Tag: Developing the Work

Writing Insider – Catherine McCullagh

Categories Author, Writing Insider

Catherine discusses what led her to become a writer of historical fiction and how she researches and develops her work for publication.

Starting out

Why did you start writing?

I started as an editor, a field in which I worked for over twenty years and absolutely loved.  I also did some ghost writing, by which I mean I took scraps of stories, usually memoir or biography, and rewrote them using the voice of the storyteller. I think it was the success of these stories that eventually persuaded me that I could write my own. Then a story came to me, annexed my mind, settled in and became an obsession and that was it — I simply had to write it!

How did you go about it?

I just wrote. I don’t have a laptop, so I just use my PC and, if I travel, I take a series of notebooks with me and several pens and just scribble away. I tried courses but couldn’t find any I liked or that suited me. I quickly realised that I was far happier just writing the story as it came to me. It was very much a case of learning by doing.

What stories, worlds or characters were you writing in the early days of your writing journey?

And to what purpose?

Because the bulk of my editing work had been in military history, it was probably inevitable that I would write war stories. I was also fascinated by the accounts of ordinary people in what can only be described as extraordinary circumstances. I began with my ghost-written stories. The second of these required me to write the story of a woman I had never met who grew up in a place I had never visited and which had ceased to exist after World War II, and to follow the story of a life I could barely imagine. I had so little information that it became almost historical fiction, except that the skeletal account of the woman’s life was absolutely true. The book was War Child, which was published in 2016 and also translated into German as the central figure had grown up in a tiny German village close to the Polish border. This was the book that really taught me what I could do.

Who or what inspires you?

Stories inspire me. I read a great deal of non-fiction, often about ordinary people responding to challenging times. I love the tiny teasers, the subtle asides and the brief mentions in footnotes of those whose stories have never been told, but sound fascinating. I have chased these stories and discovered events, movements and personalities that have disappeared from the history books or never really been documented. These often form the inspiration for the stories that I write.

What kept you going?

I’m probably manic. I would write all day, every day, if I could. But I recognise that stories need time to breathe and so I start the day with a walk and then take plenty of breaks as I work so that the path I’m following can develop, take form and become a reasonable part of whatever plot I’m constructing. It’s also difficult to run a family, house, pets, cars and a social scene if you do nothing but write, and husbands and children have an irritating need to be fed on a regular basis.

Writing practice

What did your writing practice look like in the beginning?

I squeezed my writing in around my editing jobs and tried to balance one against the other. It was an exercise in self-discipline and I’m only grateful it wasn’t assessed as I would probably have failed. It was also an exercise in frustration as all I really wanted to do was write.

What does your writing practice look like when you are working on a book?

Extremely untidy. I surround my PC with the tools of my trade: scribbled notes on old exercise books, dictionaries, random scraps of paper with sudden bits of inspiration and reference books. Then I just write — madly and obsessively. I always have a plot line to follow, although the ending may be hazy and the plot and characters invariably change. Much of the time I find myself playing catch-up as the plot sprints and I am a terrible typist. Sometimes I simply have to stop and scribble or I will lose an idea.

What does your writing practice look like in the between times?

I really don’t have between times. I gave up editing when my workplace restructured two years ago and now I just write. So I probably break every rule in the writing manual as I always have more than one story on the go at any one time. But, you see, I need that. I need to finish the draft of a book and then work on a completely different book so that my mind can distance itself from the first book. Then, when the draft of the next book is finished, I return to the first with a sense of longing, of excitement, of being reunited with something I love.

What are your obsessions if any?

I’m probably obsessed with World War II — don’t ask me why as my military history editing almost always focused on World War I, Vietnam, Korea and just a smattering of books on World War II. But my writing has been almost exclusively focused on the period from 1940 to 1946 and on women in a mix of occupations: nurses, showgirls and dancers, secretaries, housewives, Red Cross searchers. My main characters have tended to be both men and women, although my next story will feature a male central protagonist for the first time. I’m quite excited with that development … although I can’t explain where it came from!

The beginning of a book

How did you come to writing your book?

My first novel, Dancing with Deception, just came to me. I have no idea where it came from, although I recall feeling annoyed at some of the myths associated with the French resistance and decided that someone needed to write about resisters who were not brave and noble for a change. So I wrote the story of an Australian nurse who finds herself in Paris when the Germans invade and is pretty much blackmailed into working for the resistance, who are shady, bloodthirsty, vengeful and altogether unattractive characters. The Germans were far nicer to her, which made her question her own loyalties and, by the way, she was working for the Red Cross and was supposed to be neutral. What fun! This is what I love about writing — the ability to turn mainstream expectations upside down and then play with the result. It’s absolutely addictive.

