As part of our Reading Week and World Book Day events, the Forth Form were joined by author Sue Wallman on Monday to discuss the business of publishing and thrillers.
Wallman began her career in journalism before transitioning into writing, taking eight years to be published. She claims it was a combination of her interest in human behaviours and love of language which drove her to become an author of Young Adult thrillers.
When looking at how to create a thriller, the Fourth Form were asked what they thought was needed. Everyone agreed that twists, suspense and misdirection was essential. Sue added that when writing commercially, she must also include a satisfying ending for the reader.
Sue described to the students the difficulties and joys of being published. She spent time illuminating the fascinating process of how a book cover is chosen and how little input the author has, so much so that Sue often had to include a narrative link to make the cover make sense! She also discussed how being branded by your book covers can be difficult, especially if they are overtly gendered.
Despite the obstacles, Sue intoned how rewarding being an author can be and how success in any creative industry is within reach if you follow your passion, put in the hours, and most importantly, persevere.
As well as her talks, Sue ran a fascinating workshop for a select group of Fourth Formers on how to write thrillers. Looking at the three Ps – Person, Place and Problem – each student developed the beginning to their own thrillers. Sue asked the students to imagine ordinary situations and then pushed them to become extraordinary. The overall message was to look at what might be obvious, and push it into the unexpected.
Overall, it was a gratifying day which was met with excellent feedback from the boys involved. Thanks to all involved!
