India Holton on the Inspiration for The Secret Service of Tea and Treason

Inspiration is a funny thing. It can come to us like a lightning bolt, through the lyrics of a song, or in the fog of a dream. Ask any writer where their stories come from and you’ll get a myriad of answers, and in that vein I created the WHAT (What the Hell Are you Thinking?) interview. 

Today’s guest for the WHAT is India Holton, author of The Secret Service of Tea and Treason, the story of two rival spies who must brave pirates, witches, and fake matrimony to save the Queen.

Ideas for our books can come from just about anywhere, and sometimes even we can’t pinpoint exactly how or why. Did you have a specific origin point for your book?

The Secret Service of Tea and Treason originated with the character of Daniel Bixby, who was the hero’s butler in The League of Gentlewomen Witches. I hadn’t intended him to be anything more than a bit player, but then he walked into a scene with his deadpan attitude and his sexy glasses, and I was instantly smitten. Plus the gossip network of servants to which he belonged intrigued me, if you’ll pardon the pun. 

Once the original concept existed, how did you build a plot around it?

This is the most fun part of the writing process! When I have a concept, I first create a blurb for it, which is just a few lines capturing the heart of what I want to tell. If it’s impactful, I know I’m onto something. Then I write a synopsis of the plot. I work on this for quite a while, layering in hooks and character arcs until I have a comprehensive overview of the story that still gives me breathing space while writing. This approach helps me see very quickly if a plot is engaging and will hold its momentum.

Another thing I find helpful is to have a few scenes vividly in mind so I’m sure my imagination as well as my intellect are up to the job. Ironically, the scene that I used as a foundation for Tea and Treason’s plot ended up being just one line in the book!

Have you ever had the plot firmly in place, only to find it changing as the story moved from your mind to paper?

Always! This is why I use the synopsis method rather than a detailed plan. It’s like having a blueprint of a house and then being free to decorate each room, maybe even take down a wall or two. For example, the main characters in Tea and Treason, true to their rule-obeying nature, tried to follow the synopsis nicely, but the side characters went off on tangents, created unexpected twists, and generally had a field day with my ideas.    

Do story ideas come to you often, or is fresh material hard to come by?

They used to come thick and fast, but these days they’ve slowed right down, probably because I’ve developed a better sense of what ideas will work as a novel. This is a relief, because having a wealth of stories you can’t wait to write is less fun than it sounds! 

How do you choose which story to write next, if you’ve got more than one percolating?

I look at my body of work thus far and what I want to do with my brand going forward. I consider the market and consult with my agent. Then I make a rational decision wild guess based on that. 

I have 6 cats and a Dalmatian (seriously, check my Instagram feed) and I usually have at least one or two snuggling with me when I write. Do you have a writing buddy, or do you find it distracting?

I’m not able to have pets in my current home so unfortunately am catless for the first time in my life, which is a sore trial to me. Writing goes so much more easily when you have a purring ball of fluff curled up on your lap. On the other hand, I recently puppy-sat for a couple of weeks and barely got any work done. Puppies and writing are not a productive mix! 

National bestselling author India Holton lives in New Zealand, where she grew up running barefoot around islands, wandering forests, and messing about in boats. She writes historical fantasy romcoms featuring unconventional women and charming rogues. Both her books have been Indie bestsellers, Amazon Editors Picks, and featured on several Best Of lists. The Wisteria Society of Lady Scoundrels was a New York Times Notable Book of 2021. India's writing is fuelled by tea and thunderstorms.

Kathie Giorgio on How To Handle Writing The Hard Stuff

By: Kathie Giorgio

“You say what you want to say when you don't care who's listening.”

― Allen Ginsberg

When you ask writers why they write what they write, you will get as many answers as there are to the question, “What is the meaning of life?” We writers write for every reason imaginable, and some of us change those reasons with every project, while others gnaw at the same bone our whole life through. 

And then there are writers like me, who basically just can’t keep our mouths shut.

I’ve been called a “dark” writer, a “disturbing” (thank goodness not “disturbed”) writer, a “fearless” writer, an “honest” writer. Of them all, I like “honest” best. I tend to write about the things that people have very strong feelings about – and consequently, if they see something that defies that, they get angry.

