Words Unlimited

Book of The Month - January

The book that stands out from my reading this month is Carol Ann Duffy's The Bees.

I loved the variety of subject, tone and pace. Duffy is a poet who looks out at the world. Here you'll find her sharp gaze turned onto politics, ecology, Englishness, mother and daughters, sickness and death, plus, of course those bees.

Why is Duffy so consistently good? For me, what I come back to admire and enjoy is her confident and playful relationship to language. Reading Duffy makes me want to write. She makes ordinary words dance and sing, and makes it seem effortless. She challenges, dazzles. She makes you think, and makes you laugh.

She has a marvellous ear for the way we all play - or used to play as children - with language in everyday speech. Her box of sonic 'tricks' includes alliteration, repetition, lists, simple rhymes surprisingly placed. Often punning and playful but with serious intent. See 'Virgil's Bees.'

The bee poems are threaded throughout as connective tissue, buzzing in and out between the other work. Bees take us back to literary tradtion, 'Where the bee sucks,' and forward to consider the precarious balance of the planet.

Duffy may not have won the T S Eliot Prize but she certainly stole the show at the readings at the Royal Festival Hall earlier this month. In the end what makes Duffy a poet I want to return to is the power and persuasiveness of her voice. She is a dazzling performer, with a brilliant sense of timing. Whether on the page or the stage you trust, have confidence in, her voice, feel her presence. 

Hear her talk to Mark Lawson on Front Row about the writing of The Bees.

The T S Eliot Prize Awards Ceremony

To the remarkable Habersdashers’ Hall last night – never seen so much wood panelling and all brand new - for the T S Eliot Prize Awards Ceremony.

Chair of this year’s Judges, poet Gillian Clarke, talked of the difficulty of choosing a winner in, 'an exceptional year.' She spoke at some length about the merits of each of the 8 short-listed Collecitons as the poets looked on, each clutching the cheques for £1000 which they all recieve.

Shortlisted poets:

back row, l to r: Sean O'Brien, David Harsent, John Burnside, Daljit Nagra

front, l to r: Leontia Flynn, Carol Ann Duffy, Esther Morgan

Having reached the end of the list Clarke paused, ‘Is that it? Do I have to say now who is the winner?’

And so she announced the popular choice of John Burnside, for Black Cat Bone which, she said was, 'a haunting book of great beauty, powered by love, childhood memory, human longing and loneliness... an outstanding book, one which the judges felt grew with every reading.'

He’s a popular choice because he’s one of the finest poets around. His work is challenging, but as Clarke said, ‘always lets the reader in.’

 

Burnside reads from Black Cat Bone

For the first time in its history the Prize attracted TV coverage. See video of Channel 4 News item, here.

Listen to Burnside reading five of his poems, here.

Launch of DARK PARTIES

To Foyles in Charing Cross Road yesterday evening for the launch of Sara Grant's debut novel for YAs Dark Parties. A packed event, full of warm support from former Goldsmiths MA students and SCBWI members.

Of course, Sara read beautifully and there was a long queue at the signing desk.

Sara Grant

Sara Grant graduated from the MA in Creative Writing at Goldsmiths in 2006. Last year she published her first novel for young adults in the USA. This month,  Dark Parties is launced in the UK. It's also been translated into six other languages. She talks here about the collaborative process of writing fiction, the breakthrough to publishing and what keeps her going as she revises her second book and makes a start on her third. 

 

PJ: The fiction you were working on for the Goldsmith' MA was rooted in realism and the contemporary world – what led to you write Dark Parties, set in a future, dystopian society?

SG: My education at Goldsmith taught me to experiment with my writing – not to play it safe. Dark Parties started out as a short story. I wasn’t sure if I could write dystopian fiction. Once I’d finished the short story, I couldn’t stop thinking about the idea. I was surprised that this was the type of story I felt compelled to write.

