in common thank goodness.

Sometimes I think blogging has made my grammar worse… But that’s not for me to worry about. That’s for my copy-editors to cry over when 70% of my book is typos.

QUESTION #4: “I MEAN, I DON’T EVEN HAVE A LOT OF TIME, CAIT. HOW DO I BALANCE BLOGGING VS WRITING?!”

This is the big question. If you’re in school or work full time…you’re cramming every spare second into your manuscript. I get that! And if you have to choose: CHOOSE YOUR BOOK. In 10 years time, my readers won’t remember I wrote this post, but you’ll still have my book on your shelf.

Unless…you…ya know…let your dog eat it. Or you used it as a plate for your toast. I will try not to be mortally offended. I still love you.

What I do is:

  • I do not do everything at once!!! !!! !!!
  • I’ll schedule posts or go on hiatus while I focus on writing for an intense session.
  • Or I’ll take time off writing to solely blog/read in my free time.
  • Or I write a blog post one day —> write novels the next day.

Balance is key. Keys are like key lime pies. Pies are good. Life is a circle. Eat it.

I do personally treat blogging like a job, because I’m trying to mind-control you all into buying my book eventually. It’s a priority for me, same as writing is a priority. But I still pick: writing. If I have to choose.

QUESTION #5: “SO I SHOULD BLOG ABOUT WRITING? I’M TERRIFIED.”

SAME THO. I obviously don’t run a writing-centric blog because (a) I actually have no idea what I’m doing, (b) half the time my writing is genuinely just feeling my way around until I trip and faceplant into something successful, (c) I find it reeeeally hard to articulate what I’m thinking about my writing process, and (d) I had a much much better idea:

But if I blog about books = bookworms will read it.

And who am I trying to sell my book to?! BOOKWORMS. Boom. SOMEONE CROWN ME A GENIUS. So yes I have been infiltrating the ranks, disguising myself as a bookworm, and frolicking about with my audience. Little did they KNOW! Ha!

Okay fine you all knew. Shh, let me try to do an evil villain cape flip once in a while.

I also just really really love books. I mean OBVIOUSLY. But that is why my blog is 90% books and 10% blogging and 500% cake.

Also the benefits of book blogging as a writer?! They are HUGE. Hanging around my future audience has taught me:

  • what bookworms are hungry for
  • what we’re absolutely sICK OF
  • I’ve learned so so so much about marginalised voices/identities from people who have experienced them
  • which has saved me making a lot of DUMB writing mistakes
  • I also know my competition!! AKA what other books are out there.
  • I know what happens 784 times in every YA contemporary, so I know to write it differently
  • I see the gaps, what kind of books we don’t get a lot of
  • I’ve also learned a looot about promotion and hype
  • my friends are bloggers and BLOGGERS ARE AWESOME <— this is good
  • everything you write is better with cake in it

QUESTION #6: “ARE THERE ANY NEGATIVES WE SHOULD TALK ABOUT THEN?”

Well,  now that you mention it yes.

For me (personally) I’ve had a few negatives already of being a book blogger x my book coming out soon.

For instance:

  • Authors harassing bloggers is REALLY a problem and happens a lot. So I’m cautious about overstepping…but it’s also hard to know when to engage and when not to when it comes to my book?!
  • Like I’m one of you, but I have to be aware that I need to not hover around my own book. When it’s out, it belongs to you.
  • But yet the need to creep on reviews of my book is REAL.
  • Someone restrain me.
  • And seriously…if you read reviews of your own book either (A) the compliments are nice but now IT’S PRESSURE, or (B) the negatives are devastating and you want to go lie in on the carpet and cry your own salty dead sea.
  • Reviews aren’t for authors. #Fact
  • I am scared of expectations! If you love my blog, it doesn’t mean you’ll love my book. I want you to! But this is reality.
  • It is overwhelming hearing opinions opinions opinions all the frikkin’ time. Who is allowed to write what. Which authors deserve to be writing and which don’t. Is your story as important as so-and-so’s. Can you talk about identities that aren’t your own. What’s good writing. What’s bad. Who gets to read it.
  • EVERYONE has an opinion and SO MANY OPINIONS are terrible for an anxious heap like me. Sometimes I do have to step way waaaay back and not listen. I want to listen. But, for mental health and sanity, I can’t listen all the time.

I think you should blog if you can! But remember, you don’t have blog about writing if you don’t want. And your success online doesn’t translate to your success in landing a book-deal. If you’re busy?! Pick. your. writing. And LISTEN to the blogosphere if you’re hanging out here —> but not all the time because you’ll overwhelm yourself. You can’t ever write the “perfect” book to please everyone.

Write for you. Write for a career. Write for the people (not everyone) who NEED your work.

And it really is super fun to blog. I have met the BEST people here. (That means you.)

(Also remember I am your favourite queen of glitter and darkness and go visit my book page if you want more info on it and preorder links!)

any writer/bloggers amongst us?! what do YOU think are the benefits of being a blogger for your writing career? what are your negatives??? and bookworms: do you enjoy seeing authors blog or do you think both worlds should stay separate?

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The Rising Author Tag || Ft. Me Standing On A Box To Rise Because I’m Small

Like delicious yeasty bread dough sitting in the sun, I too am in the process of rising.

But, like…as an author. Instead of as a loaf of bread. (Although if I was bread I would 100% be sourdough; this is just fact.) I’d like to think I’ve been slowly rising as an author over the last 7 years, since I decided this is what I wanted to do with my life. This has basically involved writing a lot, crying, writing more, and stacking up boxes to stand on because I can’t rise alone. I am very smol.

