‘Sometimes the most important and impactful of things are said in a quiet, controlled and thoughtful voice.’
‘We need to be open to feedback and willing to make changes while also staying true to the story we want to tell. It can be a fine line but one worth walking to create a novel or non-fiction work readers will not be able to put down.’
‘The short story is a literary fragment that insists on immediacy, brevity, intensity. My stories—irrespective of setting—are character-based: a character’s relationship with themselves, with others, and with the world around them.’
‘A novel is an opportunity to do multiple pieces of business. A short story is the perfect opportunity to do one piece of business in a fresh way really well.’
‘An expert can break all of this down and help a writer work through suggested areas of improvement, one layer at a time.’
‘With few exceptions, writers don’t figure out their plots on the first attempt, whether they’re sitting down and plotting it out in advance or figuring it out as they draft. Plotting is a skill that requires an understanding of the mechanics of story, and that will develop as you apply yourself to the task of writing and rewriting.’
‘Children are on the cusp of their lives, they’re only just setting out on their own grand adventures. To offer possibility and hope in our stories can inspire and empower children for the rest of their lives. What an honour for a writer to have this chance.’
‘Sometimes we resist an idea because it doesn’t feel original or brilliant enough, but it’s only when you commit to it, and spend some time exploring it, that you find your connection, start inhabiting it, and then the magic starts to happen.’
‘Research allows us to write about subjects which we are not already experts in… It allows writing to be imbued with the kinds of details which bring the reader into the worlds we’ve created and make those worlds fascinating.’
