How can I get my stories published? If you really want to be a writer I would suggest that you don’t worry so much about ‘being published’ and just enjoy writing for its own sake. A good idea is to write the sort of stories that you love to read because, without realising it, you know a lot about this particular type of story and how it is supposed to work. You get better at writing like you get better at everything else, through constant practice. And to read as much as you can!Ĭan you give me some writing tips? Get an exercise book and write in it every day… 5 minutes a day to start with, and gradually increase to at least 30 minutes a day. What advice do you have for people who want to be writers? My best advice for how to become an author is to practise-that’s the best way to get better at anything, whether it’s learning a musical instrument, playing a sport or writing. How long does it take you to write a book? Each book takes around 12 months: 3 months of planning, 3 months of writing and then 6 months of re-writing, editing and polishing. The ‘fuel’ for those ideas come from everywhere: from books I read, TV shows and movies I watch and, of course, all the things that happen in everyday life. Where do you get your ideas? The best story ideas come from a long slow process of thinking, reading, researching, experimenting, drafting, editing and lots and lots of re-working and re-writing. How old were you when your first book was published? I was 35 years old. What was the first book that you wrote? The first book I had published by a publisher-as opposed to little books I used to publish myself-was Just Tricking! in 1997. People liked them and I was encouraged to make more books and eventually I started doing it full time. I collected a few together and made photocopied books, which I shared with my students and friends. How did you become a writer? As an English teacher I wrote little stories to amuse my students. I was constantly filling up exercise books with stories, jokes, cartoons, newspaper clippings, ticket stubs, bubblegum cards … anything that interested and/or excited me. What do you do when you’re not writing? I love reading, listening to music, watching comedy, running, cycling, swimming, and staring out the window.ĭo you like writing? Yes, I love it-I’ve written all my life for my own amusement and to make my family and friends laugh. To me each new book in the Treehouse series is really just a chapter in a much longer story. What is your favourite book you have written? They’re ALL my favourites-I like them all for different reasons. ![]() How many books have you written? I’m very bad at counting, but you can see all the books I’ve written here. I also loved sci-fi comics and MAD magazine. What books did you like reading as a kid? Some of my special favourites were Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland by Lewis Carroll, One Fish, Two Fish, Red Fish, Blue Fish by Dr Seuss, The Adventures of the Wishing Chair by Enid Blyton and Charlie and the Chocolate Factory by Roald Dahl. (Sooty features in the Just Series and Silky in the Treehouse Series.) I used to have a dog called Sooty and a cat called Silky. ![]() When and where were you born? 3rd Sept, 1961 in Melbourne, Australia.Īre you married and do you have children? Yes, I’m married to Jill-who is a book editor-and we have two daughters.ĭo you have brothers and sisters? Yes, two younger sisters: Susan and Julie.ĭo you have any pets? I have a one-eyed cat called Ruby.
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