And look while we’re talking about height, I want to point out that if you’re over 5’1, you are a monster of the skies. What’s it like to actually reach cupboards???? Can you get things without climbing shelves??? DO YOU COMMUNICATE WITH THE TREES UP THERE???

The real questions have been asked.

I’m stealing (politely!! and lovingly!!!) The Rising Author tag off Louise who is fantastic and currently rising like bread dough too!! Go us!! So basically here I go to talk about WRITING. And my books! And me! All of our favourite topics in one post.

And it’s handy if I actually blog about writing since…you know…I have THAT BOOK coming out and all that. In 82 days in case you aren’t counting down as you should be.

WHAT’S THE WEIRDEST THING SOMEONE HAS SAID ABOUT YOUR WRITING?

I have had many many weird things happen that centre around other humans + my writing. I think this is partially because I somehow have a poster stuck on my back that says “HEYYYY!! STRANGE THINGS COME @ ME!!” which is great. (Except not really.) (Also why did no one hire me for Stranger Things smh.) So here’s a sampling:

  • I once entered a contest to get a query critique and the author hosting told me not to query this book it wouldn’t work. (8 months later that book and that query got me an agent.)
  • I won another contest for a 10K critique and had the judge email back: “So I didn’t like a single thing about your book and let me tell you about it.” WHICH IS NOT HOW A CRITIQUE WORKS AND THANKS FOR SCARRING A 17-YEAR-OLD WRITER SO THEY DIDN’T WANT TO WRITE FOR A LONG TIME.
  • But happier things!!
  • Someone once said my writing reminded them of Maggie Stiefvater (!!!) which is the freaking best compliment ever, but weird because I’m definitely not that good ah ha hahahha. But still. Thank ye. (INSERT HEART EYES)
  • My book, A Thousand Perfect Notes, has been pitched as Jandy Nelson meets Rainbow Rowell before and holy heck. More heart eyes.
  • It feels as weird to be complimented as insulted. WHY IS THIS.

WHAT WAS THE WORST THING YOU’VE EVER WRITTEN?

If we move past the book I tried illustrating when I was, like, 12 about a dog named Chops, it’s a toss up between:

A) this time I wrote a zombie book that was just. so. boring. I let everyone get eaten early because I couldn’t even bear continuing writing.

B) I tried writing a middle-grade and couldn’t figure out how to amp the tension up so I LET THE LITTLE GIRL GET HIT BY A CAR….I just…I mean this was years ago but cAIt.

C) When I was a very very smol teen I had a boy fall into a magical world where he met a talking rabbit to infodump about the universe. Once I finished info-dumping (FOR 3 CHAPTERS) I just looked at the fact I had a giant talking rabbit and decided: no.

Honestly have you all lost faith in me yet???? PLEASE DON’T. I SWEAR I’VE IMPROVED.

CAN YOU DO OTHER THINGS WHILE WRITING?

I can breathe, but that’s pretty much pushing it. Look I even suck at just acting like a genuine human when I’m writing!! I get hyper-focused and only take breaks for walks/food/general human maintenance…but I’ll literally write every waking minute. I can’t read + write. I can’t listen to music + write. I can’t talk to people + write.

Although I confess I’m actually planning to see if I can draft a novel, while NOT super-speed writing. It’s a goal for this year! Can I be a normal human?? Let’s see.

IF YOUR BOOK WAS MADE INTO A MOVIE, WHAT WOULD IT BE LIKE?

I actually love the way this is worded! Because usually questions are like “fancast your characters” and holy HECK do people actually imagine their characters with faces???! Wild. Mine have hair and general blobs where their bodies are and that’s about it. #ImaginationLevel: Pro

So if my book (A Thousand Perfect Notes) was a movie it would…

  • In honour of being about music, it’d centred around the soundtrack, like Baby Driver!
  • So all the scenes/beats/dialogue/movement would be in time to music. I would be so onboard with this.
  • It’s a book that contrasts happiness vs sadness a lot, so I’d have the scene colours reflecting the moods.
  • The teens would be played BY TEENS (wild again)

DO YOU INCLUDE FOOD IN YOUR BOOKS?

Oh do I ever. Honestly the book I’m writing now (shh secret project) has about half the important scenes take place in the kitchen. And A Thousand Perfect Notes itself has an entire chapter dedicated to a quest to find cake. What do you expect, ok?! I pretend to be a book blogger BUT AM I REALLY JUST A FOOD BLOGGER IN BOOK CLOTHING.

REASONS I LIKE TO INCLUDE FOOD:

  • because I get hungry
  • food is relatable so we like reading about it
  • it gives characters something to do while talking
  • can help with world building/culture for fantasy
  • also establish whether your character is rich/poor
  • because I get hungry

WHICH ONE OF YOUR CHARACTERS ARE YOU MOST SIMILAR TO?

Considering how frighteningly dysfunctional all my characters are…please let me say NONE. Ahem.

But ok I do end up building them around relatable things, like anxiety and a love of cheese and the ability to walk into a crowd, spend 4 seconds, and then leave again.

 

ACTUAL EXAMPLE OF HOW I CREATE CHARACTERS

ME: I want you to be nothing like me because that’s weird.
CHARACTER: ok
ME: now when you go–
CHARACTER: anXIetY
ME: [whispering] dammit

WHICH OF YOUR CHARACTERS DO YOU WISH YOU HAD NEVER CREATED?

