Rachael Lammie

This episode features freelance editor and author, Rachael Lammie, ’09 BA, talking about her novel, Simon’s Time — a heartfelt look at growing up, navigating uncertainty, and finding connection during the pandemic.

Rachael shares the inspiration behind the book, what it means to write for middle school readers, and how she approached telling a story set during an experience that reshaped childhood for so many. We dive into the craft of creating relatable young characters, the balancing act of tackling serious themes with warmth and accessibility, and how kids continue to make meaning from the pandemic years.

We also explore Rachael’s own journey as a writer — from early influences to the path to publication — and the lessons she’s learned along the way.

This podcast is brought to you by the University of Alberta Alumni Association.  

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Transcript

Speaker 0:00

Hello, I'm the host of U of A Reads, Katy Yachimec-Farries. Today's episode features Rachael Lammie, the author of Simon's Time, a thoughtful and heartfelt story about growing up, staying connected, and finding resilience during the pandemic. In our conversation, Rachael shares what inspired the book, what it means to write for middle school readers, and how to approach telling a story set during an experience that's still so fresh for many of us. We also talk about her journey as an author, the craft behind creating relatable young characters, and the lessons she's carried through the writing process. Let's dive in. Rachel, welcome to U of A Reads. When did you first know you wanted to be a writer? Um, I was in grade three, and we had So early. Very early, although at the time I didn't really know what that would mean. But I had um Gordon Corman is a fairly famous middle grade fiction author who came to our classroom and he gave a speech about just like writing and and what it was like to be an author. And I just I I remember really liking his books, and I read a lot and I thought they were funny and his characters were relatable. And I said, Oh, I can do that. I want to do that. And like, so I think I did sit down and try to type out like a whole book, like from start to finish, and I got to maybe chapter two. Yeah, I that was the first time I thought about it. Wow, so yeah, very, very young. You were on the on the train for writing. I was. Uh, and how does being an author fit alongside the rest of your life? So with your other career, because you also have another uh career, your family, your community. Yes. Um, so my I'll just say my mom's family is from the Two Hills area, and my dad's family is from Edmonton. So I have a mix of English, Irish, and Ukrainian settler heritage. So being the settler, um having that heritage, I think privileges me to have the time and space um to have free time and space that maybe not everybody has. So I'm trying to be mindful of that. And as an editor, I started my own business because I have my husband's support who works full-time, and then so I needed to bring in a side income, and I was finished a master's degree. I did some research administration contract work, and then yeah, so editing was kind of the start of freelance work, and then I know a lot of people say editing and writing are very interrelated, and they are, but they use very different parts of the brain. But that whole platform for freelance work, contract editing, the flexibility, which I think a lot of people need if you're gonna try to do anything creative. Nine to five doesn't always cut it for well. I mean, I think a lot of people are, you know, the work from home now that allows a lot more flexibility, I think, than in past generations. We're very lucky to have. So all of that I think supports my ability to carve out little spaces, to write, but mostly, yes, I do my main work is editing. The paid work that I get is editing. Right. Right now. Do you have a a specific ritual or do you set a schedule for yourself, or is it sort of when you have the time, when the inspiration strikes? Um, both. I think like, well, I was saying to myself this morning, my friend texted me and how's your day going? I'm like, good, I should be working, but I'm doing author things, getting ready for my the podcast, which basically was like doing everything but actually sitting and writing. As I get older and more mature in my creative process, I'm noticing that all that stuff is important to sit down and actually write. So even if I sit down and write for like 20 minutes, if I've set up this, the amount of time it takes sometimes to set up that, as in like getting my child to school, getting my actual work done, all that stuff matters in order to be able to sit down and write. And um, the more that I embrace that in instead of trying to like avoid it, because I can't really write well if I don't know what I'm sitting down to write about. So like I try to really do like small manageable chunks, and then sometimes I have like more free time, and then I'm like, hey, look, I can write. But like that the process of setting it up is hard, but it's like the most necessary part I'm finding right now. That's really interesting that you have um, you know, maybe a list of things that you need to have accomplished before you can get to this piece to feel secure enough to write. Kind of, yes. I mean, and that trying to balance between and like is that avoidance or is it like just part of the process? But I think it's like I compare it right now to like two hobbies that I've been