Sarah Daniels
The Stranded
(YA near-future thriller, January, Sourcebooks Fire)
“In 2094, teenagers Esther and Nik struggle to escape the derelict cruise ship they were born on.”
Lincolnshire, U.K. I wrote a few short stories that were published in online magazines, as well as the start of a middle-grade book that will never see daylight again. took a really long time to finish. I started writing it while I was working as an archaeologist, and it was put aside a number of times over the past decade when trying to juggle a full-time career with a young family just became too hectic. In 2017, I was accepted onto the six-month novel writing course run by Curtis Brown Creative. At the end, all participants submitted an extract of the The number of people it takes to get a novel from the initial idea to a published book. … It takes a huge collaborative effort to get a book into readers’ hands. after I took the Curtis Brown course, I kept in touch with some of the women I met there. We’re now a tight-knit critique group, a support system, and close friends who are all striving to get our books out into the world. The thing that I think made the biggest tangible difference and that I wish I had done sooner was to tell people I enjoyed writing. I wrote secretly for a really long time, and the realization that being isolated makes things more difficult for writers didn’t come until I found my critique group. It’s really hard, but try to enjoy and celebrate each step. … Even if, ultimately, you’re disappointed, there are things to shout about and be proud of along the way. Book two! The next installment is on its way and I’m so excited for people to find out what’s in store for the people of the Arcadia next. And obviously, I have a secret work in progress that’s in its very early stages too.
