Being a curious creature, I always find it interesting to discover how and where other authors write. We’re a mixed bunch, and I love how everyone does things slightly differently. I’ve spent a lot of this autumn in my lovely writing room, ploughing away on edits for the second book in THE UNCHOSEN ONE trilogy (title is still absolutely top secret, but will be revealed at some point over the coming months. I’ve had tremendous fun with it and can’t wait to share it with you!) I adore my tiny writing room, despite its messy chaos, and I am often treated to a beautiful sunrise through the window on the left, and a lovely sunset through the one on the right.

Sometimes, when I have a lot of work to push on with, the best option is to glue myself to my desk and hammer things out. However, I love working in other places when I can. Variety is something that my soul craves and a change of scene can do wonders for my writing. I do like working in cafes – and have perfected that essential writers’ skill of making a pot of tea last for two hours –  but it needs to be a relatively quiet place, as I find too much hustle and bustle distracting. 

I absolutely adore being outdoors, in any weather so writing outside is the perfect combination for me. I will write up trees (notebooks only, no laptops!), on beaches, at picnic benches, anywhere I can, and preferably with a travel mug of tea beside me. As the autumn rolls in, and the weather begins to turn, outdoor places can become quieter, which often works even better.

I find writing in my car can work brilliantly. Back seats down, writing in the boot – pulling out a laptop or notebook. I had a lovely experience editing THE UNCHOSEN ONE on Dartmoor with the company of curious ponies who stood by me for ages. I did explain to them the plot point I was struggling with. Not entirely sure how helpful they were editorially, but the moral support was much appreciated.

So, this autumn as I develop a new middle-grade series, start the final book in THE UNCHOSEN ONE trilogy (how has it come around so fast?!) and continue Act 2 of THE PLAYERS trilogy, I’m looking forward to some interesting locations and viewpoints as I write. I’ll be sharing some of my ‘offices’ on my social media, so do follow me and see where I get up to!

www.facebook.com/AmySparkesAuthor

THE UNCHOSEN ONE COMES TO AUDIO

Very excited to announce the The Unchosen One is coming to audio, narrated by the talented Rua Barron and published by W F Howes. It’s available for pre-order now, so if audiobooks are your thing, please do check it out:

Audible

EVENTS

I love travelling around the UK and meeting readers, young and old. There are exciting things coming up but if you’d like me to visit your part of the world, please do let me know and I’ll see what I can arrange. I’m happy to visit bookshops, schools, book fairs or book groups – wherever readers are!

South Devon Book Festival, Totnes

21^st November, 11am - 3pm

I’ll be back here again this year, signing and selling my books (picture books to adult fiction) at a discounted price. If you’re nearby or fancy visiting beautiful Totnes, please pop over and say hello!

www.southdevonbookfestival.com

Meet the Author, Q&A - Waterstones, Orchard Square, Sheffield

24^th November, 6.30pm -7.3pm

I’m delighted to be visiting Sheffield for the first time! I’ll be taking part in a Meet the Author event alongside poet and writer Genevieve Carver. Tickets will be available very soon. If this is your neck of the woods, I’d love to meet you!

Great Torrington Book Fair, Castle Community Centre

Saturday 5^th December, 10.30am

As part of the Great Torrington Book Fair, I’ll be running an event for children aged 7-11 based on my THE UNCHOSEN ONE funny fantasy novel. Come along for a reading, activities and a chance to win a signed copy of the book.

FILM NEWS

Film-making is another channel for my storytelling and it’s something I find hugely rewarding. My short film, BOOTED, is continuing to do well, and I’m delighted that this week it has been announced as a finalist for the RS Film Festival! I’ll be attending a red carpet event in November and attempting to look smart and presentable (not my natural look, so wish me luck!).

Festivals and competitions are invaluable for creatives and I’m grateful for the opportunity to share and showcase my film-making work. It’s also why I feel passionate about competitions for writers and set up the Writing Magazine Children’s Book Prize back in 2017. I can’t believe the competition is nearly 10 years old!

BOOTED is about one family’s experience of love, loss and walking boots. It’s free to watch and less than 8 mins long, so if you haven’t seen it yet, why not sit down with a cup of tea and check it out here: Booted (2026) | Videos & Movies on Vimeo

When I’ve got a little more head-space, I’ll be pushing on with creating another couple of short films – a comedy and a drama. Looking forward to developing those.

AUTHOR CORNER

I hope you enjoyed the Author Corner in the last newsletter. This time I’m delighted to introduce (drum roll please)... FIONA DIXON!

Welcome to the newsletter! Tell us about yourself.

I’ve wanted to be a children’s author ever since I was seven. I was always drawn to fantasy fiction and fairy tales, but Narnia was where it all started. The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe captured my heart and my imagination – and I spent far too much time in wardrobes as a child as a result. My favourite one was at my gran’s house, which was a big, mahogany wardrobe full of fur coats that smelt of mothballs and possibility! I never found a portal to another land, so I started creating my own fantasy worlds instead – and I’ve been writing ever since.

What kinds of stories do you like writing?

I love writing fantasy stories and stories set in the real world with an element of magic. Being a fantasy writer is so much fun because you really can write about anything you can imagine, as long as it makes sense in terms of the story you’re writing. I'm a big fan of role-playing, particularly Dungeons & Dragons, and I definitely think that's had an impact on my writing, particularly in terms of world-building.

Describe your writing voice in three words.

Immersive, imaginative, lyrical.

And please tell us about your book.

Crow: Thief of Magic is an epic, magical fantasy for ages 9-12+.

Twelve-year-old Crow is a thief, scraping a living on the winding streets of Starsgard. After a heist goes wrong, Crow finds himself a new position working for mysterious sorcerer, Viktor, who begins teaching him the ancient art of dream magic. But when Crow learns of an ancient strain of nightmare magic that threatens to unleash devastation on Starsgard, he must make a terrible choice . . . and decide who he can really trust.

The initial inspiration for this story – quite fittingly – came from a dream. I had a vivid image of a ragged, dark-haired boy walking through the snow, and a room full of bottles of magical dreams.And that was it - the seed of an idea was sown. I started writing, eager to discover who this boy was, why he was out in the snow, and what the connection was between him and the mysterious dreams.

For Crow, it’s a journey of discovery, as he learns to navigate the new world he finds himself in, and how to use his magic. It’s a story about self-confidence and facing your fears, friendship, and learning how to trust your own instincts. And it’s also a story about hope. Woven into the heart of this book is my belief that even in the darkest of times, hope can change the world – something which is just as important for all of us as it is the characters in this story.

Where can readers find out more?

My website will be launching soon, but in the meantime you can find me on Instagram @fionadixonauthor.

Thank you for talking to us, Fiona!

I really do value your support, so thanks so much for reading the newsletter! Please do feel free to forward it on to anyone who might be interested.

If you ever have any questions for me, do feel free to contact me through my agent via my website or send me a DM via my social media platforms:

Facebook

BlueSky

Instagram

Mastodon: @[email protected]

Happy reading,

Amy

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