trying to develop over the years, so painting and karate, and like both of those practices are they're practices, and so if I don't practice, then I then I don't do as well. So even though like creativity, we often think, oh, it's like a natural ability, like maybe there are some things that some people are better at than others, but underneath, like in order to get to the natural ability, you have to show up every day and do something, even if it's 10 minutes, and 10 minutes, there's a lot you can do in 10 minutes if you have set up if yeah, if you have like set yourself up for success. Yes, absolutely, yeah. It's a it's a muscle, creativity, it's a muscle you have to work for sure. Yes. You mentioned uh this a little bit already, but did you have um authors or books that shaped you early on? And do any of those influences show up in your book, Simon's Time? Yeah, definitely, like I said, Gordon Corman. Um, just because I remember talking to him as a person and said, oh, he's not just like a writer. I'm reading his work on the page, but like an actual person to talk to. And um yeah, when I was little, I younger, like middle, middle grade, I would I read a lot of like older books, like things like Animal Farm by Orwell, um, Catcher and the Rye. And I don't think I understood the significance of like the stories or the the underlying themes, but what I picked up on it the way that they write, the way that their protagonist was, just felt like someone talking that I, yeah, you could have a conversation with them. And so in my writing, I'm really trying to focus on like book book one, Time is Time is mostly about Sullivan and his relationship with his space cat, but book two, um, I'm really trying to focus on his relationship with his friends in the outside world now that he's more integrated after COVID. Um, yeah, and like real conversations, like what if you know, like so we writers or creators, we artists, we we make things, but they're not just like born out of our own thoughts, like it's all influenced by yeah, other books, people, funny, funny things we see or hear. For sure. We will definitely come back to talking about book two uh once we talk about book one. But what does your path to uh publication look like? Were there surprises or lessons learned along the way that'll help you uh in the future? Um, yes. So book one kind of like I I wasn't really sure how it was going to evolve. And then because the writing process, once I had plotted it out, I had a book and I had to redraft and edit and revise, but I was also editing for an indie author at the time, and watching her go through the self-publishing process was very interesting because I hadn't really known a lot about it. I just knew like there's this traditional way of like finding an agent. Um, yeah, and watching her go through the entire process, it it gave me the encouragement that I said I could do that. And I guess it was inspired by COVID because there wasn't anywhere to go. So, you know, now when when we do talk about book two and publishing, I would like to kind of explore and pursue more local, sustainable like publishing platforms. But at the time during COVID, there's Amazon and it makes it very easy to put online. So I think, yeah, surprised at how straightforward the process was, but also the lesson that I want to take with me is like there is quality in the authorship out there. There are good quality people, you know, because the whole AI movement people are worried about what they are reading. There are still authors out there writing. Um, yeah, and just there are platforms out there. So wanting to pursue that a little more, yeah, we'll see. Yeah. AI definitely has thrown a kink into a lot of uh different career paths, but writing in particular, yes, it's an interesting one. That's a whole other part. I don't want to talk about that. Yeah, that's a different direction. Um, you know, if we're gonna talk about process, yeah. How has your writing evolved since you, you know, started? You started young, obviously. Um was there a real evolution for you as you've gone through the years? Uh and what's something that you do differently now? Yeah, well, now differently I like share it with people. The difference between being a writer and an author, I guess, because I know it's very easy to suffer from imposter syndrome. Um, you know, like I'm a writer because I say that I write, but like, and it I take that as like a good thing because that means anybody can do it. If it's something you want to do, you can learn how to do it. So I over I have taken like professional writing courses. I took in my undergrad, I did some um creative writing and communication courses that have really helped even more than when I thought, because I hadn't really thought about actually trying to pursue writing as a career until recently with the freelance as my platform to be able to do so. I would just kind of write on the side when I had time, like short stories or poems, and it was very like creative and enjoyable. And now I still find the process enjoyable, but now because I'm trying to treat it more like work, where it's like, okay, I don't feel like writing today, but I'm a writer, so I'm gonna sit down and write something. It doesn't matter what. So yeah, that the evolution of like the intention, more like conscious intention to actually write, as opposed to just, oh, what comes out when I feel like it? But like, what am I going to write about? Or and then also being open to letting the process shift and evolve. Hmm. Okay, well, let's