How did you know what you were working on was going to become a book?

Having worked as an editor for so many years, I had some idea of what publishers were looking for. But, at the same time, I wrote Dancing for me — it was a piece of pure indulgence because I loved the story so much. So, at that point, I didn’t care whether it was ever published. It was only later, having polished and refined it (and cut about 20,000 words from the back story), that I wondered whether it would find a home. Fortunately the publisher I was editing for was expanding his range and his manuscript reader loved it.

What was your writing process?

At the time I wrote my first book I was madly juggling family and work while also trying to write. My children were still in school, my husband was overseas with the Army and I was editing full-time. At that point I generally wrote from 9.00 pm to midnight and was surprisingly productive. But it was a hard slog and it took me a long time to finish the story and complete all the necessary research.

When did you know you had a first draft?

I always write the story through from start to finish, no matter how poorly formed the plot or how pedestrian the prose. I have to write it all down or I’ll lose it. But once the plot is there, even if the ending is a tad vague, I can start again from the beginning and I know where I’m going. That’s the best part, the surge of excitement as a story takes form. This draft then becomes the main draft, the master copy, the skeleton that I work on fleshing out — and I love detail, so the next phase takes me quite some time.

What about research

What sort of research did you have to do to develop this work?

My research is lengthy, painstaking and very time-consuming. But it is also enthralling. I love details and, because I write historical fiction, I need to get the details right. Just creating a family home, an elaborate dinner, a journey from one country to another, can mean weeks of intensive research and can also produce surprising results and, yes, the inevitable tangents! I love diaries, biography and memoir as they invariably provide the sort of mundane detail that populates the settings in my books.

How did you balance the process of writing and researching?

The plot comes first for me — always. I write the story — as far as I know it, that is — then I start from the beginning once again using a process not unlike colouring-in. I look at every scene, every protagonist, every movement and I research what people are wearing, eating, smoking and holding in their hands before turning to the setting and doing the same. Once I have enough detail — and there is such a thing as too much detail, so discipline is required here — I turn back to the process of refining the writing and the plot itself.

Did the research change the shape of the book? If so, how?

Sometimes the research does change the shape of the book. For example, it is often not possible for people to travel in time of war. I have to be very careful to stay within the boundaries imposed by my setting because my books are set either during World War II or in its immediate aftermath. I have often had to change the location of particular scenes because of the difficulty of moving my characters to that place. Then there’s rationing, which dictates what people can wear, eat or even what cigarettes they smoke — and there was a shortage of matches in England during the war. Petrol was heavily rationed and there was no leather for shoes in Paris. The blackout made it difficult for people to drive at night and the Blitz made it extremely dangerous. My characters complain a great deal about rationing and the blackout, all behaviour determined by the time in which they live.

Developing the work

What was your drafting process?

My drafting process is quite simple really. I write it all down, fill in the detail and then take the axe to it once it’s complete. One story topped out at 237,000 words which was clearly too long. So I killed six characters and plenty of darlings. I also rewrote the ending five times to see which one I liked best. While it was fun at the time, it is a seriously difficult business to kill your darlings and I was very sorry to see these go. But it was for the best. The story is now a very streamlined 156,000 words which would certainly be far more acceptable to my publisher and also to readers, I suspect. I had to be quite ruthless with myself as I was quite precious about some of the scenes I cut. But, once they were gone, I recognised that the story was far better without them.

What helped you along the way?

Having my own writing space and having time — even in short bursts — when I was left alone to create. I also relish my morning walks as these provide valuable thinking time. We’re fortunate enough to live close to bushland and there are myriad tracks we can follow that take us away from people and human habitation. This provides me space to think, to simply focus on wherever I am with a particular story at the time and to solve any problems in plotting that crop up.

How and when do you address the craft of the work?

I work on the craft of writing as I go and refine it in subsequent drafts. Inevitably I’m unhappy with the standard of writing in the first draft, but that’s because it’s all about the plot at that stage. I can refine the writing at a later stage once the plot is fairly settled and the detail is there.

Who do you go to for help?