Hmm, I don’t think any actually. Although there are some I threaten with being smacked off the page if they don’t listen up. But since when has any character ever listened to their author? Ha.

DO YOU LET OTHER PEOPLE READ YOUR WRITING?

WELL THEY’RE JOLLY WELL ABOUT TO. In 82 days all my secrets are going to be revealed. And I’m wholly chill about this whole thing and not fleeing to Antartica at all.

I’m excited and terrified to be a published author, OK?! Bloggers and authors have a history of needing to stay separate…so how do I be both?! And after all my years of talking about writing, giving advice, critique books, reviewing books, and misusing the human language because I use libraried as a verb…expectations might be a little high around here. But you know what?! That’s okay! I hope you all love my stories, but obviously some of you won’t and that’s fine! (Just don’t tag me in negative reviews lmao.)

But I’m proud of my story. I’m downright proud of all the work I’ve done. I’m proud I didn’t give up. I’M PROUD.

I am a little less proud I spent a whole manuscript saying “backflash” instead of “flashback” because I don’t know how to word. But alrighty.

WHAT’S THE ODDEST THING YOU KNOW ABOUT ONE OF YOUR CHARACTERS?

I know Beck’s full name AND YOU DON’T and ohhhh wow it’s an odd one.

 

WHAT IS THE VERY FIRST STORY YOU REMEMBER WRITING/HAVE RECORD OF?

I’m sure I still have my illustrated disaster of my dog called Chops. And there’s a ton of Narnia fanfic hidden deep in my wardrobe (AS IT SHOULD BE BECAUSE #AESTHETIC).

WHAT THINGS DO YOU LIKE TO WRITE ABOUT?

I just added this one (shh excuse me) but I wanted to finish with a list. Because I love lists. And I love writing. And there are simply a million stories I want to tell in this universe. So! Here are some things that constantly come up in my work or that I want to write about someday:

  • Siblings! My heart beats for sibling stories.
  • runaways and hidden people
  • bookstores and bakeries
  • mental illness, particularly anxiety because #hi
  • pirates (I haven’t yet but I WILL)
  • themes of worth and being wanted and finding your people
  • monsters
  • dark things and violence (because I like to unpack what damage it truly does)
  • mixed with the cutest fluff scenes and banter
  • cake, obviously
  • dragons, someday
  • people falling in love with people they can’t have
  • soft boys and sharp girls
  • learning how to be human shaped
  • small towns and dark forests
  • oceans and cliffs and falling
  • dark powerful magic and also everyday soft magic
  • also yellow
  • I write a lot of things to be yellow it’s very satisfying the hufflepuff (that I bury under my Slytherin) rises too

Also before we all run away screaming (as we do) if you want to preorder my book, A Thousand Perfect Notes…now is an excellent time.

Just remember how much you love me. You can find it on Book Depository, Amazon, Wordery, or my publisher’s website!

alright tell me the important things: how tall are you and do you wish you were taller/smaller?? and if you were bread, what kind would you be? also list for me some things YOU love writing about!! i’m super curious!

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10 Writing Questions To Ask Yourself (Mostly To Procrastinate From What You Should Be Working On)

I have two writing modes and they are: wildly writing everything all at once OR laying on the carpet like a dead fork.

See I do have an off-switch!! I just don’t have a medium switch and I am like that blender that is either blitzing your milkshake like Morder would if Morder was in your kitchen. Or else I just don’t work. Obviously I achieved a lot of writing last year (1 million words, mate, I’m proud) but I write in short and violently productive bursts. Then I go catatonic on the carpet for, you know, a half dozen years or so.

Currently I’m neck-deep in edits, but you couldn’t tell because mostly I’m crying and laying around like a dead fork. Edits are hard. This post is absolutely procrastination.

So in honour of my whingeing, I’m throwing some random writing questions at myself!

This should be fun or terrifying. Standby.

Also before I dash on, I will say three things and they are: (1) my debut comes out in exactly 6 months ummm holy heck and (2) I’m expecting my first ever bound proof in the mail LIKE ANY DAY NOW, and (3) the edits I’m wailing about are for a secret project and my hair is on fire and the void has started screaming back at me. So. That’s going well.

 

I’m filching my questions from twitter so thank you to  and @simmeringmind! If you want to also filch (I freaking love that word) these questions for your own blog, make sure you credit these two as well.

 

1. WHAT GENRE DO YOU WRITE IN? IF YOU WRITE IN DIFFERENT GENRES, WHAT’S ONE YOU’D LIKE TO TRY THAT YOU HAVE’NT YET OR ONE YOU’D NEVER BOTHER WITH?

I think the biggest surprise to the various humans and squirrels that read my blog is the fact that my debut, A Thousand Perfect Notes, is a contemporary. I always go on about how much I love fantasy. And I still do!! I just happen to love contemporary as well now!

MY DASTARDLY OPINION OF VARIOUS GENRES:

  • Contemporary = I love it but it is very hard not to end with everyone dead and 90% of people who’ve read my contemporaries first comment back is, “CAIT WOULD YOU LEARN TO CHILL OUT.” Rude.
  • Epic fantasy = This is like my home-ground because I began writing here and I always go back. Magic and murder and mayhem. It is my heart.
  • Magical Realism = I actually haven’t written here yet BUT I WANT TO. I have projects planned. I really love mixing modern things x magic. And I want some monsters to crawl out from under your bed and eat you.
  • Historical fiction = I tried. NEVER AGAIN.
  • Sci-Fi = I have 2 (dead) sci-fi WIPs and: never again. Did I mention I nearly failed science in highschool?! I don’t know what I’m doing. Someone send me back to the pantry where I nest.
  • Thriller = Never tried it! Some of my contemporaries dance around it but I beat them back. I hate reading thrillers so I don’t plan to write them.