I’ve written about abuse and infidelity, rape, and especially the treatment of women involved in all of these. In my nonfiction, I wrote about being assaulted by a man in a Make America Great Again hat, a few days after Trump’s inauguration. Most recently, I’ve written about suicide, not about the people left behind, but about how those who choose to end their own lives feel, and how they are treated. 

There have been times I’ve wished I could be a “light” writer, and some of my favorite writers are exactly that. But I find that what most often makes me run for my computer is something that twists my heart and my psyche, and I write about it in order to find out more, to learn, which is what I hope my readers do too. And ultimately, I write to help.

There are some drawbacks to this, of course. These are things you have to learn to deal with, if you’re going to do this kind of writing. First, look at how I am described as a writer, that I just listed above. Hearing yourself called dark and disturbing is…disturbing. You may question why you write such things, why you’re interested in them, and I’ve certainly done a lot of that. And sometimes, it’s right in your face. I was teaching once at a writing conference, and I happened to be close by the book-selling table when I saw a woman pick up my novel, Rise From The River. This book is about a young single mother who is raped, and it covers the issue of 39 of our states giving the rapist and his family more rights than the victim. Someone standing next to the woman who was looking at my book said, “Oh, you should get that. I’ve read it, and it’s amazing!” The woman put the book back down. “No,” she said. “It’s just too dark.” And she wiped her hand on her jeans like she’d been holding something dirty.

That hurt. And these things will hurt. I write, and other controversial writers write, with a sense of sincerely wanting to shed light on something, usually something that needs to be changed. So to be treated as part of the problem, and not part of the answer, can be difficult. So what do you do?

You do your best to not remember the woman who put your book down, and remember all those that picked it up. 

That’s a universal problem, it seems, across the board of writers. From the writers I know, to the writers I teach, to myself, it is somehow much easier to remember the rejections and insults than it is to remember the acceptances and praise. You might have to print out some of these good comments and keep them somewhere where you can readily see them. 

And you always need to remember your motivation. You don’t write to hurt; you write to help, and to try to make the hurt go away.

Another issue that arises when you write about controversial issues is, in a sense, battle fatigue. Writers sink into their characters. We are immersed in them. When we’re not writing, the characters follow us around and tap us often on the back, reminding us there’s a story to be told. But when you have a “dark” story to tell, it’s very possible to start feeling pretty dark yourself. 

The solution? Take a break. Write something else entirely different. Don’t write at all. Spend a week reading nothing but comic strips. Walk in the sun. Hug your favorite person. Let them hug you. 

And then remind yourself that you’re a good person and get back to it. 

If you’re writing about controversial issues, you’re doing so because you care. Because you want to make a difference, because you want to help. You want change. And the most important thing about writing on these topics is to keep doing it. To keep reminding yourself of your motivation. You aren’t writing for shock value (some writers are), you aren’t writing for attention (some writers are), and you aren’t writing to hurt someone (some writers are). The most important thing to do when writing about controversial issues is to be true to yourself. Remember who you are and why you’re writing. 

And then just keep going. 

Kathie Giorgio is the author of seven novels, two story collections, an essay collection, and four poetry collections. Her latest novel, Hope Always Rises, will be released on February 28, 2023. She’s been nominated for the Pushcart Prize in fiction and poetry and awarded the Outstanding Achievement Award from the Wisconsin Library Association, the Silver Pen Award for Literary Excellence, the Pencraft Award for Literary Excellence, and the Eric Hoffer Award In Fiction. Her poem “Light” won runner-up in the 2021 Rosebud Magazine Poetry Prize.  In a recent column, Jim Higgins, the books editor of the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel, listed Giorgio as one of the top 21 Wisconsin writers of the 21st century. Kathie is also the director and founder of AllWriters’ Workplace & Workshop LLC, an international creative writing studio. 

The Saturday Slash

Don't be afraid to ask for help with the most critical first step of your writing journey - the query.

