Landing her first publishing deal is the realisation of a long-held dream for Jan Juc writer Miranda Luby.<\/p>\n
It was a watershed moment for the former journalist when she answered a call from a senior editor at Text Publishing who saw something special in her work.<\/p>\n
Miranda admits she was overcome with emotion at being told a manuscript she submitted for a writing prize was destined to become her debut novel.<\/p>\n
\u201cGetting that phone call felt very satisfying and very surreal,\u201d Miranda recalls, adding that she was offered the book deal despite not winning the Text Prize.<\/p>\n
\u201cI was proud, because I’ve worked so hard for it, but it also felt like I must be dreaming.<\/p>\n
\u201cMy first thought was, ‘I can’t believe I\u00a0actually\u00a0did it!’.\u201d<\/p>\n
Miranda\u2019s novel is aimed at teenage readers and is a contemporary, coming-of-age story.<\/p>\n
\u201cMy main character, 16-year-old Sarah, is determined to leave her old life behind when she is rejected by the guy she likes and moves to London with her family,\u201d Miranda explains.<\/p>\n
\u201cBut in her new friendships she becomes embroiled in a complex web of bullying and the mystery of an unlikely stalker, and slowly realises she can’t outrun her past or herself.\u201d<\/p>\n
Miranda says the working title for the book is Therefore I Am<\/em> \u2013 a reference to philosophy, which Sarah uses to try and solve her problems.<\/p>\n The novel is likely to hit bookshop shelves in late 2021 or early 2022 following the usual lengthy editing process.<\/p>\n The 32-year-old laughs as she thinks back to her earliest attempts at fiction writing.<\/p>\n \u201cI vividly remember copying out chapters of books like The Baby-Sitters Club<\/em> and pretending to everyone that I had written them myself,\u201d she concedes.<\/p>\n \u201cI think this memory speaks to the fact that it took me a long time to build the confidence to really back my own writing.<\/p>\n \u201cIn Year 4 I wrote a short story about my stuffed teddy bears coming to life and Year 10 saw the creation of a crime novella in which all of my friends were murdered.<\/p>\n \u201cYou’ve got to start somewhere!\u201d.<\/p>\n It seems creative success runs in the family.<\/p>\n Miranda\u2019s brother, Hayden James, is a successful musician who has played sold-out venues worldwide, amassed more than half a billion streams and produced tracks for Katy Perry.<\/p>\n His work ethic and determination has certainly rubbed off.<\/p>\n \u201cSeeing first-hand the dedication and courage it can take to pursue\u00a0a creative dream and be successful has taught me not to give up during challenging times,\u201d Miranda says.<\/p>\n \u201cI’m also inspired by Hayden’s approach to writing music, which involves listening to his heart and creating what is calling out to him, rather than writing to a trend.\u201d<\/p>\n Miranda says while the Surf Coast doesn\u2019t feature in her debut novel, it has helped the writing process.<\/p>\n \u201cI’ve lived in Jan Juc for six years now and the coastal environment is a soothing balm on rough writing day,\u201d she says.<\/p>\n \u201cThere isn’t a plot problem in the world that a surf won’t give you the mental space to fix.<\/p>\n \u201cI’m so grateful to live here.\u201d<\/p>\n And her advice to budding authors dreaming of a book deal?<\/p>\n \u201cPublished authors are just unpublished authors who didn\u2019t give up,\u201d she says.<\/p>\n \u201cIf you keep reading, keep writing, keep taking on feedback and keep trying to tell the truth, you\u2019ll get there.\u201d<\/p>\n