Honor Cargill's Blog

Book 3!

We've just delivered the manuscript of the third book in the Waiting for Callback series to Simon & Schuster! EXHAUSTED. There'll be lots of editing work and it's not due out till next Spring but it feels so good to have got to this stage. It picks up right where Take Two ends (so quick, read that one first) and it ends... Sorry - I'm not going to tell you where it ends!

Emma Watson & That Photo

What's everyone feeling about the backlash? (booblash?? No that's not even a pun, it's just vaguely threatening). In case you missed it, Emma Watson was photographed for Vanity fair by Tim Walker with a bit of boob showing. The problem? Well, for some people that was inconsistent with her being a feminist... No wonder she was 'quietly stunned' - it was all a bit depressing. She dealt with it well - with laughter and conviction that her opinions matter more - but she shouldn't have had to be dealing with it at all.

World Book Day

One of the nicest things about World Book Day is that it's one day when nobody really cares which books kids are reading - just that they are reading. Nobody expects them to turn up dressed as a character from Dickens or Shakespeare (but then nobody would mind if they did). And even the ones that dress up as characters from films get away with it - it's still about stories. It's sweet and fun. I kind of miss getting dressed up - I had some epic Skellig wings that are probably still in the house somewhere...

Zoella - the press are sneering again...

So, according to a couple of recent pieces in the UK press, Zoella is responsible for a decline in teenage literacy rates. It's all down to 'peddling unchallenging fiction' and building a massive brand as a vlogger. Seriously? Starting up one of the biggest book clubs in the UK, getting books out there - her own and by other authors - is causing a decline in literacy? I don't think so. I have huge respect for Zoella. As far as I can see she works ridiculously hard putting material out there that people want to watch or read. That's how she's built a successful business. And the daily demands of vlogging must be intense. None of this stuff is easy. I couldn't even get the mini vid I did for our book in focus...

Our writing comp!

Hey guys! This is my very first blog for Good Reads! We've just published Waiting for Callback: Take Two and to celebrate we're running a writing competition. All the details are on the comps page of our website but in a nutshell we want entrants to have a go at writing for stage or screen - a short monologue or duologue and they choose the subject. We chose that format because it fits with the theme of our books (which follow the misadventures of a 15 year-old actress in training) but also just so that entrants could have fun experimenting with a form of writing that might be new to them.

I LOVE writing script format and dialogue. Have a go if you are within our age categories (10-13 or 14-16) or encourage your kids or students to enter! (We have poster packs for schools so if you want one just shout).

Hon x