All Posts By

Lucy Powrie

Writing

16 Facts About My Novel

Back at the end of last year, I made a thread on Twitter about my WIP (“work in progress”) — the novel I’ve been working on for over a year. Since then, I’ve completed two further drafts and am currently working on my last round of edits before I start querying agents, so I wanted to share some updated facts with you today and share the love for my novel!


1. It’s a contemporary YA about a book club, a literary road-trip and friendship.

2. The working title is The Art of Reading Dangerously.

3. The protagonist is called Tabby Brown, which is an unintentional Brontë reference — the Brontës’ servants were called Tabitha Aykroyd and Martha Brown.

4. I got to do lots of research last summer, visiting all of the road trip stops featured. I had an amazing time and all of the photos I took have been brilliant points of reference as I’m writing about the places months later.

5. I was inspired by advice my friend Lauren James gave at an event — I wrote a list of everything I wanted to include in a book beforehand, and the result is this book.

6. When I first started writing the book, the protagonists were older than me. Now, I’m older than them!

7. One of my favourite scenes to write is one where my main character starts her period in a strange place early in the morning. Representation of periods is so important to me because I don’t feel like it’s shown often in YA books (why?!). Plus, two of my characters have a lovely heart-to-heart.

8. I wrote my most recent draft (68,000 words!) in 22 days. Needless to say, I was rather tired afterwards!

9. Sometimes I forget that nobody else knows who my characters are and nobody else knows the story. I just want to talk about them all the time!

10. Nobody can ever gear you up for how hard writing a book is. It’s not just sitting down to write — it requires self-discipline and effort and so much time.

11. Social media and toxic friendships play a big part in it. Could I really write a book without including social media at some point? I doubt it! It’s such a big part of teenagers’ lives now, and my own. It felt natural to include it.

12. At first, one of my characters was a book blogger, but in the end I thought people might think she was too much like me. One day, though, I will actually write a character who stays as a blogger throughout all of the drafts!

13. I’ve discovered so much about myself through writing the book and it’s been on a massive journey with me. When I first started writing it, I had no friends and was starting my life afresh, just as my main character does. As I grew, she grew with me: part of the reason why friendship is so important in the book is because it was what I needed when I was writing it. The characters were my surrogate best friends!

14. I have a tendency to write really horrible parents into my books, and I have no clue why. My parents are the complete opposite: they’re lovely and so supportive. So what’s with the mean fictional parents?!

15. Originally, the book was going to be a standalone, but I’ve already planned out two prequel stories and lots of novellas. I don’t think I’ll ever want to let the characters go!

16. I’m scared about what happens next — sending the book out into the world and hoping it finds a home and that other people will enjoy it. It will cease being solely mine, and the process is very daunting. But I desperately want to see it in bookshops and have other people read it, so I’m also excited.


I hope you enjoyed hearing about my book! Lots of you have been asking, especially on Instagram, about when it’s going to be published. The publishing process is long and complicated: first, I have to get an agent; then I’m most likely going to have to do more edits before it can be sold to publishers. But I promise I’m working very hard on it so that one day it can be read!

I’ve also made videos about my writing on my YouTube channel, and am hoping to share lots more about my writing process on there and on my blog too in the next few months.

Have you ever written a novel, or do you write? Share some facts about your current project in the comments below!

Booktube

All About Jane Austen! | Classics Series

Since I started my Classics series on YouTube, the most requested video people have asked me to make is one about Jane Austen. Luckily, she’s one of my favourite authors, so it wasn’t much effort to gather all of my Jane Austen books together and talk about them. Here is the result!

(If you’re viewing through email or the video will not display, click here to watch.)

Books Mentioned: (with affiliate links)

Pride and Prejudice | Illustrated Pride and Prejudice | Northanger Abbey | Persuasion

| Mansfield Park | Lady Susan | Sense and Sensibility | Emma


What is your favourite Jane Austen novel? Which are you most excited to read? Let me know in the comments below!

 

Booktube Discussion

Meet the BookTubers: Being in The Times

If you could have told me five years ago that starting a blog would lead to my face being splashed on the front page of The Times, I wouldn’t have believed you. I was a shy and anxious twelve year old who had been devastated by the loss of her grandfather only a few months before. Books were my refuge, and so talking about books online felt like something that had been made for me. It was an escape and a place to express myself, and I never thought anything would come of it. I never expected to get any views on my posts, never expected to make the friends I have through blogging. Back then, blogging was a relatively new thing: there were no expectations whatsoever. It was simply a hobby.

Skip forward to now and things have taken a turn for the crazy. When I was contacted by The Times to feature in an article on booktube (the part of the YouTube community that talks about books, if you didn’t know), I thought it would be a great opportunity to showcase our corner of the Internet, which most definitely isn’t as well-known as other areas of YouTube. There are so many passionate and creative people making videos on booktube, and so it was great to get a space where booktube was celebrated for the amazing platform it is.

