Author thoughts
Ever wondered what strange rituals authors perform before they write? What they’re afraid of and what characters they’d like to be? If so, check out these quick chats with some of your favourite authors!
Judy Blume
What was your favourite book to read over the summer holidays when you were young and what is it about?
’The Betsy-Tacy Series’ by Maud Hart Lovelace. I loved following the lives of Betsy, Tacy, and Tib, from when they were very young to Betsy's wedding. My favourites were the girls' high school years. Even though the books were set long ago, the feelings in them were so real I totally identified with the characters, especially Betsy, who wanted to be a writer.
If you could be any character who would you be? And why?
I'd change character every month. That way I could live in different places and different centuries.
What is your favourite ice-cream flavour and when is your favourite time to eat it?
I'm lactose intolerant so I stay away from ice cream, but every now and then when I take a chance, I choose coffee. Even though I never drink coffee, I love anything coffee flavoured.
Do you have any strange rituals before, during or after you write a story?
I sharpen a box of pencils, clean off my desk and put off starting a new story for as long as I can.
What are your phobias?
Thunder storms and vomit (not necessarily at the same time or in that order.)
Has anyone ever thought that one of your characters was based on them? If so, who was it and were they happy about it?
Everyone who knows me, but they're always wrong. And no, they're not always happy.
Do you write on a computer or note pad?
Both. I scribble all over every printout. That's when I get my best ideas.
Learn more about Judy.
Ursula Dubosarsky
What was your favourite book to read over the summer holidays when you were young and what is it about?
Well, the one I remember most from summer holiday reading was called ‘An Episode of Sparrows’ by Rumer Godden, all about a gang of children who build a secret garden in the bombed out ruins of London after World War Two. It had actually been a book on our school list, but I hadn't liked the look of it at all. Then one day in the summer holidays when I had NOTHING to do or to read I began reading it, and it has actually been one of my favourite books ever since.
If you could be any character who would you be? And why?
Hmm, probably Paddington Bear out of the Paddington books. He always seems to have a good time and nobody gets too cross with him.
What is your favourite ice-cream flavour and when is your favourite time to eat it?
Definitely White Chocolate - I ate some for the first time when I visited Argentina a few years ago and I've NEVER had anything so delicious before or since. I like to eat gelato with a strong cup of coffee at breakfast time in a cafe.
Do you have any strange rituals before, during or after you write a story? Well now I wish I did...I'm fascinated, I wonder what it is that people do? I just sit down and type, so that's not very strange or ritualistic.
What are your phobias?
I'm scared of those fast rides you get at fun fairs. When I was twelve, someone convinced me to get on the Cha-Cha, and I sincerely believed I was going to die. I just leaned forward moaning in terror, while over the loudspeaker came the Beatles song ‘Get back, get back, get back to where you once belonged’. Whenever I hear that song now I think death is near...
Has anyone ever thought that one of your characters was based on them? If so, who was it and were they happy about it?
People have a little from time to time (without getting cross), although to me it's always very odd, because the connections are so very slight and the person in the book is really nothing much like the real person at all. I don't really base my characters on people I know, except I suppose for those characters that are based on me!
Do you write on a computer or notebook?
Most of the time on a computer, although if I'm stuck on a bus or in a doctor's waiting room or something I will jot things down in a notebook. But these are notes, rather than sentences. A little while ago I broke my arm so I couldn't type for a while, and that made me realise how much I depend on typing for my writing! My handwriting now is so slow and messy (well, let's be honest, it was always slow and messy!)
Learn more about Ursula.
What was your favourite book to read over the summer holidays when you were young and what is it about?
I didn't really differentiate between summer reading and other reading, because I read every day. Some ‘summery’ books I recall are:
Monica Edwards' series about Romney Marsh and Punchbowl Farm had a lot of summery books. I loved these.
I remember reading ‘The Hills Of Varna’ and ’The Crown Of Violet’ by Geoffrey Trease one summer - I always loved his historical adventure/mysteries.
Anne Farrell's ’The Gift-Wrapped Pony’ was another one I read in summer... got a dose of sunburn as I recall because I was so enthralled.
Eleanor Spence's ‘The Summer In Between’ and ‘The Year Of The Currawong’ were summery books I enjoyed.
Come to think of it, my favourite books have always been about ‘worlds’ created by the author. That's probably why I love to write fantasy, sci-fi and books like the Jack Russell series, that create their own realities.
If you could be any character who would you be? And why?
That's a difficult one! I like a safe, peaceful life, but I often used to wish I was braver. I'd probably have to go for Tamzin Grey, who combined a crusading spirit with the capacity of happiness. Tamzin is 10 in the first book about her, and close to15 in the last one. She changes in a realistic way, but stays herself... if you see what I mean.
What is your favourite ice-cream flavour and when is your favourite time to eat it?
