The words ‘two-book deal’ are some of the sweetest an author can hear. And for author Sarah Clutton, securing such a deal with Allen & Unwin was just another success on her path from full-time lawyer to full-time writer. The first book in this deal is her novel The Remarkable Truths of Alfie Bains, and it marks a significant milestone in her writing career.
Sarah initially dabbled with middle-grade and picture books, but it was when she turned her attention to adult fiction that things started falling into place. “One night, I awoke and had a really strange experience,” she recalls. “Almost chapter by chapter, the story for my first novel fell into my head. I got up and wrote it down, and began to write. After a few months, I got 40,000 words into that book and realised I had no idea where to go in terms of structure.”
This is when a well-timed email appeared like magic – prompting the Australian Writers' Centre Write Your Novel program, beginning the following week. “I signed up! During that program I finished the book.”
Finding inspiration
Sarah’s first two books were published digitally with Bookouture (part of the Hachette UK group) but when it came to her next novel, she wanted to see her book on shop shelves, so tried for a traditional publishing path. She put the book she’d been working on in the bottom drawer and tried writing something new – inspired by her childhood home of Tasmania.
“A sixty-year-old Tasmanian farmer called Penny is at home one evening chatting on the phone to her sister when her doorbell rings,” Sarah says. “Penny opens the door and there stands a boy. Neither she nor I knew who the boy was, but I decided to write a book so we could both find out.” The boy became Alfie Bains – and that scene became the first chapter in the book.
The journey to publication
Sarah spent approximately two years writing Alfie, even employing a writing coach midway through the process. “I wrote far too many drafts to count,” she recalls.
Her breakthrough came when she connected with literary agent Melanie Ostell. “When we were both happy with my rewrites, she sent it to publishers,” Sarah explains. The result was an exciting process that culminated in a two-book deal with Allen & Unwin.
“On the final day offers were due, I knew to expect them as I'd previously Zoomed with them, but it was still very exciting,” she says. “My agent suggested we go to auction, but honestly, my hyperventilating little heart could not have handled extending that process any further!”
What’s it all about… Alfie
The Remarkable Truths of Alfie Bains is about a young boy searching for the identity of his father when he returns with his mother to her small Tasmanian hometown. It's a mystery that explore
s the themes of family and resilience and it's set in a small town filled with community tensions. “The residents have grappled with some awful events which collide with Alfie's quest for the truth,” Sarah explains. “Alfie is a precocious and delightful almost-ten-year-old and he shines a light onto the hidden secrets of all the adults around him. It's funny, heartbreaking and ultimately uplifting.”
While Sarah initially thought her strength was in writing suspense, her agent and publisher have highlighted something different. “My agent and publisher both tell me it's the humour they like most,” she shares. “In this book the consistent comment has been that the ‘voice' of Alfie is a standout.”
The novel has been described as ‘bookclub' fiction – often a mix of commercial and literary fiction. “I would call my books page-turners,” she says. “Well written commercial fiction with juicy themes to argue about over a glass of wine at book club.”
Advice for aspiring writers
Currently, Sarah is a full-time writer. “Much of that now involves writing fiction, but I also do freelance copywriting work and any other writing work that comes along, such as ghost writing or editing. As I live in a small town, working remotely is handy!”
She is honest in giving insights for other writers. “There are days you will feel like you are a terrible writer and weeks you may not write a word because it all feels pointless,” she candidly admits. “It is all part of it. Just keep going. You get better and better the more you read and write, and the more you read about writing.”
Sarah also loves audio books – often listening on repeat if she enjoys the author’s style and narration. “When you are no longer listening for story, you can unpick the structure of sentences and pick up tips – for example, how they use speech tags, or how they insert funny asides without interrupting the flow, or how they jump around in time and make it feel seamless,” she says. “As a menopausal middle-aged woman who never has an uninterrupted night of sleep, turning on an audio book you have already listened to a dozen times is not only a great sleep aid, it's useful study!”
Having now completed a number of courses now through AWC, in particular Sarah recommends the Write Your Novel program “if you have a novel in you that wants to be written”. Completing it marked the turning point in her own adult fiction writing career. “It helped me! I had finished my first book by the end of the program and was only 40,000 words in when I began the program.”
Sarah currently resides in Berrima, New South Wales. You can follow her on Instagram and Facebook.
Sarah’s first two books were published digitally with Bookouture (part of the Hachette UK group) but when it came to her next novel, she wanted to see her book on shop shelves, so tried for a traditional publishing path. She put the book she’d been working on in the bottom drawer and tried writing something new – inspired by her childhood home of Tasmania.
Currently, Sarah is a full-time writer. “Much of that now involves writing fiction, but I also do freelance copywriting work and any other writing work that comes along, such as ghost writing or editing. As I live in a small town, working remotely is handy!”
