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
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