Tell us about your journey to becoming a published writer.

I am not published yet but I have just signed a publishing deal with Puffin Ireland. My first novel, Angel Kiss will be out in early 2011. It is the first book in a teenage crime series. I started sending query letters to agents and publishers in February 2008. I knew very little about the industry at the time but I was to discover that getting published is a very lengthy process. Eighteen months of rushing to the postbox and obsessively checking my emails followed and then came the magical day when I got an agent and then an offer from Puffin came shortly afterwards.

It sounds like you needed lots of patience. What was the most challenging aspect along the way?

Trying to stay positive. Around the time I started querying, my mum lent me her copy of The Secret. It is all about the art of positive thinking. Reading that book really helped me to stay confident about my writing, but now and again I would slip back into my pessimistic ways, especially after receiving a rejection.

Which authors do you like to read?

I love Mary Higgins Clark. I always buy her new books the day they come out, and usually have them finished the next day. When I was trying to put more suspense in my writing, another writer recommended her books to me. I sat down with my notebook and pen and started reading Loves Music Loves to Dance. I read the whole thing in one go and was so engrossed in it that I didn’t even think to take a single note. Mary Higgins Clark certainly deserves her title as the Queen of Suspense. I also like reading Tracy Chevalier, Sue Townsend, Nick Hornby, Roddy Doyle, Alex Barclay, Eoin Colfer and lots more.

How and when did the idea for your book present itself?

I honestly cannot remember when the idea for this series popped into my head. It was about three years ago. I hear about writers who get ideas for books and short stories all the time, but I had never thought of an idea for a book before this one appeared.

Thank goodness it did! So, reveal a little about your book…

My book is called Angel Kiss and is teenage crime with a supernatural edge. It tells the story of Jacki King, a fifteen year-old who is adjusting to her new life in a small Irish village. She misses Dublin but starts to make new friends: artistic Colin, feisty Emily – and Nick, gorgeous but unavailable. But just as Jacki is settling in she starts to suffer from recurring nightmares and frightening visions. She refuses to believe that anything paranormal could be happening, but then she hears about the unsolved murder that occurred in the village, thirty-two years before…

Which is your favourite character?

My favourite character is Jacki. She is the kind of girl that I would love as a friend. She is fun and fearless but there is also a great depth to her personality. She plays guitar, likes rock music and wears vintage clothes.

She sounds like the kind of girl everyone wants to know. Are there any characters that surprised you or that you dislike?

There is one character that really surprised me. At the beginning I didn’t like her at all, but as the book progressed I got a clearer picture of her motives and what drives her. I don’t want to give too much away, so I won’t mention her name. As I wrote Angel Kiss the characters really did take on a life of their own, and I know so much about them now that they seem like real people to me. I hope that doesn’t sound too crazy.

Not at all. That is what makes your characters believable…

Aristotle said, “Even when laws have been written down, they ought not always to remain unaltered.” Do you think this is true for writing also?

I do think that when you have mastered the rules of writing, then you are free to experiment with altering them. Some writers do it brilliantly. In terms of children’s writing, Neil Gaiman’s The Graveyard Book springs to mind. It is particularly dark and jumps from lots of different points of view. I try not to get too caught up in rules, I just write in the way that comes naturally to me.

What opportunities do you think being a published author will bring?

I have no idea. I am just delighted to be able to call this my job. I am truly passionate about writing, and although it is sometimes difficult, I love every second of it. I enjoy being part of the writing community and love meeting other writers.

The passion shows. And now you have achieved your dream of being a novelist. What advice would you give other aspiring writers?

Write every day and never give up. Even if you just write a paragraph in the morning, I think it’s vital to write regularly. It is important to read, but it is even more important to write. If you can get to Dublin then I really recommend Inkwell Writers Workshops. I did the Women’s Commercial Fiction one back in 2007 and it put me on the right track.

Finally, what’s next for Laura Cassidy?

I’m currently putting the finishing touches to Angel Kiss and then I will start into the second book in the series, which has a working title of 18 Kisses. I am really looking forward to continuing Jacki’s story and creating lots of new characters.

