Laura Jane Cassidy My Path to Publication Inkwell workshops are so inspiring and give such practical advice.  Vanessa truly is a literary angel.   My first novel is called Angel Kiss and will be published by Puffin Ireland in early 2011. I write teenage fiction with a supernatural edge and Angel Kiss tells the story of Jacki King, a fifteen-year-old who discovers that the ghost of a murdered woman is trying to contact her.  She wants Jacki to solve her murder so that she can finally move on.

I had my first story published in a local parish newsletter when I was nine years old.  My 4^th class teacher submitted it for me and told me many times that I had a real talent for writing.  She said she would be looking out for my book on the shelves in years to come.  11 years later, when I went to write my first novel, it never really occurred to me to doubt my writing abilities– thanks Ms. King! 

In January 2007 I deferred my studies at Trinity to concentrate full-time on writing.   I had an idea for a novel and loved the notion of being able to do something I was passionate about every day.  I figured that if I really wanted this I should put all my energy into it.  I hadn’t done much writing beyond school essays but I couldn’t stop thinking about this idea.  I knew from the beginning that my central character would be someone with supernatural powers who could find missing women, but I toyed with different personalities before Jacki King popped into my head.  Once I had the main character sorted, the plot came really naturally. 

 In April 2007 my Mum saw an advertisement for an INKwell Commercial Women’s Fiction Workshop.  I promptly emailed Vanessa and booked my place.  Gazing up at Sarah Webb, Claudia Carroll and Tracy Culleton, I decided I definitely wanted to be like them.   They gave such excellent advice and were so enthusiastic.  When I talked to the other attendees I realised I had so much in common with them.  Writing was definitely for me.  I spent the next two weeks planning the outline for Angel Kiss.  Writing the first draft was magical.  I wrote it from May to September 2007, getting so engrossed in it that I sometimes worked on it for 12 hours a day.  I wrote every day except Fridays.  I called Fridays Inspiration Day – I went to museums, gigs, movies – anything creative that might give me ideas.    

After the first draft I then took a two month break from the book so as to have a fresh perspective on it when it came to doing revisions. I gave it to ten friends and family to read.  It was really scary but they gave me some great pointers.  Armed with this constructive criticism I worked on the second draft.   This took me three months (December 07 – February 08).  This was the hardest part of the process for me and I really had to plough through it.  I added 30,000 words during this period.  

During this time I read lots of books on writing.  The ones that proved really useful were: 

On Writing by Stephen King

The Writers and Artists Yearbook

The Elements of Style by Strunk and White

Marketing your Book by Alison Baverstock

I also read and reread The Secret.  Positive thinking is something every writer should master! 

Then came the submission process, starting in February 2008.  18 months later, in July 2009, I was taken on by one of Ireland’s top literary agents, Faith O’Grady, and shortly afterwards I became the first writer to be offered a book deal with Puffin Ireland, the new Irish branch of the worldwide renowned children’s publisher.  It was an absolute dream come true and definitely worth the wait. 

I would not have been able to do this without the wonderful Vanessa O’Loughlin.  I’ve attended lots of Inkwell workshops and Vanessa has been such a support to me.