This post was originally published at Novelicious.com and is now at WritingTipsOasis.com. WritingTipsOasis.com acquired Novelicious.com in June 2022.
By Kate Appleton
On Tuesday, following a small crowd to the secret garden of Shoreditch House’s sixth floor – past the gym, private members’ bar and outdoor swimming pool, thank you very much – my companion and I were met by the Half Bad launch party and… a male model in a cage, naturally.
I hadn’t read the book, but author Sally Green told me this was an incredibly symbolic and central part to the story. In the book, Nathan is placed in a cage for two years by the white witches of the community while they decide his fate. Nathan’s dad is the baddest of the black witches so the white witches don’t trust his true nature.
While enjoying the canapes and cocktails, we listened to a speech from Sally Green who came across as extremely humble, and also very inspiring. Having started her professional career in accountancy before moving on to motherhood (children and chickens), she had become rather bored of her routine. One day, to battle the boredom, she began writing. An afternoon hobby soon turned into an obsession and a very, very long novel. Considering herself an amatuer, Sally enrolled in a creative writing course and proceeded to edit and evolve her story until it become a professional, character-driven manuscript.
After receiving a host of rejections, it was finally purchased by Puffin and Viking in the USA – both part of the Penguin Group – and this triggered a snowball effect as agents and publishers caught on to her unique voice.
Although her book has not yet been officially released, the rights have already been bought by 20th Century Fox and will be produced by the brains behind the Twilight film franchise. Finishing her speech, Sally likened her whole experience to winning the lottery; you play the game but you never really expect to win, she said.
The evening was rounded off with more wine, and an invitation into Nathan’s cage to receive a copy of Half Bad. This was slightly disconcerting as he wouldn’t speak, so I ended up grabbing the book mumbling ‘sorry you’re in a cage’ before hot footing it out of there and off to get it signed by the lovely Sally.
All in all, a very delightful evening!
Half Bad by Sally Green will be released in March 2014.