INTERVIEW Amy Sparkes
The combination of words and pictures is a subtle one. So, how do you make a picture book magic, or a chapter book sing? Alison Padley-Woods asks Amy Sparkes.
Amy Sparkes lives in Devon with her husband, six children
and a sock goblin called Arthur. She writes stories for children of all ages, runs
workshops for aspiring authors and produces the ‘Writing for Children’ pages
for the bestselling Writing Magazine. In conjunction with this, she set
up the Picture Book Prize in 2017 and has just launched the Chapter Book Prize. Here, she tells us about her life, the special interplay between words and pictures and her top tips for anyone wishing to make a successful submission.
Alison: What is your first memory of writing and what drew you to
children’s fiction?
Amy: The first thing I remember writing was a song when I was five years old. As a child, I loved writing stories, poems and plays. So, writing
for children has always been part of my life!
But when I was going into my final year of university, I’d actually
decided to pursue poetry and was due to start a brilliant poetry course. But a
few days before term started, a serious motorbike accident left me with
multiple injuries, amnesia and a wheelchair. I missed an entire term before I
could return and was told I couldn’t take the poetry course because I’d missed
so much. As a result, I lost momentum with poetry and drifted back to
children’s fiction. Best plot twist ever.
Alison: How did you get your first picture book published?
Amy: I started writing for children seriously when I had a toddler and a baby. I’d bought a
picture book for them and felt mine would sit well with the publisher. So I contacted
Meadowside Children’s Books (which is sadly no more). The editor, Lucy Cuthew,
really liked my story and we worked on it together, but it didn’t quite get
going. I sent a second text soon after, Hodge the Hedgehog. They loved
it and suggested it was illustrated by a debut illustrator - Benji Davies! I
still work with Lucy and I’m immensely grateful to her for giving me my first
break.
 |
| Hodge the Hedgehog, by Amy Sparkes. Illustrated by Benji Davies. |
Alison:
Amy: I think it always helps to write visually. You need
to visualise it so you can help bring it alive to readers. With chapter books, illustration
is more complementary - you don’t usually give notes. But with picture books, as
a lot of storytelling can be done through illustration, the pictures are crucial.
Notes may be needed to help understand character development or plot.
 |
| Pirate Blunderbeard: Worst. Mission. Ever. by Amy Sparkes. Illustrated by Ben Cort. |
Alison: When you create a character such as Pirate Blunderbeard,
do you immediately picture your character and do you pass your
ideas on to the illustrator? How does the relationship between author and
illustrator work?
Amy: I have huge faith in illustrators and am guided by them. I
have drawn maps of storyworlds for illustrators but usually they have free
creative rein.
 |
| Amy's Fairytale Land map, drawn for Benji Davies for Gruff's Guide to Fairy Tale Land. |
It’s brilliant seeing what people come up with. When I created Blunderbeard’s
inventions, I’d send a list of labels. Ben Cort would come back with this brilliant
drawing of the invention and I’d email HarperCollins saying, ‘Ben is
incredible. This would actually work!!’
 |
| Pirate Blunderbeard: Worst. Pirate. Ever. by Amy Sparkes. Illustrated by Ben Cort. Published by HarperCollins. |
Alison: I see your first middle grade novel, The House at the
Edge of Magic, is coming out next Spring. Can you tell us about it and how
easy is it to move between genres?
Amy: The House at the Edge of Magic is about an orphan
called Nine who pickpockets a tiny house ornament from a bag. When she knocks
on the tiny doorknocker, it grows into a higgledy-piggledy, magical house –
home to some rather interesting characters. They are under a terrible curse and
think Nine is the one to break it.
It was great to write for older children. I’d been delaying
it, waiting for a ‘good time’, then realised that was never going to happen. The
story was bursting to get out so I decided to write it anyway!
The story is full of magic and mischief and mayhem – often
found in my picture books, so I found it really easy to find my voice.
Alison: You produce the ‘Writing for Children’ pages for Writing
Magazine. How did that come about?
Amy: Years ago I contacted them as these pages were no longer appearing.
I asked if they’d be interested in an article I’d written about picture books,
and they asked to make it into a three-part. It’s why I always encourage writers
to be cheeky and ask. You never know where it’ll lead! I’m also one of their
Creative Writing Tutors now and we’ve launched two book prizes together. We
make a good team.
Alison: Tell us a bit about the Picture Book Prize and newly
launched Chapter Book Prize and why you set them up?
Amy: The book prizes were set up after I talked to Writing
Magazine and my agent, Julia Churchill, about helping new writers break into
the industry. We’ve seen wonderful things happen for winners and listed writers,
including signing with agents or getting book deals. Really looking forward to
this year’s entries! www.amysparkes.co.uk/book-prizes/
Alison: You also run workshops for aspiring children’s authors.
How did you start doing those?
Amy: I first ran one at my local college years ago. I was
terrified when I started but soon loved it. Now I thoroughly enjoy working with
new and emerging talent. There’s news of my upcoming workshops on my website www.amysparkes.co.uk/events on Twitter
@AmySparkes or Facebook www.facebook.com/AmySparkesAuthor.
 |
| Amy at work, Photograph by Susie Tyler |
Alison: With school visits and other writing commitments too, how
do you juggle everything? What is your secret?
Amy: Heehee. That would be telling! No, I’m not sure there is a
secret, just the passion and determination to find the time and make it work.
It’s amazing what’s possible when you put your mind to it. I’m quite
disciplined – I don’t have time for writer’s block!
Alison: Is there any part of your work you enjoy the most?
Amy: It’s always fun meeting and encouraging the children. And it’s
equally enjoyable encouraging and motivating writers trying to break into the
industry.
From a writing aspect, I’m not a big planner, so I often drop
something random but significant, early on in the book, with no idea how it
will be resolved. I spontaneously choose the first words that leap into my mind
and by the end, there’ll be a brilliant way this throwaway phrase can be woven
into the story in a meaningful way. I so enjoyed doing this with Pirate
Blunderbeard, that I did it many times with The House At The Edge of Magic. Throw
something in – see how it works out. Great creative challenge.
Alison: What’s your proudest achievement?
Amy: There have been so many highlights, but right now, I’m
floating on The House At The Edge of Magic. I wrote the first draft in
4-minute bursts, while The Baby Who Never Napped grabbed a few minutes sleep.
There was a lot of raw energy and determination which went into it. The first
draft was (unsurprisingly) disjointed, but it was enough to work with.
Writing on the fringe of impossibility is an exciting thing
to do – and when it works and comes together, it’s magic.
Alison: What are your three top tips for submitting?
Amy: Proofread carefully. It makes a lot of difference.
Do your research - who are you approaching and why? Tell them!
As soon as you've submitted, take a quick break to recharge, then start work on something else. It'll distract you from waiting!
Alison: Thank you for a great interview, Amy. It's been inspiring.
Header photo: Amy Sparkes, photographed by Justin Irwin
**********************************
Amy Sparkes: https://www.amysparkes.co.uk/
@AmySparkes
Alison Padley-Woods is Words & Pictures' Deputy Illustration Features Editor. Alison used to work for Condé Nast’s Brides magazine. She now writes middle grade fiction and picture books and has been shortlisted and longlisted for several prizes including The Times/Chicken House Competition, Bath Children’s Novel Award and Writing Magazine’s Picture Book Prize.
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