As an American living in the UK, I wanted a story that might sell on both sides of the Atlantic. Previously when I’d set stories in the US – where I grew up – I was told that these stories were ‘too American’. But I didn’t feel qualified to convincingly set a story in the UK. Creating a world that merges my two ‘homelands’ ultimately made my story more publishable in both countries – as well as Germany, Poland, Turkey, China and Taiwan.

  

PJ: Tell us something about building the world of the Protectosphere.

SG: I had never before tried my hand at world-building in the sci-fi sense. I wrote Dark Parties, creating the world as I went along. I endeavoured to give the reader enough detail to believe in my world but not so much that the setting overshadowed the plot and characters. Revision after revision I enhanced the setting. I did a lot of work off the page to build a history and culture for my country. I found world-building one of the most challenging aspects of writing Dark Parties.

PJ: Neva is a strong character with a strong voice. Did that come easily? Was she always going to be in the first person?

SG: I suppose it did. Neva was always going to be the narrator. I find I’m most comfortable and happy writing in first person. It feels like a more intimate connection with readers.

PJ: Because you’ve created a whole new world did you need to plot carefully beforehand, or did you re-build the world as you went, if required, so that the action you needed to happen could happen?

SG: I plot using milestones. The plot didn’t changes as much as expanded and deepened. With each revision, I was able to add layers to my world and characters. I needed to make a few major revisions to the plot after I had a first – or was it second or third – draft. Revising the plot once you have a complete draft sometimes feels like trying to fix one loop in a sweater – tugging on one stitch can sometime unravel the entire garment. But you can’t be afraid to cut and re-build.

PJ: Life after the MA – the framework of support has gone – what new framework have you constructed for your writing?

SG: For the first few years after graduation, I workshopped regularly with a handful of writers I met while at Goldsmiths. I also had a writers group of fellow children’s writers that I met with monthly. Now I’m lucky enough to have an agent who works with me every step of the way. My editors in the US, UK and Germany also give detailed editorial feedback. I find writing to be a very collaborative process.

I also remember what you said on our last day of class: all the tutors you ever need are on bookstore shelves. When I get stuck, I often head to my bookshelf for guidance. I’ll select a piece of fiction I admire and dissect the novel for inspiration. How does Jennifer Donnelly tightly intertwine so many plots, subplots and themes in A Gathering Light? Or how can Libba Bray create such amazing quirky characters? And I don’t forget the classics: how do Orwell, Atwood and Bradbury build their dystopian worlds? I read as much fiction as I can and find an endless supply of mentors.

  PJ: How did it feel to finish the novel and find a publisher?

SG: Incredible. Unbelievable really. The best moment was meeting with Little, Brown in New York when they were planning to make an offer on Dark Parties. I was so nervous. I’d practiced how I was going to sell myself and my book in that meeting. When I arrived in their office, they showed me to a conference room. They had a display of books they had published. Everyone on the publishing team was around the table. Even the head of Little, Brown Children’s Books stopped by. I realized that they were trying to sell me on Little, Brown. That was really the turning point in my life as a writer.

PJ: Has getting published changed the way you view yourself as a writer?

SG: It certainly boosts your confidence. As I’m working on book two and book three – when you run into roadblocks as you always do – I can say to myself: ‘I’ve done this before.’ Even though every book is different and I have to discover how to write each book – I have some comfort in knowing that I’ve finished one book before and I can do it again.

PJ: What surprised/delighted/shocked you about the process of getting published?

SG: I’ve been delighted by my editors. They have spent so much time with me and my novel. They have been generous with their feedback and advice. Their collaboration made Dark Parties a much better book.

I’m lucky that I have editors in three countries – US, UK and Germany – who give me editorial feedback. The book has been edited a bit differently in each country. There aren’t three different versions exactly, but I have adjusted the book slightly to respond to cultural differences. For example, the ending for the UK version is slightly different to the American and German versions. I can’t say too much without giving away the ending but, I added a few lines that made a significant change to the conclusion of the story. 

