Sarah Dalton is a YA author and writer of dystopian nightmares. Her novel, The Blemished, is about a young girl fighting for independence against a dangerous and totalitarian state. She sits down with fellow StoryBundler Geoff Morison to discuss writing, plotting, and accents.

How did you approach your first book? Is that different from how you approached the next? The most recent?

The first book is always more personal, so it came more from the heart, I think. It encapsulates how I felt about the world at the time and the things I wanted to get off my chest!! The second and third books were just as from the heart but by then I had a vision for the characters and the plot focused more around them.

What did you learn writing your first novel? Your most recent?

On a practical note I learned how to show rather than tell and how to make my sentences more active. Like many beginner writers my characters ‘seemed to’ a lot until an editor set me straight! For my most recent book I learned how to self-edit and see where I’m going wrong. I’m more confident about re-writing a scene and changing aspects of my characters.

How much do you plan out in advance, and how?

I do a lot of thinking! I tend to let ideas settle into my mind and it might look like I’m watching re-runs of “The Office” on Netflix, but no, no, the writer is at work… honest! Then after the ideas have come together I write snippets into a notebook. After that I might write out bullet points or character bios. I often bullet point all my action points and major events. When in the middle of a series it’s easier to know where a book is going and which events you want to include. The first book is trickier. Sometimes you just have to write the first line and get on with it.

I tend to write a lot of my plans out long hand but I’ve just started using Scrivener to keep everything in one place.

How do you approach writing characters?

I know many writers spend a long time creating rich histories for their characters and write long bios. I don’t seem to do that. My character bios are short on paper but in my mind I get a good feel for them and I just ‘know’ them. Regional accents are a way for me to build my character. I’m very much an observer of people and I’m especially interested in the way people speak, which probably stems from where I’m from. Northern English accents are very varied and unique. When I get a rhythm for the speech patterns and a dialect going I get into the character. Unfortunately I’m a really bad impersonator of accents so I can never read my books out loud!

How do you give individual characters their own “voice.”

Accents!!

Also, mannerisms and consistency. If you want to write a tough character that character has to maintain a level of toughness, even when expressing vulnerability. Readers sniff out any forced behavior from your characters. If you need to do something out of character for a plot device they will know right away.

How do you decide on pacing?

Pacing is really tricky. For me, I tend to use short chapters with cliff-hangers, meaning the pace is fast throughout the book. I love books written like that but I know people who hate it.

It really depends on what kind of book you’re writing. Sometimes slow suspense creates an illusion of fast pace, Stephen King springs to mind. Donna Tartt pulls you into her 800+ page novels with such slow-paced nothingness that it shouldn’t work but it does.

The page-turnability of a book is sometimes very organic and I don’t think it always follows a rule. This is where beta readers and editors come in handy – they tell you where the plot lags.

How do you decide what to reveal to the audience, and when?

There is a specific moment in the third book that I had to reveal something very important to the reader, something that the entire trilogy had been leading up for. When it’s monumental to the plot it can’t be the very last page, it can’t be the first page, ideally I think it should be about 2/3 in. That way the reader can digest the information before the ending of the book.

It very much depends on the plot. Whatever works for the story, I say.

When it comes to description, do you think there’s such a thing as too much? Too little? How do you decide what’s your “right” amount.

I think you need to play to your strengths. Some authors are excellent at weaving rich descriptions into the text and there are readers who love that. If you can make it work then why not? If you’re writing an action-packed thriller then stopping to describe the fresh droplets of rain on the petal of a flower while a man with a gun is chasing your MC probably isn’t a good idea.

Do you have a specific place to write? A separate computer?

I mostly write in my office at my own computer on my own desk. That’s easier said than done when it’s nice and sunny outside. Luckily, I live in England…

Do you listen to music as you write? If so, what?

Not very often. If I’m a bit creatively blocked I tend to mix things up so I might put music on. Sometimes I can’t bear to listen to actual words because it messes with my thinking process so I’ll put something instrumental on. I really like the Moon soundtrack by Clint Mansell because it’s so full of suspense and creepiness. It’s great if you’re writing a scary story.

Sometimes I create little inspirational playlists. The Blemished included a lot of female inspired tracks as it has feminist themes within the storyline, so it included a bit of riot grrrl: Sleater Kinney, Bikini Kill, Le Tigre, and then more modern stuff like MIA and PJ Harvey. ?

Arctic Monkeys are good to write to, too.

Do you finish, then edit, or do you edit as you go?

