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A Conversation with Sarah Raughley, a Teen & Young Adult Author
Sarah Raughley is the Nigerian-Canadian author of the Effigies series and the Bones of Ruin trilogy. An AuroraAward finalist, Raughley is also an English pro-fessor and public intellectual who has written for journals such as the Walrus, CBC, and Teen Vogue.
Sarah Raughley grew up in Southern Ontario writing stories about freakish little girls with powers because she secretly wanted to be one. She is a huge fangirl of anything from manga to scifi/fantasy TV to Japanese role-playing games, but she will swear up and down at book signings that she was inspired by Jane Austen.
Sarah has been nominated for the Aurora Award for Best Young Adult novel and works in the community doing writing workshops for youths and adults. On top of being a YA writer, Sarah has a PhD in English, which makes her doctor, so it turns out she didn’t have to go to medical school after all. As an academic, Sarah has taught at McMaster University and acted as a postdoctoral fellow at The University of Ottawa. Her research concerns representations of race and gender in popular media culture, youth culture and postcolonialism.
Let’s get started with a quick rapid fire.
Q1. If you could be transformed into one mythological creature, which one would you choose?
A unicorn so I can poke people with my horn.
Q2. What time do you usually go to bed at night?
6am. I am an owl.
Q3. What are the least-likely three words someone would use to describe you?
Independent, free, unchained.
Q4. Where did you go on your last vacation?
My local bookstore I don’t have vacations.
Q5. Would you rather find your dream job or win the lottery? You can’t do both.
Lottery. Please put in a good word for me.
Q6. What is one thing you regret spending money on?
BTS tickets (just kidding).
Q7. What object do you misplace or lose the most?
My keys.
Q8. If you were a spy, what would be your codename?
Agent Frumpsy.
Q9. What secret about the universe would you most want to learn?
Why are people dumb?
Q10. What never fails to make you laugh?
People being dumb.
Q11. What was one “before” and “after” in your life?
Before Gossip Girl, After Dair.
Q12. What do you think people misunderstand about you?
I’m actually joking about everything.
It’s time for a more detailed conversation, Sarah.
You’ve answered our rapid fire so well, Sarah. Now, it’s time for our readers to know more about the person behind the book.
Q. Tell us about your journey.
I’ve grown up in Ontario, Canada and I’ve always been a storyteller. I think because my big brothers introduced me to comic books, video games, manga and anime my tastes were very grandiose. I loved epic stories. It wasn’t until I was in university that I started to think maybe I can publish something. My first few books didn’t sell even with an agent. But slowly but surely I started to put work out there.
Q. So, what books have you read more than once in your life?
Probably the Babysitters Club. But to be honest, I tend to move on from books. If I’ve already read them, I have the story in my head already. I want to read something new. Discover a new world to immerse myself in.
Q. Interesting. Who has been the biggest supporter of your writing?
I think my oldest brother has been the biggest supporter. He’s always been a sounding board for my story ideas and, being a storyteller himself, loves to geek out with me over certain ideas or let me know about what he’s working on. Right now, he’s a gaming streamer on YouTube.
Q. Do you hide any secrets in your books that only a few people will find?
There are some Easter Eggs from my first trilogy, The Effigies Series, my second trilogy, The Bones of Ruin. They’re so tiny, it’ll probably be tough to find unless you’re really locked in lol. But I encourage people to try to spot them!
Q. Now comes the most anticipated question that every author must answer. How do you process and deal with negative book reviews?
They really used to get me down. Then I realized that certain book review sites kind of have it out for BIPOC authors and I stopped caring. People, I think, whether they realize it or not, are harder on BIPOC authors, especially the B and I parts of the phrase. It’s important not to let it get you down. Take the helpful criticism and leave the rest.
Q. What comes first for you — the plot or the characters — and why?
I think you can’t have plot without characters since it’s the characters who take action for a specific reason. Then again, you may come up with characters in the first place because you have a kernel of a plot in mind. I think it’s an organic process.
Q. How do you develop your plot and characters?
I like using Freytag’s Pyramid and the Three Act Structure, at least to get me going to plot out my story. Then I use character sheets to build out my characters. But that’s just to get me started. As I write, everything may get flipped on its head and I have to be prepared for it!
Q. So, now, about your book. Talk to us about it. No major spoilers.
The Queen’s Spade is a book set in the 19th century, a reimagining of Sarah Forbes Bonetta, the real life African princess and goddaughter of England’s Queen Victoria. In my story she’s out for revenge against the elite that turned her into a political puppet. It’s a historical thriller with lots of scheming and people dying.
Q. What part of the book did you enjoy the most while writing?
I loved Sarah’s internal dialogue. Writing her feminine rage was cathartic and it was really cool to write a chess master-type character who’s always trying to be one step ahead of everyone. It meant I had to be creative, scheme-y and on my game too.
Q. What is your kryptonite as a writer?
Self-doubt. Sometimes I’ll stop entire projects because I suddenly start fretting. Will this sell? Will people like it? Will it die on sub? Will it get censored or banned? Does my writing suck? I have to learn to stop worrying and just write and see what happens.
Q. Would you and your main character get along in real life?
I’d be scared of Sarah lmao. I’d respect the hell out of her, but I’m too much of an insecure softy. I’m sure she’d take me under her wing and I’d learn to be unabashedly bad ass like her.
Q. What is your writing process like? Are you more of a plotter or a pantser?
Definitely a plotter. I hate when things don’t make sense. I want to work out the kinks sooner rather than later, but somehow even if you plot, the kinks still come. Over-plotting can be just as much of an issue as under-plotting!
Q. Let’s talk about the process of writing. Do you do research while writing a book to add more authenticity? What kind of research?
I research a lot before and during. Especially for The Queen’s Spade, which is historical, I wanted it to be historically accurate. I wanted it to feel like, this is what it would actually be like for a Black upper class woman in 19th century Britain as opposed to a color-blind Bridgeton approach (as much as I love that series).
Q. What was your hardest scene to write?
There’s a séance scene that was really trippy because there are so many political subplots happening at once. Those kinds of scenes that do the heavy lifting of carrying forward multiple threads are always going to be the toughest.
Q. Well, this has been great. Now, before we wrap this up, do you have any suggestions to help someone become a better writer? If so, what are they?
You can’t be a good writer without reading a whole ton. You need to get a feel for what sounds, feels and reads like good writing. You can only do that by reading a lot of books, short stories, poems, flash fiction and whatever else you can get your hands on.
UPDATE:- Her book, The Queen’s Spade will be available on Amazon starting January 14, 2025.
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