talk about your book. Uh, for listeners who are new to Simon's Time, how would you describe the story? The original idea for Simon's Time came with my son, who was about four at the time when things were like really locked down, and we would play imaginary games about like, and he would he came up with the space cat. Um, so we would talk about like, oh, where does he live? He lives on Cat Planet Mew. And so, as a as someone who's always wanted to be a writer, and I thought, well, I should write some children's books around Simon's time, and it would be like this like young age, like early reader age. Um, but when I actually sat down to write, what came out was this disgruntled teenager who was upset about COVID, and it was interesting because that's where the protagonist kind of came from was when what I had in my mind versus what I started writing uh came out with this protagonist, Sullivan Saunders. And so then I was able, I it took me about a year to plot. I think just like because I wasn't really focusing on it, I would just kind of think, oh, what should happen? And then and then once I had a skeleton drop, then I was like, oh, there's actually a story here that has some meaning, I think, beyond just what my imagination. So yeah, it came into a book out of that. So what I hope readers get is some entertainment, because I hope there's some funny parts, and also some reflection about how the pandemic shaped kids, especially. Um, and some hope for being able to address our own insecurities and fears, be it mental health issues, connecting with others is being the big kind of key theme at the end. Yeah, uh I think the the pandemic is is such a central component to your story. Yeah. Uh and you can tell that you're writing close to that time frame. What made you decide to, you know, what what was uh what made it feel important to capture it for those middle grade readers? I wonder in hindsight, I'm thinking about that. But at the time, I think I was mostly processing the pandemic for myself, but also like I would see it in like friends, like or like the kids who or you know, young adults who were supposed to graduate high school and didn't have a grad. Yeah, I was just thinking about all those people because I didn't realize how, yeah, much I need my own community, in-person community. Um, so as much as there were some negative things that came out of COVID, that was one thing that I felt I learned that I do need to be connected. Is as some writers will say that being introverted feels safe and comfortable, and that's where I can really get into my creative process, but you can't do that unless you're connected to others outside people. It affected everyone, and it's still the effects are there because I think like this group was so young, you know. It's part of the but kids are resilient, and that's what I hope comes out of the book too. It's like this happened and now we have moved forward in a different way, maybe. Yeah, it's interesting. I was I was just talking to someone about this with my own kids. I have um, you know, a 10-year-old and a seven-year-old, and one was a COVID kid, like she started school in the middle of of COVID kindergarten, and then uh the other one, you know, has this teacher strike in the middle of grade two. And I those experiences really impact them. Again, they're totally resilient. This is normal for them, but you can see it in certain areas where it's definitely impacted how they live their lives and how how we live our lives in it as well, yeah. And making space to talk about how it has affected people and and like, yes, it's over, but it sucked. Yeah. Why don't we go back to Sullivan, your main character? Um, he is a really relatable kid. Uh, he has big feelings. Um, how did he come to life for you? And it sounds like he was a little bit inspired by your son. He he is. My son's only eight, and at the time he was four or five, 25. So um maybe he's like this hybrid of like my inner teenager and my son's like funny sense of humor, I guess. Like, yeah, when we talk about life, you know, when you talk with different age groups, it's such an interesting process because they see like everyone sees the world differently, but like when you're still in that younger, your brain is literally still growing bigger. I mean, it's amazing to hear how they interpret the world. Yeah, so I I think Sullivan definitely came out of yeah, my playtime with my son, but also just my own inner angsty, like yeah, childhood. What have I, what's still in there that needs to come out? Yeah. Mm-hmm. Uh music is also a big part uh your book, you know, Sullivan plays the clarinet, and it's one of those things that is a group activity that you couldn't do easily anyway during the pandemic. And and that seems to be a struggle for him to come back to as he's re-entering in-person classes. Yes, yes, and I hope that comes I'm I'm glad that comes out. It's nice to get the feedback. Um, yeah, because sometimes when you write, you don't know it's like my intention, but then once you've written something, it's out there, how is it received? It's written received by different people, and writers have to be as aware of their intention, almost even more so, they need to be aware of their impact. What have they written? I like talking about the music, but the other thing that I want to mention that I want to bring up in book two more explicitly is like, so they'll do a treaty acknowledgement at school. And so Sullivan will think about that and and notice that some kids like talk through