2. HOW DO YOU PICK YOUR CHARACTERS’ NAMES?

BY WEEPING AND THEN SEEING IF MY TEARS FORM WORDS.

No really naming characters is my bane. But I do love names. I collect them in little sticky-notes all over the place. Like you turn up to write a shopping list but BAM — that scrap of paper is covered in the 32 variations of the name Jonathon.

But in real life I’m extraordinarily bad at remembering people’s names (still forget my nieces’ names) and unless a character struts into view with a name, then I sweat and yell and set things on fire until I find it.

I do like to use nameberry.com and also stare at my bookshelf and steal author’s names. My character named Lee is obviously NOT INSPIRED BY LEIGH BARDUGO. THIS IS FINE.

3. TELL ME WHAT YOU CAN ABOUT YOUR CURRENT PROJECTS.

I can’t say much so I’ll just yell some vague things:

ONE OF MY BOOKS IS ABOUT DRAGONS AND SAD BOYS WHO DON’T BELONG.

ONE IS ABOUT OBSESSION AND PIANOS AND VIOLENCE.

ONE IS ABOUT AUTISM AND LOST BOYS AND CARAMEL CHOCOLATE.

ONE IS ABOUT TRICKERY AND THIEVING AND MONSTERS.

4. WHAT NUMBER BOOK IS THIS?

Yay time for some number facts! I love number facts. Just pretend you do too.

  • I’ve written 29 novels.
  • (I think that’s in the past 7 years??!? Give or take. I don’t math.)
  • A Thousand Perfect Notes is my 16th book.
  • My novel coming out in 2019 is my 22nd book.
  • The book I’m editing now is a sECRET but it’s my 21st book…but also a rewrite of my very very very first ever book.
  • Which goes to show that you can shelve your first project and then 7 years later COME BACK TO IT.
  • Oh wow I have emotions about this.

5. WHAT ARE YOUR WRITING GOALS FOR THIS YEAR?

I want to write 4 books and edit 2, which obviously seems like a ridiculous amount buuuut I have the time and I am somewhat of a violent writing machine. We’ve established that.

But some little goals:

  • I want to write about pirates!
  • I want to edit and sort out my heist book because it’s a HOT MESS but I love it.
  • I want to write about libraries.
  • I want to do a gender-bent reverse contemporary Sleeping Beauty retelling and if that hurts your head, haha it hurts mine too.
  • I want to write about autistic girls.
  • I want to write messy big families.
  • I reeeeally want to write a magical realism but I DON’T ONE YET.

6. WHAT ARE YOUR WRITING STRENGTHS?

Oh I have so many haha. I’m extremely strengthful and clever and nothing defeats me.

Usually.

Anyway.

I think dialogue is one of my strengths. Witty banter! Sassy quips! Salt spilt everywhere! My books usually end up something like this:

Character 1: *has a deep vulnerable moment*
Character 2: *laughs and laughs and laughs at them*
Me: Oh I am such a heckin’ poignant writer

I’ll be an emotional bestseller for sure.

I’d also like to think I’m good at taking stories in interesting, maybe unexpected, directions. This is because I can’t follow directions and once used salt instead of sugar in a cake. It was a horrible cake BUT also a metaphor for writing wild and unusual content which is very very useful.

For my writing.

Not my kitchen skills.

Please help my kitchen hates me.

7. DO YOU ENJOY ANY OTHER CREATIVE OUTLETS?

I LIKE TO READ. Bet that’s unexpected ha! But truly my life is reading vs writing vs sometimes I fold origami and throw it at people in exchange for money. I also sometimes draw and use it as background for my bookstagram photos.

8. YOUR BEST TIP FOR PUNCHING WRITER’S BLOCK?

I’ve started off 2018 with a BANG! And by “bang” I mean I ran straight into a brick wall with the worst block I’ve had in years. Editing. Love it.

I tackle it usually by (a) keeping on going…because if you’re on a deadline you gotta, and (b) refilling my own creative tank with other stories/movies and then going for a walk or run to just think really really intensely.

If you get STUCK and you don’t put aside time JUST TO THINK — there’s your problem mate. Cakes don’t bake themselves. And cakes shouldn’t be baked by me, also, we’ve established.

9. WHO DO YOU WRITE FOR?

Selfishly, myself. I am my #1 fan. No truly!! And I don’t think this is vain, I think it’s crucial. Because writing is a long term commitment and it’s not fast and people reject you or don’t understand your story or you fall down a plot hole and end up chilling with Hades and eating pomegranates and IT’S MESSY AND COMPLICATED AND FRUSTRATING.

So you have to love it the most yourself.

Last year, for the first time ever, I found myself rereading my books…for fun. Because I love them. I wasn’t always here, but get to that point, okay?! It’s worth it.

