FAQ's

Where do you get your ideas from?

Most of my ideas come from my own childhood. It might just be a memory of how I felt when I was falsely accused, or what it was like to bake a cake using my own experimental recipe. Then my imagination takes over and a story is born.

When did you first start writing?

I wrote my first full length novel the year I turned eleven: a romantic thriller featuring my classmates. Once I finished school, I got distracted and didn't pick up my pen again, creatively speaking, until I was 28. That was the beginning of The Worry Tree.

What inspired you to become a writer?

I come from a family of storytellers. My grandma used to give dramatic public poetry recitals and make the audience cry. I also had a string of excellent teachers who inspired me to write and write and write. In my late twenties, I spent an afternoon reading back over my old diaries. I came across an entry I'd written when I was sixteen: 'I think I'd like to write a book,' it said. Not long after I read this, the opening chapter of The Worry Tree came to me.

How did you get published?

I rewrote my book a million times then got friends and relations to look it over and give me feedback. I made myself listen to this feedback without arguing back (no easy task!).

Later, I sent my book to someone called a manuscript assessor. Manuscript assessors have experience in looking at people's books and telling them what's wrong with the book and what changes need to be made to make it better. They also tell you what's good about the book, so you don't go away completely depressed. I had a couple of these done and rewrote my story accordingly (when I agreed with the feedback, that is. As you're the writer, you still need to listen to your inner voice; it's your story, after all).

Later, I was lucky enough to be signed by an agent following a letter of recommendation from one of my assessors. It was my agent's job to send my book out to different publishers to see if they liked it. As it happens, Random House Australia did like it, and the rest is history.

Who's your favourite author?

My favourite Australian author is Robin Klein, who wrote the Penny Pollard books and Hating Alison Ashley. She's hilarious and her characters are gutsy. John Marsden is also great. His characters stay with me long after I've finished the book and put it back on the shelf.

Jacqueline Wilson is my favourite UK author because her characters are so real. Even though her storylines are about serious topics, she writes them in such a light-hearted way, you don't feel weighed down.

What's your favourite book?

I really like Beverly Cleary's Ramona books, the Anne of Green Gables series by LM Montgomery and Robin Klein's Penny Pollard books. My favourite book for adults is Muriel Spark's The Prime of Miss Jean Brodie.

Are any of your characters taken from real life?

My characters start off a lot like people I know but, after a while, they start behaving in ways the original person never would have. That's when I know my story is taking shape; when the characters start to do their own thing, almost as if I'm not in charge.

The main character in The Worry Tree, Juliet, is based on parts of me as a kid, except I wasn't anywhere as neat as she is (just ask my mum!).

Where do you do your writing?

Inspiration tends to strike around 2 or 3 am, without warning. For this reason, I keep a notepad by my bed so I can jot down any ideas and get back to sleep. I flesh them out the next day on my computer in my incredibly messy study, otherwise known as The Room That Must Be Locked When Visitors Come.

What are your interests?

I love reading, catching up with friends, playing with my niece, sitting on the beach, watching BBC period dramas and eating Dutch cheese (before I discovered I was lactose-intolerant).

What are your favourite things?

Favourite colour: I have three - cornflower blue, deep red and sea green.
Favourite food: banana on toast (before I discovered I was allergic to bananas and toast!).
Favourite place: Avoca Beach, where I spent many family holidays as a child.
Favourite animal: apart from all the Worry Tree animals, I like giraffes (their huge tongues make me laugh).
Favourite TV show: The Office

Where do you live?

South Australia, although I've also lived in Sydney (I grew up in Hornsby Heights), Canberra, Holland and the UK.

Do you have any brothers or sisters?

I have one younger sister.

What jobs did you have before being an author?

I've had a few different jobs: hospital social worker, social policy writer, tomato picker, museum guide for kids. I also worked for The Daily Mirror.

If you weren't an author, what would you be?

A professional de-clutterer. Like Juliet in The Worry Tree, I love sorting things (despite the state of my study). In fact, I have to be careful not to do any filing or sorting before bedtime as I get so absorbed in it, I can't get to sleep.

I'd also like to be an advocate for social justice, an editor, a carpenter or a book-binder.

What advice do you have for young writers?

1. Let the creative part of your brain go crazy and leave the editing for later. Remember that the first draft is always, always hopeless. Even the best writers in the world produce terrible first drafts.
   
   
2. Keep pen and paper handy at all times. As soon as an idea pops into your head, write it down. It doesn't matter where you are. If you're at the movies, go into the loo and jot your idea down on a sheet of loo paper! I can assure you, by the time you get home, your fabulous idea will have disappeared, so don't risk it.
   
   
3. Be brave. Let people read your work and listen to their feedback. Consider what they say but remember, it's your story so only change the parts you truly believe need changing. You might like to join an online writing community too. You can remain anonymous so the embarrassment factor is greatly reduced.