it, some kids laugh, some kids listen. He's his dad's been doing treaty acknowledgments in his work for the last 10 years, so maybe the school is a few years behind. But like, as a writer, if I write that, I'm not necessarily telling the author what to think about it, but the fact just writing the fact that this is a real thing, this is what's happening, I think is important. Um that didn't answer your question. I don't know that there totally was a question there. It's just just something that I found really interesting. Like I sing in a uh a choir. Yeah. I had to back out. They did attempt, you know, with different ways of trying to stay alive during, you know, that's the other thing, these small businesses, you discuss this a lot too, that so many small businesses, local businesses, uh just couldn't survive the pandemic. And you know, Sullivan is taking that in and and reflecting on that and reacting to it. So it is another interesting component to just his life as well. Yeah, yes, yes. And as a it's funny, as an author, I have to like be able to go in between like into what is like, yeah, being with the characters. That sounds kind of maybe like, I don't know, interesting, but like being with the characters, but then also like outside of the characters, like they're doing their thing. Yes, I've created it, but now it's this thing. And then, like, as an author, okay, what am I doing with that or why? But yeah, I don't know. It's an interesting process. It's like when you take your paintbrush and like goes across the page, the watercolors go where they want, but I'm still the one guiding it. So yeah, the music that be the things that he's noticing were all the things that I was noticing, and I'm wondering, I know like my son also noticed, so I assume other kids were feeling similar things. And that music piece I hope comes back more in book two as well, for being what helps them connect again, reconnect. You're exactly the music is such a connection point for so many people, and and it was hard to keep that alive during the pandemic. And I think in particular for kids, um just trying to maintain um I think a schedule for kids just in general is is so important, and when everything is thrown out the window, it's hard to structure. But uncertainty. Uncertainty is hard, and kids have enough uncertainty as it is, let alone, you know, with the pandemic or or strike or those things that affect them. What did you find most challenging about writing for this audience for middle school readers? Trying to feel relevant to their life because they are, you know, like I'm a grown-up, I'm an older grown-up, and I don't um I have friends with older kids and like you know, um, being connected to them on some level, but like they are their own generation, their own cohort, and like who am I to say I know what they're experiencing? But like yeah, trying to stay relevant actually it reminds me I want to email Gordon Corman after all these years and just like say, How do you stay connected to your young readers? Because he's still writing middle grade fiction and I read them and I I mean I'm a grown-up now too, but like there's relatability in his characters, and so yeah, being open, um yeah, that is the challenge, I think, but also maybe a strength on some level is just that being aware of that because like even though kids are kids, like I remember wanting to read older books for older people, like they want the same things grown ups maybe want in some level, like we're looking for authenticity, they're at this critical age where they're identifying themselves, then re identifying or learning about themselves on a very like more encompassing level. Level, I think, then sometimes as we get older we need to like grow in different ways. Um yeah, it is sometimes hard because it's a different generation, but I think that connections across generations and there's uh common themes and hopes and fears among us all. Yeah, I it's interesting being a 40-something and looking at my kids' ages or you know, a bit older, and just how it's hard to remember, but then you kind of think back, you're like, Oh yeah, we had you know silly things that we said, or we have you know, this whole six-seven thing is driving me out of my mind. Oh my but it's a thing though, right? It is a thing, but we had our own things and and every generation does, and ours were just as weird to our parents at the time. Yes, and the difference as a writer between like saying that I know what that means, or at least acknowledging that this is a thing, and yes, I like it's not my thing, but it's like still knowing it's a thing, but I can I don't have to be on the in like on the inner circle side of it to still write about it. Yes, yeah, yeah, definitely. How do you balance, you know, tackling these topics? Pandemic anxiety is is such a big feature while keeping the story accessible for your readers. A lot of redrafting or like coming back to something that I've written to reread it as a reader, if that makes sense. Like, yeah, so big things, I mean, we're always in something big. And so whatever theme there is, there's also all this, you know, it's it's everything all at once. If that makes any kind of sense, it's like we have to be aware of the big thing, like the story arc or the context of what the st what is happening, but then there's all these little things. That's why I find writing a lot easier than public speaking. Because you have it written down, and then I can close the book and put it away and then come back to it, or it's like