When I visit schools, I’m often asked, “How long does it take to write a book?” My answer: A lifetime.
And that is literally true of my new action-adventure series for teens – Chasing Danger.
I wrote my first story when I was eight years old. It wasn’t an assignment. A story popped into my brain and begged to be written. The story was titled “A Dream I Wish Was True” and was about how eight-year-old me got to meet my favourite movie star. I dedicated it to that actress – the late, great Farrah Fawett Majors.
As
you might have guessed I was a super fan of the TV show Charlie’s Angels. It had smart, strong, feisty – and yeah, gorgeous
– women at the heart of the action. I’ve always wanted to write a story that would
give middle grade readers the same experience I had when I watched Jill, Kris,
Kelly and Sabrina in the 1970s – and I think I’ve accomplished it with Chasing Danger.This new series combines smart, strong, feisty girl heroes with exotic locations and lots of action and adventure.
About Chasing Danger
“I couldn’t shake the feeling that this vacation might actually
kill me.”
When fourteen-year-old Chase Armstrong is sent to visit her
grandmother at a remote tropical resort, she’s looking forward to sunbathing,
swimming and snorkelling. The last thing she expects is danger. But she’s in for some surprises. She discovers another girl hiding
out on the island and uncovers a devastating secret about the mum she’s never
known. When modern-day pirates attack the island, it’s up to Chase to outrun, out-think and outfight the pirates . . . before it’s
too late!
For
me, writing a book is like piecing together a puzzle. I know how I want the
final project to ‘look’, but finding the right characters, plot and setting
takes patience, persistence and imagination. Over the years, I’ve experimented
with many mysteries, thrillers and action plots. It never really fell into
place until now.
When
I speak to wannabe writers – whether they ten or sixty years old – I always
encourage them to make their writing personal. Why are you writing this story
and why are you the only person who can write it? When searching for an idea, I
ask writers:
O
What
are two or three of your favourite books, movies or TV programmes?
O
What
genre of story do you prefer?
O
What
are your hobbies or talents (or what do you wish they were)?
O
Where
is your favourite place or the place you’d most like to visit?
O
What
issues or topics are you passionate about?
I
ask them to mine their answers to these questions for a story idea. For
example, if the response to the first question is Willy Wonka and the Chocolate Factory, Harry Potter and Game of Thrones. How can you combine
what you love about these stories to spark an idea? If you are writing for
children/teens, you might want to respond to these questions as if you were the
age of your reader.
If you are testing an idea or wondering what to write next, I always recall this quote from Oscar-winner Akiva Goldsman from The 101 Habits of Highly Successful Screenwriters:
“The trick is to be connected to the material of your imagination,
thematically and concretely, write what interests you because if you’re not
fascinated and excited by the writing of the script, the reader won’t be
fascinated and excited by the reading of it. Try to find something in the idea
that speaks to your own life, something you think is authentic, true,
compelling in your story.”
I’m having a blast writing Chasing Danger. I hope that my passion and enjoyment is somehow infused into each page. And if you're a writer, I wish you the same experience
About Sara
Sara Grant has worked on both sides of the
editorial desk. She has inspired and edited nearly 100 books for children. Last
week Chasing Danger – her new action-adventure
series for tweens – was published by
Scholastic. Her two YA novels – Dark Parties (SCBWI Crystal Kite Award
winner, Europe) and Half Lives – are futuristic thrillers. She also
writes a funny magical series for young readers – Magic Trix. She leads
writing workshops in the US, UK and Europe as part of Book Bound and lectures
at Goldsmiths. Website: www.sara-grant.com Twitter: @authorsaragrant
