Kelly’s Writerly Q&A continues, and in 2022 I have some exciting authors lined up. It is with great pleasure that I am featuring Holly Craig first! I’ve been following her on Instagram for some time now and it’s been amazing to watch her go from aspiring to signed and contracted in what seems like a short period of time to me, but as Holly explains later—it took many years. Holly is an English and primary school teacher with a passion for writing. She’s from picture-perfect WA and is part of the most amazing star-studded writing group. Her author interviews inspired my blog, and I hope her writing tips inspire you. I can’t wait to read Holly’s work, she’s definitely one to watch.

Hi Holly, thanks for taking the time to answer some writerly questions. First of all, congratulations on signing multiple book deals, can you tell me about your debut novel?

Hi Kelly! Thank you. It’s all really exciting and I still have to pinch myself that it’s happening. The Shallows is a thriller, survival story set in Sydney, on a luxury boat and on a Queensland island. It’s about a woman whose husband becomes her biggest threat when he kidnaps her and their children after their neighbour is found brutally murdered.

Wow! That sounds decadently twisted. What prompted you to write this story?

The story is essentially about looking at other people’s lives and comparing theirs with your own and the danger of getting obsessed with that. My own confusing past relationships with women and mothers prompted me to write The Shallows. I love writing stories about relationships, particularly female friendships. I think as women, the measurement of wealth, the expectation of marriage, parental perfection, societal pressures and comparisons normally stem from our relationships with other women. I find female relationships to be complex, confusing and extremely interesting. As women, we tend to use our friends as misleading study guides into what we all should be doing as mothers, wives, professionals etc, instead of supporting one another. I love breaking apart the mould and writing my female characters as real humans who go against the grain. They struggle with antiquated expectations and traditions, and question why we judge one another and “play-act” the part of what makes a “good/deserving/right” mother/wife/friend.

Yes, women definitely need to stop competing with each other. I’m intrigued already. How long did it take you to write?

It only took eight weeks to write the story, but I was setting myself really rigid and disciplined goals each week. Basically, I gave myself a deadline. I had already written my previous novel which didn’t get picked up by publishers, and I felt quite disheartened by this. So, the whole year after, I wrote and wrote and wrote and didn’t stop writing. I’d written another novel prior to this one too, but in the end, I didn’t want my agent to pursue that, so this novel came out of a desperate need to be published.

That is quick! I get it though, deadlines can produce some amazing results. Let’s talk about querying and publishing, how did you get your yes?

It’s a seven-year story that started well before that. I always wrote as a child and teenager and it wasn’t until I went to uni and studied creative writing, where I finally realised I wouldn’t and couldn’t stop until I became published. I applied to an online course run by esteemed literary agents in London, it’s called Curtis Brown Creative. I got accepted on my first novel and I knew it was already polished as I’d had it edited professionally. But I knew at the end of the course, the agents considered a part of the manuscript. In the meantime, my book was out with other agents on submission and I’d had about 15 full manuscript requests, so I knew I was close. Halfway through the course, my agency, Darley Anderson requested the first 10 chapters. When I told them I was in the CB course, they knew the agents would be considering the manuscript at the end, so they requested the full. And then the CB agents became interested and also wanted to pass it around the group. Darley Anderson agency offered me representation and I went with them because my agent Jade was just so passionate and obsessed with my story and I knew how invested she’d be in me. As for my publishing yes: The Shallows was on the Autumn Hotlist at the Frankfurt book fair in October 2021 and Audible UK requested the manuscript. When they offered, my agency contacted the other publishers and Thomas & Mercer (Amazon Publishing) also offered a 2-book deal. It was the best day of my life.

15 full requests, The Autumn Hotlist and a 2-book deal, what a payoff for a lifetime of passion and determination. Online writing courses, yay or nay?

Definitely yay! I think any course is hugely beneficial to new or established writers. I have done many courses in my time, including my creative writing degree at uni and in each and every one of them, I’ve gained something new. There are exemplary online courses too, that most writers are able to enrol in and submit to agents and industry professionals. Faber Academy is one and Curtis Brown Creative UK is another. I was lucky enough to receive a place in the three-month writing course with Curtis Brown and that was the stepping stone into my finding an agent!

What a great pathway to publication. Curtis Brown Creative is an abundant writing resource and I have you to thank for bringing it to my attention when you were still a student. As a mum, how do you find time to write?

I write when my children are at school mostly. My girls are old enough now that they’re pretty good at letting me go off and write, especially on holidays. When they were babies, I’d write while they had their midday sleep.

Yes, I love the time between drop-off and pick-up when I have done everything else and can sit and write. What does your typical day of writing look like?

I’m really lucky because this year I’m working as an author! It’s always been my biggest goal. I also realistically understand the responsibility in that and how I have to keep myself accountable. So, to remedy any procrastination, I have set myself a timetable (kind of like a work timetable) to stay on track. I take the girls to school, and then I do an hour of exercise where I do most of my plotting. Then, I MUST be at my desk by 10 am, ready to write. Which means washing, dishes and beds have to be done beforehand. I can’t let myself get distracted. I write until lunchtime and then actually take a break at 12 pm to have my lunch. I also meditate every day for 30 minutes (something I always force myself to do). And then start writing again at 1 pm-3 pm before school pick up. It’s only 4 hours a day but I am writing constantly in that time and I manage to produce about 2,000 words in that time frame.

Structure works best for me too. I love that you fit in some self-care. That is something I need to get back on track with after the chaos of lockdowns. What kinds of books do you like to read?

Mainly a mixture of literary fiction and thrillers. Sometimes I might fancy a light-hearted Italian holiday romance, but when I’m writing, I like to keep books near me that truly inspire me. I honestly think if you want to get better as a writer, then you have to read all the old literary greats. It’s something that’s been embedded in me since uni days when our tutor cemented these authors in our weekly workshops. Authors like Ian McEwan, Margaret Atwood, Hemingway, Richard Flanagan, William Golding, Gabriel Garcia Marquez. I could keep going.

I’m embarrassed to admit that I’ve only read Atwood from this list but I do love reading classics and manage to tick a few off the list each year. Do you have any advice for aspiring authors?

1. Attend a writer’s course.

2. Make writer friends who will help give you feedback.

3. Love the feel of rejection.

4. Be as determined as you possibly can be.

5. Have no ego over your work.

6. Follow authors who are real about all of this.

7. Read.

8. Write every day.

This is pure gold. Thank you for this succinct list! I love all the Instagram posts you share of family, holidays, and dining, what advice do you have for someone trying to open up and build their author platform?

Can I be honest and say I’ve never had social media until I started using it as a strategic platform to meet other writers. It is the BEST community and everyone is so supportive. And once I started, I really got hooked on it. I have met so many authors now who I know will end up supporting me in future, whether that be by endorsing my book or writing a post on it or reading and giving me advice. So, I would say start an online presence mainly for this. The agents and publishers say it doesn’t affect their decision making in representing you, and that’s fine. But it will help you network with other authors/writers and you will learn so much from the market, trends and what’s going on in the industry.

Thank you for being honest. Yes to all of this. The writerly connections you can make on social media are worth millions. So, what can we expect from you next?

I’m in the process of writing my second novel which will be out in 2024 and I’ll be starting my edits on The Shallows in May. I’ll still be interviewing authors on my blog and hopefully encouraging and supporting writers who are looking for their moment on this journey!

Living the dream! Thank you for taking the time to chat with me Holly, I wish you every success.