different layers, so the layers of things, but then as an artist, some of that then I go in and like trim, like, okay, well, that's too much of that conversation, but like the essence is still there. But then what is the focus, or what do I hope the reader gets out of this? I should put a few more lines like that, or like even just the writing simple, like not simple, but like basic writing techniques of like if you want your readers to pause, then you write shorter sentences. If you want your readers to go faster, you write longer sentences, like in a row, kind of thing. So things like that, but also yeah, just like remembering that it's a process. So whatever I have written about something, I have to let it sit, bake, or whatever, and just come back to it later. So that is part of what I do. You have sort of a fantastical element in your story, and that's this is the space cat, no one else can see. Yeah. And I would love to hear, you know, the inspiration sounds like from your son. Um, you know, what was your what was your goal with Simon? What was um, you know, give us a little uh inside your head of of why you included that aspect. Yeah, I think um it's neat because at the time it was like, yeah, this imaginary friend, but it it became more than that. So it's like, is Simon Sullivan's like inner monologue, or is he an literally a space cat? And so that you know, you have to come back for book two. But like I wanted that tension where it's like, is this thing real or is he like hallucinating or having like some sort of like mental health anxiety or something? And I think it's in my opinion, when I was writing that it was both, like there were times where I'm like, it could be his way of processing the pandemic because he was alone and isolated, or it could also be like, what if it was like really like and then it's like hope sets up, sets up hope. I think at the end, where yeah, was he real, was he not? I don't know. Um yeah, and then with that creativity, like it I it gave me a different avenue to explore his feelings, because he didn't want to talk maybe with his parents, and he couldn't really be as connected to his classmates or friends. So then what did he have? So he had this, and whether or not that was a coping mechanism or something real, like it's all it's both. I think that's interesting when it comes to being an only child in this situation, too, where it's just you as a kid with grown-ups, and you're trying to process things that you know, again, your your parents are probably doing the best that they can, but they may not. This is first for them, too. This is our first pandemic experience. So being a parent and seeing your kid is struggling and not knowing how to help is pretty challenging. I think you reflected that you could tell that the parents were aware that their son was having some challenges, was not you know, himself. I don't know if you want to speak to, you know, how you wrote about the parents. Yeah, I think you I'm glad that what um that idea of being the only child and then his parents trying his best comes out a bit because I wanted to highlight that he as he's gotten older, you know, as like when you're young, you your relationship with your parents is one thing it obviously changes. Um so as he was getting older, there were times where he didn't maybe want to be connected to his parents, but then there was like nobody else really around, and oh hey, there's my dad in the garage fixing the bike. So then it was like he would still get something out of that relationship, even if it wasn't the one he was seeking or looking for. And trying, as like a writer, to yeah, paint the picture of the characters and the home setting, like his mom make likes to bake. So um the pancake breakfast like that is definitely like inspired by personal, like my father-in-law does not like breakfast dinner, like he loves breakfast at breakfast time. But if you serve him breakfast dinner, he's like, I don't think so. But like my husband and my son both like it, so we have pancake dinners, you know. So yeah, trying to all those details, like that was I was trying to reflect on like what makes a good story, and so when we're watching, like, I don't know, Gravity Falls, for instance, or something, like there's so many details, and like why is it funny when Grunkle Stan says this, it's because of the context that we know about him. It's not just that somebody said it, it's because he said it. And so the the level of detail that has to be written, even if it's not always written in the book, like what you know about your character, then you choose what you want to share with the reader, and when you want to share it with the reader, detail really, really can can bring people to life on paper. Yes, I think uh it's those little things, quirks, that that make um people just interesting in person. So when you're reading it, I think that really brings characters to life. Yes. Have to write everything down and then take some of it out later. But right. Did you work with any young readers uh while you were writing or editing during the the process? Um, yes, uh, inadvertently. I would like to be more open to that in a more professional, like formal setting, but also respecting like kids or kids, and they should just like be busy at school and with their friends. And like, yeah, I I want to explore like maybe doing like author talks at schools, um, getting that feedback maybe in a in a setting like that, that's like an invitation to do so, but like um mostly just like with my couple