DEBUT JOURNEYS Sarah Harrison
Where are you now and where did you write your book?
I’m currently in my writing shed, known as the Witch Hut, sitting in a comfy armchair surrounded by books, and amongst other oddities, a giant skeleton-spider called Deadlob perched on the back of my chair. I always have lots of snacks at hand and drink endless cups of tea when I'm in here.
What’s it all about? (Your book, that is!)
School of Doom is a middle-grade adventure about 12-year-old Eddie, who was raised on earth but isn’t exactly human, and after failing to fit into the human world is sent to the School of Doom in one of the seven outer realms to learn how to be the worst. But Eddie doesn’t want to be bad, and neither do her new monstrous friends.
But when Eddie’s life is in danger from an unknown villain, she and her friends (along with Crawkus the chaotic gargodog) must figure out who it is, all while trying to save their school from a horrible school inspector who is determined to shut it down.
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| Cover image of School of Doom, by Sarah Harrison. Cover design by Steve Wells. |
Tell us about your route to publication.
It’s been a long road to publication. I started writing 15 years ago, finishing my first manuscript after almost 4 years while juggling work and family life. I sent it out to agents with no luck, because it really was the most awfully written book – absolutely terrible. But I learned a lot from writing it, mainly that I need to plot – or at least know the end then I can figure out how to get there.
Two more books followed, and with the third I started getting positive feedback and full requests, but after 8 years of querying I still had no solid interest. Writing School of Doom felt different – I felt like I’d finally found my voice and I just had fun with it. When I finished it in 2022, I entered the Times / Chicken House competition and couldn’t believe it when I actually won, knowing my book would one day be in a bookshop.
What do you do when you’re not writing?
When I’m not writing I do a lot of sewing, reading, and spending time with my family and pets, and I love going on adventures in our little campervan (I always take a notebook in case I think up a new scene, or a shiny new idea surfaces).
What was the biggest bump in the road when it came to getting your book out into the world and how did you overcome it?
The biggest hurdle was the many rejections and struggling with self-doubt over the years. I didn’t know any other writers and hadn’t done any creative writing courses, but somewhere deep inside I believed I could one day get better if I kept going. Thankfully I’m very stubborn.
Any tips for budding writers hoping to follow in your footsteps?
The best advice I can give is to be your authentic self. If you’re weird, be weird. If you’re serious or sombre, pour it into your work. Be witty, silly, strange, clever, just be you. Use everything you love. Use things you find funny, frightening, annoying, and it will turn out to be something you’ll end up loving (eventually).
Oh, and don’t take other people’s advice too seriously – find what works for you and keep at it till you’ve written ‘The End.’ You can always fix it later, no matter how bad your first draft is.
What surprised you most about your launch?
The most surprising thing was how relaxed I was when the book launched. I’m not someone who gets overly stressed out by things, but considering I had so many events, school visits, and bookshop signings, which was all new to me, I was very calm about it all. I was also very tired after a couple of months!
What’s next for you?
I'm currently working on a couple of new ideas – both middle-grade standalones. I’m hoping to send them over to my agent very soon!
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Sarah Harrison lives in Lancashire with her husband, two sons, and many pets. When she’s not reading Terry Pratchett novels she enjoys roller skating, listening to loud rock and heavy metal music, repeatedly watching Gilmore Girls or Buffy the Vampire Slayer, never refuses tea or chocolate, and loves having adventures in her little red camper van.
Follow her on Instagram, Threads, X or BlueSky.
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