Newark, and a new book!
All set up for Newark 2021
It’s almost time for the Newark Book Festival again, and I’m going to be there for the second year running. Here’s a link to their full programme of events: Programme. You’ll be able to find me in the Literature Village on the 9th and 10th July, sharing a stall with an old school friend and ace writer, Mark R Brandon.
This year, I’ll have Tilda and the Bones of Kradlock AND Squidge’s Guide to Super Stories on the stall, because both were published a little too late for the festival last year. Unfortunately, this year, it’s a little too early for Tilda and the Dragons of Nargan, too, because…
*drum roll*
I have a publication date!
Delighted to announce that those of you following Tilda’s adventures will be able to get your hands on Book 4 at the end of August - 23rd August at the earliest. I’m really excited for you to read this one, because Tilda is in trouble right from the start…and for the first time in the Chronicles of Issraya, there’s another character involved in telling parts of the story, too.
The week after the Festival proper, I’m going to be visiting Halam Primary School as part of the festival’s school programme, so I’m very excited and looking forward to spending time with young writers again. It’s one of the most rewarding parts of being an author, for me, seeing youngsters inspired and encouraged in their writing.
After the festival, I’ll begin to work on Tilda #5 again. It’s a weird one, because I know authors say that no two books are the same to write, but this one has been VERY different with respect to my writing process. It’s the final book in the series for a start, so I have to tie all the ends off; that means lots of cross-checking against the four previous books! But it’s also not been a very ‘flowy’ story. I’ve just about narrowed down what’s going to happen in it after lots of idea-crunching and brainstorming, but in writing my first s****y draft… Well, let’s just say that the story has not taken an easy route.
I seem to have been writing disjointed scenes rather than being able to follow a chronological line. I can see the big moments, the pivotal action, the places where Tilda makes decisions to drive the storyline, but I’ve struggled to see what links them. And I’ve had too many ideas! There are so many ways I COULD have taken the story, so many characters I could’ve given a role to, and for a long time I felt swamped with all the possibilities - I didn’t want to leave any of my fabulous and exciting ideas out! In the end, I’ve had to be ruthless, and choose what Tilda would have done, or thought, while taking into account how she has grown and developed over the last four books, and why she’s in the situation she’s in now.
When I begin to type it all up for the first time, I’m going to have to resist the temptation to add in more ideas - at least until I’ve got to the end of the story. Then maybe I’ll see whether there’s any room for them, IF they are needed.
Hope you’ll come and say ‘Hi!’ in Newark, and keep your eyes peeled for preorders of Tilda and the Dragons of Nargan!