Author Interview Claire O'Brien

First question, I see you’re a Brit, which is cool, so am I! Give our readers some background info!
 
I grew up in Nottingham, which is a city right in the middle of England. My friends and I spent the holidays playing in abandoned allotments, climbing trees and eating the plums and gooseberries we found there. I have lived in different parts of England and Scotland and I now share a sunny flat in London with my partner, Robert. I love the beautiful museums and galleries here, and being able to hear different languages every day. It's a very international city. I have one grown up son, Ewan, who is a digital musician. He spends a lot of time inventing strange new musical instruments that spin and whirr.

Nottingham is awesome, I love that place! Can you tell us about Cordelia Codd? Where did you get the idea for this story?

 
Cordelia just popped into my head one day, chattering away, being funny and cross about lots of things. Most of her is completely made up - you need a WILD imagination to be a writer! Some of the things that happen in my storis, like being bullied at school or Cordelia's parents falling out are experiences that lots of children have. I used to be a teacher so I have talked to children who know how this feels and I am certain that, even if we have tough stuff to deal with in our lives, we can come through these bad times happy and strong, like Cordelia.  I want all my readers to be so confident and optimistic that they will never be sad for long, no matter what might happen to them.

You’ve been compared to Jacqueline Wilson (One of my favourite authors as a kid) would you agree? What writers inspire you?

Wow! I feel very flattered to be compared to Jacqueline Wilson because I think he books have helped many children to stay strong and cheerful through difficult times. Judy Blume and Jean Ure are two other writers who have given us funny and helpful books - you might want to check them out if you haven't read their stories. I also admire Sita Bramachari, who wrote a wonderful book called Arthichoke Hearts, which deals with the death of a beloved grandparent very beautifully. Arthur Ransome, was another great writer. He wrote the classic, Swallows and Amazons series. I admire him for allowing his characters so much freedom, much more than most children are allowed these days, and I love Roald Dahl for being so outrageous and funny and rude. I read all his stories with my son when he was young and we laughed SO much.  

Some people would say writing for children is easier/simpler or not “real” writing. What would you say to those people?

I would say, 'Okay, try it.' Then I would chuckle to myself and think 'He/She has NO idea how difficult this is going to be.'

What practical advice would you give to aspiring writers?

I am always honest about this question. If you can think of anything else that would make you happy then do that instead. Writing is VERY tough and only a few lucky authors make enough money to pay their bills. Most writers, including myself, have to have another job as well. However, if you feel that you MUST write or else you will EXPLODE and that nothing else will EVER make you happy, then you should start by going out in the world and having an interesting life. Meet lots of people, do lots of different jobs, travel, and be very observant. Keep a diary or notebook to jot down interesting conversations and things that you see. Take photos, too. Read as much as you can so that you can find out what type of book you love because this is probably the type of book that you should write. After all, who wants to write a book that they wouldn't want to read themselves? Then, one day, the time will come for you to start putting your ideas down as stories. It may be very soon or it may be when you are much older. If you are a writer DEEP down inside then you will know when the time is right.

What was the most difficult aspect of writing this and what was the easiest?

One of the toughest things is that until you are published most people think that you are just a dreamer who should get a proper job, so you have to believe in yourself 100%, which isn't an easy feeling to hang on to. Sometimes you want to give up and say, 'They're right, I'm probably no good as a writer, I should do something else instead.' But that's when you MUST keep going.

The great part is when I receive messages from young people who have read and enjoyed my books. That's the BEST feeling in the world!

Finally if you had the ability to teleport where in the world would you go and why?  

So MANY places. I would do a huge tour all over space and time, then I would come back home and get on with writing my next story because that's where I am happiest.

Author Interview J. Lee Graham

First off can you tell the Privateers a little about yourself and how you got into writing?

