Myth and Magic in Young Adult Fiction - Talking to Anna McKerrow

February 25, 2016

I talk to YA author Anna McKerrow about her books Crow Moon and Red Witch, and why she is drawn to using myth and magic in her writing.

(RE)Sisters: Stories of Rebel Girls, Revolution, Empowerment and Escape

February 8, 2016

Today the YA anthology (RE)Sisters: Stories of Rebel Girls, Revolution, Empowerment and Escape is published by For Books’ Sake. Here, I share the story of how I came to write 'Come Fly', my short story in this anthology.

Doing It With Someone Else: Collaborative Writing in YA Fiction

January 31, 2016

Writing often seems like a solitary activity. Yet recently I’ve noticed some of the most talented writers in Young Adult Fiction collaborating together. What is it really like to write with someone else? I asked creative partners Brian Conaghan and Sarah Crossan, authors of We Come Apart; and Joanna Nadin and Anthony McGowan, authors of Everybody Hurts.

Being Mean to Teens: Testing Your Characters in YA Fiction

November 23, 2015

You wouldn't expect YA authors to be particularly nasty folk, and yet it's true we are often found being mean to teenagers - the ones in our fiction that is.

Tags UKYA, Young Adult Fiction, Leeds Trinity University, Martyn Bedford

5 Things I Learned About Writing This Year

April 29, 2015

I’m only in the first year of my Creative Writing PhD, but here are some of the things that have helped me write my YA novel so far.

1. Focus on process

I’ve stopped obsessing over word count and started logging what I do each day. I found that walking helps when I hit a wall. And that early mornings and late afternoons are my best times for writing.

Meg Rosoff tells me about her latest book, how a novel can start with a single line, and her tips for new writers.

April 21, 2015

I’m very excited to interview one of my all-time favourite authors, Meg Rosoff. One of the finest writers working today, her 2004 debut novel How I Live Now is set in a contemporary Britain being all-too convincingly torn apart by war. She went on to publish more award-winning novels, including Just In Case, What I Was and Picture Me Gone – all utterly different from each other, but all featuring characters who may be odd or damaged or searching, but who are surprising and unforgettable.