Many thanks to Laura for giving such a great interview. Look out for Angel Kiss in bookstores, 2011.

Yet sometimes, it’s the mind that needs space. It gets clogged full of to-do lists, must haves and need to knows, which is even more distracting than unexpected technical errors. This is the perfect time to head to a different location, a change of scenery. This past week I’ve stayed in Schull, West Cork, where the welcome is as friendly and open as the surrounding sea breezes. The aim: to redraft my novel. Here’s my trusty writing desk that I chained myself to for the week:

During this escape, I’ve managed to update around 30,000 words. I’ve found new character names, improved the storyline, found new character traits and had a great time watching the novel improve. Now before it seems like I’m bragging, I’ve also discovered that it will definitely require a third draft and it won’t be ready to send to publishers until around November – that’ll make it exactly one year to complete the novel from start to finish. So rather than celebrate, I’m almost choking with frustration.

For many writers, the challenge is to sit and write. For me, it is to walk away satisfied with what I’ve achieved in each sitting. It’s not a skill I possess. Every minute needs to be filled with productivity, and most of that productivity involves writing; scribbling overheard conversations on the Luas, inventing characters in the shower, stealing names from shops and graveyards. It makes me wonder; is writing a gift or a curse? And surely I’m not alone?

The key to social networking is to connect to the right people. Select other writers that you admire, inspirational people you can learn from and audiences that enjoy your work. Social networking is not about having more friends or followers than everyone else. You need quality connections. Whatever your goal, you get more value from ten people who read your blog regularly than 100 people who subscribe but never return to your posts. Of course, you can have both, but make sure you’re aware of your traffic.

A great way of building up a strong network is by building a blogroll. Link from your blog to people that you admire and appreciate. If they enjoy your work, they may link back, giving you extra visibility. There’s a likelihood that they’ll give you support and constructive feedback. But don’t link to people just for this reason. Social networking is not a vanity-publishing tool and it’s not for self gratification. Serious and professional writers need tough, honest and supportive critics. Network correctly and you could be seen by people that can influence your writing career. But it can’t be all one way.

Social networking requires a two-way stream of effort, like any other friendship. If you expect people to take an interest in and comment on your blog, perhaps even market it by word of mouth, then you need to take a keen interest in other people’s sites. We’re not talking about minimalist comments such as “great work!” – anybody can write this. Take notice of what people post about and make genuine and informed comments. Your comments are as influential as the way you write your own site. Since the internet is easy to access and everyone can have a blog, you have to work even harder to earn your reputation as a writer. Cultivating your online friendships will complement your own hard work.

Finally, remember that you’re marketing yourself as a writer for a reason e.g. to sell more books or to get published. To achieve this, you need to have something to sell or publish. Don’t get too caught up in networking. It’s an important part of the writing process but you need to stay vigilant and leave enough time to write. Maintain a balanced approach. If you don’t tweet for two days, it’s not going to make huge problems. In fact, your input is more noticeable, appreciated and more likely to be read.

Several books have resulted from blogs, including Twenty Major and Beaut.ie. It may seem surprising that both fiction and non-fiction blogs have led to publishing success, but the common factors are frequent, quality posts with wide appeal. But don’t write a blog expecting it to gain you a publishing deal. You have to have quality content that is trustworthy, fun, interesting, or a combination of the three. You need to know what you´re writing about and convey this in a way that is useful or entertaining to others. Writing a blog just to get published will be quickly noticed for the wrong reasons, and you’ll end up sorely disappointed. There´s a lot of competition and only a few blogs will get publication deals.

As a writer, your blog is important because it reflects you and your craft. This means you should approach your blog with clear intent and purpose. Make sure that the content interests you so you will maintain the posts, but also ensure it reflects the persona you want to convey. Before you start your blog, think it through, like any other writing project. Who is your audience? What do you wish to achieve? What message or story do you want to convey? Always keep your goal in mind.

You don’t have to use your blog to discuss your daily life unless, like Hot Cross Mum,  this is specifically what you want. Use your blog to discuss writing tips and tricks like crime writer Sam Blake.  Take a look at blogs by Laura Cassidy and Alison Wells to see inspiring examples of how to map your journey to publication. Create an online writing C.V. by linking to published material, interviews or reviews; this will also help with SEO, making you more visible online.  Alternatively, find a niche which displays your talents such as Kristi Thomson´s How Did You Get There, the internet’s first “blog-com” – an excellent example of how to take an original angle and add a humourous twist.

