I’m excited to announce that I’m going to be mentoring again
this summer with the #WriteMentor programme. So here’s a little bit about
me and what sort of submissions I’d like to see this year…
I am represented by Laura West at David Higham Associates. My
writing is featured in many different magazines, anthologies and online, and I
am currently revising a chapter book for submission.
I won the Urban Retreats six month novel writing course
scholarship in 2018, ‘Off the Page’ competition judged by Hodder &
Stoughton, honourable mentions and placing in other competitions including being
a Mslexia Children's Novel Award longlistee in 2019.
Living in Wolverhampton, gives me the perfect mix of rural and urban
landscapes to influence my writing. I live with my husband, stepson, three boys,
one daughter, two mischievous kitties and the youngest family members, Doris
and Malcolm, our chickens. My background is in Fine Art, and later working with
children in various jobs. Now I’m also an editor and mentor with Wonder
Writers, one half of YouTube writerly duo, Word Witches and creator and host of
writerly chat on Twitter #ukteenchat.
I write chapter books and Middle Grade
novels for ages 5-8 and 8-12, and into the lower Teen age range of 13-15. I’ve
written contemporary novels Fantasy, Humour and Thriller, with a strong focus
on friendship and family relationships, usually with strong female main
characters.
I’m keen to mentor a writer of either a
chapter book or Middle Grade story. The genres I am keen to see are quite a
broad range: Contemporary, Humour, Sci-Fi, Thriller, Horror, or Fantasy. It
could be laugh out loud or making my hair stand on end, I’m happy to see all
sorts of stories.
Some of my favourite books are: The Graveyard Book by Neil
Gaiman (anything he’s written really!); The Truth Pixie by Matt Haig (again,
all of Matt’s books); Angus, Thongs and Full Frontal Snogging by Louise
Rennison; Instructions for a Second-Hand Heart by Tamsyn Murray; Orangeboy by Patrice
Lawrence; Ready, Player, One by Ernest Cline; Dear Charlie by N.D. Gomes; Noah
Can’t Even by Simon James Green; To All the Boys I’ve Loved Before by Jenny Han;
The Worst Witch by Jill Murphy; Oliver Moon and the Potion Commotion by Lucy
Diamond; The Other Alice by Michelle Harrison; The Goldfish Boy by Lisa
Thompson; The Colour of Bee Larkham’s Murder by Sarah J. Harris; Goth Girl and
the Ghost of a Mouse by Chris Riddell; Skullduggery Pleasant by Derek Landy;
All the Bright Places by Jennifer Niven; The Perks of Being a Wallflower by Stephen
Chbosky; Miss Peregrine’s Home for Peculiar Children by Ransom Riggs; The
Chrestomanci series by Diana Wynne Jones; The Rest of Us Just Live Here by
Patrick Ness, to name but a few 😊
I absolutely love being a mentor and having the opportunity to
work with the writers and support them and offer advice and encouragement. I am
currently a mentor with the #WriteMentor Spark programme, and independently as
an Editor and Mentor. I was a mentor for the first #WriteMentor summer
mentoring programme in 2018, which I absolutely loved and had the opportunity
to work with 3 fantastic writers. We are still in touch and support each other’s
writing journey, and I’m looking to do the same this year.
My main reason for being art of this #WriteMentor programme is
that I love being with other writers and the fantastic writing community. I’ve
been very fortunate over the years to have had support via mentoring and from
amazing writing groups and want to share that passion for words and the support
and encouragement, with lots of positivity (think Joy from Inside Out) and gifs
along the way! I’d love to work with someone who is keen to learn and share
their writing with me and have fun along the way 😊
Follow @FinlaysonPalmer on
Twitter for updates.