I have several beta readers who see my late-stage drafts. These are long-time friends, people whose advice I trust and who I know will provide honest comments. One is a professional editor, but none of the others are connected in any way to the publishing industry. Using beta readers is really valuable and I would never submit a manuscript to my publisher without sending it out for comment first. I have changed entire plotlines based on the reaction of a beta reader — sometimes only they can make the scales fall from your eyes!

And how do you take on other people’s points of view?

I’m very happy to listen to the views of others, although of course it’s always difficult to swallow criticism, particularly if you know it’s unjustified. Not every reader will understand your book and I’ve learned to just grin and bear it. There are some authors who never read reviews of their work and I really understand that. But I feel there’s plenty to learn from the views of readers, so I tend to read all the reviews of my books.

How do you know when the work is ready to submit?

That’s tricky. My father, also an author, used to say that a book needed 100 drafts to be ready for publication. I certainly go through my drafts 100 times changing and refining as I go. But I do reach the stage where I feel I have made all my changes and that the story is ready to tell. Then it goes to my beta readers. Once their comments are back, I adjust the manuscript if necessary and then let it sit for a few weeks before reading it again. If, at this stage, I have made no more changes, I will send it to my publisher’s manuscript reader. She reads it, usually accepts it (to this point, anyway!) and then she will develop a publishing schedule. This means I generally know when the final manuscript has to be submitted. But there was one book which I think suffered from a shortened process in which the publisher suddenly announced that he needed the manuscript. This meant I was completing the final proofing in a hurry and I’m sure I missed something.

Agents and publishers

How did you get your first book published?

I decided to try pitching my book to publishers and received a lukewarm response. Yes, they liked the book, but no-one was publishing historical fiction set in World War II featuring women at that time (can you believe that??!!). In the end it was the manuscript reader at the publishing house I was editing for who asked if I had written anything of my own. From there it was a short step to publication because they knew me and they knew my work as an editor and she really liked the book.

Do you have any advice on putting together a pitch package?

You don’t need an agent, although having one probably helps. I recently pitched a ghost-written book to a series of publishers (it was true crime, so out of my usual genre) and I found that it helped to have read widely in the genre you’re pitching towards. That way you can list comparable titles, particularly any that may have been published by the company you are targeting. There are plenty of publishers who will accept unsolicited manuscripts, so it’s a matter of trawling the various websites and finding out when to submit your manuscript. It’s important that the covering letter (if applicable) is well written and that the manuscript is in the most perfect state you can manage. And find an edge. My book was true crime, a double murder in Queanbeyan of all places, so I argued that this would have tremendous local appeal. We’re a ghoulish lot here!

Any advice on rejection?

Don’t be too disheartened. Remember J.K. Rowling received a dozen rejections for her first Harry Potter novel. Rejection simply means your book didn’t suit that publisher. Typically, publishers follow trends, so what didn’t suit the market this year, may well suit it next year — as I discovered with my first book. These days you can’t count the number of novels set in World War II with a female primary protagonist! So keep trying. Don’t limit yourself to the major publishers, try small publishing houses as well. You can also try self-publishing as many authors do these days. Sometimes a big publisher will pick up a book that was initially self-published as they consider the story has been market-tested. So that’s also worth considering.

Acquisition to publication

How, if at all, did your work change in the hands of a publisher?

My publisher decided that my titles should follow a pattern: Dancing with Deception; Secrets and Showgirls; Love and Retribution … you get the drift. I’m happy enough to play along as they know far more about marketing than I do and title is important in marketing. They also have a great deal of influence over the cover design. Fortunately, I have good designers who will listen to me. But I’m not sure that’s the case with every publisher.

What do you wish you knew about the publishing process before you were published?

I wish I had known just how much marketing the author is expected to do as I would have applied myself a little earlier. Instead I played frantic catch-up for the last year or two, learning about social media and how to market a book. Fortunately I have adult children who can explain the complexities of social media in words of one syllable. And the rest? I complete any online courses that the various author associations offer. I also accept any offers from writing groups to publicise my book in return for publicising theirs. It can only help!

And, overall

What was the hardest thing about writing and bringing this book into the world?

Letting go. Handing over the book that you have created, slaved over, loved and cherished for several years is extremely difficult — in fact, it’s like losing a member of your immediate family. It’s also difficult to see social media posts about the best books by Australian authors, what’s trending at the time, etc, etc and not see your book mentioned. You just have to get used to the fact that your book will not suit everyone. But that shouldn’t diminish the joy you experience in creating a wonderful story with truly memorable characters. That is an extraordinary achievement.

