I have always read a lot, and I used to write long letters to my dad when I travelled overseas. Then I started going to a writing class, where I wrote stories and my first real poems, and that turned into a workshop group, and things went from there. Going to classes helped, as did the writing group.
Who were your favourite children’s authors when you were young?
C.S. Lewis ("The Magician's Nephew" was the first book I ever owned), Arthur Ransome, Enid Blyton, and an adventure/mystery writer called Malcolm Saville. I wrote him a letter once - the only time I ever wrote to an author - and I got a reply all the way from England!
I have lots of favourite authors, but at the moment I am still in awe of Phillip Pullman and his Northern Lights trilogy. I also love Susan Cooper's The Dark is Rising series. I read a lot of crime and mystery fiction.
Any words of advice for aspiring young writers?
Read widely - not just the one genre of book - and try to read "as a writer" now and then. Think about how a writer draws you into their story, and how they write the bits you love the most! And write lots - writing is not much different from most other things people want to be good at - you have to practise. Have fun. Write for yourself. Give yourself time to write stories and think about them - let them grow inside you!
What now?
- Add your thoughts in the comments below
- Go to the catalogue and reserve
- Borrow an ebook
- Review a book yourself
