The Author Hotline
is
being developed by CW4K, or Creative Writing 4 Kids. They are the company behind a website that enables children to create and publish their own stories online. In its first year it has signed up over 2000 members and has been enthusiastically received by children, parents and teachers. In fact the response has been so encouraging that they are planning a huge expansion of its services. Embedding The Author Hotline into the site is part of that expansion...
For more information on CW4K CLICK HERE
Q: What were you like at school?
I was the weird kid, always reading a book in the playground.
Q: What did you want to be when you were a child?
A high court judge.
Q: Which three words describe you best?
Creative, critical, uncompromising.
Q: What is your favourite word?
Selenotropic. It means turning or bending under the influence of moonlight.
Q: What makes you cringe?
Embarrassment.
Q: What are you afraid of?
I'm afraid of being afraid. It's recursive, I know.
Q: What is your most treasured possession?
My cat.
Q: What do you do as a hobby?
I play computer games. Favourites include SSX, GTA, Ratchet and Clank, Wipeout and the Sims.
Q: What’s your favourite food?
Felafels.
Q: What profession other than yours would you like to attempt?
Astronaut. I'd like to go into space.
Q: Do you feel younger or older than your current age?
Younger. I'm still about 14 inside.
Q: What quality do you most admire in a person?
Self-awareness.
Q: How long have you been a writer?
I've been writing since I was a teenager. I was writing a fantasy epic while at secondary school and I sent it to a few publishers who invited me to meet with them - although the book wasn't accepted. My first book was accepted when I was nineteen years old and studying at university.
Q: Was there a specific moment in your life when you decide to become a writer?
When I had a book accepted!
Q: Where do you do your writing?
In my office at home. It's lavender and mauve with a long counter-top desk and lots of storage for my books and notebooks.
Q: What are the best and worst things about being an author?
The best thing is having other people tell you how much they love your books. The worst thing is having to decide which idea to write.
Q: Where do you get your greatest ideas from?
My dreams.
Q: Which of your own characters do you most identify with?
Raven, Poppy, Zoë and Katherine.
Q: What do you do to combat “writers’ block”?
Make notes and see where my ideas take me.
Q: What was your favourite book as a child?
Howl's Moving Castle by Diana Wynne Jones.
Q: What book do you wish you had written?
The Tricksters by Margaret Mahy.
Q: What advice would you give to aspiring authors?
Keep writing. The more you write the better you'll be at it. Try different ideas to widen your range. Join a writer's circle: one which is brave enough to give genuinely critical responses, not just praise.
Bad Blood
Published By
Oxford University Press
Status
In Print
Ghost of a Chance
ISBN
978-0192755629
Published By
Oxford University Press
Status
In Print
Roundabout
ISBN
0333997360
Published By
Young Picador
Status
In Print
Borderland
ISBN
978-0192755926
Published By
Oxford University Press
Status
In Print
Outlan
ISBN
978-0192755933
Published By
Oxford University Press
Status
In Print
Shadowland
ISBN
978-0192755940
Published By
Oxford University Press
Status
In Print
Super Zeroes
ISBN
978-0192754110
Published By
Oxford University Press
Status
In Print