Author Olivia Ford & literary agent Lucy Morris on Mrs Quinn's Rise to Fame
BY Katie Smart
20th Oct 2022
Olivia Ford was longlisted for the inaugural Discoveries Prize in 2021 – she is now represented by Curtis Brown literary agent Lucy Morris. Her Discoveries longlisted novel Mrs Quinn’s Rise to Fame is a heartwarming story follows 77-year-old Jenny Quinn who unexpectedly becomes contestant on the major TV show ‘Britain Bakes’. Mrs Quinn’s Rise to Fame has been bought by Michael Joseph in a major two-book deal.
We caught up with Olivia and Lucy to find out more about the inspiration behind Mrs Quinn’s Rise to Fame and how they worked together to get the manuscript ready to submit to publishers…
Olivia, how did being longlisted for Discoveries 2021 impact you and your writing?
Olivia: I did a Faber Academy course during lockdown, and around the time I started the course I saw ‘Discoveries’ advertised – it gave me a clear goal and the added motivation of a deadline. When I found out I had been longlisted it was a real confidence boost, to know that the judges enjoyed my writing was so reassuring. It was through Discoveries that I then met Lucy Morris, my agent, as she was one of the judges. When Lucy offered representation I couldn’t believe it, as she was one of the agents that I was planning on submitting to once I had finished the novel, so it felt like fate! In short, I owe everything to Discoveries.
Lucy, you were a judge for the Discoveries Prize 2021, which longlisted the opening chapters of Mrs Quinn’s Rise to Fame, what initially struck you about Olivia’s writing and made you want to read on?
Lucy: Simply put, it was a premise I couldn’t stop thinking about! Even within the first few pages Jennifer Quinn emerged as a fully fleshed, utterly sympathetic and enjoyably spirited heroine – showcasing Olivia’s talents for characterisation, as well as something I’ve always had a weakness for, food writing.
The relationship between author and agent is a special one. Was there any point before signing the client agreement where things ‘clicked’, and you knew you had to work together?
Olivia: When I first spoke to Lucy on the phone I knew instantly that she was the perfect pair of hands for Mrs Quinn. She understood everything that I had hoped to convey and our visions for Mrs Quinn were so aligned, there was no doubt in my mind that we had to work together.
Lucy: When I first came across Mrs Quinn’s Rise To Fame Olivia had written only the first few chapters of the novel, but she had a clear idea of where she wanted it to go. In our initial conversation we talked through the plot she had in mind, but also spent a while really digging into the background themes that had inspired Olivia and how to bring them into the story. We realised that we had a lot of the same books in mind as comparison titles – and also got on like a house on fire! An instant click.
Can you tell us a little bit about the work you did together on Mrs Quinn’s Rise to Fame before sending the book out to editors?
Olivia: I signed with Lucy before I had finished the novel, so I had the privilege of such an experienced opinion whilst I was still writing. We did about three drafts (plus some tweaks) before sending it out, and a lot of work was done on Jenny’s motivations and nailing those down.
Lucy: Olivia is such an instinctive editor so the whole process felt really smooth – though I appreciate that’s easy to say as the person not doing the writing! As Olivia says, we looked very closely at key character motivations, and also ramping up the jeopardy, while on a structural level we played around with a couple of different iterations of using memory and flashbacks to tackle a secret from Jenny’s past… The end stage was in the more granular detail, for example making sure that Jenny had enough time to prepare her cake mixture before the scene moved on!
Mrs Quinn’s Rise to Fame sold to Michael Joseph in a major two-book deal – as an agent what makes you get the sense that a book is going to be a hit with publishers?
Lucy: It’s tricky to predict an exact response when submitting a book to publishers, but the hope is always that they will be as excited as you are! I saw some of that excitement in early conversations I had with editors before submitting the finished novel, which I would attribute to Olivia’s ingenious premise -- and also that after a difficult few years, people are still looking to escape into a story and find something that makes them feel good! Mrs Quinn’s Rise To Fame will certainly make you sob and feel very hungry, but it’s also a triumphant celebration of so many things that don’t often get much fanfare: quiet ambition, steadfast companionship, and baked Alaska!
Olivia, can you talk us through how it felt when Lucy delivered the news that Mrs Quinn’s Rise to Fame would be published by Penguin Michael Joseph?
Olivia: It was the most overwhelming feeling, both joyous and hugely emotional. There is so much of my heart in this novel, and for two years it existed only between me, Lucy and my laptop. All of a sudden it was out there in the world. I spent the weekend afterwards either dancing or crying and nothing in between (!) It actually helps me to think of it as Jenny’s success, rather than my own.
