Instagram:@lucydalgleishwriter
Lucy Dalgleish is originally from the Peak District but now lives in Wiltshire with her husband and two teenagers. She has an MA in Creative Writing from Bath Spa University, where she won the 2022 Janklow & Nesbit course prize. She also won the BPA Pitch Prize in 2022 and 2023, and has had several short stories published in anthologies. Lucy is particularly interested in women’s stories, especially those that explore times of transition, and in giving her female characters agency and power.
IAIP: What (or who!) encouraged you to enter the I Am Writing Commercial Fiction competition?
LD: I was six months into a new project and I was so excited about the concept and the hook I was impatient to get it out there. So when I spotted the competition which only required the first few thousands words, rather than a completely finished manuscript I knew I had to enter. Plus I’d never been on a writers retreat before, so the chance to win that was too good to miss.
IAIP: Can you tell us a bit about the book you entered and the inspiration behind it?
LD: My book is commercial women’s fiction, think Holly Bourne meets Rachel Joyce. It’s about a group of old university friends getting together for the first time in six years and something happens that changes all their lives. The idea actually came from a non-fiction book I read although I don’t want to say too much more at this stage! I’m still working on my first draft, currently around 70,000 words, and so it’s not in a place to start querying yet.
IAIP: Was this the first book you had attempted to write?
LD: No. I have three others in the drawer. One was written as part of my MA in Creative Writing. I also have a partially completed coming of age manuscript but then I had the idea for this book and so decided to shelve that one for now because this one was really calling to be written.
IAIP: What made you want to turn your hand to novel writing?
LD: It’s a cliché but I always wanted to write. At primary school I wrote a magazine about wildlife and conservation issues, laminated it and rented it out to raise money for charity. I once rewrote part of Alice in Wonderland because I thought my version would be better (spoiler alert: it wasn’t).
I also remember that at around 12 or 13 I wrote a list of things I wanted to achieve in life and one of them was to write a book. I had a few false starts in my 20’s, but it wasn’t until I had children and they were in school that I felt ready to commit to giving it a proper go.
IAIP: Where were you when you found out you had won the I Am Writing Commercial Fiction competition?
LD: I was at the dining table where I write! I was home alone, buzzing with excitement and no one here to tell. I had to re-read the email several times and also took a screen shot of the Instagram announcement because I couldn’t believe it.
IAIP: The prize included a meeting with literary agent, Hayley Steed. How did that go?
LD: It was fantastic, and so encouraging, especially as she really understood the concept, and we both had the same comps in mind and where it would sit on the shelves of a book store. I’ll definitely be submitting to Hayley when the book is ready.
IAIP: As part of our competition win you won our first ever prize with collaborators and sponsor Naxos Creative, and jetted off to the beautiful island of Naxos, Greece, for their How to be a Happy and Successful Author retreat. How has this experience helped you with your writing? Did you forge connections with other writers while you were there?
LD: Oh gosh, where to begin! It feels like a dream now. It was unlike any other course I’ve done – for a start no writing exercises. It was all about everything that goes alongside writing a book, beyond the commitment of words to a blank page. That included everything from the money aspect, traditional versus self publishing, the emotional and psychological components of writing, how to plan not just the plot, but also your time, and to celebrate every success, big and little.
I was so lucky to be with a fabulous group of women. I learnt so much from them. They were all so lovely and supportive. Everyone was at different stages of their writing journey which didn’t matter at all. We’ve got our WhatsApp group and hopefully some of us will meet up again in December.
Plus we had author Sophie Hannah leading the retreat, Elly James, literary agent at HHB Agency and Jamie Hodder-Williams from Bedford Square Publishing, who were so generous with their time, answering our endless questions beyond the official sessions, whether that was over coffee at breakfast time, or even at the very last minute as we were stepping off the ferry to come home.
We also found time for a little bit of sunbathing and the odd cocktail.
IAIP: What was your biggest takeaway from the retreat and would you recommend it to other writers?
LD: I think my biggest takeaway was the psychological shift, that I am a writer, to be confident about that and that to fulfil your book’s promise you have to have its main advocate, the passionate first believer. And to enjoy the process too, to savour the writing journey and be excited at each stage.
And yes – I would definitely recommend it.
IAIP: What have you learned about the publishing industry since you began your novel writing journey?
LD: So much! I used to think all I had to do was write a novel and then someone would publish it. Now, I understand why there are so many people involved, and what they all do and why it’s not as simple as you might think (such as getting an agent, although a massive step forward, is still no guarantee of getting published). I understand what agents are looking for and that you have to know your hook, your concept, your readers, and you have to be able to pitch it well. The more I discover about the publishing industry the more I realise I don’t know very much.
IAIP: What advice would you give to aspiring writers looking to improve their writing and find an agent?
LD: Get a support network in place. I think connection with other writers is vital as it can get lonely. I never used to let anyone read my work. But now I have a writing group I can ask when I”m stuck on a knotty plot problem, plus I have beta readers. Short courses or day long workshops are also brilliant. They’re a good way to meet people. Plus of course, there’s I Am In Print with agent 1-2-1 meetings for advice on submissions
IAIP: Do you have any tips on entering a competition?
LD: I think I’ve had my best results when I haven’t over thought it – you have to do it and feel the fear anyway. And don’t panic if you enter and then spot a typo, as I did, it’s not the end of the world – the writing will speak for itself.
Instagram: @lucydalgleishwriter