Meet the winner of WriteMentor’s Idea Idol competition

How did you feel when you found out you won Idea Idol?

Totally shocked. The email subject line gave nothing away and I was expecting to read that my entry hadn’t made it further than the SL (which I was already so happy about). It took about a week for the news to actually sink in. 

How did you celebrate?

By eating udon noodle soup with my family. It’s the way we celebrate most things and is a bit of a tradition. Slurp!

Tell us a bit about your writing journey to date.

I’ve been story noodling forever but work and parenting didn’t allow much free time until about 5 years ago. My flash fiction and short stories began to get published under the pen name, Kay Sandry, but I always had my eye on novel writing. In 2023 I was lucky enough to be awarded DYCP funding from Arts Council England. This allowed me the time to study the nuts and bolts of writing for children. It was also then that I discovered WriteMentor and was mentored by the brilliant Carolyn Ward. I’m currently querying my first MG novel and writing my second.

Tell us more about the winning idea.

Dewey Decimal is my Friend is about Daisy (11) who sometimes finds school so big, so loud, so MUCH that she has to stay at home and curl up really small and rebuild herself until she’s big enough to match it. When a year 4 boy suggests she might be ‘on the spectrum’ she sets out to prove him wrong. Trouble is, the more Daisy tries to be like everyone else, the less she feels like herself. It’s ultimately a story about learning that it’s ok to be different.

What inspired the idea?

Actually it was a talk Simon James Green gave about writing humour and the importance of voice. Within half an hour I had Daisy and her best friend Saff firmly in my head.

Also, I wanted to explore what it’s like to be a ND girl and not know it, trying to navigate school and those all-important friendship groups. My daughter is ASD/ADHD and I’m currently waiting assessment so it’s an issue that’s important to me.

What advice would you give other writers about writing pitches and opening pages?

Oh gosh. Pitch wise – I’d say try to nail that main idea and shroud it in your protag’s voice. Write as many pitches as you can then petition your friends, family, strangers in the street as to what works and why.

Opening pages are really hard. Write something you’d want to read. Save the detail and back story for later. Have fun – if you enjoy it, chances are your reader will.

Any general writing advice for writers of children’s fiction?

Join WriteMentor! Writing buddies, beta readers, and general cheerleaders are the best way to keep on going through inevitable dips. 

Also read read read – especially books published in the last 5 years. Subject matter wise, I think you can write whatever interests you as long as it’s couched in language that children ‘get’ without feeling patronised.

Why do you think it’s important to have a competition for books in their early stages?

It’s invaluable to know that you’re on the right track with an idea before you invest 1/2 years working on it. It’s a real confidence booster. Also the feedback from Write Mentor and agent Deidre Power was so helpful – a win in itself!

What’s next for your writing? Any new projects on the horizon?

I’m hoping to finish this draft of Dewey this autumn then the editing starts (my favourite part!). I’ve got a spooky MG set in York mapped out for when I’ve finished – enough to keep me busy for a while!

Twitter/X: @KaySandry

Instagram/Threads: @6th_digit