How would you describe your work to someone new to it? I’m the author of 86 children’s books. My latest novel is Maya and the Crystal Skull, an action adventure for children aged 9 years and over, based on the legend of the crystal skulls. People often ask which of my titles is my favourite. [...]

How would you describe your work to someone new to it? I write many genres for ages 5-15 years. What is your writing process? Do you follow a regular routine? Panic, always. Cups of tea, sometimes. And I do have a small office and start work each morning as though I worked outside my home [...]

How would you describe your work to someone new to it? I’d describe my work as fantasy that is influenced heavily by ‘real world’ mythologies. I enjoy playing various seemingly incongruous aspects of real world legends off one another, or drawing connections between disparate cultures, that sort of thing. A lot of my work seems [...]

How would you describe your work to someone new to it? I have loved words ever since I could talk.  A lifetime later, my first self-published book was a children’s upper primary novel and I was surprised that I could write from the point of view of a 12 year old boy (because I’ve never [...]

How would you describe your work to someone new to it? I mainly write poetry, though I do play around with short stories, articles and occasionally other forms. With my poetry I am always trying to explore different styles and voices, so it’s hard to pinpoint any overall defining characteristics. In my most recent book, [...]

How would you describe your work to someone new to it? Mildly intelligent hopefully not sinkable without a trace teenage chic-lit. What is your writing process? Do you follow a regular routine? I once attended a writer’s event where the male guest speaker said, ‘You’re not a writer if you don’t crave to put the [...]

How would you describe your work to someone new to it? Light but not fluffy: sounds like a well-made omelette rather than a book. With all my writing – such as travel pieces, theatre reviews and now the book Making a Meal of It –  I grapple to be light. As in not obvious, worthy [...]

How would you describe your work to someone new to it? I write poetry and prose, and I feel that I approach them very differently. Some themes pop up again and again in both, though: home and identity, motherhood,  family, landscape. I moved from America to Australia in 1999 and have had three children since, [...]

How would you describe your work as someone new to it? My poetry, both for children and adults, is often described as whimsical and humorous. my short stories and flash fictions as bizarre and exuberant. I would go along with that. How would you describe your writing process? Do you follow a routine? I started [...]

How would you describe your work to someone new to it? Traditional historical fiction/adventure for young adolescents.  Many of my stories / novels are set during WWII.  (There are too many stories about Escaped Bums and Vampires). What is your writing process? Do you follow a regular routine? I start by jotting down key ideas.  [...]