a collective of children's story writers
When did you start writing?
I had a love of poetry since my teens, my father and I would read poems and verses written by Walter de la Mare, and Elizabeth and Robert Browning. I'm sure I am an old soul.
Inspired by these I wrote a collection of poems at high school during lunch break.
After having my three sons and Inspired by the Faraway tree, The Lion the Witch and The Wardrobe, and my all-time favourite; Tom's Midnight garden. I delved into writing adventure, mystery stories for the boys and magical fairy stories for my nieces. Imagination was something I was not lacking in.
Reading my little writings to my boys as bedtime stories I would watch their reactions with delight and a happy heart.
Not having any experience of how to be an actual writer or begin looking at publishing, with my days tied up with running a house, my writing days were short lived.
What are you currently reading?
Being an Artist/illustrator first and foremost my time is taken up by reading other author's manuscripts, preparing my imagination for illustrations that would proudly represent their written words.
Have you travelled widely?
I guess I could say yes! At the age of 16, my father took my entire family on a world cruise in 1975, for the duration of 6 months. Living in Melbourne at the time, flying to Sydney to begin the most amazing journey of life experience, to eleven countries,(too long to list) was life altering. Stopping at the most interesting, and some exotic locations, sailing through the Tasman Sea, North Pacific ocean, through the Panama canal to the Caribbean sea and North Atlantic ocean. Stopping over at our mother country Malta for two of those months, meeting the relatives for the first time and soaking in the life on the Mediterranean. Heading back around the South Atlantic, and Indian Ocean for the journey home to Melbourne. To say it was a life changing experience at that age is an understatement.
As an adult my husband I have have travelled to Europe and, indulge in the yearly South Pacific cruise.
What are your favourite books/genres to read/write in?
I have a passion for reading anything related to time travel that delves into the past, while anything that is mystical or magic related takes my imagination for an exiting ride. The concept of exploring different eras in history history firsthand draws me into the thrill of what if? Whether it's a novel, or a short story, I am always eager to dive into tales that take me on a time journey.
Do you write mainly for children, or have you written for adults?
Since I have become a grandma and joined the amazing collaborative team of the Ten Penners, I can happily reply yes! I write and illustrate for Children. With three of my stories printed and published in our very own Backyard Adventure book Anthology we launched in 2023.
Do you derive inspiration from your own family/friends?
Yes, I find that I am consistently relating my characters to my grandchildren actions and attitudes.
Have you created characters based on people you know?
In the three stories I have written I mostly related the main characters to my three sons. Some of my adults characters can be related to friends or neighbours but,......... that's our secret!😉
Do you feel writing and being a member of The Ten Penners helps you push your writing to a new level?
Since joining the Ten Penners in 2018 a fire was reignited encouraging imagination to go from pen to paper. I know illustrate for the group and write. Learning so much from each of these established and published writers has helped me grow and find the confidence I needed to write again.
Do you think of the setting as a character or just a background to your story?
Absolutely, the background is a character all in itself. It needs to have a feel that aids in drawing in movement throughout the story. The background description can create the scene whether, warm, cold, happy, sad, frightening, magical or mystical!
What writing groups do you belong to?
Along with The Ten Penners I am also a member of the Gold Coast Writers Association (GCWA), and SCBWI Society of Book Writers and Illustrators, Just Write for Kids.
These groups are all very insightful and have been very helpful in providing many learning avenues from the various writers within their groups.