Lucy Strange: How Scary is too Scary? | Mark Stay’s Creative Differences Episode 14

Lucy Strange is an award-winning childrenโ€™s author whose books feel like classic childrenโ€™s literature, but are written in a style that is engaging and accessible for todayโ€™s younger readers.

Most recently sheโ€™s collaborated with artist Pam Smy on their spooky, funny new series Lockett & Wildeโ€™s Dreadfully Haunting Mysteries! Often inspired by folklore and fairy tales, Lucy combines historical settings with touches of magic and fantasy to create utterly convincing worlds in which anything might happen.

And before becoming a professional writer, Lucy worked as an English teacher for fifteen years. Having also trained and worked as an actor, Lucy narrates her own audiobooks, winning the 2019 Audie Award for The Secret of Nightingale Wood.

WE DISCUSS:

Collaborating with illustrators

What Lucy learned from abridging Mary Shelley’s Frankenstein

Writer’s Block and how to deal with it

And how scary is too scary when writing for children?

And much more!



Or watch it on Youtube…



LINKS

Lucy’s Website: https://www.lucystrange.org

The Episode with GB Ralph: https://markstaycreativedifferences.com/2024/12/12/episode-5-with-gb-ralph-share-the-excitment/

What’s Giving Us Joy…

Essex Serpent, Sarah Perry: https://serpentstail.com/work/the-essex-serpent/

Instead of a Letter, Diana Athill: https://granta.com/products/instead-of-a-letter/

Once Upon a River, Diane Setterfield: https://www.penguin.co.uk/books/437745/once-upon-a-river-by-diane-setterfield/9781784163631

Death at the Sign of the Rook, Kate Atkinson: https://www.kateatkinson.co.uk/books/death-at-the-sign-of-the-rook/

Buckingham Nicks: https://www.roughtrade.com/product/lindsey-buckingham-and-stevie-nicks/buckingham-nicks

Superstore: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Superstore_(TV_series)

Robert Redford: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Robert_Redford

A huge thanks to Emily for production assistance, to Kai Newton for the edit, and Dominic Currie for the jingle.

Creative Differences is One Today

Creative Differences, the monthly podcast where I talk to writers about the little things that make a big difference to their writing process, is a year old today! It’s been such a treat to chat to authors, and to have writers and readers like your good selves joining us on the livestreams and asking such excellent questions of the guests.

If you’ve not dipped in, then there’s never a better time to start. I’ve interviewed bestselling and award-winning authors like Sarah Pinborough, Nadine Matheson, Gareth L Powell, Tracy Buchanan, Rowan Coleman and Nicola May, and debut authors and writers that I just really like. You can find them all on Youtube or on your favourite podcast provider…


Or you can watch them all on this Youtube playlist…


And there are bite-size clips here…


And if you’re a writer looking for guidance in this crazy world of publishing, then you can join me in the Green Room…

Twice a month, I run live sessions on Zoom where you can ask me questions about the craft of writing, your WIP, or the business of publishing. The sessions are fun and informal and chatty. You can send me questions in advance. Theyโ€™ll be recorded live and saved on Kofi for exclusive access to Green Room supporters.

Iโ€™m running this via Kofi, where you can join by clicking on the Green Room membership tier for ยฃ20 a month. Thereโ€™s no long term commitment. With Kofi, you can support for just a month, or for as long as you like.ย 

My goal is to be able to give supporters advice that will make a real difference to their writing and career, because the way I see it: having worked in this industry as a salesperson, bookseller and author for over 30 years, Iโ€™ve made every mistake, so you donโ€™t have to.

Thanks again to everyone who has supported the podcast by listening, sharing or leaving a rating/review with their podcast provider. It makes a huge difference!

The Corn Bride by Mark Stay

Waterstones link thingy Dear reader, you are cordially invited to the strangest wedding of the year . . . Itโ€™s May 1941, and the war is in full swingโ€ฆ

The Corn Bride by Mark Stay

The Things People Say to Authors at Comicย Consโ€ฆ Round 2

Who’s up for another round of Things People say to Authors at Comic Cons…?!

For my future comic con appearances pop over toย https://markstaywrites.com/diary-and-appearances/

Cabin at the Movies Saturday 12 July 2025

Highlights from Cabin at the Movies on Saturday 12 July 2025 in which I was joined by novelist and screenwriter Mark Stay to find out Markโ€™s all-timeโ€ฆ

Cabin at the Movies Saturday 12 July 2025

Tracy Buchanan on the Creative Differences Livestream Tonight!

Join me with bestselling author Tracy Buchanan on the livestream that looks at the little things that make a big differences to writers.

Tracy Buchanan on the Creative Differences Livestream

The Corn Bride by Mark Stay

Waterstones link thingy Dear reader, you are cordially invited to the strangest wedding of the year . . . Itโ€™s May 1941, and the war is in full swingโ€ฆ

The Corn Bride by Mark Stay

Talking Star Wars of the Fifty Years of Shit Robots Podcast

I was honoured to be asked to be a guest on the latest episode of the splendid Fifty Years of Shit Robots podcast. `The hosts, Matt and Stephen, have been running a special series on the original Star Wars movie, and โ€” being a bit of a nerd โ€” I had to correct them on a couple of points. This got so annoying for them that they invited me on the podcast and it soon turned into a kind of therapy session for me. Have a listen wherever you get your podcasts…

Must all good things come to an end?

And so, we find ourselves at the end of the current Witches of Woodville series by Mark Stay which brings to mind the old saying, โ€˜all good things โ€ฆ

Must all good things come to an end?

This Week’s Joy with Nadine Matheson

Nadine Matheson and I share the things that are bringing us joy this week, including…

Indiana Jones and the Great Circle

Spring and early morning sunrises

Top Chef

Homicide: Life on the Street

The Studio on Apple TV

Lego

Classic FM Movies

Comic Cons

And, uhm, a fence…

Or watch it on Youtube…