Story idea that began on campus transforms into published YA novel

Creative Writing alumna Sue Reed is celebrating the publication of her first novel, The Rewilding of Molly McFlynn today (28 October), a story that began life while Sue was still a student at Newcastle University.

We spoke to Sue to find out more about Molly, and how she found returning to university at the age of 58.

Congratulations on the publication of your first book, Sue! Can you tell us a bit about Molly McFlynn and how your journey with her story began?

Molly’s story began in Ann Coburn’s module ‘Writing for Children and Young Adults’, which I took as part of my MA in Creative Writing at Newcastle University. I loved that unit so much, and Ann’s teaching was superb.

It’s funny, because when I applied to Newcastle it was with the intention of writing my memoir. But the module I studied in life writing made me realise that that wasn’t where my writing direction lay.

Molly McFlynn is a teenager who is sent to live with her bohemian grandparents in rural Northumberland just before the COVID-19 pandemic starts. Understandably, she’s furious at being isolated in the countryside without her so-called friends, the lack of Wi-Fi and her grandparents' inedible cooking. But adventure awaits in the woods…

Molly meets Martha, a girl from the seventeenth century on the run from the witch finder and the men who have hurled her mother, Ann Watson, into the dungeons in Newcastle. During my writing, I did a lot of research into the witch trials and Ann Watson is a real person who was hung, along with 15 others, on Newcastle’s Town Moor for being a witch.

What an epic tale! You came to Newcastle to study your MA when you were 58. What was it like returning to education later in life?

My first experience of university was in London in the 1980s, when I trained to be a teacher, and then I spent my career working as an SEN educator, but I always had this dream of being a published author by the time I reached 60. When I was 58, I discovered that you could apply for a student loan up until the age of 60, so I figured this was my chance!

I had already completed a short creative writing course near me in Hexham, and severance pay from a previous job funded a writing retreat in Tuscany (a luxury that I sadly wouldn’t be able to repeat!) so I had some writing to use to apply for the course at Newcastle.

I must admit I was incredibly excited but also very nervous to enter formal education again when I started my two-year course in 2019.

Because I had been out of academia for so long, I did struggle a bit at first with imposter syndrome and feeling like I wasn’t clever enough to be there with my peers. I would often kick myself on the train home about an answer I had given in a seminar and actually emailed my lecturer at one point to say ‘I don’t think I’m cut out for this’. But he was so sweet in his response, reassuring me of my value in being in the group and showing me the strengths my life experience brought to my learning and writing. I really appreciated hearing that.

What I loved about being a student again though was the buzz of town and campus (after living rurally in Northumberland for years), browsing Blackwell’s, walking under the Arches and going to the SU bar after lectures. It was great fun!

Your time at Newcastle was impacted significantly by the COVID-19 pandemic. Can you tell us a bit about that?

Yes, sadly I only had about a term and a half to enjoy campus before we entered lockdown, which was a real shame. There was a bit of a break in learning as everyone tried to figure out what to do and how best to move forward, but eventually we got some momentum going with online teaching.

Lockdown was hard for me, as it was for everyone. I really struggled not being able to see my granddaughter, who was only 2 at the time, for 4 months. But my writing gave me such a focus every day and made me get up out of bed and be productive, which was immensely helpful. In my early days of writing, I would make excuses if I had to go up and write, I’d literally do anything else! But the routine I established while stuck at home has continued to this day which has been really good for my creativity.

Why did you want to include the pandemic in Molly’s story?

They always say to write what you know, and when I was writing we were all living the lockdown. I think it helped give a lot of detail to the story, and it gave me the opportunity to note things that I wanted to remember - like trying to get toilet rolls! (There's a scene where Molly’s getting under the counter toilet rolls from the village shop).

And I wanted to get that sort of fear and paranoia that was around at the time as well, but also the conflict people faced around whether to stick rigidly to the rules or not. It was an awful time and I wanted to document everything for a future me and future audience, because even now reading back there are so many small things I had forgotten!

In future novels, I want to take on specific topics pertinent to the climate crisis. One idea is to look at urban flooding and the reintroduction of beavers, but with the shocking news recently of the felling of the tree at Sycamore Gap, I am writing a sequel about tree preservation. Another will take me back to Weardale where I used to live and work, and look at rewilding the grouse moors and the hunting of raptors.

Future novels will also continue to elevate the voices of women buried in history. In the first novel, we have the voice of Ann Watson, who was hung on the Town Moor in the 1600s, and in others I’ll be uncovering other hidden female figures as Molly time flips through the centuries.

That sounds fascinating! Finally, Sue, what one bit of advice would you give to somebody who has recently graduated from Newcastle University and joined our alumni community?

I think imposter syndrome is a big problem, especially amongst women. But believe in yourself and try not to worry what other people think. I spent far too many years worrying about what people thought. If you want to start a new chapter, then go for it!

That’s great advice, thanks Sue. And good luck with the book release!

The Rewilding of Molly McFlynn

It’s spring 2020 and fifteen-year-old Molly McFlynn is uprooted from town life by her mam to live with her bohemian grandparents in rural Northumberland. Molly is furious – her friends abandon her, the food is inedible and her grandmother is doing strange things in the garden at night.

Life takes a new direction when she meets a girl in the woods who appears to be on the run. 

Martha is from the seventeenth century, and a life lived on the edge of society. She is fleeing from the witch finder and the men who have hurled her mother, Ann Watson, into the dungeons in Newcastle. As Molly’s friendship with Martha grows, Molly reconciles with her true self, develops a love of nature and moves away from her consumerist lifestyle.

However, as Covid strikes, and a local witch hunt takes place, Martha’s is not the only life that is in danger. Molly must stand up for what is right, help heal family rifts and come to the rescue in a moment of peril.

You can order a signed copy of The Rewilding of Molly McFlynn from  Sue Reed Writes  and find further details of where to purchase and upcoming book talks or order a copy from the publishers, The Book Guild or wherever you buy your books.

If you enjoy the read, Sue would love you to leave a review on Goodreads, Amazon, Blackwells or Waterstones. You can find her on all the usual socials @suereedwrites. 

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