June's Monthly Digest - What Really Happens on a Writers Retreat!
I went to Hawaii with nine other writers. Did we write? Was it just a sneaky way of writing off a holiday? What do you do on a writing retreat anyway?!
My literary agent is the remarkable Kevan Lyon, a woman I can’t heap enough praise on. Having had two agents previously, I’m in a position to confidently state that she’s the model all literary agents should base themselves on.
She represents a lot of historical fiction authors – about 35, I think – and we have a private group on Facebook where we share our highs and lows, ask for advice about covers, titles, plot problems, publicity etc and generally support one another the best way we can. I’ve only met one of them in person – a fellow Australian; most of the other authors are American or Canadian. And I’d also never met my amazing agent in person. So when one of the authors suggested we hold an inaugural writing retreat in Hawaii, I said an immediate, yes please!
And as luck would have it, the dates we chose for our week-long writing retreat in Hawaii coincided with the dates our agent was going to be in Hawaii on vacation too. So of course we included a meet up with her on our schedule.
Yes, we did have a schedule! As you can see from the above and below pics, that schedule involved sunset-watching, pineapple-purchasing, eating, drinking cocktails and basking in the sunshine. Because networking and refilling the creative well are just as important to writers as the actual writing.
Our mornings comprised of hikes, snorkelling, and exploring Kauai, and our afternoons were for writing. We had group brainstorming sessions to help people who were stuck on some aspect of their work and silent write-in sessions where the only sound was the tapping of keyboards. And then we had dinners – a chance to just talk about our writing life and the problems we might be having, a time to share suggestions and solutions, to just generally support one another.
And our afternoon with Kevan was fantastic! She spent two hours talking with us about the state of the publishing industry at the moment and what publishers are looking for. The answer is – they don’t really know what they want!
Everyone seems to be waiting for the next trend to emerge, for whatever will replace TikTok as the driver of book sales next year. It seems that the influence of TikTok is starting to lessen in North America, although that hasn’t flowed through to Australia just yet.
The main lesson was something I’ve always said – write what you love. If you love it, that feeling will find its way onto the page and the publishers and the readers will feel it. I can speak from experience here.
When I sat down to write a book to follow The Disappearance of Astrid Bricard, I tried very hard not to write a WWII book as I knew the market was oversaturated and that publishers were saying they didn’t want more WWII fiction. But the story of Marie-Madeleine Méric (Fourcade) wouldn’t shift out of my heart.
When Big Dreams Come True – Some Exciting News!!
We look for heroes everywhere, but Marie-Madeleine is right there in the margins of the history books, waiting to be discovered. Every author has different dreams, I suppose. Mine have always been to write books that readers love, and to stay published so that readers can keep reading those books.
Eventually I gave in and just started to write, embracing the story of this incredible woman. And even though it’s WWII fiction, it found an excellent home and was picked up by Ballantine in a pre-empt. So – always, write what you love and the market will love it too.
And foster a network of people who love the same things that you love. No matter what you do and no matter if it’s a professional pursuit or a hobby, chase after any chance to meet people, to build your network, to learn, to explore your passions with people who are passionate too. Hawaii is a long way from Australia and it would have been much easier just to stay home. But you never regret the things you do – life really is too short not to try to figure out a way to seize every opportunity that comes your way. And you never regret Hawaii!
This Month’s Book Giveaway!!
Before I get into more news, events and recommendations, let me tell you about this month’s book giveaway! I’m very excited to have a copy of fellow retreater Madeline Martin’s not-yet-released novel, The Keeper of Hidden Books!
I was lucky to have a early copy to read and I loved it. It’s based on the true events of Warsaw’s secret libraries during Nazi occupation, and is about one woman’s determination to save others and preserve culture using any means necessary, including hiding books from destruction, running a secret book club, and creating a clandestine library – offering hope through literature in the darkest of times. It’s out in August – add it to your to-read list!
To enter, just leave a comment on this post by clicking the button below. The winner will be drawn by random number generator and notified via email. Entries close 7th July at midday AWST. Good luck!
What I’m Up To Right Now
The Secret Life of Marie-Madeleine
I’ve finished my second draft of The Secret Life of Marie-Madeleine, which has come in at a whipping 150,000 words. So it’s time to start cutting, but I’m used to that!
School holidays start here in Perth next week so I plan to take those two weeks off to just think about the book – where the pace might drag, how I could compress some of the many, many incredible things Marie-Madeleine Méric (Fourcade) did in her life, how I can honour this story in a more succinct way. I’ll be at our beach house for the two weeks of vacation so hopefully the setting will prove to be inspiring!
The Disappearance of Astrid Bricard
On my way back from Hawaii, I stopped at Sydney to meet with my publishing team to go through the marketing and publicity plans for ASTRID BRICARD, which was lots of fun! This book is the one I’ve been writing my way towards for the past few years, I think, so I can’t wait for you all to read it!
The proofs have just gone out to media and reviewers, so it’s both exciting and slightly scary to see pics of them on social media. And today marks three months until it’s published in Australia (sorry to everyone in North America who has to wait a bit longer!) so I’ll be sharing more and more info with you about the book from now on, including book tour info very soon.
Event News
I’m doing just one event in Perth to celebrate the republication of my very first novel, What is Left Over After. Bring your book club, friends and family and join Lorraine Horsley as she speaks with me about the book as part of the Fremantle Press Great Big Book Club.
Where: AH Bracks Library, Melville
When: 20th July 6.45pm-8.00pm
Book tickets: Free event but bookings essential.
Book Recommendations
I read Dreaming in French by Vanessa McCausland a couple of months ago (again, lucky to receive an early copy!) but it’s out next week in Australia so you should definitely go get yourself a copy! A charming French island, delicious food, an enthralling mystery and gorgeous writing made this one a winner for me. Perfect to curl up with over winter.
That’s all from me! Don’t forget to leave a comment to go in the running to win this month’s book giveaway, The Keeper of Hidden Books. And also because I love reading through the comments each month too!
I'm sure I would too Natasha!
Love reading your books and following you on Instagram xo