For Dark Parties, I received editorial feedback from my US and Germany editors simultaneously, but months later worked one-on-one with my UK editor to revise the book. With my second book, all three editors are working together to feedback to me on one document. It can be overwhelming but ultimately gratifying.

PJ: Can you tell us a bit about your second novel? Was it easier to write than the first?

SG: I’m in the middle of revising my second book, which is scheduled to come out in the spring of 2013. It’s another stand-alone dystopian novel. Its working title is Half Lives. It’s a work in progress, but here’s what I know so far:

Half Lives chronicles the journey of two unlikely heroes – Icie and Beckett. Both struggle to keep themselves alive and protect future generations from the terrible fate that awaits any who dare to climb the mountain. Even though they live hundreds of years apart, Icie and Beckett’s lives are mysteriously linked.

Half Lives is a race against time and the battle to save future generations. It’s about the nature of faith and power of miscommunication – and above all the strength of the human spirit to adapt and survive. I learned so much while writing and revising Dark Parties, but I think each book has its own set of challenges and you must discover how to write each book. I’ve just started my third novel and it has a completely different feel and process than the previous two.

PJ: What would you say to someone embarking on writing a novel for young adults for the first time?

SG: Study the books in the genre and for the age group that you want to write. Read the classics but also read the new masters on the bookstore shelves. You can’t write the type of book you read as a child. Children’s books have evolved.

I also suggest joining the Society of Children’s Book Writers and Illustrators. They are an international organization, but the UK has a very active and supportive group with lots of opportunities to meet editors and agents. www.britishscbwi.org

Dark Parties is published in the UK by Orion. More on Dark Parties and the new Indigo imprint for YA books

More on Sara Grant, here

Words Unlimited in 2012

Now that my new novel project is humming along I’ll be posting regularly again – Quotes, literary events, Book of The Month and Author Interviews. Coming shortly there’s an interview with Sara Grant, graduate of the MA in Creative & Life Writing, who publishes Dark Parties, her first novel for young adults next week.

I’m starting a couple of new categories - Jottings from My Notebook and Pictures from my Phone.

In the annual must-clear-the-shelves-before-I-can-write moment, I’ve been flicking through my many notebooks.  It’s great to find stuff that surprises me. Similarly, uploading photos from my phone, I’ve found images that could trigger poems or stories. Putting some of the most potent – for me – up here means I can flick through them all in one place. I hope some might work for you too or inspire you to make more of your own notebooks and gatherings.

Happy New Year!

On getting back into writing after the festive season ...

I’ve been absent from Words Unlimited these last few months for the best of reasons - I'm writing a new novel and it’s taken me over. It seems to be writing me!

A research trip in November took me away from my desk with a chance to gather information about my main character's location, and much else. Back from the trip I let it all sit in a heap on the shelf. Trawling through it, as I get back to writing this first week of the New Year, I find I’m buzzing with new scenes and ways to develop my character.

It reminds me, yet again, [why is it that so much of writing is about re-inventing the wheel?] that research always leads somewhere. If you’re wondering how to get back to a project after the holidays is it because you need to do some research?

The thing to remember is that you’re not researching as if for a PhD, you need only to find nuggets that trigger the imagination and help you to grow authentic scenes. Instead of sitting there staring at a blank screen why not visit your location – actually or virtually [Googlemaps/Earth?].

Is there one tiny detail you didn’t see before? How might your character respond to that?

On my trip, I was able to photocopy a detailed street map from the Thirties which now means I have an accurate sense of my main character's world - the streets I need for my book were demolished in the 1960s.

This old school photo was a gem of a find. It helps re-build a crucial six months in my character’s past. I couldn’t copy it but I did photograph it in sections on my mobile phone –  the phone camera is fast becoming a ‘notebook’ for me. It's from 1930. Looking at it today, what interests me is the teacher, second from left, with her asymmetrical jacket and those square buttons. Also, the girl in the centre of the photo – she is the only one in about 500 girls with ringlets – I’d swear her hair is red … with just these few details I’m eager to get them into my story, to see these details through the eyes of my character.