Name of author: Samantha Cook
Title of Book: The Clearing
Favourite Authors:Laini Taylor, Cassandra Clare, N.M. Mac Arthur, Jen Estes... this could be an endless list!
Bio:
I'm a psychology graduate, freelance editor, publishing intern, and aspiring author. My life revolved around books and the words inside them.
Link: http://www.wattpad.com/story/29928264-the-clearing-wattys2015
What is your book about?
THE CLEARING is set in a post-apocalyptic village. It follows a reckless girl who dreams of more than just settling down and bearing children - a girl who refuses to live in fear. Here's the short summary:Despite danger lurking between the trees, the banished always run into the forest. Ruby doesn't understand why. Until rebellious behaviour gets her sentenced. Now, Ruby is about to learn first-hand why the banished must run.
Who is your target audience and why?
My target audience is young adults who like strong yet flawed characters, more twists than they can shake a stick at, and a gritty tale that not every character will live to tell. I love writing twists as it's always exciting to see how readers will react.What is paranormal about your story?Seers are well respected in Ruby's village. If the Seers predict that someone will be more trouble than they're worth, they have no problem in banishing the individual to the forest full of predators. No one returns alive, not even Ruby's heroic father.The monsters that lurk outside the village are also not your typical zombies. They're called the Soulless, they can be killed, and they're up to something...
Does it contain other genre elements? Why?
Paranormal is the best fit, but I didn't write with a particular genre in mind. The village is post-apocalyptic as it's the last to survive the Soulless, which are a bit like zombies with my own secret twist. Some readers have also mentioned a period-fantasy vibe. And of course, there's a slow burning romance. ;)
Tell us about your writing process? From story idea to published WP tale.
The main idea came to me years ago when I was studying dystopian fiction for my A levels. I wrote the opening chapter and the ending, knowing that final scene would be risky but potentially gripping. It took me a few years to work out how to link them together.The NaNoWriMo helped me get through draft one. After editing it up the best I could, I sent it to a few of my most trusted critiquing partners. Afterwards, I published part one on Wattpad, and asked the most enthusiastic readers if they'd like to beta-read the rest.I'm now posting the whole thing onto Wattpad, hopefully in time for the Watty Awards.
Did you encounter any challenges when writing? How did you overcome them?
Definitely! Opening are hard, and I acquired a lot of help with mine – mostly by luck and good timing.
When I did work experience in a literary agent, the agent helped me really break down the opening to improve the flow.
After that, I thought I was ready for publishing! I queried a few agents and one responded really positively, but she recommended me changing the opening to reduce exposition.
I immediately took her advice to show my world through Ruby's rebellious behaviour – and just in time for Nest Pitch 2015, a querying contest. One of the publishing mentors selected my opening and helped me polish it up. I managed to get into the final round, enticing the interest of 4 lovely agents.
Without any of their help, and without being able to take on their criticism, my opening would have been stiff and full of exposition. Now I'm patiently waiting to hear back from those agents, hoping one will fall in love with it or offers more advice. After all, it only takes one yes!
What does "writing well" mean to you?
To me, 'writing well' means planning, drafting, and editing over and over, always listening to your readers and keeping an open mind to any suggestions that might come your way. There's no such thing as a perfect first draft.In general, I'd say good writing intrigues rather than confuses. It shows concepts through action, anecdotes and character interactions, integrating details in a way that feels effortless so that it sparks a clear image in another person's mind. What matters the most is a slowly building plot alongside developing characters, the story twisting and turning into a crescendo that takes the reader by surprise. It's not easy, but that's what makes writing so rewarding.