of good friends that have older kids in that age range, just like listening to them, but not in like an eavesdroppy, creepy sort of way, but just like, hey, uh, so hypothetically, if like my character wanted to do this, like, or just yeah, just being um surrounded as as a mom, like you um, or with kids, like you you are immersed in this new world that adults are not in unless you have kids this age. So your life becomes, yeah, like the playground picking up my son from school, even though he is of a younger age, just being hearing the hilarity and the chaos of being young, you know, I I like it, and then I would want to write that and like capture it on paper because it's endearing and funny and interesting. Um, but more formally, I would like to do that going forward. Yeah. But I did get a little bit of feedback from a couple um my friends' kids who read it. They said they thought Simon was funny, and Sullivan they said, yeah, I get what Sullivan's thinking. I would love to talk about your uh your thought process in in sort of jumping right in in your book. We jump right in to Sullivan and Simon, you know, talking to each other before you realize he's a space cat that no one else can see. Um, you know, what was the the reasoning behind sort of putting us right in the middle of that story? I I I like the action of it, like the just yeah, start this is where it starts because that's how life starts. And then I wanted it to be like he's got this interaction going already. It's been part of his normal, his normal during the pandemic, whether or not it is what baseline default normal could or should be in his life, that's where it was. And like, yeah, is like we maybe don't know right away because then all of a sudden, huh? Who is this guy he's talking to? So yeah, I like um I'm glad that I just did it that way because I wanted to. But it had the if that's what you felt, then yay, it had the right effect. Good. Yeah, I I love jumping into books where it's like you just have to kind of roll along with it until things are you're discovering things along the way, which is yeah, fun. It is fun. And yeah, when you think about like what book when you first the first couple lines, I somebody said I'm I don't want to quote it if I don't know who said it, but I'm sure more than one person said, Yeah, your opening line doesn't have to be good, it just has to get the reader to the next line. I forget who said that, but someone possibly famous has said that. I'm sure someone famous said that at some point, yeah. Yeah, I do find that that first page for me. Yeah, it doesn't have to be perfect sentences, but I just want something in there that makes me go, hmm. I want to see what happens. Yeah, absolutely. I would love to know a bit more about your timeline. Uh, you know, the writing process for this book. How close were you to like were we still in pen? I mean, it sounds like we were sort of out of pandemic times, the deep stuff anyway. Uh when did you kind of get into the nitty-gritty of writing this? Yeah, the timeline, yeah. So it was during the pandemic that the idea for a children's book came out of my time with my son. And then that led to me like playing around a little bit with like this main character, and then like, um, oh well, what would happen if like, yeah. Um, the plotting of the book was through like the most of the pandemic, and then I think the writing once things started going again, like I know things opened up again, but it was still really hard, especially with young kids. Um it was just hard because there was all these supports that weren't there, and so I was processing it, I think maybe not longer, but I just felt like it affected me in different it affected me. So I was processing it, and that's what really got like the detail out. Like there's a chapter where him and Simon and Sullivan kind of comes to the head where he Sullivan finally acknowledges how hard the pandemic's binned him and gets frustrated because Simon keeps like giving him riddles and life advice through like little clues, and like he's like, Enough, like I just want things to be normal or to make sense. Um yeah, I remember writing that last that middle chapter as one of the last chapters I finally polished in the timeline. So then it was post-COVID. I published in 2022, I think. So yeah, it was definitely after the lockdowns and everything, but the meat of the meaning and the impact that I was wanting to have came out just after the hardest parts of COVID. And then the publishing part really didn't take very long. So yeah. Which is why I want to explore more like local and sustainable platforms and like marketing all the things that authors should and could want to do when they have the time. I also really picked up on you know, this feels like a very Edmonton book. You feel it with the River Valley. Um it just feels like this is an Edmonton-based book without directly saying it. Um you know, was there uh well, first of all, am I right? And second of all, you know, was it always going to be sort of set um where you live? Yeah, I think it came out like unintentionally at first, but when I was like describing like the I'm like, well, I have to talk about the city that he lives in, but I didn't want to name Edmonton just because I wanted it to be a little more general, but at the same time, yeah, like an urban Canadian city, urban, yeah, urban setting in Canada, that northern maybe four seasons, it's getting winter. I do that in book two, actually, with like the changing of the season. It's it also takes