Stacey Thomas: 'Keep going even when you realise that the draft you’ve spent months or years writing isn’t the one'
BY Katie Smart
27th Sep 2022
Stacey Thomas won the Clare Mackintosh Novel-Writing Scholarship in 2021, which awarded her a free place on our six-month Writing Your Novel course and one-to-one mentoring with bestselling novelist Clare Mackintosh. Now Stacey has a two-book deal and her scholarship-winning novel The Revels will be published by HQ in July 2023.
We spoke to Stacey about her time studying with us, her advice for budding writers looking to apply for scholarships, and the 17th-century witch hunts that inspired her debut novel.
You were awarded the Clare Mackintosh Scholarship and won a free place on our six-month Writing Your Novel course in 2021. How did your time studying with us impact your approach to writing?
One of the best things I learnt while on the CBC course was to slow down. It’s easy to feel as though you’re trailing behind when others on the course are further ahead with their drafts. Rather than try to play catch-up, I slowed down to really absorb the regular feedback I received from my wonderful tutors Cathi Unsworth and Simon Wroe and the writers on my course. This approach made me a more intentional writer which proved invaluable when it came to editing my manuscript.
What tips would you like to give budding writers who are thinking of applying to a scholarship place or similar opportunity?
Go for it! I applied for the Clare Mackintosh scholarship with no real expectation of winning, just a small hope that the judging panel might see something in my application worth taking a chance on. Studying with CBC made a better writer, while the mentoring I received from the wonderful Clare Mackintosh was influential in navigating the crazy world of publishing in general. I’d also advised you to be persistent. I was previously shortlisted for another CBC scholarship before winning the Clare Mackintosh scholarship. A ‘no’ now doesn’t mean a ‘no’ forever.
Many of our students find lifelong writing friends on our courses. Are you still in touch with anyone you met during the course?
Yes, I’m still in touch with the people I met on the course. We actually met up last year for a weekend away at the allegedly haunted Newcourt Manor in Herefordshire. We’ve formed a Whatsapp group since the course ended and regularly support and cheer each other on.
Your debut novel The Revels will be published by HQ in July 2023, the story follows a witchfinder’s apprentice in 17th century England. Can you tell us a bit more about the novel and the inspiration behind it?
The Revels follows Nicholas Pearce, who must avoid the suspicions of his witch-hunting master. However, love and lethal rivalries with other witch-hunters threaten to throw him off-course. Will he survive the fall?
I’ve always been fascinated by the 17th century witch-hunts. However, it wasn’t until I read about Matthew Hopkins that I was inspired to write my novel. While people did genuinely believe in the supernatural, there were others who used this belief for their own gain. Hopkins was only in his early twenties when he took up witch-hunting, even assuming the fake title of Witchfinder General to assert his authority. He was completely shameless in promoting himself and if he were alive today I could imagine becoming a modern day swindler in the vein of ‘Inventing Anna’ and ‘The Tindler Swindler.’ My book isn’t about Matthew Hopkins, but through my male protagonist I explore the ways in which witch-hunters exploited people’s paranoia to further their own ambitions.
You drew on real stories from victims of the English witch-hunts and the real-life witchfinders. How did you set about gathering your historical research?
I have a very messy approach to gathering historical research which is to read as much as possible (courtesy of my library’s postal loan system which was a life-saver during the first lockdown), write it all down, and then comb through hundreds of pages of notes until I find the most relevant bits for my story. I researched the period and the witch-hunts before starting The Revels and continued to research while writing it. I hope to be more organised for future books, but I’m pretty sure it’s a lost cause.
Who is your favourite fictional character of all time?
My favourite fictional character is Raymond Marks from Willy Russell’s epistolary novel The Wrong Boy. I was a teenager when I first read it with a soft spot for fictional outsiders. Years later, I still have a soft spot for outsiders and Raymond Marks remains my favourite due to his relatability even while he experiences the most heart-breaking situations.
What does a typical day of writing look like for you?
I don’t have a typical writing day as I have a day job. In the past I’d make these really ambitious writing schedules where I’d try (and fail) to write every day. I’ve learnt to be kinder to myself by outlining my ideas during the week so that I can have more focused writing sessions on the weekends.
What advice would you like to share with the aspiring authors reading this?
Before The Revels, I had a book that died in the querying trenches. I was close to giving up, until I realized I couldn’t abandon my dream until I wrote the book I’d been too hesitant to write before. My advice to aspiring authors is to keep going even when you realise that the draft you’ve spent months or years writing isn’t the one. You need to keep going as eventually you’ll write the book that is the one and hopefully things will fall into place.
Finally, what’s next for your writing journey?
At the moment, my editor and I are still putting the finishing touches on Book 1. However, I’ve also started the research for Book 2. I can’t say too much as I’m in still in that weird stage where the sub-plots can change in the space of an afternoon, but I’ll leave you with these four hints: a 1950’s background, a supernatural touch, twins, and debutants. If you’re eager to hear more, follow me on Twitter (@Staceyv_Thomas).
Pre-order the UK edition of The Revels (out 2023).
Explore the scholarships and free opportunities we currently have open for application as part of our Breakthrough Writers’ Programme for under-represented writers.