What has been the most joyful part of the process?

Having people contact me to tell me how much they enjoyed my books. I love talking about my characters, plotlines, research, anything to do with those books I so enjoyed creating. And of course, the process of creating those books brings me infinite joy. I was serious when I wrote earlier that I could sit and write all day, every day. It is the purest, most sublime form of escapism.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Catherine McCullagh, Author

Catherine McCullagh trained as a history and language teacher, spent twenty years in the Australian Army and then left to establish herself as a freelance editor. Fifteen years later, inspired by the extraordinary stories that surrounded her, she embarked on a new career, this time as a writer.

She has published three non-fiction works, Willingly into the Fray, War Child and Unconquered. Her first historical novel, Dancing with Deception, was followed by Secrets and Showgirls and her latest work, Love and Retribution. Catherine lives in Canberra, Australia, and loves bushwalking, reading and travelling to exotic locations.

BOOKS PUBLISHED

Love and Retribution, Catherine McCullagh
Historical fiction. Blue Sky Publishing, 2022
> Read a review

It’s 1943 and young widow Emmy Penry-Jones discovers two men washed up on the beach below her house in Cornwall. But these men are not like the shipwrecked sailors she has rescued before and Emmy is drawn into a web of intrigue that will truly test her. Rocked by accusations of war crimes against a man she knows to be innocent, she races to defend him, aware that the accusers could turn on her. The trial marks a turning point and Emmy is drawn into a deadly cycle of post-war retribution from which only one man can save her.

Secrets and Showgirls, Catherine McCullagh
Historical Fiction. Blue Sky Publishing, 2021

Dancing with Deception, Catherine McCullagh
Historical Fiction. Blue Sky Publishing, 2017

Writing Insider – Ruth Morgan

Categories Author, Writing Insider

Ruth Morgan discusses writing the stories that allow her no peace and how to qualify trusted readers.

Starting out

Why did you start writing?

I’ve wanted to write for as long as I can remember. I think my first story was written in primary school. I see the world in terms of stories. I’ve always been fascinated by the reasons humans do the things they do. Where the habits, beliefs, and motivations come from. Writing allows me the opportunity to explore in depth.

What kept you going?

A certain degree of sheer bloody-minded determination. Firstly, to tell the stories that would allow me no peace. And perhaps, initially to some extent to prove to the naysayers that not only could I get short stories published, but win a publishing contract and have a novel published.

Writing practice

What does your writing practice look like when you are working on a book?

I discovered writing a collection of short stories that I work very well swapping between projects. And do. I’ve currently got two novels on the go, with ideas for others. Also working on a number of short stories. When I get stuck, or the ideas decrease, I move onto the next project and allow my subconscious time to figure out what comes next.

The beginning of a book

When did you know you had a first draft?

I know I have a first draft when I can follow the threads that run through a novel. When the ending answers the questions posed in the first chapter. There is nothing quite like typing ‘The End’ even if you know it’s just the beginning.

Developing the work

How do you take on other people’s points of view?

I have a trusted network of readers, and fellow writers. I ‘test’ people out to see if we can work together usually by giving them a short story to read and judging how well the feedback resonates with what I already know doesn’t work and I’m more than happy to have things pointed out that are new. Some feedback isn’t – someone who says that they don’t get the story but offers no suggestions, or who says it’s wonderful – neither are helpful. It’s a fine line giving good feedback. Regardless of what is received, I always have a rule of letting it sit for at least 48 hours before rereading.

Agents and publishers

Any advice on rejection?

It’s part of the whole thing. Unavoidable. We all cope with ‘rejection’ differently. There are nuances in rejection letters too and you learn to read between the lines. Sometimes what you’ve submitted just isn’t for the publication or publisher. Take on board advice, get feedback, polish, polish and polish. Eventually the pain of rejection eases. Celebrate the wins, the positive outcomes, and accept that everything we write isn’t for everyone.

And, overall

What was the hardest thing about writing and bringing this book into the world?

Trying to change one particular story to make it fit in with what I thought ought to happen, not what the characters and the story wanted to happen. I did everything possible to change the outcome and the story, the writing and the writer suffered. When I acknowledged that the ending was how the ending had to be the whole thing emerged complete, layered and strong.

What has been the most joyful part of the process?