I also write for, ya know, anyone who wants emotional and dark and stabby books with bursts of sass and anger and ridiculously tear-filled cries for forgiveness. #TeamLetsBreakReadersHearts

10. LIST 5 THINGS YOU VALUE IN A STORY.

Ooh I so so like this question!! I always attempt to write these:

  • Morally grey questions. So many bad things can be done for “good” and good things can turn out damaging. I love exploring it and you’ll notice I do it in both my first two books. A LOT.
  • Contrasts in characters. I love writing soft boys who cry but also have a dark side. I love writing feminine and pretty girls who also like knives and magic. I FRIKKIN LOVE THIS.
  • Humour! I am an absolute bucket of appreciation.
  • Inclusivity. Honestly this means a lot to me, as someone who’s part of several minorities. I want books that feature disabilities and mental illness and different sexualities and races and cultures. I value it so much I may fall over.
  • Wanting things. A lot of stories are about doing, and obviously I love that, but I think a story’s heart comes from the wanting. This so captivates me when I read and it’s 100% what my writing is built off too.

have you had a successful writing start to the year!? or are you also a dead fork? and tell me some things YOU really value in a story? (either when you read or write!)

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How My Writing Habits Have Changed in 2017 #CueExistentialCrisis

Two things I’m genuinely allergic to are (1) honey and (2) change.

The first absolutely ruins my life because I can’t make November cakes from The Scorpio Races and am I even a real Stiefvater fan without having tried them??? Life is so sad. The second, however, is the truest cause for existential crisis because when it comes to writing –> how can you tell if you’ve changed for the better or just changed to be different?? HMMM??? Help.

But what’s a blog for if not to share and compare crises, right?!? And it’s actually kind of interesting to analyse how your habits in writing or reading or blogging change as the years go by and you turn into that old gnarly witch from the gingerbread house! I mean, that’s obviously where we’re all headed, right? I thought so!

YOU MIGHT ALSO LIKE…

1. OBVIOUSLY (FINNNNNALLY!) MY WRITING IS AN ACTUAL CAREER.

Just in case you haven’t heard me hollering about it the other 178 times, I announced my debut novel, A Thousand Perfect Notes, is being published in June 2018 (Hachette / Orchard UK) so ISN’T THE SKY SO BEAUTIFUL TODAY. This is honestly my life dream of actually working towards writing being my career. This is still so freaking surreal I sometimes run and happily pet my dog and tell him how good this is and he gives me a sour look and leave the room because he hates me. BUT THAT’S OKAY! NOTHING DESTROYS THIS GOOD FEELING!

There’s a huge mental shift that happens when you go from “trying to be published” to “being published.” The biggest difference, for me, is knowing that I actually do write good stuff. I think we all suffer from self-inflicted artistry self doubt right?! So actually making it through the million hurdles to be traditionally published is an exceptional confidence boost. 10/10 recommend.

2. I’VE WRITTEN MORE THIS YEAR THAN ANY OTHER YEAR OF MY LIFE.

There’s two reasons for this and they are (1) I actually moved states and ergo left relatives and babysitting jobs behind so I decided to fill that loneliness with more writing, and (2) I am heckin’ competitive and Slytherin and just enjoy winning against myself.

THIS YEAR I WROTE:

  • 7 completely new first drafts
  • 3 completely rewritten (every single word) second drafts
  • 11 outlines (averaged at 20K each)
  • And I came up with a total of 1,195,000-words.
  • Also I did edits and copy-edits for A Thousand Perfect Notes AS YOU DO.
  • For the first time in like 5 years…I actually wrote some sequels!!
  • One of these books I developed in 1 week, wrote the outline in 1 week, and then wrote the book in 4 days and I’m a little bit proud ok.
  • And in the last 7 years, I have now officially written 29 books.
  • (Also FUN FACT: A Thousand Perfect Notes is the 16th book I ever wrote.)
  • (Go add it on Goodreads I’m exhausted omg.)

For some perspective, usually I write 2 books and edit 2 books per year.

I love writing!! There are so many stories to tell! I’M SO ENTHUSIASTIC I COULD SHOUT. WOW.

3. I ACTUALLY REREAD (FOR FUN?!???!) SOME OF MY OWN BOOKS.

I feel like we writers are notorious for hating our own work. And trust me, I still do sometimes. Haha, let me tell you about my November NaNo novel…except no. No I will not speak of it.

But 2017 is the year I finally actually started writing 1st drafts I truly love. It’s actually ridiculously relieving to enjoy all the parts of the writing journey. I only set my own hair on fire 7 times instead of 700 which I think is a life improvement for sure.

I still occasionally want to murder something with a spork. Me, usually. My characters, more often.

4. I DO ADMIT I KILLED QUITE A FEW CHARACTERS THIS YEAR.

Still permanently confused that “kill your darlings” doesn’t actually mean kill your characters (apparently it’s about trimming unnecessary prose, pfft) but I prefer to, you know — kill my character darlings. And contrary to popular belief I dO NOT ALWAYS KILL MY CHARACTERS. I prefer to torture them.

Excuse me.

Obviously killing all my characters + trying to write sequels = a lot of life problems. The “life problems” are there is no life left for the sequel. But that shouldn’t stop a writer who is keen on ghosts. I am keen on ghosts!

5. I’VE STARTED PUTTING A BIT OF UNIQUE FORMATTING AND POETRY INTO MY BOOKS.

I really really love doing this. Unique formatting is something I’ve always been obsessed with and so like, why can’t I do that?!? You will see a tiny bit in A Thousand Perfect Notes too.

But I honestly didn’t think this would ever happen. I never considered myself either poetic or into pretty writing, but I am?!

ACTUAL GIF IF ME AT ALL TIMES BECAUSE I KILL MY CHARACTERS…BUT PRETTILY.

6. I WROTE 3 OF THESE BOOKS MOSTLY SITTING AT A DESK.

My mind boggles too, wow. It’s like I was a responsible adult for 3 minutes. I know it’s horribly frowned upon to write on your bed…but I’ve never had any problems with bones or wrists or backs or my brain rolling out my ears. But anyway.

