Ask the Author: Jemima Pett
Answered Questions (19)
Jemima Pett
It’s on my TBR at about 870. Stranger things have happened….
Happy New Year
Happy New Year
Jemima Pett
Well, you seem to have introduced yourself on the GMGR group, so you've obviously worked out how to comment. A spoiler is where you reveal a plot point in a review of when talking about a book. Basically - avoid.
Jemima Pett
I'd go to my own. Sometimes I do, when I go and interview the characters for my blog. Really, I'd rather be in my own books' worlds than any of the others I read!
Jemima Pett
Like most writers, I have plenty of experience of writing, but the only advice I can give is... write.
... and we all think everything we write is trash. And until you've edited it, prodded it, poked it, made sure it all works and isn't going to bore your reader, it probably is. Then you take out the typos and get your punctuation right, and publish.
And move on to the next one.
... and we all think everything we write is trash. And until you've edited it, prodded it, poked it, made sure it all works and isn't going to bore your reader, it probably is. Then you take out the typos and get your punctuation right, and publish.
And move on to the next one.
Jemima Pett
I don't think so, Eliana. Is it a paper that came with the book, a packing note? That might show the cost on it, which would be for confirmation. Actually, they shouldn't have sent you that! That was from Book Depository, yes? If my address or email is on that paper, send it to me, and I will check.
Jemima Pett
She'd been warned that leaving the garden rake around was a trip hazard. Exhausted from calling in vain for help, she listened, watched, and finally felt, the giant slugs approach.
Jemima Pett
Oh, darn, did I not include the link in the email? I'm really sorry about that.
The place to look generally is in the Great Middle Grade Reads Group (of which you are a member, which is why you got the email). Scroll to the Book Of The Month section - the currently nominated and current reads generally occupy top spot. The 'What shall we read in [month]' thread usually ends with the poll link.
You can also find the poll right at the bottom of the Group's front page.
I think the May poll ends tonight, so you've just got enough time!
The place to look generally is in the Great Middle Grade Reads Group (of which you are a member, which is why you got the email). Scroll to the Book Of The Month section - the currently nominated and current reads generally occupy top spot. The 'What shall we read in [month]' thread usually ends with the poll link.
You can also find the poll right at the bottom of the Group's front page.
I think the May poll ends tonight, so you've just got enough time!
Jemima Pett
Hi Kim. This isn't the most appropriate place to ask this sort of question, but yes, I would be honoured if you would post about it on your blog. There is a giveaway, an excerpt as well as all the blurb and me and the book on the page linked to the 'event message'. If you find the Goodreads Event for the book launch again, you'll see all the links on the invitation :)
Jemima Pett
Hi Kim. You are steadily getting this social media thing, but unfortunately your question was destroyed in the process! The Princelings series has a different sort of sci fi in it, if you can't wait for me to rewrite the Viridian series :) . So what should have followed 'is'?
Jemima Pett
Well, I had that advice from a children's book writing conference I went to, and they listed Eva Ibbotson, Michael Morpurgo, Anthony Horowitz and Jacqueline Wilson among others. Being in the UK that makes complete sense. Yet although Eoin Colfer was also recommended, you can see, from the GMGR response to it, we didn't like Artemis Fowl at all. I think location may be an issue - what works for North America may not work for Europe, or Australasia, or other continents. That would make a good group discussion.
Read widely, check the good, the bad and the ugly, and learn from them, but keep your own style and voice.
I must start reading more Newberry Medal winners, but those I've read so far I haven't enjoyed. So I'm probably not a good advisor on this!
Why not start a topic thread in the General Discussion section of GMGR?
Read widely, check the good, the bad and the ugly, and learn from them, but keep your own style and voice.
I must start reading more Newberry Medal winners, but those I've read so far I haven't enjoyed. So I'm probably not a good advisor on this!
Why not start a topic thread in the General Discussion section of GMGR?
Jemima Pett
Hi Judy
You're thinking of the world as the one we live in, rather than a parallel one.
The Realms (George's land) are feudal, so yes, there are similarities with mediaeval times, because the kings and their castles see no need to change things. Occasionally George (and others) rediscover inventions from the past, or invent them again out of their own skill. In fact George's strawberry juice fuel cell does something clever, which is to help the Realms jump the steam-age completely.
Across the Great Western Ocean, their technology developed differently, but still relatively slowly, and they don't seem to have discovered steam power either, although they use wave and tidal power to run trolleys (something Saku was involved with), even in the great city of Hattan on the east coast. Their society is very different though, and more 1920s in the gangster feel.
Ships that run between the continents are still sailing vessels, and there isn't - yet - a great push for inter-continent trade. Telecommunications are in their infancy on both sides. And flying machines have been invented about a century later than Bleriot did in our world. (You'll find those in book 3)
So you could think of the series as something like steampunk without the steam. Fruitpunk, maybe.
You're thinking of the world as the one we live in, rather than a parallel one.
The Realms (George's land) are feudal, so yes, there are similarities with mediaeval times, because the kings and their castles see no need to change things. Occasionally George (and others) rediscover inventions from the past, or invent them again out of their own skill. In fact George's strawberry juice fuel cell does something clever, which is to help the Realms jump the steam-age completely.
Across the Great Western Ocean, their technology developed differently, but still relatively slowly, and they don't seem to have discovered steam power either, although they use wave and tidal power to run trolleys (something Saku was involved with), even in the great city of Hattan on the east coast. Their society is very different though, and more 1920s in the gangster feel.
Ships that run between the continents are still sailing vessels, and there isn't - yet - a great push for inter-continent trade. Telecommunications are in their infancy on both sides. And flying machines have been invented about a century later than Bleriot did in our world. (You'll find those in book 3)
So you could think of the series as something like steampunk without the steam. Fruitpunk, maybe.
