StoryGodmother Newsletter #35 - Finding Flavo(u)r
Hello! I hope you’ve been enjoying a beautiful autumn, wherever you are. We’re galloping towards the end of the year and I’ve been trying to get organised (!) wrapping up writing projects and making exciting plans for 2026.
Don’t forget to check out my newsletter for readers for all the latest exciting news on my books, including giveaways and exclusive content.
RESOURCES
Finding Flavour
Today I’m going to talk about ‘flavour’. Bear with me, and I’ll explain. I have the pleasure of working with hundreds of writers through my Story Godmother work – from emerging writers who are still trying to find their voice all the way through to agented, traditionally published, and well-known authors who need help or advice with a project. Wherever people are on their writing journey, one thing always gets me fired up: what they are personally and uniquely going to bring to the world of stories.
We all have a flavour of writing – that mix of voice, and theme, and angle, and preference. Sometimes we have a drum to bang. Sometimes an element of the world just speaks to us and we want to pass that on. Sometimes personal experience shapes our stories. And it’s this flavour that I find so exciting, because when a writer is being authentic, no two writers can ever be exactly the same.
My experience has been (over 18 years of writing and 30+ books) that this flavour gets stronger the longer and the more you write. You become more sure of yourself, more sure of the stories you want to tell. This comes with experimenting and exploring, and that takes time. If you start writing when you’re quite young, this is even more the case. The flavour of your voice may change over time, whenever you start writing, as you learn and experiment, and explore the world around you and yourself as a person. This is all absolutely valid, and part of what makes writing so fun. It is not a static thing. It is evolving all the time.
Top tips for finding your flavour:
Think about and write down a list of things that particularly fire you up and interest you in the world. Just anything – as deep or shallow as you like. Chocolate? Grandparents? Football? Spiderman? Going for long walks? It can be a very long list. All these different things will be part of you for some reason. Now tick off how many you have explored somehow in your writing so far. How ‘you’ is your writing? What’s left that you could explore?
Think about and list themes that you particularly enjoy thinking about or reading about. Dig a little deeper and think about your life experiences. What have you learned? What would you like to share with young readers? What do you wish you could go back and tell Young You when you were four years old? Eight years old? Thirteen years old?
Think about and list the issues that really speak to you. What are the problems that the world faces that really squeeze your heart? They can be global or they can be small-scale. Again, think about your life experiences, too, because they will have helped to shape you as a person to a degree. This doesn’t just have to be negative things, it can be positive things, too, such as finding a home for rescue dogs.
Think about writers you admire and know well. How would you describe their writing style in three words? Think about your own writing style. How would you describe that in three words? Do you have a clear sense of what it is? Think about your own personality. How would you describe that if you could only choose three words? Do the words for your personality and your writing style match? How are they similar and how do they differ?
A final thought is that there are different aspects of our personalities – different voices that we have. And sometimes this wants to find its way out into our writing. The publishing industry often likes to put people in boxes with a clear, marketable brand, because consumers (and humans in general, if we’re honest!) quite like to have clear, identifiable and understandable boxes. But, if you know there are different parts of your voice, don’t be afraid to experiment and explore them. This is you being authentic and it is absolutely fine.
Whoever you are, wherever you’re at with your writing, you have something to share with the world. Find it, understand it, and communicate it authentically in your own way, in your own words. There’s your flavour.
CHARACTER CORNER
What footwear does your character have? A very random question, yes, and not one that is necessarily going to crop up in your storytelling, unless it is of particular importance. So, why am I bothering to ask the question now? Because it can show you how well you know your character and how well-formed they are.
You can tell a lot about a person by their choice of footwear, and the condition it is in. Does one character always have a lace half-undone? Does another have scuffed and adventure-worn boots, covered in mud? Does another have polished shoes? Another have a sibling’s hand-me-downs? Popular brands? Quirky, individual charity shop finds? Barefoot whenever possible? Style over comfort? Comfort over style?
What does your character’s favourite choice of footwear say about them? Why do they favour certain styles? Why does it suit them? Think about your own footwear. What are your favourites? What are those shoes you wear the most? Why?
Even if shoes are never mentioned once in your story, it’s good to think about this question, and feel confident that you know your characters well enough to answer.
WRITING COURSES & EVENTS
I always listen to feedback from writers about things they struggle with, and try to create courses that will help. Lately, I’ve been hearing a lot about problems with point of view (POV). I’ve also read a few manuscripts where there were problems with POV, in particular in first and third person. So, I’m happy to offer this next session:
Writing for Children: Understanding Point of View (POV)
21st November, 7pm GMT.
We will be exploring six different types of POV, considering which POVs suit different genres and readerships, and learn how to use aspects of the different POVs to create the most engaging read for children.
As usual, this session will take place via Zoom and a recording will be available for a limited time if you're unable to attend live.