I love Valhalla Macadamia, plain chocolate and, best of all, the exotic ones I used to get from The Frosty Mango when visiting my (adult) kids in Townsville. Alas, they live elsewhere now, so I may never go there again. I used to eat a Frosty Mango icecream on the way to or from one of my favourite places in the world - The Rock Slides. These days, I more often eat a special fruit yoghurt I get from a place called THE BIG APPLE.
Do you have any strange rituals before, during or after you write a story?
No. I write almost every day of the year, so I'd be very, very strange if I did. One thing I do now and then, though, after writing a LONG book, is to list characters, places, definitions etc or write an article on How I Wrote (insert name of book). I also enter newly accepted and/or published titles in my website. I don't think that's odd, though. It's more a way of letting go of that world.
What are your phobias?
I hate flies... they make me cringe. I detest loud noises and people who yell at me. I loathe gratuitous nastiness and rudeness, swearing and people who smoke near me, and people who deliberately do something stupid or bad and then expect sympathy and help. HOWEVER, none of these is a real phobia, except perhaps the being yelled at one!
Do you write on a computer or notebook?
I use a computer, but occasionally scribble a note on a bit of paper. I have been using a keyboard (typewriter at first) since I was eleven. Unfortunately, it's done a lot of damage to my hands.
What is the hardest thing about writing/being a writer?
Let's see - the pain in my hands is hard to put up with. Trying to write to a deadline while other people have TV on or keep interrupting me is a nuisance. That's all practical stuff, though. On a philosophical side, it is, and always will be, difficult to accept that the books I love and long to write are not always the books publishers want. I do love the Jack Russell series I co-write with my husband, though.
Writing, in general, is not an easy occupation, because it isn't one talent, but a whole series. If you lack just one aspect of this talent you'll probably not be successful. Practical talents such as market sense, marketing skill and business sense seem pretty rare in writers, because we sway more to the imaginative talents.
What is the best or worst advice you have ever received about writing or life?
The worst? WRITE WHAT YOU KNOW. This sounds silly, but what I KNOW has never been marketable without a lot of tinkering. Few readers want to read about Tasmanian farming 1960s childhoods, or about a very ordinary middle-aged person who writes for a living and walks dogs and reads in her spare time. I always think this bit of advice should be delivered as KNOW WHAT YOU WRITE!
Learn more about Sally.
What was your favourite book to read over the summer holidays when you were young and what is it about?
’Swallows and Amazons’ by Arthur Ransome: written in the 1930s, a group of children go sailing and camping, in a perfect blend of real and imagined adventure.
’The Little White Horse’ by Elizabeth Goudge: I believe this was a childhood favourite of JK Rowling, too! A very old-fashioned, and very English, story with an atmosphere of pure magic.
If you could be any character who would you be? And why?
Lizzy Bennett from Pride & Prejudice – witty, strong-willed, learns from her mistakes, and ends up with Mr Darcy!
What is your favourite ice-cream flavour and when is your favourite time to eat it?
Raspberry & white chocolate; watching Dr Who
Do you have any strange rituals before, during or after you write a story?
Not really, I can't bear anyone fiddling with stuff on my desk! If anyone walks off with my special black kilometrico biro I have a tantrum.
What are your phobias?
Moths and mice – both fluttering, scuttling things that I have shared too many old houses with.
Has anyone ever thought that one of your characters was based on them? If so, who was it and were they happy about it?
About ten years ago I went on an overseas trip, leaving behind the manuscript of a novel for my friend Sandra to read. It was about two friends who fall in love but are too shy to admit it to each other, the thinly disguised story of myself and another friend Michael. Without telling me, Sandra gave the manuscript to Michael; he read it, met me off the plane, and we've been together ever since. Aw, how romantic! The novel was never published, but it was definitely worth writing it for that one very special reader.
Do you write on a computer or notebook?
Computer. I think I've forgotten how to write longhand.
What is the hardest thing about writing/being a writer?
Thinking of ideas! I'm hopeless. I'm certainly not one of those writers who carries around notebooks stuffed with fifty years' worth of story ideas. It's always a struggle to come up with the next book. Sigh.
Learn more about Kate.
What was your favourite book to read over the summer holidays when you were young and what is it about?
Arrrk! That would be my worst nightmare...only having one favourite book to read over the holidays! (A bit like only being allowed to eat watermelon!) I've always had great piles of 'favourite books'- still do! And I still read them every few years now...’Karalta’ by Mary Grant Bruce (about an English refugee in World war two who captures a German spy with the help of a young Ausssie soldier) and Jane Eyre and....well, to be honest a lot of my 'favourite books' weren't ones for kids, as there weren't many books for kids around. So it probably shouldn't say what they were in case someone screams 'you can't let kids read those!’
If you could be any character who would you be? And why?
I'd be 2 metres tall, slim, able to run 100 k an hour, fly like an eagle, and maybe have a tail so I could swing like a monkey. (A neat one that could be hidden in my underwear). All this would use up so much energy I'd have to eat lots of soy choc soy ice-cream, watermelon, cherries and fresh bread and butter. And I'd live for at least 1,000 years.