Jemima Pett
Summer 2016: I'm working on the last two books of the Princelings of the East series, or so I thought. After working on the outline and timeline, I realised I needed to go back to one of my earlier thoughts, and then another, so now I'm working on the last FOUR books of the series!
Book 7 is now called Willoughby the Narrator. I started it in January, then shelved work on it because of problems with my other series. Picking it up in July, I worked out what was wrong with my outline for it, scaled it back to a fun story of its own. It advances the series story arc, but it is not a cliff-hanger. It would make sense for people to read the others first, though, especially book 5, where Willoughby first appears.
I'll probably start Book 8, provisionally called The Princelings of the North, very soon after I finish Willoughby.
Book 7 is now called Willoughby the Narrator. I started it in January, then shelved work on it because of problems with my other series. Picking it up in July, I worked out what was wrong with my outline for it, scaled it back to a fun story of its own. It advances the series story arc, but it is not a cliff-hanger. It would make sense for people to read the others first, though, especially book 5, where Willoughby first appears.
I'll probably start Book 8, provisionally called The Princelings of the North, very soon after I finish Willoughby.
Jemima Pett
As long as a review is honest, and reasonable, and not from someone who wishes to remain anonymous and 'reviews' 1000 books a week with 1 star ratings (I suffered that last autumn - it's called trolling and the Goodreads police caught up with them eventually) I read it and take note of what is said.
One of my recent books got similar responses from each of the early reviewers - I've withdrawn it and the rewrite is being edited now. People are entitled to their opinions, whatever way they came by the book. Some opinions I can learn from :)
Thanks for your reaction, though!
One of my recent books got similar responses from each of the early reviewers - I've withdrawn it and the rewrite is being edited now. People are entitled to their opinions, whatever way they came by the book. Some opinions I can learn from :)
Thanks for your reaction, though!
Jemima Pett
I think it was a business guru, Charles Handy, who coined the phrase 'portfolio career' (among other great observations on our workplace personas). I think he inspired me to move on from what I didn't like, but I was lucky to have had the training to work out what I should be doing. Then came the courage (and luckily, the money) to retrain. After that I was totally happy with the idea of going with whatever life threw at me. The 'ought' is changing, maybe it has changed, although older people still 'expect' what their parents thought was normal.
Good luck with your writing career!
Good luck with your writing career!
Jemima Pett
I confess that so far I haven't really suffered from it. Shelving Victor's story for a few years was a form of it, but I wrote other stories while that one was maturing.
Sometimes I don't know what to write next, which is another form of block. Then I re-read what I've written so far, and ask what happens next. Getting the words down is the key thing. If they turn out rubbish, they can be edited. Whole characters can be edited!
But I'm lucky - I'm not under pressure to write "the next blockbuster in the series" by October. I think I might get writer's block if that was the case. I'd recommend writing a 1000 word flash fiction challenge to freshen up. :)
Sometimes I don't know what to write next, which is another form of block. Then I re-read what I've written so far, and ask what happens next. Getting the words down is the key thing. If they turn out rubbish, they can be edited. Whole characters can be edited!
But I'm lucky - I'm not under pressure to write "the next blockbuster in the series" by October. I think I might get writer's block if that was the case. I'd recommend writing a 1000 word flash fiction challenge to freshen up. :)
Jemima Pett
Do you ever walk along telling a story to yourself? Favourite characters? Imaginary friends? Does it get in the way of other things? Writing gets them out of your head and onto the page. Then you never lose them, but they don't interfere any more. It's great. You can always find these people whom you once knew well, intimately, when you thought you'd forgotten them.
If your characters start telling you to do things and you think you should obey them, see a doctor.
If your characters start telling you to do things and you think you should obey them, see a doctor.
Jemima Pett
If you are aspiring, why aren't you writing? Writing isn't just about writing a book - that's only one way of getting your work seen by others. You can write on your blog, on other people's blogs, on a postcard, in a journal...
Just write. Every day - or at least regularly if your time is tied up with other people's demands. Many of us don't get round to doing it seriously until our families give us enough time to do something for ourselves - but we were still writing, or story-telling, or creating haikus, or doing a report for the PTA newsletter, or the school mag, or the local paper sports news...
Just write. Every day - or at least regularly if your time is tied up with other people's demands. Many of us don't get round to doing it seriously until our families give us enough time to do something for ourselves - but we were still writing, or story-telling, or creating haikus, or doing a report for the PTA newsletter, or the school mag, or the local paper sports news...
Jemima Pett
Strange thing, inspiration. Sometimes I wake up with it (especially if I've had a writing problem to think about overnight), other times it's just a case of putting one word after another until they start to make sense again.
Most of my work is character-driven, which means that things happen because that's what the character does, they seem to take on a life of their own and do things you hadn't planned. I think it's the sign of a good character when they do that, but it does lead to unexpected events!
Most of my work is character-driven, which means that things happen because that's what the character does, they seem to take on a life of their own and do things you hadn't planned. I think it's the sign of a good character when they do that, but it does lead to unexpected events!
Jemima Pett
The latest book is Bravo Victor. I originally started writing it seeing Victor as a detective but I got well and truly stuck with that. I had a lot of potential suspects with a lot of reasons to be involved, but I was hampered by a key issue in my Princelings series - I'll just quote from the first book's blurb: "time is of the essence".
So I shelved the book for a while - about three years - taking it off and reading it through and letting my brain work out how to write it. Then I dropped the detective idea and let it flow as Victor's own narrative of his adventure, and that seemed to work.
So I shelved the book for a while - about three years - taking it off and reading it through and letting my brain work out how to write it. Then I dropped the detective idea and let it flow as Victor's own narrative of his adventure, and that seemed to work.
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