The Author's Method with Kathy Lee, Author, No Angel

I’ve had 15 books published (not counting some very short Bible story picture books), with two more in the pipeline. I’ve been writing, on and off, ever since I learned how to spell, but I never completed a book until the age of 44 – I’m 53 now.

 

I didn’t have the confidence to write a big grown-up book! Plus, children’s books are shorter, and you can have a happy ending.

 

I also have vivid memories of books I read as a child, whereas I forget many adult books within a month or two. And, from the Christian point of view, we need something to counter all those teenage chick-lit books with titles like Mates, Dates and Thongs, because books do influence a child’s view of what is “normal”. I want to write about a different kind of normal life – one with God at the centre.

 

I’m a parent as well as an author. I have a foot in both camps. (This has been useful innumerable times, in finding out what’s cool and what isn’t. My youngest son is now 17, too old for the age group – what am I going to do for research?)

To other parents who would like to write, all I can say is, go for it! And make use of those scraps of spare time – I used to write sitting on the stairs just after the kids were in bed, while shouting ‘be quiet and go to sleep!’ at five-minute intervals. Writing is one of the few pastimes which can be put down at a moment’s notice, and can also be done in your head while commuting, ironing, pushing a buggy etc.

 

A smaller vocabulary and a shorter attention span. (My own sons always got bogged down in long descriptive passages and stopped reading, even with ‘children’s classics’ which I loved in my youth. I blame TV and the Playstation.) You have to use about a quarter of the words you actually know, and cut out all unnecessary waffle. But children, like adults, still need believable characters, absorbing plots, realistic dialogue and a bit of humour.

 

One easy device is to write in the first person. If your main character is also the narrator, he/she won’t be all-wise and all-knowing, but ought to be on a sort of equal footing with the reader, learning as s/he goes along.

 

Another tactic is to use dialogue to explain a difficult concept. Let one of the characters talk about it, perhaps with questions and interruptions from listeners.

 

Don’t try to convey all Christian truth in one book. Keep your message brief. (Ever come out of church remembering the children’s talk and already forgetting the lengthy sermon?)

 

Have the characters find out (from other people, or the Bible, or experience) the truths you want to impart. Let the reader go with them on a journey of discovery, rather than sit in a pew being preached at.

 

Break your message down into bite-size chunks, with lots of action in between.

 

There are books where the message is quite covert, but effective - the Narnia series is the shining example. In my own books, up to now, I’ve always included some overt discussion of Christian things, even if the hero isn’t a believer and doesn’t get miraculously converted in the final chapter! The message is not tacked on afterwards, but is vital in shaping the plot. In fact, it’s like a garden trellis with a plant (the story) growing on it. If the plant is healthy, the trellis will be almost hidden, but still visible here and there.

 

To any new writer, I would always say: join a creative writing class. When you’re starting out, this is invaluable for encouragement and, even more important, feedback on your writing. You need to find out what works and what doesn’t, and it’s hard to learn this while writing alone, unread by anyone except yourself. You can also learn from other people’s mistakes.

 

If you want to write for children, if you can, read your work aloud to children and watch their reactions. Interest? Laughter? A disbelieving grunt? Eyes glazing over with boredom or incomprehension? Teens won’t want to be read aloud to, but might consent to take something away, read it and comment on it.

 

Another thing - you needn’t struggle to be too up-to-the minute. Today’s slang (and names of bands, designer labels etc) may sound embarrassingly dated by this time next year.

 

The plot idea comes first, but only in the vaguest form. Then the characters – again, not in great detail. I start writing and things gradually become clearer, new ideas come out of what I’ve just written, some of the original thoughts get scrapped, characters reveal aspects that I couldn’t have planned in advance… it’s all a bit chaotic, I’m afraid.

 

I think there are two approaches to writing. The architect/designer approach is to create a detailed plan, before a single brick is laid or chapter heading typed. I can see the advantages of this (the finished book will bear some resemblance to the editor’s expectations, for one), but I’ve never been able to do it. I’m more of a gardener, planting something, helping it to grow, and chopping off bits of verbiage which aren’t going in the right direction.

 

I use a computer in the dining area of our 3-bedroom semi. The TV in the other half of the room is sometimes a distraction - I tell myself that I have to know what teenagers are watching these days. (That’s my excuse for watching Never Mind the Buzzcocks.)

There isn’t a typical writing day. I can’t usually write for more than two hours at a time – if I do, it turns out to be complete drivel when I re-read it. So my two-hour session might be at any time that fits in with my family and my part-time job.

 

I also write while doing other things. While cooking or walking the dog, my mind is often on where the story should be going next, and I’ll stop to scribble down notes if I need to.

 

At the moment I’m only working 18 hours per week, typing in an office (boring, but far, far better paid than writing). I realise I’m lucky to be able to work less than full-time. It’s not because of book sales (I wish), but because I married an old-fashioned guy who likes his tea ready when he comes home at night! As for priorities – if it comes to a choice between writing and housework, writing wins every time.

 

My first attempts at children’s books were neither one thing nor the other – there was a bit of Christian content, but not much. (I didn’t want to be pigeonholed as a ‘Christian author’ and only sell through church bookstalls.) So Deadly Emily did the rounds of the publishers in the Writers’ & Artists’ Year Book without success. When at last I sent it to Scripture Union, it was accepted on condition that I increased the Christian content. So I’ve become a Christian author and only sell through… no, because now there’s the Internet, too.

 

I once tried writing a crime novel (secular, adult) but the rejection thuds on the doormat were quite deafening. I guess I’d better stick to what I know!

 

Obviously, characters who are too perfect are not believable. So even a Christian hero/heroine must have a few flaws. The baddies shouldn’t be totally evil, either – they should have credible motives for their behaviour.

 

‘Show, don’t tell’ is always a good motto. “Shut up!” said James, kicking an empty can into the gutter – this is more vivid and convincing than being told, James was angry and bad-tempered.

What puts readers off? I’d say one thing is over-optimistic Christian stereotypes. As a child, I remember singing choruses about having ‘joy, joy, joy, joy, deep in my heart’, and thinking – well, actually, I don’t. Not right now. That was the first time I noticed the gap between how I ‘ought to feel’ and the reality.

 

So I think we should be honest. Fictional characters should experience the ups and downs of Christian life… the times when God comes near, but also the times when it feels as if He’s far away.

 

The third of a trilogy aimed at young teenage girls – the first one, No Angel, was published in January (plug, plug) and the second, No Means No, is at the editing stage. The main characters in these books attend church, but live a different life during the week – including getting up to some things their parents wouldn’t like to know about.

 

NB. If you have written something which might eventually form part of a series, it’s worth mentioning the fact when you send it to an editor, perhaps with a brief synopsis of what the next book(s) would be about.

 

Our times are in His hands. But I hope to go on writing as long as I am able to. Maybe it will be harder to think of relevant storylines when I’m 70, but then, I might have grandchildren by that stage. Who can tell?

 

Any last words?
To all Christian writers: keep up the good work.

 

To all readers: keep on reading. Books can provide a calm island of sanity in a noisy, frenetic world. Or a dash of excitement when life seems dull. Or a step up to a new level of understanding. Or anything you like, really!