Quickfire Questions with... Cally Taylor + Prize Giveaway!

Cally Taylor completed her first novel in 2007, having previously written short stories. In 2008 she signed with her literary agent and Heaven Can Wait, a supernatural romantic comedy, has been published by Orion this week. Check out Cally's website here. She is kindly giving away a copy of her debut novel - the winner will be randomly chosen from those people commenting on this thread. (Sorry, but Strictly Writers are not eligible.) The winner will be announced this Sunday!

Which 3 writers, living or dead, would you invite to dinner?

Margaret Atwood, Stephen Fry and Jane Austen.

Favourite writing snack?

Chocolate! Or mixed seeds when I'm trying to be 'good'.

Longhand or computer?

Longhand for planning a novel and scribbling down notes and ideas. Computer for writing the first draft and editing.

The best thing about being published is...

Knowing that, over next few years, eight different versions of "Heaven Can Wait" (seven foreign editions) will end up on my bookshelf and I'll be able to look at them, marvel over the different covers and go, "Ooooh...my...god. I did that!"

Win Booker prize or land Hollywood film deal?

Film deal. I'd LOVE to see my characters brought to life on the screen.

An author should never...

Google for reviews of their book without their thickest skin zipped up tightly and a stiff drink in their hand.

Daily Mail or The Times?

Neither. The Guardian. Although The Daily Mail online is always good for a laugh.

Independent bookshop or Amazon?

I'd be lying if I claimed I didn't use Amazon. I'm actually a bit addicted and order most of my books, CDs and DVDs from them. That said I do try and support independent bookshops when I actually manage to tear myself away from the computer.

You really must read...

"After You'd Gone" by Maggie O'Farrell.

Left on a cliffhanger or told all?

Too much of a cliffhanger and I feel robbed (or assume there will be a sequel). I'd rather be told 80% and finish off the story in my head.

My biggest tip for a Women's Fiction writer is…

Love your main character. You're going to be spending a hell of a lot of time with her.

Character first or plot?

I get a rough idea for the plot first, but only the first 8 or 9 scenes and the ending. The character dictates the rest of the novel.

My journey to publication was...

Extraordinarily lucky. I was rejected five times before I signed with the Darley Anderson Literary Agency. After that my agent, Madeleine Buston, made all sorts of magical things happen. I spent three years writing short stories (and collecting rejections) before I wrote my novel so think that helped harden up my writing skin a bit.

Quickfire Questions with...Becky Stradwick - Darley Anderson Children's Literary Agency

Becky Stradwick joined Darley Anderson Agency in November 2008. She is the Agent for Children’s Books. Most recently she was head of Children’s books at Borders UK and has worked in children’s books for 11 years.

Which 3 authors, dead or alive, would you invite to dinner?
Gabriel Garcia Marquez, Roald Dahl and Michael Rosen.

Rowling or Pullman?
It would have to be Pullman. His Dark Materials books are among the most extraordinary ever published. But of course I have huge affection for Rowling’s books and everything they have done to boost the Children’s book market.

When I was a child I read…
Everything I could get my hands on, from cereal packets to children’s books to Readers Digest magazines. I loved old fashioned classics like Little Women and Anne of Green Gables but was also a big fan of my brother’s comics like 2000AD and Eagle.

Favourite desktop snack?
Pickled Onion monster munch. Two packets minimum…

Age-banding is…
An enormously complicated subject and one that invites wildly differing opinions! Personally, I believe that book shops, publishers and marketing departments should be responsible for guiding customers towards the right book for their reading level. Printing a specific age on the back of the book automatically limits readership and is too exclusive. We are supposed to be encouraging reading, not prescribing it.

If I wasn’t an agent I would be…
I always wanted to be a foreign correspondent, writing reports from burning buildings whilst missiles rained down around me.

Email or phone?
Email, definitely. It gives you more time to think about your answer.

My biggest tip for children’s writers is…
There are so many possible answers to that question. Just keep writing is probably the most obvious one. It takes time to develop your voice and so the best thing is just to keep practising and keep producing words. Sooner or later they will fit together in the way that you want them to.

My pet hate in a submission package is…
People who call immediately to follow up and make sure that their submission has arrived, and then keep on calling. We receive a huge amount of submissions so people chasing us just takes away time we might spend reading them. But we are also very conscientious about replying as soon as possible, so we will get back to you!

Favourite work outfit?
Pyjamas – not that I ever really wear them to work but it might be nice one day.

Daily Mail or The Times?
The Times, I can't stand the Mail.

You really must read…
The Borrible Trilogy by Michael de Larrabeiti. I read it when I was ten and the magic has never left me. It has the biggest beating heart of any book I have ever read and it deserves a mainstream audience, not the relatively cult one it currently has.

Quickfire Questions with... Camilla Bolton - Darley Anderson Agency

Camilla Bolton joined Darley Anderson Agency in August 2007. She is an Associate Agent for Crime and Thriller fiction, having formerly been in newspaper journalism.


Which 3 authors, dead or alive, would you invite to dinner?
Stephen King, Roald Dahl and Maeve Binchy.

Email or phone?
Phone definitely as I’m not the best at spelling or grammar.

Cosy crime – passé or popular?
Good page-turning cosy crime will return, especially with authors like Alexander McCall Smith re-inventing it with a unique twist. So I’d say it’s zoomed past passé and is heading for popularity.

An author should always…Look at every word they write and make sure it’s 100% necessary. Excess words slow pace, stop stories and potentially bore readers.

Favourite desktop snack?
Coffee

Cliffhanger or reveal-all ending?
Reveal-all ending as I hate not knowing something.

You really must read…
Killing Floor by Lee Child.

Dan Brown is…
A great story teller and huge commercial success.

Daily Mail or The Times?
I’m very ashamed to confess that I rarely buy papers, I always intend to but never quite make it. Sadly I spend my time reading crime and thriller books.

Crime fiction is literary when…
It takes 5 pages to say what a commercial novel could manage in a paragraph. I know, it sounds a bit extreme, but literary crime fiction relies on words as well as plot and consequently the pace will be a lot slower.


Thanks, Camilla! And it's admirable that your only desktop snack is a cup of coffee!