I’ve been blogging since 2011 and have critiqued over 200 queries here on the blog using my Hatchet of Death. This is how I edit myself, it is how I edit others. If you think you want to play with me and my hatchet, shoot me an email.

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My thoughts are in blue, words to delete are in red, suggested rephrasing is in orange.

I read on your Publisher's Marketplace website that you are seeking YA and fantasy submissions. I am seeking representation for my YA fantasy novel, WITCH PATROL. It’s a romantic fantasy with a word count of 68,8944. Given your interest in YA fantasy, I hope it might be a good fit for you. The book is the first in a series. Good job personalizing with the PW shoutout, but I encourage authors to put title, word count, etc., at the bottom. Everyone has those - start with what only you have - your hook. Also, round that word count up to 70k. And - I'm sure you've probably heard this - but you're better suited to have a stand alone with series potential than trying to pitch a series, especially in YA fantasy, which is an overcrowded genre and age category at the moment.

Teenage girl Gwenn Cosmis is a witch who saved humans from the demons accidentally conjured by their selfish desires. "saved" or "saves?" The past tense removes any sense of tension She lives with her dad, James. James spends most of his time looking for Gwenn’s mother, Athena, another witch who also helped humans as Gwenn did. Again the past tense isn't doing you any favors Before James leaves to track down a possible lead on Athena’s disappearance, he asks his daughter to check out some demonic activity. While inspecting a portal that a demon has come through, she meets supernatural beings Scorpius Raven, the creator of the Witch Patrol, and Rebecca Rodin, a member of the Witch Patrol with an ability to track demons.

Right now this is reading more like a synopsis than a query. You're doing a step by step through the plot, rather than giving an overview of the concept. For example, everything above could be collapsed into a statement that Gwenn has a supernatural role that she's stepped into after her mother disappeared (obviously I'm guessing at that detail, but you get the picture). When her dad leaves to track down mom, Gwinn stumbles across a portal and meets these people. You're spending too much time feeding details and not getting the bigger picture across.

James doesn’t call Gwenn later that night to let her know he’s okay, a tradition that Gwenn has come to depend on. Now, she assumes the worst and must ask Scorpius for the Witch Patrol’s help to find her parents. What is Scorpius like? What does Gwinn think of him and Rebecca? Are the a threat? A friend? Unsure?

Having been brought up by James believing she and Athena were the only supernatural beings, Are witches supernatural beings? Or are they humans with paranormal talents and abilities? Gwenn must now come to terms with the fact that there are others like her. How does she feel about that? Some of them hide in another realm, kidnapping teenage girls in London while waiting for their return to power. Why would they do this? What's the point? Is Gwinn in danger? Sirius Raven, Scorpius' twin brother, asks the Witch Patrol to investigate the kidnappings. Is Gwinn involved in this? What is she doing? She's the main character but it doesn't seem like she's actually doing anything While doing so, Gwenn meets the first supernatural being who needs her help to destroy the evil.What's that being? What evil? Rightfully called The First,The first? Of what? she also believes that the kidnapper is holding Athena hostage.

WITCH PATROL will appeal to readers of a Wicked Magic by Sasha Laurens and When We Were Magic by Sarah Gailey.

You definitely need to bring all of this together into a more cohesive whole. Dad kind of falls off the page, and I don't have a clear idea of what Gwinn's "job" is, why teenage girls (plus her mom) are being kidnapped, and what "the evil's" goal is. We need a clear statement of what our MC needs / wants (her mom?) what the obstacle is, and how she's going to overcome it. Right now this is a pretty vague - there are bad guys, and good guys, and Gwinn is special. That could be any fantasy YA, ever.

I have an Associate’s Degree in Writing. In 2020, 45 Women’s Magazine Literary Journal published one of my poems. In 2020, Witch Patrol was accepted for the Independent Storyteller Program on the Tales Creator website. I'm also an artist, frequently drawing my characters. My Deviant Art account has over 1,000 page views, and is the best website to see all of my pictures.

The bio is good, but I wouldn't bother with the Deviant Art mention. It's cool, but likely you aren't going to be providing your own illustrations or cover art, so it's not worth the mention.