My little sister left home and I stole all her furniture…well, her desk and bookshelf. And let me tell you this is the FIRST TIME I’VE EVER HAD A BEAUTIFUL DESK. #SecondYoungestOfSixChildrenProblems It’s still 2nd hand, but at least it was 2nd hand and not like 4th hand!! I’ve moved up in the world!!

I was so wildly enthused to sit at a desk and type that it’s actually pathetic.

Anyway THAT ship sailed haha. (That crying puddle is me.) After we moved house in June, we went into a significantly smaller house and I lost my desk and am back to my bed. 3 out of 7 books with good posture at a desk is nice right?!

Also I am currently sitting on the floor writing this blog post.

I’m professional. Buy my book.

7. I ALSO STARTED WRITING 30K IN A DAY.

It used to be only 20,000-words per day was my record! NOW LOOK AT ME, SPEEDING THROUGH LIFE. I get asked a lot “how do you do that?!!?” and honestly it’s super boring but…practise.

Coinciding with writing 30K a day (hey I only keep this up for 5 days maximum!), I also started writing those wickedly long outlines…so I never get stuck!

8. MY HANDWRITING IS OFFICIALLY AT THE PLACE WHERE I CAN’T EVEN READ IT.

It’s always been bad but now it’s graduated to crayon scribbles. Graduated??? Declined?? What are words.

I could work on it but also…ugh. So I no longer take ANY notes by hand for my books. This has the bonus affect of me not finding sticky notes stuck to my socks that say “WHAT IF THE KILLER WAS UNDERGROUND” and me then going “What the heck” because I remember nothing about that “genius” revelation.

Also FUN FACT: Still slightly disappointed that I didn’t have to sign my book deal contract in blood.

9. I STARTED WRITING MORE #OWNVOICES THINGS AND DISCOVERED IT’S FRIKKIN’ HARD.

“Write what you know!” they say. “It’ll be great because you know what you’re talking about!”

Now just quickly, in case you didn’t know, the “ownvoices” hashtag is basically just a way to say you are writing about part of a minority that you personally belong to! I’ve mentioned my anxiety and autism briefly on the blog, but only recently did I decide to actively write about them. AND LET ME TELL YOU…WOW I WANT TO MOVE TO THE ARCTIC.

WHY WRITING #OWNVOICES IS HARD:

  • It’s kind of personal?! And even if you’re not putting YOURSELF into the book, you are putting experiences and that is honestly really difficult to sum up.
  • You often know SO MUCH about it (hey you live it!) that it’s hard to condense into a small squish of a book.
  • Self doubt!! YAY. Are your experiences marred by something? Are you interpreting things right? Are you writing it badly?? There is an actual minefield of concerns about writing diversity, even when it’s your own.
  • There is not enough ice cream in the world to help out holy heck I need a nap.

Also while we’re here: I don’t believe any minority author is required to write #ownvoices material. And I don’t think non-minority authors can’t write diversity. For me, personally, I wanted to try it but not everything I write will have autism or anxiety in it. Although 10/10 plan to write about an anxious sentient library someday.

10. MY BRAIN HAS BEEN ON OVERDRIVE AND SORT OF COMBUSTED AND, TRUTHFULLY, I HAVE SO MANY PROJECTS TO WRITE BUT I’M TIRED.

You’re probably rolling your eyes at this stage and shouting, “DIDN’T YOU JUST WRITE A MILLION WORDS THIS YEAR?!??!” I know! My problem is I have no off-switch! I am on speed 500 at all times. Taking holidays is stressful wow. Currently I’m caught in this weird cereal bowl of froot loops where I want to write all the things but I also need to chill out.

Anyway. Haha. Just shove that aside.

Before you dash away in confused terror is as your general method of exiting my blog leave, I wanted to just quickly throw some aesthetics and some projects at you that I’d love to work on in 2018. I’m so excited. There are sparkles in my hair.

WRITING WISHLIST FOR 2018

(But seriously who KNOWS what I’ll write. Also: I write a lot “just for fun” to improve myself! So who knows where these projects will go or if they’ll just stay in a drawer.)

THE MISERY RULES

Peter Pan x Alice In Wonderland retelling where a boy falls through a pond where his brother drowned to an alternate world where he has to play a game of who can survive the most pain without dying to get free. I write nice stuff. — Pinterest

THE SKIN LIBRARY

Basically a sentient and anxious library!!! I REALLY LOVE THIS IDEA. Fantasy world where the people take after different species of birds which is hilarious because I hate birds but here we are. — Pinterest

SCORPION DEEP

My Davy Jones retelling about a boy thief who steals the spell to get a wish from Davy Jones but ends up IN SO MUCH TROUBLE WOW. — Pinterest

HE IS NOT MADE OF PAPER

A boy nearly dies but when he comes home he finds his (ex) best friend wrote a book about him which got kind of famous and…she killed him off at the end. Ahhh. Good times and good friends. — Pinterest

So overall? Mostly GOOD changes for me this year with my writing.

And am I tired? WELL. Just a little.  And yet I’m absolutely desperate to start writing next year (IT’S OK I’LL HOLD OFF) and even more excited because 2018 is going to be a massive year for me. My debut comes out in June and hopefully I’ll be able to spill all the proverbial beans on what my 2019 novel will be (I’M REALLY EXCITED ABOUT IT) really soon.