Being surprised. I love it when characters take over and do their own thing and sit there laughing at me wondering why I didn’t get it, or see it earlier. When they develop ideas of their own, and take the whole thing in an unexpected and often rather wonderful direction. I guess, when they come to life.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Ruth Morgan, Author
https://ruthmorgan.com.au/

Ruth Morgan spent the first six years of her life on Wilkurra Station, near Pooncarie in outback NSW. An only child, with animals and adults for company, she quickly developed a rich and varied inner world populated with imaginary friends who went on exciting adventures.

Based in Northern New South Wales, Ruth Morgan loves telling stories of the characters and outback country she knows and loves. Her preference is crime fiction with a twist, her stories set in rural and regional Australia. The harsh landscape with its vast open spaces, floods, trees and isolation are essential elements in her stories, influencing how the tale unfolds, and how individuals react.

Writing since childhood, Ruth was the 2020 winner of the Great Clarendon House Writing Challenge and has stories published on a variety of sites.

BOOKS PUBLISHED

The Whitworth Mysteries, Ruth Morgan
Crime Fiction. Clarendon House Publications, 2021
> Read a review

A collection of short stories set around the fictional town of Whitworth, the Murray River and Hay Plains. The stories are a mixture of crime fiction, police procedurals, mysteries, romance, and speculative fiction. They tell tales of redemption, love, greed, grief, and revenge.Book blurb

Writing Insider – Tanya Heaslip

Categories Author, Writing Insider

Tanya Heaslip discusses how her life has shaped her writing and equipped her for rejection.

Starting out

Why did you start writing?

I have written since I was a little girl and could first hold a pencil in my hand. I quickly moved to my father’s typewriter (much to his chagrin) and the best present in my whole life was an orange typewriter for my 10th birthday (all of my own – joy!). I became a one finger whizz and wrote story after story about children having adventures in the outback, where I lived. At age eleven, I typed an eighty-six page thriller called ‘The Red Red Rose of Triumph,’ which ended up with a major horse race in Central Australia! Writing was just a compulsion that lives on to this day. I don’t move anywhere without pen and paper in hand. I write constantly, notes to myself, reflections, bits of stories and – then, whenever I can fit it in amongst my work as a lawyer – the excitement of writing full stories!

Writing practice

What does your writing practice look like when you are working on a book?

I would like to say I have a writing practice but I work full-time as a lawyer so it’s whenever I can fit it into any spare moments I can. I use Julia Cameron’s morning pages whenever possible and that helps release stuff that’s blocking me and helps direct me to new ideas. Once I start writing, I become completely focused. I try to make the most of every moment I have because they are few and far between work, life, family obligations. I read an interview with Di Morrissey once, where she said as a result of having started out as a journalist, she could write anywhere, and did, even pulling up a petrol drum at the mechanics shop to use as a desk so she could keep writing while her car was being fixed. That inspires me to this day!

What are your obsessions?

I absolutely love memoir (the stories of other people and how they overcame life challenges), stories about travel (so that I can vicariously travel myself) and anything to do with mysteries and thrillers (my best form of escape – brought about from an early childhood love of Enid Blyton. Despite what people say today about her lack of political correctness, she inspired millions of children around the world to love reading, and if you look closely at her books, she was the ultimate thriller writer. Short chapters, each one ending on a cliffhanger, and the children having to use their own resources to work out how to escape impossible situations and beat the baddies. I devoured her stories and still have many of them on my bookshelf today.)

The beginning of a book

How did you come to writing your first book?

There are many things that have helped, but number one would be having a writing group at all stages of the process, I taught English in Prague four years after the Berlin Wall came down and fell in love with the beauty of the city, its countryside, its music, architectures, and a Czech man with blue eyes who quoted poetry to me under the stars and sang me folk songs with his guitar. It changed my life. I wrote endless diary entries about my experiences, and Mum kept my letters home, so when I returned, my memories were luckily preserved. Several years on, some events happened (I can’t mention them here, because that would be a spoiler!), that meant I felt strongly moved to write the story of my time with the Czechs. Once I started it became an absolute compulsion. I wrote about one million words (no joke!) and gave myself carpal tunnel as I did version after version until it reflected the magic of my time as I really remembered. ‘Alice to Prague’ was born!

Developing the work

What helped you along the way?