Last Monday, a photographer (Gareth Iwan Jones) and makeup artist (Neusa Neves) came to my house to take photos for the article – it was such a surreal experience! I don’t think I’ve ever had my hair brushed so much in my life, and my eyeliner is never going to look that good again, but it was so worth it. It was strange to have to pose, and I don’t think I’ve ever changed outfits so much, but I was so happy with the results and glad that I looked like myself.

The article also features Jen, Simon and Sanne, who it was an honour to be featured with. I’ve watched Jen and Simon’s videos since they first started making them, and Sanne has been my favourite booktuber for a very long time so I felt very humbled to be on the same page as them.

Would I have written some of the things about me if I was writing the article myself? Maybe not. I was scared about letting someone else write about me because I know how I perceive myself, but this might not line up with how other people perceive me; it’s difficult handing over control to somebody else because I’m so used to having full control — I write my own blog posts, I edit my own videos, I do all of my social media. It was scary, but I was pleased that James Marriott did such a good job.

I would like to thank everyone for being so supportive. Your messages and love across social media have meant the world, and I’ve tried my hardest to respond to them all but I’m sorry if I’ve missed any! Friday was such an overwhelming day and I’m still trying to catch up with everything.

Whether you watch my videos or not, it’s absolutely amazing to have booktube featured in a national newspaper and get the recognition it deserves.

It really was an incredible experience!

You can read the full article here — you need to sign up to read it, but after that it is completely free to do so.

Favourites

June Favourites | Books, TV & Music!

How is it the end of June?! I can’t believe how quickly this year is going! It seems like yesterday was January, and now we’re halfway through and will soon be counting down to the winter.

I thought I would share some of my favourite things from June with you on the blog today, talking about books, TV and music. Enjoy!

BOOKS

My exams finished in June so I’ve luckily been able to catch up on lots of the books I wasn’t able to read because of them. It’s been SUCH a good reading month that it was very hard to choose a favourite — so I’ve chosen two instead.

Freshers by Tom Ellen and Lucy Ivision

Freshers is their second YA novel, set in a university and following the lives of Phoebe and Luke as they navigate their first year. It’s just as funny, maybe even funnier, than their debut Lobsters, and I sped through the whole book in a day. It’s honest and authentic, with many serious topics touched on, whilst also being light-hearted and fun. Keep an eye out for my full review later in July!

A Shepherd’s Life by W.H. Hudson

This was first published over 100 years ago and has recently been brought back as part of the Penguin Classics series. I first heard about it through one of my favourite novels of last year, The Shepherd’s Life by James Rebanks, and I thought I’d love it as I’ve really been getting into reading nature writing recently.

It’s set in Wiltshire and recounts the lives of families living around the Salisbury and Wylye Valley area, most notably a shepherd called Isaac Bawcombe. The thing I found particularly notable was Hudson’s predictions on how farming life would be in the future after he’d written the book, which was interesting to compare to how things actually are now, in the post-industrial, technological society we live in. It’s safe to say he couldn’t have imagined somebody like me typing away at a computer about his book! I really enjoyed it and will be seeking out more of his books now, for sure.

TV

Skam

This month I’ve religiously been watching season 4 of Skam, my favourite TV show EVER. For those of you who don’t know what Skam is, it’s a Norwegian series set in a high school where every season follows a different main character, and it airs in realtime so if the characters are doing something at 10:21 on a Tuesday morning, the clip will air at that time too. I originally started by watching English translations that fans made on Google Drive, but this series I’ve been able to learn enough Norwegian that I haven’t had to wait for the translations — something I’m very proud of!

Season 4 has followed Sana, a Muslim hijabi and deals with Islamophobia, friendship and friendship problems, social media, and also has the CUTEST romance. I was, however, super upset because season 4 is the last season, so on the night the last episode aired I spent my time re-watching the last scene whilst crying my eyes out. I miss it so much already!

Poldark

Poldark is finally BACK and is continuing to mess with my heart. The wait between each episode every Sunday is horrible, and I don’t know how I’m managing it, to be honest. I love a good period drama and I think Poldark is one of the best. Series 3 definitely has a different feel to the other two, especially as there are lots of new characters, but I don’t think that’s necessarily a bad thing. I eagerly await seeing what’s going to happen for the rest of the series!

MUSIC

Sigrid

Sigrid is an up-and-coming Norwegian artist who sings in English and I am obsessed with her EP, Don’t Kill My Vibe. I first found out about her from Vicki and have since followed her across all social media and listen to her music non-stop. I recently watched her set at Glastonbury on TV and was amazed at how good she sounds live — just like the recorded version!

Don’t Kill My Vibe is the song I listen to when I need motivation, or I’ll listen to the acoustic version if I’m looking for something a bit more chilled. I also really love Fake Friends, but all of the songs on the EP are equally as good as each other. She’s a real talent to watch!