Mrs Quinn’s Rise to Fame follows septuagenarian Jenny Quinn – a contestant on the major TV show ‘Britain Bakes’. Can you tell us a bit more about the inspiration behind the novel?
Olivia: I am very close to my grandparents and the novel is, at its heart, inspired by my grandparent’s relationship. They have been together for over 60 years and it was both the joy and fragility of a lifelong love that I wanted to explore. I think when you’ve spent a lifetime with someone, the thought of being on your own must be incomprehensible, and I channelled that fear into my protagonist Jenny Quinn. The other major source of inspiration was family recipes. We have several at home, many of which have outlived the people who wrote them.For me recipes conjure such nostalgia, and I wanted to tap into that. The TV element of the book was very much influenced by my career as a TV Producer, and there was another major inspiration but I can’t say without giving too much away!
Jenny has a quiet ambition, and I really relate to that. I suppose in many ways, Britain Bakes for her was like writing a novel for me, it was something I quietly so desperately wanted to accomplish.
What led you to place the older generation at the heart of your story? Do you have any tips for getting into the mindset of an older character?
Olivia: From the very beginning I knew that my protagonist would be older, it always came more naturally to me to write from this perspective. I am very close to my grandparents (they actually live with my parents and looked after me a lot growing up) so I have spent a lot of time with the older generation. For me, there is so much more to explore in a love that has endured;the complexities and the intimacy of knowing someone so well.
In terms of getting into the mindset of an older character (or any character in fact), I think the best thing you can do is talk to people. I thought a lot about my grandparents and how they would act/react/feel in certain situations and I often spoke to them for research. I also interviewed a former Bake Off contestant – that was extremely helpful in terms of getting into the mindset of becoming a TV star as an older female. Having said that, I think that regardless of age, emotions are universal. Love, loss, dreams, they’re something we all experience, so often I was just channelling my own emotions into a 77-year-old.
I should also add that my favourite book is The Unlikely Pilgrimage Of Harold Fry by Rachel Joyce. Harold is an older protagonist and I sometimes wonder if Jenny would ever have existed if it wasn’t for Harold!
Lucy, without giving too much away, what is it about Mrs Quinn’s Rise to Fame that you’re most excited for readers to experience?
Lucy: It’s a novel with a big heart and real soul. But as well as being a wonderful read, I’m excited for readers to be inspired to rediscover family recipes – and for Mrs Quinn to encourage us all to think a little more carefully about older people.
Do you have any advice to share with the aspiring authors reading this, particularly those who are thinking of submitting to Discoveries this year?
Olivia: Absolutely do it, and as hard as it can be at times, try not to doubt yourself as there is nothing to lose. If you don’t tell your story nobody else will, so you almost have a responsibility to your own idea. Whilst I know this is unavoidable sometimes, try not to be overly critical of your work and just focus on getting the words down, polishing really is something for afterwards. It’s a bit like doing a drawing, you have to sketch it out before you start painting in the detail.I read a brilliant piece of advice from author Rebecca Watson which said don’t ‘ritualise’ your writing… so if you wait for everything to be perfect to actually sit down and write you won’t get it done. It’s best not to build it up and just to get on and do it, like you would any other job.
Lucy: My advice would be to find some way to make yourself accountable to those 10,000 words for Discoveries, to make sure that you keep going back to the novel, whether that’s researching, writing, editing – or even thinking about it! The method can be whatever works for you: a writing buddy, a weekly word count, booking out some time in your diary regularly. Anything goes, but make it feel manageable, so you’re more likely to stick to it.
Finally, as baking plays such a vital role in the novel – we must know – what is your favourite baked treat?
Olivia: This is such a tricky question for me, as you have probably guessed I inherited a real sweet tooth (!) I am going to go with a really tangy slice of lemon drizzle, the sort where the top inch is sodden with lemon juice and the surface crisp with sugar. That, or a piece of Grasmere gingerbread… I have an insatiable appetite for it. If we are talking more ‘dessert’, then it’s my dad’s lemon meringue pie - it’s incredible!
Lucy: I have agonised over answering this. I would always go for fruitcake (something really dense like Christmas cake) over a sponge, but my ultimate weakness would be a freshly baked croissant, flaky, golden and made with an unfathomable amount of butter.
Are you an unpublished female writer thinking of entering Discoveries 2023? Get advice on how to write a great opening that will hook the judges and start preparing your submission, by joining our free Your Novel: How to Get Started webinar on Tues 1 Nov, 7.00pm-8.30pm.