Before you get started, take note of these basics:

• Stick to one blog. That way, all your content will be in one place and you’ll build up your profile more quickly.
• Have a clear goal and always keep it in mind. If your blog is unclear, you’re less likely to attract readers (especially return visitors)
• Remember, you are using your blog to display your style, writing ability and voice. Make sure you maintain this at all times
• Update your blog regularly, but keep it manageable. You don’t need to update every day. People will keep looking so long as you continue to write compelling posts.

I’ve noticed a trend in all the writing courses/workshops/events I’ve attended. All aspiring writers want to know how to get their work published. It’s often a shock to new/emerging writers to find that building a profile is as important as creating beautifully crafted and exciting literary works.

The internet makes the world much smaller and more accessible. Publishers now receive more submissions than ever and the editorial process is completely different to even five years ago. Nowadays, new writers need to grab attention and also show that they are marketable. After all, the publishing world is a business Writers: if they can’t sell you, they won’t publish you, no matter how well you can write.

The key elements required are dedication, talent, patience and a thick skin. You need to build your profile in several ways and it takes time. You need to produce a high quantity of quality work, get it published in the right places, generate interest through social networks and invest time on the right people.

This set of articles is aimed at anyone eager to start building their writing profile – even those who are finding the breadth of choice (which is pretty huge) confusing or intimidating. I’ve been working on my own writing profile for the last year and a half and it is starting to pay dividends. It’s a worthy investment.

Here’s what you can expect over the next couple of weeks. I will add extra sections if they are requested.

Part 2: Your literary blog

Part 3: Social networking: marketing yourself

Aesthetica magazine announces the winners of the 2009 Creative Works competition.  Congratulations to the finalists and winners of each category. I was extremely happy with my commendation.

Yet undeterred, every November, NaNoWrimo (the National Novel Writing Month) arrives and encourages good and bad writers around the world to try and produce 50,000 words in 30 days. I’ve heard lots of readers and writers complain that the internet has opened up a vast amount of self-publishing forums which enable terrible writing to exist publicly. Does NaNoWrimo add to that, or is it a worthwhile venture?

OK, yes. There is bad writing out there – greeting card style poems which allow people to vent their frustrations or deal with a crisis. But surely this has its place? If we vetoed attempts at creativity, we’d never evolve. Although we may be dealing with poorly crafted purple prose, someone has still taken time and effort to create. So long as you recognize that then there’s no harm done, right? We all have our preferences. We don’t all enjoy every single published author. If you don’t want to read it, don’t.

In truth, I think NaNoWriMo is a completely different scenario. The 50,000 word challenge is a huge undertaking which requires dedication. I admire anyone who is willing to put in the amount of effort required to complete such a huge word count in a mere month. The beauty of NaNoWriMo is that people take on the challenge for different reasons. For some, it’s their competitive edge, many enjoy NaNoWriMo as a social activity with friends, while others use it to get a huge word count down for a book they want published.

I’ve completed NaNoWriMo twice before. The first time was to see what it was like to write 50,000 words and the second time was to test whether I’d improved over the year, slogging it out at the computer almost daily. Thankfully, yes I had. But as any writer knows, there’s always more to learn. This year, I want my novel to be written, drafted and sent to publishers by April 2010 – what better way to get the first draft completed?

So whether people intend to be successful writers or whether they’re joining in just for fun, I think NaNoWriMo is a worthwhile enterprise. A word count of 50,000 may not sound like much, to many people, but it’s a huge commitment. Especially since life doesn’t go on hold; it just gets more exciting for a while. Where´s the harm in that?

For those who aren’t familiar with le cool, it’s a great magazine delivered direct to your inbox, highlighting interesting stuff going on in your city. Sign up for the city of your choice and you get reviews of cool/obscure/fun/interesting events once a week. The reviews are well written and honest, otherwise I wouldn’t be writing for them.