In the mean time, I keep writing. Nonsense and fun things and serious projects — because everything you write makes you better and gives you so many more excuses to eat chocolate.

#SolidLifeAdviceFromAProfessional

did you make any changes to your writing routines this year?!? hit any milestones? what do you think of my tentative 2018 projects? and do you think it’s harder or easier to write things you have experience in?

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10 Awkward Writer Moments That Turn You Into A Suffering Egg

There are two things writers really really love and they are: (1) snack breaks, and (2) awkward suffering.

I took a snack break from a manuscript once and it’s lasted 5 years. These things do happen. It’s been an exceptional snack break, only slightly more loved than my affection for awkward writerly suffering.

Pain! We writers love it! For some unfathomable reason! I think some of us were dropped on our heads as babies?? I personally fell down a waterfall as a child and this explains so much honestly. Whenever anyone asks me “Why Cait” which they do like 54 times a day, especially when I’m nesting in my bookshelf with my ancient Celtic sword I wrested from the ghost king, I point them to the root of all my problems. That darn waterfall.

Anyway. I’m sure I’ll be fine. My sister fell out of a tree when she was 9, too, and sometimes I can still hear her little voice.  *

So one of the #1 causes of writer pain is definitely —> severely awkward moments. If you haven’t gritted your teeth with that Smile Of Please Kill Me Now™ over an awkward moment, THEN ARE YOU REALLY LIVING?? So I decided to collect some typical awkward writer moments!

And when I say “typical writer moments”…I mean mine.

Please back me up here. Holy heck. Don’t leave me awkwardly alone in the cold. After all I’ve done for you. **

 

* Because she’s on twitter and alive but you know. Whatever.
** I’m sure I’ve done something for you??? Trying to think???

1. WHEN YOU’RE NOT SURE IF YOU JUST WROTE BRILLIANCE OR UTTER TRASH.

I’m usually asking myself this question about a single sentence so THAT’S HOW FUN MY LIFE IS. Is this inspired??? Does it make sense to anyone other than me??? Will I look at it and laugh and laugh and laugh to cover my horror in 2 years time?? Who can say. And as an author with 2 books coming out, * I can attest to this lovely awkward moment being on the RISE.

Nice.

 

* SLAMS YOU IN THE FACE WITH SELF PROMO WOW. THIS CAN’T GET OLD.

2. OH HELLO THERE, TYPOS, YOU’RE NOT RUINING MY LIFE AT ALL HAHAHA NO PLS DO STAY.

Look I’m really really really good at typos. I say “GOOD” instead of “bad at typos” because I like to affirm to myself that I’m succeeding somewhere in life. Whenever I get edits back, everyone’s first awkward comment is, “So WOW! Cait!…typos.” I don’t know what I am either anymore.

ME @ ME MOST OF THE TIME

 

FUN TYPOS I’VE BEEN SUCCEEDING AT LATELY

  • Steal vs Steel and you’d think this is so easy I’d be embarrassed about it AND YOU’RE RIGHT. PLS SOMEONE SAVE ME.
  • My friend just reminded me of the time I used “NatSav” in a novel instead of “SatNav”…#CAPABLE.
  • Just recently doing copy-edits I said “top-charting song” instead of “chart-topping”.
  • I still struggle with vulnerable vs venerable.
  • I will restructure a whole sentence to avoid using phenomenal because I just type that word like “phenonomononal” and ask autocorrect to pitch in.

 

3. GRAMMAR…IT’S SO AWKWARD.

Look I’ve gotten to the point where I’m just atrocious and then say, “THIS IS ART AND POETRY” and hope everyone accepts that and calls me a genius instead of someone who starts screaming when you talk about where to put commas.

Can’t I just leave a whole stack of punctuation at the end of my book and then we play “PICK AND FILL AS YOU LIKE!” at the end of the novel??? This could work.

4. WHEN YOU FORGET ALL YOUR CHARACTERS’ NAMES WHILE YOU’RE WRITING.

This happens freaking all. the. time. One book I was writing, I literally got to the point where I stuck a sticky note to my laptop screen with all the characters’ names written out because NO, SIR, I DON’T REMEMBER. They weren’t even hard names!!

To be fair I generally have a lot going on in my mind, like which souls I’m harvesting in the afternoon, how I can make best use of the new 280-characters on twitter, world domination plans for January, if I ate the last piece of cake or did someone else, and how many books can I write in a year, etc. etc. My mind is very very busy. With important things. Obviously.

However this is still really awkward.

5. WHEN YOU’RE NOT SURE WHAT YOUR BOOK IS ABOUT.

I can write 100,000-word book and get to the and still not be QUITE sure what I’m trying to say. Writing is hard, OK? And it’s hard to write an interesting story with interesting characters and have an interesting message as well. Because apparently just 30 chapters of people getting stabbed and sassed to death isn’t considered “a thought-provoking message”. PFFFFFT. How about: Don’t get stabbed. Like, look what I’m teaching the children here.

ACTUAL CONVERSATION BETWEEN WRITER AND HUMANS:

Human: Oh wow you’re writing a book this month?!
Me: Yes. It’s all planned! I have an outline and a schedule and I’m ready to do this!
Human: What’s it about?
Me: what
Human: Like what’s the theme of your novel?
Me:
Me: look I have to go, my curtains are crying and they need me.

6. THE CASE OF THE MISSING OBJECTS AND WOUNDS.

When writing, you have a LOT of stuff to keep track of. Like who has what wound and who put down the umbrella and what they’re wearing and HOW THIS CHANGES IN EVERY SINGLE FREAKING SCENE.