Hello Privateers and thank you for interviewing me! I'm J. Lee Graham and I'm a wearer of many hats. I'm a writer, playwright, musician, actor, astrologer (www.mysticalisle.net) and fluent in ASL as my second language. Joseph Campbell said "Follow your bliss." I did that through most of my life, but sadly, writing was a 'bliss' I came into  years later. Growing up, I remember being 'shot down' verbally by my family whenever I told them about my writing dream. I guess that's the lesson right there!

Tell us all about your novel!

I've written a time travel series for Middle Grade. The first book is called IN THE NICK OF TIME and the second book is called THE TIME OF HIS LIFE. In IN THE NICK OF TIME, the hero, Andy Mackpeace, inherits a mysterious set of incense sticks from his Bohemian, psychic grandmother. When he lights one, the smoke whisks him off to another time and place and he seems to partially embody a person from that time. The first place is the site of the Boston Massacre. Andy learns eventually, that when he relights the stick, it sends him back home. Later, when he lights another stick with his friend Roger, they're unexpectedly interrupted by their friend, Miranda Roberts, who makes Andy jump, and he drops the stick. As a result, all three end up trapped in a 19th century antebellum plantation in Georgia. Andy and Miranda are the son and daughter of the owner; Roger is a slave.

I integrate accurate historical information as well as a strong New Age sensibility with my characters in these novels. I enjoy the synthesis of history and imagination and having the characters use their ability to work together to tackle whatever situation they find. 

What got you into writing middle grade fiction? Have you dabbled in other kinds of writing?

     I'm a playwright as well. I wrote a Children's Play called "Alana" and an adult two act play called "Lives of the Saints". I've also written a coming of age Young Adult novel called THE PROMISE OF LIVING.

      I like the different genres, but Middle Grade is fun because the suspension of belief for the readers is so much a part of the set up. The people who've read my time travel novels range from 10-70, yet they're all willing to put aside 'reality' and go for the journey. That creates a lot of freedom within the work.

What do you find challenging about writing middle grade as opposed to other forms of writing?

      My greatest challenge is finding the voices for my three main characters: Andy, Roger, and Miranda. Meaning, they are all 13 years old, and they're intelligent, but they can't sound like adults. They carry within them an "Indigo Child" persona, but they can't be spouting off New Age wisdom at the drop of a hat. Andy especially, as the main character, is very sensitive and has the ability to converse with his dead grandmother. These mentoring moments cannot be forced or faked; there is a very fine line between pedanticism and allowing the characters to discover life. I chose the latter every time.

What do you think is more important – character development or plot-driven story? How would you advise people to balance the two?

     It would be easy, especially with MG novels, to choose "plot-driven story", but in all honesty, I side with "character development". Characters have to be vivid, 'real' to the reader, identifiable, relatable. Nothing irks me more when I read a tale where terrific plots unfold, yet the characters have no emotional, visceral response to any of them. They go along as if none of what just happened affects them just so we can move on to the next episode. I love a good cliffhanger and use them frequently in my Middle Grade novels and I think readers love them, too. It adds new meaning to the term, "page turner", but if by the end of the novel, we, as readers, feel nothing for our protagonist, and have no sense of empathy for him, then I think the novel failed in some way. 

Are you currently working on anything right now?

Yes, I am editing the third book in the time travel series. It is called ALL THE TIME IN THE WORLD. It should be out by October, 2013. 

My blog is www.jleegraham.blogspot.com where I keep followers posted.

Finally if you had one billion dollars to invest into any charity/project on Earth what would it be and why?  

Education, especially Literacy. Gosh, the ramifications are endless. I see so many poorly educated people in this world, (is education losing its value in the home/family and be supplanted by television?) and for me, literacy beyond just a 4th grade reading level (that's our way to describe it here in America), is vital: for shaping minds, policies, values, mores, eradicating prejudice, and creating compassion.

What do you think Privateers? Worth checking out? Definitely!

www.mysticalisle.net 

www.jleegraham.blogspot.com

http://www.amazon.com/J.-Lee-Graham/e/B0059HRM00/ref=sr_tc_2_0?qid=1373933362&sr=1-2-ent