Finish then edit. Occasionally edit as I go, but usually small tweaks. If I get stuck halfway through I usually begin re-reading and trying to work out where I’m stuck.

Do you wait until you have an idea, or do you sit down and write every day no matter what?

I work on projects. I’ll have days where I write no fiction whatsoever, but I might write Emails, interviews and so on. I half-heartedly write a journal but rarely stick to it!

What’s your biggest hindrance to finishing a book?

We are our own worst enemies and self-doubt is by far the biggest hindrance.

How many people get to read your unfinished, or recently finished, work?

Usually my partner and beta readers. I can be funny about even my partner reading unfinished drafts. He has strict instructions NOT to read over my shoulder as I type!

What do you feel are your strengths as a writer? What advice would you give for someone who wants to improve that aspect of their writing?

Writing descriptions has always come quite easily to me. If I can visualize something clearly in my mind, I can usually find the words to convey that image.

When I read a book I find the descriptions can be the weakest element. Word choice is difficult and I know I fall short sometimes. I would advise a writer wanting to improve their descriptive writing by reading books by authors who are masters of it – Emily Bronte comes to mind – practice, practice, practice and enlist beta readers and/or an editor to help you along the way.

What would you like to improve with your writing, and how would you go about doing it?

I would like to improve pace and character development. Right now I’m just mixing ideas and experimenting. Another thing I want to do is work with editors for a more intensive editing process to polish up the books like a new penny.

What advice would you give to someone just starting out, trying to finish (or start!) their first novel.

Write out your action in bullet points. Finish it! Get the start, middle and end committed to paper and then worry about everything else.

Who are your favorite authors?

Donna Tartt, JD Salinger, Margaret Atwood, Emily Bronte, Bram Stoker, Oscar Wilde, Iain Banks, DH Lawrence, Ernest Hemingway

If you could ask your favorite author one question, what would it be? What would you like to learn from them?

Oh, that’s hard! I’d probably be too intimidated.

Can I steal your editor?

I’d like to learn whether they procrastinate by watching TV as well…

What’s your favorite book of all time?

Errr… Wuthering Heights… for now.

How did you approach your cover artist, and what was that experience like?

It was a great experience, we clicked straight away and both had the same vision for the book. I approached them via Email and we discussed options before she created the first draft. It was perfect!

What software do you use, if other than MS Word?

Scrivener.

Are there any websites you found helpful in regards to eBook formatting?

I’ve mainly used forums and listened to the experiences of others. Kboards and Absolute Write are both great.

Any tricks you’ve learned in eBook formatting?

Write the book in ‘normal style’ with the chapter headings in ‘heading 1’. Do NOT use tabs. Use page breaks.

Do you sell across all eBook platforms? Has one done better for you than others?

Amazon outsells my other platforms by a colossal amount. Kobo, Apple and B&N pull in a few sales a month but nothing compared to Amazon.com.

How do you feel about KDP Select (i.e. Kindle Owners' Lending Library)?

I’m thinking of giving this a go in January. What worries me is being automatically enrolled into the programme for an additional 90 days. But I would like to see how the results go.

Do you sell print versions of your books? If so, what company do you use, and why?

Yes, CreateSpace. They are the quickest at getting your book on Amazon.

Do you do any marketing? If so, what works for you, what hasn’t?

Bookbub is the one thing that has worked, and it worked amazingly well. Kindle Books and Tips, Bookblast and blog tours are also useful. I also think that Facebook is more useful than a lot of authors think.

Did you enjoy being a part of your StoryBundle? Have you seen an increase in sales separate from the Bundle?

It was great! I really enjoyed meeting the other authors and promoting the bundle. I’m hoping to see a spike for the third book in the series but I think I’ll need to give the bundle readers some time to read the first two books first!

Sarah grew up in the middle of nowhere in the countryside of Derbyshire and as a result has an over-active imagination. She has been an avid reader for most of her life, taking inspiration from the stories she read as a child, and the novels she devoured as an adult. Sarah mainly writes speculative fiction for a Young Adult audience and has had pieces of short fiction published in the Medulla Literary Review, PANK magazine and the British Fantasy Society publication Dark Horizons. Her short story 'Vampires Wear Chanel' is featured in the Wyvern Publication Fangtales. Sarah's debut novel The Blemished is a fast paced young adult dystopia set in a fractured Britain. It follows the events of Mina Hart, a young Blemished girl who has a dangerous secret, as she tries to escape the dreaded Operation and get out of Area 14.