CREATIVE SECRETS Camilla Chester

To discover how others are working, Loretta Flockhart speaks to writers and illustrators about their creative spaces, processes and inspirations. This month we hear from writer Camilla Chester.

Camilla Chester is a dog walker who writes for children. She is the author of the Crystal Kite winning book, Call Me Lion, published by Firefly Press, and three self-published novels for children. Camilla writes for online school resources, Serial Mash and Fiction Express and works freelance for Writers & Artists. 

Camilla believes in the power of reading for pleasure and the importance of empathy and representation. When not writing, she can often be found with horses and/or dogs and is usually up for an adventure.

What’s your ideal creative space and where do you usually end up working?

 
I’m living the dream now after a lifetime of writing anywhere. I finally have an actual piece of heaven in which to write. We’ve redesigned our small garden to include a home office pod. With a large monitor, fancy chair and adjustable desk so you can stand, the pod is set up to work from home.

 

Camilla in her new home office pod

My mindset changes when I enter the space. I’m more motivated and less distracted by domestic life. My dog Stanley often comes with me. He is non-judgemental and loves it when I share. He thinks everything I do is amazing. We all need a Stanley!

When do you do your best work, or feel most inspired?

As I’ve got older I’ve changed from a night owl to a lark. However, after discovering the power of sprints a few years ago I can be productive day or night.

For me, not all of the production of a book is writing itself. There’s a lot of ‘mulling it over’ that usually takes place walking with the dogs, or talking things through with other writers, while reading, even when I’m supposed to be concentrating on something else entirely.

All this supposed procrastination is actually an important part of the process. Don’t diss the procrastination – your brain needs to wander!

Call Me Lion, by Camilla Chester

Where do your ideas come from?

 
This is a favourite question and I loved listening to Sara Grant answer it. She has a dry sense of humour and said there was a shop in London where you could pay a fiver and get an idea. This in itself is a fantastic idea, for a story.

 
Ideas come from living my life; the people I meet, the experiences I have, the thoughts when something happens, podcasts, books, films or TV. The key is knowing what will give me enough content and interest to sustain a compelling story.

 

Camilla's home office pod

For example, the idea for Darna’s Sky (never published) came from a visit to the underbelly of Marina Bay Sands, a huge hotel complex in Singapore. I literally saw Darna poking her head out between the racks and racks of uniforms and thought, she has never seen the sky. It was all tied up with the horrible systems in Singapore for migrant workers — there is usually some slight underlying sadness to my stories even though they are focussed on the joy of the world. Darna’s Sky was a wonderful story which was a finalist in Mslexia 2019. It will have its day. One day!

What are your favourite tools for writing?

When I write I use Scrivener. However, I use lots of other tools and I magpie other authors methods. For example, at the moment I am creating a scrapbook alongside my WIP because I met Tom Palmer and saw his scrapbook that he created for Angel of Grasmere.

I use my voice memo app on my phone, reading my work aloud and playing it back. This helps me spot things I need to change. I stole an idea from my friend Sue Wallman about indexing my notebooks. This is incredibly useful and has saved me hours of searching for things I have noted from workshops, retreats, conferences etc.

 

Indexing notebooks for reference 

How far into a new project do you feel comfortable sharing your ideas?

 

From the very beginning, because that’s how I work. I share and get all kinds of new thoughts and ideas from other people which help shape my WIP. I definitely couldn’t do it on my own and although the words I write seem to come from me, they don’t really. Certainly not with Call Me Lion, that’s for sure!

 

Sharing the writing is different, for that I have learned to pick carefully both person and stage. My agent, Veronique Baxter, is often too busy to be editorial, but she always finds someone at DHA to help me shape the story.

 

I’m also blessed with an array of talented writer friends who are wonderful at critiquing. The whole process of writing and publishing a book is a collaboration, and for me that starts from the moment an idea begins to form.

Camilla and a notebook

Do you work in the same way for each project and proposal?

 

I like to get things done and I’m not keen on long-term projects hanging around getting stale. I’ve tried writing for adults and YA but I think this is why it’s not worked for me — the length of the project feels like it drags on. I get bored, it shows in my writing and the reader gets bored! Short, sharp and to the point is much more my style.

This is how I approach all my writing. I see each ‘thing' as a project and once I start on it I like to plough ahead rather than tinker. That’s why I use Scrivener, it means I can break longer projects down into scenes and write a scene at a time. I have to have that sense of completion. That is my dopamine hit – like ticking a task off a to do list — bliss. 

Camilla's self published books

Why do you write children’s books?

 

For so many reasons and not because they are shorter and quicker to produce. Books and words are powerful things that can genuinely shape lives. I take this very seriously. I believe that I’m part of something bigger — a movement, if you like, trying to spread compassion, empathy and understanding through stories.

 

Also, I love going into schools. For me it’s the whole ‘Children’s Author’ package that feels like a total privilege. I am very grateful that I get to do what I love.

*Header image: Ell Rose and Tita Berredo; 

all other images courtesy of Camilla Chester 

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For more about Camilla and her books, visit her website: www.camillachester.com, or on social media @camillacauthor

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Loretta Flockhart is the Creative Secrets editor for Words & Pictures. You can find her on X/Twitter @lolajflo

 

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Ell Rose is the Illustration Features Editor of Words & Pictures. Contact them at illustrators@britishscbwi.org 

Tita Berredo is the Illustrator Coordinator of SCBWI British Isles and the Art Director of Words & Pictures. Contact her at: illuscoordinator@britishscbwi.org