£12 plus Eventbrite admin fee.
Understanding Point Of View Tickets, Fri 21 Nov 2025 at 7pm
Writers Online Webinars
Thank you to everyone who came along to the Writers Online Writing Picture Books webinar last week. There is still chance to book onto the Writing Chapter Books and Writing Middle Grade Books coming up on Tuesday 11th and Tuesday 18th November respectively. These will cover all the essentials you need to know about creating these books for young readers. For more information, please see:
Writing Chapter Books with Amy Sparkes
Writing Middle-Grade Books with Amy Sparkes
They are both run by Writers Online, and they’re charging £25 each, plus Eventbrite’s Admin fee.
Keep your eyes open for some more courses and webinars in winter. All these sessions are designed to help you develop your writing craft. They focus on the nitty-gritty of writing, enabling you to take a deep dive into creative storytelling and polish your writing in a wide variety of areas.
***FREE CHRISTMAS EVENT***
Thank you to everyone who came along to the free webinar on Writing Diverse Characters. I’m glad to hear so many of you found it helpful. Representation in fiction is an important conversation to have.
I’m pleased to offer you a special Story Godmother Christmas Event on MONDAY 1st DECEMBER at 7pm. This is an opportunity to just say thank you for being part of the SG community in 2025. I’m offering an Ask Me Anything which can be about anything from insight into the industry to whether a pitch works to questions on writing craft. There will also be the opportunity to win prizes, including chapter critiques, 1:1s, courses and more.
This online event is EXCLUSIVELY for subscribers as a thank you so please do not share the link. However, if you know any other writers who might benefit, then please do encourage them to sign up to this newsletter before the event so they have the opportunity to join. The more, the merrier!
Story Godmother Christmas Event Tickets, Mon 1 Dec at 7pm
If you have any other suggestions for new courses you would like to see in 2026, please do let me know, and I’ll see what I can do!
MENTORING 2026
I’m delighted to offer another free mentoring placement next year for six months for under-represented writers, starting in January 2026. This year, I’m looking for an unagented, not traditionally published children’s writer of picture books, chapter books or middle grade who identifies as at least one of the following:
From a working class background
Living with disabilities (including neurodiverse individuals)
Over 40
Identify as LGBTQIA+
Ideally, I’m looking for someone who hasn’t already done an MA in Creative Writing or other long-term writing programmes or schemes, and isn’t currently a member of monthly paid subscription writing hubs. (Short-term writing courses are fine).
Submissions are open from 8th November until 16th November 2025 (23:59GMT). To apply, please contact me at mentoring@storygodmother.co.uk with:
Subject line: MENTORING 2026
A short cover letter explaining the kind of books you write, how long you’ve been writing for, your writing goals and what you’d like to get out of the mentoring, why you think this mentoring scheme is right for you, and any relevant experience.
A sample of your work – please read carefully.
Send EITHER a completed picture book text (600 words or less) OR the first 1000 words of a chapter book or middle-grade book.
The selection process will involve connecting with both the work and the writer. It’s always an incredibly tricky decision so please don’t take it personally if you’re not selected this time.
For more information, please visit the mentoring page on my website.
COMPETITIONS
WRITING MAGAZINE CHILDREN'S BOOK PRIZE
Thank you to everyone who entered the competition. It’s a huge deal to submit and share your story – it takes a lot of courage so even doing that counts as a win. We have started reading through the entries and there will be more news over the next couple of months as we form our longlist. Watch this space!
COACHING COMPETITION
Another FREE 30-minute coaching competition is available this month as a thank you for subscribing to the newsletter and to help coaching become accessible to all regardless of means. The session is worth £30 (absolutely no strings attached) via a lucky draw every newsletter, for anyone who would like to enter.
If you would like to enter, please email comps@storygodmother.co.uk with COACHING 9.11.25 in the subject and you will be entered into the draw. All entries must be received by Wednesday 12th November 23:59BST. I will contact the lucky winner directly, so if you haven’t heard anything, please assume you’ve not won on this occasion, but please do try again next time!
The session is guided by you, and we can talk about anything that you feel will help you move forward in your writing. It’s free and friendly, so give it a go!
STORY GODMOTHER WRITING COMMUNITY
Do you use Facebook? Great – join the Story Godmother Writing Community on Facebook. It’s a free, private and friendly group, where writers can share encouragement, thoughts or interesting finds. I also share weekly writing tips, and I’m there to answer any questions you have. Come and join us! Story Godmother Writing Community
It’s a private group and a friendly bunch – a safe space for you to grow as a writer. And it’s absolutely free.
If you request to join, please do make sure you answer the membership questions and agree to the group rules otherwise you cannot be admitted.
END NOTES
Enjoy the rest of the autumn!
With writerly love,
Story Godmother
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