This begins with knowing where to start our stories, and making our characters relatable and their story question really clear. From here it is important to focus on voice and language, and to ask ourselves whether our words sing through whimsical, imaginative language. A big tip with this was also to get the worst reader you know to read it back to you to check your rhythm is foolproof and that your pacing is spot on. Some things to think about are:
remembering to show, don’t tell,
use active sentences,
keep point of view consistent,
and be concise – you have fewer than 500 words to play with!
A big question is always knowing when your work is ready for publication, and Shelly suggested lots of ways to practise through competitions or working with a critique group or an editor before your start to seek publication. Choosing whether to go straight to publishers or trying to find an agent is another step in the process, and it is important to check how you want to approach this. You will have to have new or different work to offer an agent if you have already approached publishers, as they will need something to work with.
Again, Shelly had so much to share that it’s impossible to include in a blog post, but her biggest tip is to get your professional author photo done sooner rather than later.
Why?
We’re not getting any younger!
In the meantime, participate in conferences and courses, join organisations, subscribe to magazines, follow podcasts, and keep on writing!
All in all, it was a fabulous afternoon with so much fantastic advice from everyone! Enough to warm the cockles of your heart.
Thanks to the SCBWI ACT team for putting on this event — Shaye Wardrop, Grace Bryant, Cate Whittle and Nicole Godwin.