I’ve always had to write around full-time work, so I’ve reached out for support along the way from writing groups (both face-to-face and online) and sought out mentors to help me in the process. Having spent a long time as a lawyer, I had to retrain my brain to think and write creatively, and it was very difficult. I couldn’t do it on my own. Three amazing mentors helped me over the course of my fifteen year journey learning to write “Alice to Prague” – Patti Miller, Kathryn Heyman and Bernadette Foley – and I could not have done it without them.

Agents and publishers

Any advice on rejection?

In the 15 years of writing my first book, ‘Alice to Prague,’ I received over 30 rejections from agents and publishers. It was brutal. Each time I’d fall apart and hide in the cupboard, tell myself I was useless, that my dream was a complete waste of time and that my father was right (I should concentrate on my day job). But a couple of things helped me ‘get back on the horse,’ as we used to say when I was growing up in the outback. First of all, it seemed to me that the story had a life of its own and wanted to be told. After about two or three days of despair, the story would come along and tap me on the shoulder and say, ‘Alright, enough of that self-pity, back to work’. I later read Elizabeth Gilbert’s ‘Big Magic’ about stories finding writers, and I have no doubt that was the case for this one with me. Also, I’d had a very tough childhood in the outback, where you learn you can’t give up, otherwise you and your horse and the cattle you are mustering will perish to death if you don’t get yourselves back to the dam and to water by nightfall. ‘Never give up’ was our childhood motto, with the threat of literally dying if we did. That remained a very serious incentive, even many years on! And an incredibly supportive husband, sister and mother helped me beyond description. Having now written and published three books, I feel very lucky.

Acquisition to publication

How, if at all, did your work change in the hands of a publisher?

Once I was lucky enough to get a publisher (after the 30th rejection), my book ‘Alice to Prague’ had to be rewritten all over again once more. The process of writing and the people in publishing humble you time and time again. My sister has a great expression ‘It’s all about honing your craft, Tanya. Hone your craft. Don’t give up. Hone your craft!’

And, overall

What has been the most joyful part of the process?

My first three books were memoirs, telling the stories of people and places that I loved. ‘Alice to Prague’ (AU 2019). ‘An Alice Girl’ (AU 2020). ‘Beyond Alice’ (AU 2021). The joy in sharing these stories and keeping them alive meant so much to me. It felt like I’d drawn the formative parts of my life together in a way that could be used to celebrate those people and places, which was both a humbling and joyful thing to be able to do. And then hearing from other people who have been touched by the memoirs is the most spine tingling thing. So much joy!

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Tanya Heaslip, Author
https://tanyaheaslip.com.au

Tanya Heaslip is an Australian author based in Alice Springs, Northern Territory. She was raised on a cattle station north of Alice Springs during the 1960s and 1970s. Tanya learnt about the outside world through correspondence and School of the Air. She spent many hours dreaming of the overseas lands depicted in her childhood story books.

When she was twelve years old, she was sent sixteen hundred kilometres away from her outback home to a boarding school, a traumatic and life changing experience. From there, she became a lawyer. She never stopped dreaming, however, which led her to the Czech Republic to teach English in 1994, four years after the Berlin Wall fell.

Tanya has published Alice to Prague (2019), An Alice Girl (2020), and her third memoir Beyond Alice was released in May 2021.

BOOKS PUBLISHED

Beyond Alice, by Tanya Heaslip
Memoir. Allen & Unwin, 2021
> Read a review

From the happiness and freedom of her bush childhood, Tanya Heaslip is sent to a boarding school sixteen hundred kilometres away from everything and everyone she loves. As these years pass surrounded by the friends she makes, Tanya’s memoir is a humorous and inspiring story of strength, resilience and the realities of Australian outback life.

An Alice Girl, by Tanya Heaslip
Memoir. Allen & Unwin, 2020

Alice to Prague, by Tanya Heaslip
Memoir. Allen & Unwin, 2019

Writing Insider – Kate Murdoch

Categories Author, Writing Insider

Kate Murdoch discusses how her writing group helped her develop The Orange Grove.

Developing the work

What helped you along the way?

There are many things that have helped, but number one would be having a writing group at all stages of the process, to keep me accountable. Having a group helps you stick with a project because you know these friends are waiting to critique more of the work and you need something to show them! Group members encourage one another, give ideas for plot points and character development, and tell you where you’re going right and wrong. The writing community is so supportive. It’s been crucial to me creatively, professionally, and personally. It works both ways and has to be give and take.

How and when do you address the craft of the work?