What is your favourite ice-cream flavour and when is your favourite time to eat it?
Choc soy ice-cream.
Do you have any strange rituals before, during or after you write a story?
Actually I always go for an hour and a half walk up the mountain before I start writing every day- just sit up there and look over the valley, then plan what I’m going to write as I walk down. THEN I eat the choc soy ice-cream.
What are your phobias?
Not having a supply of choc soy ice-cream or a mountain to climb or a book to write or a pile of books to read! Or wombats out the window.
Has anyone ever thought that one of your characters was based on them? If so, who was it and were they happy about it?
The president of our local Historical society thought I'd based Mrs Halibut on her. Her husband started calling her 'fish face.' (a Halibut is a type of fish).
The wombat in ‘Diary of a wombat’ is based on a real wombat, but luckily she doesn't know I’ve written about her. Not that it matters- she ALREADY chews up the doormat and bases up the garbage bin so there isn't much more she can do about it.
Do you write on a computer or note pad?
Computer, plus lots of scribbled notes on old envelopes that I either lose or can't decipher.
Learn more about Jackie.
What was your favourite book to read over the summer holidays when you were young and what is it about?
My favourite book to read over the summer holidays when I was young were the Amelia Jane Enid Blyton books! Amelia was a walking, talking and feeling doll and her fellow toys were very human-like as well. Enid captured my imagination so easily! Often there was a little conflict, fun and drama between Amelia Jane and the other toys highlighting some really useful themes like equality and fairness!
If you could be any character who would you be? And why?
If I could be any character I would be the biblical character ‘Salome’ who was the gatekeeper between heaven and earth on the rainbow bridge. Funnily enough my second middle name actually is Salome! I’d be keen to be Salome as I’d get to encounter some of life’s most fascinating and interesting characters I think! Meeting such characters would help me learn and grow!
What is your favourite ice-cream flavour and when is your favourite time to eat it?
My favourite ice-cream flavour is chocolate because the taste of it somehow makes me feel like a carefree little girl! Even the name chocolate ice-cream conjures up for me feelings of lightness, playfulness and joy! My favourite time to eat chocolate time is any time I feel like it!
Do you have any strange rituals before, during or after you write a story?
I don’t have any strange rituals before, during or after I write a story. I sometimes experience strange inner thoughts like imaginings and fantasies. Using the mind so flexibly is so much fun!
What are your phobias?
I was once told by a psychologist that I had a ‘track’ phobia. She said that running tracks were the reason why I would hyperventilate and withdraw into myself whenever i was on a track.
Has anyone ever thought that one of your characters was based on them? If so, who was it and were they happy about it?
In my children’s book, I certainly include members of my family, friends and acquaintances. Born to run is a true story based on actual real life events and characters. Thankfully, all of the characters in my book were really enthused and excited to be involved.
Do you write on a computer or note pad?
When I write I always write on my computer. I’m a reasonably good typist, so the writing process is better and more efficient.
Learn more about Cathy and her book.
What was your favourite book to read over the summer holidays when you were young and what is it about?
The Adventures of the Wishing Chair by Enid Blyton. It’s about Peter and Molly and how while looking for a present for their mother come across a strange chair in an antique shop. The chair grows wings and flies the children off on adventures to all sorts of magical lands. On their first flight they rescue a pixie called Chinky from a giant. Pixie then comes to live in the children’s playroom and accompanies them on their adventures with the wishing chair.
If you could be any character who would you be? And why?
Although Pippi Longstocking didn’t own a wishing chair - being able to lift a horse with one hand and getting away with being cheeky to adults was pretty impressive. Not to mention stripy legs and long straight pig-tails. What else is there?
What is your favourite ice-cream flavour and when is your favourite time to eat it?
As a kid I would love a double cone with bubblegum on one side and liquorice on the other. I would try and get one every time we went to the shops with varying degrees of success.
As an adult I’ve moved more towards rum and raison or honeycomb or lemon cheesecake and have one about twice a year.
Do you have any strange rituals before, during or after you write a story?
Not especially. I have avoidance rituals like everybody does ie. Making myself a constant array of snacks, a sudden interest in housework, talking on the phone too much, wasting time on the internet or just a highly developed capacity to completely forget about writing the story at all. I’m especially good at forgetting about what I’m meant to be doing.
What are your phobias?
Snakes. I can’t even look at them on television. I really dislike touching cardboard too, but it’s not really a phobia. Moving house is particularly challenging when you don’t like touching cardboard..... So many boxes!
Has anyone ever thought that one of your characters was based on them? If so, who was it and were they happy about it?
No
Do you write on a computer or writing pad?
Both. I tend to use a pad for drafting, planning & structuring a story but when I’m actually in the writing phase I do it on computer.
Learn more about Marion.
