Jason Lang
Jason is a primary school teacher by day and a picture book and chapter book author by night - an alter ego that doesn’t strictly need the cape, but he likes to wear it anyway. He has been writing children's books for a number of years, with the intention of forging a career as an author.
Along the way, Jason has been lucky to complete a variety of writing courses and privileged to be longlisted and shortlisted across a range of competitions with his stories. Jason loves to read to his young son and daughter, as well as the children he teaches. Stories with joy, humour and heart: this is what he aims for in his own texts too.
What made you enter the Cheshire Novel Prize Kids?
I heard about the positive experience that other fledgling authors had had entering the Cheshire Novel Prize Kids and then, when I looked into the opportunity further, seeing that there was the offer of feedback to each and every entry, I knew it was a competition not to be missed.
What did it feel like when you were LL and then SL?
Whenever I enter one of my stories into a writing competition, I always try to tell myself to remain cool, calm and collected - as neutral about the whole thing as possible - with thoroughly tempered expectations… it never works though. Once I’ve clicked ‘send’, I am always daydreaming about this being my big break and the start of a career as an author!
This does mean it hits me hard if a particular text doesn’t make a dent in a competition but, it also means that when I found out I was longlisted and then shortlisted for the Cheshire Novel Prize Kids, I was absolutely buzzing for days!
What was the reaction from those around you/family and friends?
As per my previously mentioned inability to stay in any way stoic about writing competitions, my wife could see immediately how thrilled I was and she was delighted for me too. She was even so kind as to continue to be delighted for me as I went on to mention it again and again that evening!
How did you come up with the idea for your book?
My daughter, like many a youngster, loves animals and therefore loves stories about animals. Thankfully, that universal love of animal stories means there are plenty of animal-based hijinks across the chapter book market for us to read about at bedtime. My daughter however is a fan of more unusual animals too and, myself, I have always loved the irreverent and humorous writing style of Terry Pratchett and Douglas Adams… at which point the idea came about to try to add just one more animal chapter book series to the market.
Thus I embarked upon writing the first chapter book in what I hope will be a frequently humorous, often irreverent, sometimes educational but always heartwarming debut series for 6-8 year olds.
What’s it about?
10 year old Myra loves to look after the unusual guests at her Uncle Ulric’s animal sanctuary but, more often than not, trouble will find them…
In book 1, Myra’s Uncle asks her to look after Colin, a seemingly ordinary hamster… but when he grows to record-breaking size (for a supposed hamster) the devious Madame Crateux kidnaps him!
Myra and her Uncle look out for their one, two, four and many legged friends as ‘Zoe’s Rescue Zoo’ meets Terry Pratchett’s penchant for footnotes.
What’s your writing routine?
I wish I could detail a structured and daily writing routine that would blow the socks off of any fellow would-be authors but, as is the case with most people I am sure, life tends to put paid to such hopeful routines. I get excited about my ideas though and that spurs me on to carve out time whenever I can to get those thoughts down.
I have a folder of Notes on my phone where I jot down any ideas before I risk forgetting them and from there I will begin to flesh them out a little on the phone. Once I feel like the idea could actually become a coherent picture book or chapter book, then I transfer it to a Google Doc to work on properly in the evenings.
What’s next for you?
I am excited to edit ‘Uncle Ulric’s Home for Unusual Animals’ following the feedback from the Cheshire Novel Prize Kids and then I will send it out on submission with all my fingers and toes crossed.
Alongside this, I have some ideas for new chapter books and also a few picture books that I am working on too. This year, I am trying to be more productive and write first, edit later - rather than trying to perfect my writing as I go, which invariably slows everything down and saps the momentum.
What are your favourite children’s books and why?
This is such a difficult question as there are so many that I have loved at different times in my life.
When I think about the picture books I reach for, Jeanne Willis and Tony Ross’s ‘Tadpole’s Promise’ is a longstanding favourite, as I absolutely love the slightly dark twist at the end (if you haven’t read it, please do!). Likewise, I love the humour and genius of Oliver Jeffers’ ‘Stuck’ and Jon Klassen’s ‘Hat Trilogy’.
With chapter books, I have currently been enjoying Matty Long’s ‘Super Happy Magic Forest’ series and long to be that funny in my own writing. I also have fond memories of re-reading over and over ‘Harry and the Wrinklies’ by Alan Temperley as a child, and being sucked into that adventure time after time.
Any tips for writers intending on entering the competition?
There is absolutely zero downside - only positives!
Entering a competition focuses your writing energy by giving you a deadline, a target to keep you motivated and productive. Regardless of the outcome of the competition, this means you get your ideas down on paper, which is more than half the battle. Feedback is a rare and glorious thing to get about your work, so when you get a competition like the Cheshire Novel Prize Kids offering it to all entrants, then you simply must put your hat into the ring.
You may then be lucky enough to longlist or shortlist, which is wonderful, but more often than not that doesn’t happen - at which point my strategy is to wallow for a few days (everyone deserves a wallow every now and then) and then get working on the next thing.
Having entered the competition though, regardless of the outcome, you will have written more and therefore improved as an author.