A lot is instinctive, especially plotting. I’m an incurable pantser. For me, this provides the mystery and excitement in the process. Otherwise, I think it would feel quite dull and planned, which would mean I’d abandon the story. Character development and arcs are interesting because often I discover who a character is through their dialogue and internals. This in turn helps with plotting because the characters ‘tell’ me what they’d like to do next. So plotting and character development are close together and intertwined. Some voices emerge more easily than others and in my later drafts I need to enrich particular characters’ voices. My general writing voice is something that has evolved over time and I don’t need to think about it as much these days.

Who do you go to for help?

Along with a writing group, I have other writing friends who I trust to send drafts to, who I know will give a lot of attention to detail in their feedback. We do read swaps and it’s a joy to have these relationships. I have an assessor who has read each of my manuscripts right from the beginning and has always been incredibly helpful. My agent gives the final round of edits before we submit to publishers. And of course, if a project is picked up, editors will work with me to make structural and copyedits.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Kate Murdoch, Author
https://katemurdochauthor.com/

Kate Murdoch exhibited widely as a painter both in Australia and internationally before turning her hand to writing.

Her short-form fiction has been published in various literary journals in Australia, UK, US and Canada.

Stone Circle, a historical fantasy novel set in Renaissance Italy, was released by Fireship Press in December 2017. Stone Circle was a First in Category winner in the Chaucer Awards 2018 for pre-1750’s historical fiction.

Kate was awarded a KSP Fellowship at the KSP Writers’ Centre in 2019 to develop her third novel, The Glasshouse.

Her novel, The Orange Grove, about the passions and intrigues of court mistresses in 18th century France, was published by Regal House Publishing in November 2019. The Orange Grove was a Finalist in the Chaucer Awards 2019 for pre-1750’s Historical Fiction.

BOOKS PUBLISHED

The Orange Grove, by Kate Murdoch
Historical Fiction. Regal Publishing House, 2019
> Read a review

Blois, 1705. The château of Duc Hugo d’Amboise simmers with rivalry and intrigue. Henriette d’Augustin, one of five mistresses of the Duc, lives at the château with her daughter. When the Duc’s wife, Duchesse Charlotte, maliciously undermines a new mistress, Letitia, Henriette is forced to choose between position and morality.

The Stone Circle, by Kate Murdoch
Historical Fiction. Fireship Press, 2018

Writing Insider – Sarah Bacaller

Categories Author, Writing Insider

Sarah Bacaller talks about how she started out as a writer and what led her to publish her first book.

Starting out

Why did you start writing?

Was it a general compulsion? Did you have a story in mind that needed to be told? Grand ambitions of a new career?

I decided when I was 7 to be a writer. I adored books and lived in them. I did a lot of writing as a child and teenager—journaling, public-speaking, essays and competitions—but writing didn’t seem a valid career option when finishing school! Then I started university and found a home of sorts there. After a while I realised—Wow! Research, essays, tutoring … all this is writing! It was like my writing dream had come back to find me; I had come full circle.

Many of us know what it’s like to be in places where what we say, think or feel doesn’t count for much or isn’t heard. For me, writing has always been that place I’ve been able to find myself, to figure out what I think about things, to work through and explore ideas and possibilities, to ask questions and create space for myself—even if no one else around me is interested (but sometimes, they are … and that’s delightful!). 

How did you go about it?

Just open your laptop? Books? Courses? Degree’s? Workshops?

My writing journey has been multi-faceted. I did well in English at school and in essay-writing at uni. The latter forces you to work to a style guide, to measure your words carefully and to construct clear arguments. One of my lecturers became my research supervisor and then a trusted colleague and mentor — and he is a writing machine. He has helped me with focusing my writing, especially through writing to word-limits (which massively challenged my early swirly emotive writing style). He’s also helped me trust in ‘increments’ – little bits at a time build up to something substantial – especially important for me when juggling babies, study, work and other life-stuff.

I’ve done courses with the Australian Writers’ Center, through MasterClass (online), joined writers’ groups, attended conferences and made as many connections as I can (usually virtual). I’ve written book reviews for academic journals and have gotten to know the publishing process in that way. I’ve also connected with some amazing authors through my work in the audiobook industry. Writing a PhD is great writing discipline because you are being guided through a massive project by real experts in the field. My PhD is in philosophy so that complements my writing; philosophers tend to be highly engaged in writing practice. I also must mention my writing/mothering/life buddy, Becca; our friendship is a constant source of happiness and writing encouragement.

