a collective of children's story writers
When did you start writing?
I cannot recall exactly how old I was when I started writing, but I remember writing down my thoughts when I realised as a child that people didn't always want to listen to you voicing every single thought in your head. This quickly evolved into writing poems with outlandishly creative concepts, exploring unknown worlds and making sense of my world through the written word. I renewed my passion for writing during maternity leave in 2019, sparking my current journey to becoming a professional children's writer.
What are you currently reading?
When sharing my reading time with my daughter, we gravitate towards the worlds of Hairy Maclary and Mickey Mouse and friends
Have you travelled widely?
As a child, my parents embarked my family on multiple road trips around our wonderful country, singing along to John Williamson and playing car games with extended family in the other cars in our road trip convoy via the two-way radio.
As an adult, I've travelled twice across the USA, and to South Korea, Malaysia, Japan, England, France, Switzerland, Austria, Norway, Italy, and throughout Africa, and repeatedly to Fiji and New Zealand.
What are your favourite books/genres to read/write in?
I enjoy shifting my reading from trending adult romantasy to psychological thrillers and true crime. While I love exploring new stories, I often find myself being pulled back to re-read the works of Nicholas Sparks, Jodi Picoult, Bryce Courtenay, Lucy Diamond and Mary Higgins Clark.
Do you write mainly for children, or have you written for adults?
I write stories for children, however I always like to include some parts catering to the parents who are required to read along with them.
Do you derive inspiration from your own family/friends? Have you created characters based on people you know?
Absolutely. My daughter is my muse and my purpose. I write stories for her to enjoy and relate with. Beyond this, the parents of my daughter's friends are the community of readers I hope to foster, so small pieces of each of them can be found throughout my characters.
There is also the possibility that my husband inspires a number of the problematic incidents that occur throughout my stories, though I don't know that he would appreciate people knowing that.
Do you feel writing and being a member of The Ten Penners helps you push your writing to a new level?
Joining The Ten Penners felt like a siren call and a lightning bolt wrapped up in one. I've previously struggled to find the time and motivation to pursue my ambitions to become an author, although creative writing has always held a formidable stronghold at the back of my mind. Poems and storylines frequently come to me, usually when I'm doing a mindless task allowing my thoughts to wander, before being lost an instant later when the real world returns. Becoming a member of The Ten Penners has shown me that putting time and energy into natural creativity and pipedream passions is essential to living the life you deserve. I am so excited to continue on this journey.
Do you think of the setting as a character or just a background to your story?
In most of my stories the setting is mostly contextual background, however this will all change in the recent anthology concept The Ten Penners are collaborating on. The joint work is being set in a unique twist on a global favourite, and I already know this setting is going to be a main character, if not a main highlight, to my story. Watch this space!
What writing groups do you belong to?
Gold Coast Writers Association and The Ten Penners