What have been your favourites in June? Let me know in the comments below!

Book Review UKYA

REVIEW: The State of Grace by Rachael Lucas

 

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I’ve been a very big fan of Rachael Lucas’s books ever since I read Sealed With A Kiss and fell in love with it. That meant I got super excited when I heard that Rachael was working on a YA novel. I was very lucky to get to read an early chapter of The State of Grace back when it didn’t have a book deal, so I’ve waited patiently ever since to read the final thing. I was not disappointed!

It’s hard to describe exactly what The State of Grace is about because it’s one of those books that you really do need to read to discover how good it is. To put it simply, though, it’s told from the perspective of 15 year old Grace who has Asperger’s. The book breaks down what it’s like for a teenager with Asperger’s, dispelling all the stereotypes and assumptions that people have. All the while, Grace has to deal with the confusion of her dad being away for long periods of time, her mum introducing a new friend that Grace doesn’t like, and her sister spiralling out of control.

Sometimes I feel like everyone else was handed a copy of the rules for life and mine got lost.

There are some books that you love because they’re full of action and big, surprising moments; there are other books that you love because they’re the polar opposite, because they amble along at a natural pace and have you thinking about them all day long. The State of Grace was the latter.

I felt so close to Grace, who you get to know so well throughout the course of the novel. Having written it in first person, Lucas allows you to nestle in amongst Grace’s brain and see the world through her eyes. For this reason, The State of Grace has achieved an incredible feat – it simultaneously allows girls with Asperger’s to have a voice in YA, and allows those who don’t have Asperger’s to understand what it’s like to see the world as they do. 

I’m getting increasingly frustrated with YA romances that adopt the “Hollywood effect” and romanticise teenage relationships to such an extent that they are unrecognisable from the reality of teen relationships. The State of Grace, however, restored my faith in YA romance. Gabe and Grace were awkward and endearing, heartening and uplifting, and Lucas left so much possibility between them, without suggesting a happily ever after. Other YA authors, take note!

It’s not until you read Lucas’s other fiction that you realise how much skill and talent she has. To write books aimed at different age groups is not an easy feat, but Lucas manages to seamlessly build a flawless writing style that reflects who she is writing for. It might seem cliché to say that my breath was taken away by the style of Lucas’s writing, but that’s exactly what happened — her ability to replicate Grace’s voice was stunning and I commend Rachael Lucas for this.

 The State of Grace is a book I will be thrusting into the hands of all unsuspecting book lovers at every given opportunity. Please, please read it — it’s one of the best books you could hope to read.

Further reading:

I’d recommend reading Jax’s #ownvoices review of The State of Grace, which is brilliant.

What are your favourite books with realistic romances?

Writing

Books Are An Immeasurable Pleasure | A Sonnet

As you might have seen, I am currently in my first year of Creative Writing A Level, which I love. It challenges me and pushes me to try out new things, and one of these things back last year was a sonnet. Being the Shakespeare and Sir Philip Sidney nerd I am, I love sonnets. It wasn’t until I attempted to write one myself, however, that I gained an even greater appreciation for those who have written hundreds of them.

Here it is: a sonnet all about books!

Books are an immeasurable pleasure

Books are an immeasurable pleasure

Designed to captivate and cultivate

There’s nothing better to do for leisure

With the intent to ameliorate.

From Shakespeare to Plath and Austen between

A wealth of knowledge stored in pages

Magically allows the reader to glean

Information passed down through the ages.

Yet ponder on Hemingway the sexist

And the millions cut from the canon.

As books are more than a complex lexis,

What was Scott thinking with the Buchanans?

There is the allure of Netflix as well

If you don’t read books, you won’t go to hell.

Have you ever had to write a sonnet? If you had to, what would you choose to write about?

Book Review

REVIEW: Seven Days of You by Cecilia Vinesse

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As soon as I heard about Seven Days of You, I knew I was going to love it. A contemporary book set in Tokyo over a period of seven days? Yes please!

The book follows Sophia as she enters her last week living in Tokyo before she moves back to the US. She has to say goodbye to her friends and to the city she loves, and she’s counting down the seconds until it all comes to an end. Coinciding with her departure, however, is the arrival of an old friend and with him comes a last week that Sophia will never forget.

My favourite thing about Seven Days of You was getting to explore Tokyo through Sophia’s eyes. Vinesse perfectly creates the setting so that it feels like another character and you become just as familiar with it during the course of the novel as you do with the other characters. As someone who has never been to Tokyo, I was a little nervous just in case I couldn’t understand any references or inside-jokes, but Vinesse set me at ease immediately and invoked the atmosphere and culture beautifully.