Writing Practice

How did you come to writing your book?

What draws you to particular stories/themes? What is it about the story that ‘hooked into you’? Did you go looking for it, did it just arrive or was it in you in some way all along? 

With Fault Lines, I needed to consolidate and crystallise some serious and painful life events and changes I was going through. This story felt like the space where I could explore those things in a reflective way that was hidden, but also wide open for others to share in. I had written bits and pieces when in swirly moods over a few years, and as a plot started to emerge, I began drawing those bits and pieces into some semblance of order.

I decided to aim for 20 000 words because it seemed manageable, and committed to working on my novella every weekend, focusing on a chapter at a time. It was a natural progression after writing shorter pieces for years (articles, poetry, research essays, teaching notes etc.).

Finishing Fault Lines was very satisfying because I could look at what I’d written and feel that, ‘Yes, this expresses what I’ve been through, and the beliefs I’ve changed and formed in that time’. And I felt passionate about the story because I believed in what it was sharing — lessons that were hard won and important to me.   

Developing the work

What helped you along the way?

This could be people, practices, process’…

I mentioned a colleague and writing mentor earlier — it’s great to have a range of these, because each have different strengths and areas of expertise, and I’m so grateful for mine. One thing my key mentor challenged me with early on was writing to word-limits: 50, 100, 200 words. This forces you to encapsulate an idea, an anecdote, a reflection into its crucial elements. You can’t waste words and you learn to tinker with them persistently in getting to the nub of any issue.

I was really sceptical about this approach at first. I was of the ‘let it all out!’ mentality, as though that was the only way to find or articulate myself truthfully. But this was in the context of academic writing, where you have to condense a huge amount of background research into a small space that creates a clear narrative line. It’s fine to write for the joy of self-expression; it’s an added challenge writing in a disciplined manner for others, recognising that when others spend time reading your writing, it’s a gift. That gift should be respected. Writing to limits forces creativity and directness, and that has been a huge leap forward for my writing development.

Agents and Publishers

How did you get your first book published?

What was your approach, did you have a strategy, what were the set-backs? Did you have to change your approach?

I made a list of publishers who published in the genre I was writing in and explored their websites for submissions information. To be honest, I feel like the publication of my novella was a fluke. It’s quite niche.

I originally submitted to one particular imprint of Wipf and Stock who rejected it, but who said they had passed it on to another imprint who were likely to take it on (and they did!). I was really keen to narrate it as an audiobook and loved that experience, and Wipf and Stock were happy for me to do that.

Any advice on rejection?

You often hear writers saying that if you want to be published, you have to get used to rejection. I adopted two goals for 2020: To give everything a crack (i.e. writing opportunities, like competitions) and to get used to rejection. I figured, if I wanted to really be a writer, I had to do both and I had nothing to lose. I followed those goals and came a long way. Nowadays, I’m always working on the next thing, so by the time rejection comes, I’m not as emotionally invested. But I’m still super stoked when things come through! 

And, Overall

A note on critique:

When I began writing longer research essays, I was quite fragile; I found it so hard to read my supervisor’s edits and feedback. I wanted my work to be ‘perfect’—and supervisor suggestions showed that it wasn’t. If this is similar to how you feel about feedback — it’s okay and it can change.

Now I love feedback because I know it makes my work better — and I go first to the people who I trust because I know their feedback is given in the context of their positive regard for me. But I also know they will be honest and give skilled critique. There is no final ‘perfect’ for me in writing anymore. Ideas are always evolving because we are dynamic, living, thinking beings.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Sarah Bacaller, Author
http://www.sarahbacaller.com
http://www.voicesoftoday.org

Sarah is a writer, audiobook narrator and researcher from outer Melbourne, Australia. She is a PhD student in Philosophy at Western Sydney University and is Co-Director, Producer & Narrator with Voices of Today, a spoken word audio production company in Australia. She also works in online teaching support in a tertiary learning environment and has recently published a novella: The Fault Lines Founding Liberty.

BOOKS PUBLISHED

The Fault Lines Founding Liberty by Sarah Bacaller
Novella. Wipf & Stock, 2020
> Read a review

The Fault Lines Founding Liberty explores the tensions inherent in growing up and moving on from faith, family, and past versions of ourselves. With unanswered questions and hovering guilt, a young woman comes to confront the spectres of her past through dialogue with an unexpected companion.