For instance: while editing recently, I had two people slam a door. The door didn’t open between these times. It was just infinite slamming for NO APPARENT REASON UNLESS I HAVE A GHOST I DON’T KNOW ABOUT AND THEN WOW THIS CONTEMPORARY JUST GOT EXCITING.

And wounds. UGH WOUNDS. You know how when you stab a character on the LEFT in one scene…and then the next scene it’s suddenly on the RIGHT? Or just forgetting a wound. Or adding one. Or having no clue what the heck you’re doing.

Me.

This is awkward because when you get to beta readers, a lot of the time they just sit there with a frozen smile saying: “Why.”

To which I reply: “Yes.”

7. WHEN YOUR SCENE IS SUPER AWESOME IN YOUR HEAD AND THEN YOU WRITE AND WOW…NO.

I think up really really cool scenes that would work SO WELL AS A MOVIE! Like put in the epic music, the slow-mo explosion, that really bitter eye expression that’s super cool on screen and–

Um yeah I’m writing a book. Oh wow. This is awkward. How about that.

I mean my #1 talent in life is to think up really cool stuff and then GIVE IT ANXIETY. Why was it better in my head. Why does it look like a turtle just rolled in blueberry jam over my page and I’m trying to pass this off as a novel. What is this life.

I’ve also been thinking so intently of a scene while out for a walk once that I started glaring really fiercely. I was in the scene OK? I was one with the scene. I also probably looked like an axe murderer–

BUT ALSO WHAT’S NEW. I have the resting face of Death.

 

8. WHEN YOU AWKWARDLY PLAGIARISE YOURSELF.

Also I’m putting “plagiarise” on my list of “words I can’t spell without crying and spellcheck” because what even is going on with the A’s and the I’s? I didn’t ask for this.

But anyway. I’m super good at accidentally stealing from myself. Like sometimes WHOLE SCENES. IT’S AMAZING. GO ME AND MY TALENT FOR THEFT. Kaz Brekker would be proud of me. *

This is super awkward because I’m terrified my books will end up sounding the same. Did I write this character before??? Did I use this plot twist before??? Is this dialogue sound like deja vu because I haven’t slept since 1664 or because I used it in my last book??? I have literally no memory.

I’m pretty much sending myself an angry letter about this.

 

* Actually probably not. He’d probably murder me in an alley but fine.

9. WHEN PEOPLE COMPLIMENT OR INSULT YOUR WRITING.

Like is there a HOW-TO-GUIDE on responding to these sorts of things?!?? I swear I have no idea how to accept a compliment. I usually result to saying, “Eeep!” and if I’m online, there’ll be 4 following emojis to try and convince you I’m intelligent and not at all awkward.

I’m doing a good job at that.

And insults are equally just as hard. I’ve legit entered a contest to have someone critique my query (this was years ago) where the author hosting said: “Well, no this will never get you an agent. Your book is all wrong.”

I mean. WHAT DO YOU EVEN SAY TO THAT. * Unless you want to throw a teaspoon and walk away shouting. Which I’m often tempted to do except I’m non-confrontational, except if you insult The Raven Cycle. And then, no, son, we’re having at it.

So basically: how do you people? Who would know. I suggest just using emojis to respond to every situation. I’ll be fine.

 

* Except LOL @ THAT AUTHOR, for I got an agent with that book and that query letter. 500% proof that you need to trust YOURSELF, little writerlings out there. Be ye encouraged.

10. LETTING YOUR FAMILY READ YOUR WRITING.

I do love my family (mostly) and I have a nice family (mostly) and the usually feed me cake when I’ve been writing for a long time (very good) — but HOLY HECK when they ask to read my writing???? Where are my 1-way tickets to Antartica. I cannot.

REASONS IT’S TERRIFYING FOR YOUR FAMILY TO READ YOUR WRITING:

  • They will try to “see” themselves in it all. the. time. (“IS THIS CHARACTER ME, CAIT?” No for the 67th time. It’s not.)
  • (Direct quote from my mother: “DID YOU BASE THE TALKING HORSE OFF ME. I CAN SEE YOU DID.”)
  • So if you write horrible parents, your parents will start asking questions and looking offended.
  • Honestly sometimes you just like your family to think you’re NICE. When they read your books?? Haha there goes that. I just stabbed everyone and they’re all swearing and crying.
  • It’s embarrassing! You always put some of YOU on the page and they’ll see that before a stranger would. Like I’m not here to be vulnerable to my family. To complete strangers? Yes. To family? no.
  • They analyse you after they read your writing…or maybe this is just my family? Haha, but woah this is awkward.
  • They always assume the protagonist is secretly you.
  • Romance scenes, OK? I…nope. Don’t read that.

My family IS a huge cheer squad for me, so I am grateful! 

I’m pretty extra sure that when I announced my book deal, they were about to tell the postman. (PLEASE. NO.) And 67% of my texts to my sister are whining about some writerly thing which she companionably ignores and I’m planning to push her out of another tree sometime soon.

So it’s amazing and also I would be totally ok to go to Antartica when they read my writing, yes? Because even though these days I say, “No you can’t read it,” my parents respond with, “FINE WE’LL BUY IT WHEN IT COMES OUT.”

Pack my bags. Pack me. Just let me go, I’m a mess.

tell me YOUR most awkward writer moments!? and do you relate to any of mine?? do you let your family read your writing? have you ever plagiarised yourself??? let’s complain and laugh awkwardly about our suffering

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