The romance was so cute and I loved how it was based on friendship first, romantic feelings second. I think this kind of foundation is really important to see in YA, and made it a lot more believable. It was certainly a challenge building it up over 7 days, but Vinesse tackled it with an ease that carried through to the story – there was just the right amount of backstory, mixed with the same level of fresh content that played out on the pages.

There were also very interesting friendship dynamics explored, which I enjoyed reading about in the frame of Sophia’s impending departure, and family relationships too. Sophia and her sister were great to read and I loved all their reactions – I thought they were so realistic and I liked how they changed throughout the course of the novel.

I read Seven Days of You in a day because it hooked me from the start – it was the perfect escapism. Cecilia Vinesse is an exciting voice added to the YA scene and I wouldn’t hesitate to pick up any of her future books. In fact, I’ll be keeping a beady eye out for any future book news!

For fans of Anna and the French Kiss by Stephanie Perkins 

Recommendations

Happy World Book Day! | #ImmerseYourself

Happy World Book Day! 

To celebrate, GWR are running a campaign to immerse yourself in the world of books and escape by train to the places some of our favourite books are set. They’ve hidden free return train tickets all over the South West and you can find out where to find your own on the Immerse Yourself page.

GWR have invited me to tell you about some of my favourite books set in the South West of England which is particularly handy because 1. it’s where I live and 2. it’s one of my very favourite places on Earth. I had so much fun picking out the books to feature – it made me realise just how many books are set in the South West, and some of my all-time favourites too!

Under the Greenwood Tree by Thomas Hardy

Under the Greenwood Tree is probably a very controversial choice because I think most people would choose Tess of the D’Urbervilles as their favourite Hardy book – and I would too. Tess is a literary masterpiece that I insist everyone should read at least once in their lifetime. Under the Greenwood Tree, though, is an obvious choice for this list because I think it sums up West Country life in Hardy’s time perfectly.

Thomas Hardy created the fictional county of Wessex where he set the majority of his books, changing the names of towns and villages he was familiar with to make his own. Under the Greenwood Tree tells the story of a blossoming romance between a church musician and the new teacher that has moved into the village. It’s so much more than that, though – it’s an account of rural life, a snapshot of the beauty of the Dorset countryside. It’s a book that ambles along at its own pace and that’s why I love it so much.

The Rain by Virginia Bergin

Imagine this: a meteor hits Earth, which infects the water system — one drop can, and will, kill you. This is the premise of The Rain, and it is thrilling, fast-paced… and also hilarious. I love the main character Ruby so much because she reacts just like any other teenager I know would in an apocalyptic situation.

I especially loved reading it because of the mentions to places in the South West that I recognised — at one point, Ruby even drives past my hometown, which was very exciting! I could see a map of the places she was visiting in my head, like a SatNav moving along as I followed her. You’ll love this if you’re looking for more realistic apocalyptic fiction!

Red Witch by Anna McKerrow

Red Witch is the second book in Anna McKerrow’s Crow Moon trilogy, and is partly set in Glastonbury. I have fond memories of climbing up Glastonbury Tor a few summers ago, hair blowing wildly around in the wind, barefoot as I reached higher and higher into the sky. It’s a truly magical place, where you can feel the energy surrounding you. If you’ve never walked up the Tor, it’s something you should add to your bucket list!

Both of Anna McKerrow’s books have so far been set in the South West, with Devon and Cornwall separate from the rest of the UK due to the world fighting over the remaining oil reserves and on the verge of destruction. If I could, and if it was real, I would live in the Greenworld. I don’t even have to think about it; it sounds like my dream place to live.

Blue by Lisa Glass

Set in Cornwall, Blue combines surfing, romance, friendship and success. I love the main character, Iris, and as Blue is the first book in a trilogy, you get to know all of the characters intimately throughout the course of the books.

Lisa Glass invokes the setting really well – the windy beaches, the tourists, what it’s like to live near the coast. Having never surfed before, I was a little nervous about not understanding any of the references, but Lisa explains everything really well and is also a great advocate for girls in sport. A must-read for the summer!

Northanger Abbey by Jane Austen

Northanger Abbey is, arguably, the most underrated of Jane Austen’s novels, although the first she ever wrote (but last to be published). It’s mostly set in Bath and, as my closest city, I loved reading about the society in Jane Austen’s time and recognising the places she wrote about.

The other half of the novel is set in the gothic Northanger Abbey and Jane Austen writes this perfectly – it’s a satirical look on the gothic genre and demonstrates Jane Austen’s humour really well. I wish more people would read this! There are parts that are even better than Pride & Prejudice.


GWR single fares for city day and weekend breaks can be booked up to 12 weeks in advance, plus are great value!

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I want to know your regional recommendations! What are your favourite books set near the place you live?

This post has been sponsored by Great Western Railway, although all views and opinions expressed are my own. I’m a GWR customer myself and only ever accept sponsorship that I 100% believe in myself.