place in the fall, so I find that to be a transition time, and then yeah, bringing that into the setting, but also into the plot a bit about how things are changing for the characters, not just in terms of weather. Yes, but it was intentional. Yeah, the river valley. I did there's a few spots. It's interesting how you can write about something without naming it, and then it's I'm very happy to hear that somebody, it seems like, yeah, there's something in there that is relatable to the readers. Yes, definitely. Well, you know, you've mentioned it a few times. You're you're working on a book two, yes, and you're in the middle of this process. Where are you in the book two process? Um, I have a skeleton draft. I got really excited about book two. At some point, I had a break from some editing work, and then I was transit transitioning to a new contract, which gave me space to then explore book two. So I took like a week and I just like I guess that's why people go on writers' retreats. It's because you lock yourself somewhere and like you have to write because there's nothing else to do. And so I did that, and I really got like the skeleton draft, and then now I'm back to my 12 minutes at a time, kind of like trying to push it forward. But I mean it it it goes, and like it's hard though, because sometimes I need to like yeah, give myself more time. It ebbs and flows, and so it is in progress. Um, I'm hoping for I was thinking like New Year, but now I'm thinking spring. But so it's coming. It's coming. Yeah, I'm excited about it. We'll see. And do you see yourself exclusively writing for this audience, or do you have visions of delving into adult fiction, or you know, what is your um what does your future look like as a writer? I definitely want to explore writing the middle grade fiction because of just the the draw to such a unique time of life where you are young and old at the same time, where you're growing, you're not an adult, you're not a kid, you know. I just I find it so fascinating. So I really want to stay connected to um young people, and as an author, I I get to choose to do that. I do want to explore a spin-off book with one of the other characters, and I would be open to writing fiction for older audiences as well, but right now I can't really think of what yeah, I'm just gonna stay with these characters for a little bit, and then we'll see. Right. So you that you still have more stories to tell with this world. I do, yes. I'm excited. Yeah, the deeper. So book one, I mean, I l I like it. It's a book, it has a bit beginning, a middle, and end, character motivation, like it's all there, but it's it's on the shorter side because the I was like, I was not scared, but like, okay, I've written something, I'm gonna stop and like it's complete. I've done it, I want to see if I can go through the process of publishing. Look at that, I did. And so with book two, I'm really enjoying the art of exploring the characters in more detail, and and each character in more detail. So it's uh and I guess that serves the purpose of the the book. Like book one was more solitary in an internal, um internal plot motivation, whereas book two is definitely more external and action-oriented. So yeah. Yeah, that's an interesting evolution going from this very solitary experience, especially during a pandemic, and then this integration back into the quote-unquote real world. Yeah. Uh expanding your social circle again. Um, and that time in a person's life is so complex and full of change and hormones, and it is a rough time to be alive. So it is a super interesting audience and a super interesting um uh you know life stage to explore. Yeah, yeah, and yeah, that's exactly right. I can see how there's sort of a wealth of uh um stories to tell for that that group. Yeah, and that's an interesting thing too, is like there's so many books and so many stories. And we just keep making them because you the same themes since the beginning of human interactions with each other, we have the same things happening, the same tensions, the same conflicts in different ways. Um, but yeah, like so adding six, seven is important to this group, right? But but ten years from now, even it'll be different. But it's still underlying themes are constant in our lives. You know, when they talk about the main tropes like of plots, like yeah, but the details change or the people have changed or things change, so yeah, being relevant, like telling the same stories over and over is what we we need to keep going and learning and growing. Well, why don't we finish with what do you hope your readers take away from uh from this journey? Hmm. Well, I hope they gain a little bit of understanding about themselves. If there's something that you can relate to in a book as a reader, I think that it really helps. Like being a kid can be lonely. Um, so if there's something in this book that helps them smile a little bit, or just like, oh, I'm not the only one that feels that, okay, like, yeah, that's what I really hope for. That's it for today's episode of U of A Reads. A huge thank you to Rachel Lamy for joining me and for giving us such a thoughtful look at the creation of Simon's Time and her journey as a writer. To explore more author talks, webinars, and upcoming events, visit us online at uofab.ca slash alumni. Thanks for listening to U of A Reads Stories Behind the Stories. If you like this episode, consider subscribing, sharing it with a friend, or leaving us a review. We'll see you next time with more stories behind the stories.