I’m really excited to share this next interview, because Jaclyn
Moriarty is an author whose work I exceptionally enjoy. The Year
of Secret Assignments is definitely one of the more memorable books I read
when I first started getting into YA. And I have gone back to it a few times as
well, because the characters and storytelling style were just that awesome. Feeling
Sorry for Celia and The Murder of Bindy Mackenzie were also highly
enjoyable reads. She currently splits her time between Sydney, Australia, and
Montreal, Canada. She has just completed her new book, very exciting. And
without further ado…
Where do your ideas for writing come from?
Sometimes I lie on the floor, close my eyes and listen to
music. Sometimes I ride around on the ferry on Sydney Harbour and look at the
water. And sometimes I listen in to other people’s conversations in cafes.
Ooh, those all sound relaxing and inspiring! Do you find
certain characters harder to write than others?
I’ve just finished writing a new book in the
Ashbury-Brookfield series, and it has some characters from earlier books,
including Lydia and Emily. For some reason, it always takes me a while to get
into Lydia’s head. I think it might be because she is complicated and
secretive. On the other hand, I find Emily easy to write – she always seems to
have something to say. The difficult thing with Emily is getting her to shut
up.
That’s very exciting! I kind of like Lydia’s secretiveness;
she’s quite mysterious. What would you say is one event that changed your life
utterly and irrevocably?
Having a baby.
If you couldn’t write, hypothetically, what would you do
instead?
I suppose I would go back to being a lawyer, but that would
make me cry. I used to want to be a teacher, or a psychologist, or an
astronomer.
All very interesting aspirations! I’m glad you chose to be a
writer though ;) What do you do when inspiration is lacking (i.e. the muse has
gone on vacation)?
Run up and down the stairs, eat chocolate, listen to music,
or just sigh and start googling the names of old boyfriends.
Don’t worry if you find it difficult to finish your stories,
or if you haven’t got anything published yet. It can be a good thing to shift
between stories for a few years – it helps to develop your style and
imagination. Every now and then make yourself finish a very, very, very short
story, just to remind yourself that you can. And you’ve got your whole life to
get published.
Well said! Name three things you couldn’t live without?
The ocean, blueberries, Charlie (my little boy).
Words of wisdom – give a quote you live by?
My mother’s philosophy is that you should take on any
problem with relish, throwing everything you’ve got at it until it’s solved. My
dad decides what he wants to achieve and then makes it happen, ignoring the
problems completely. I think they both have a point, but I would like to add
that you should give yourself lots of treats along the way.
Thanks for the great interview, Jaclyn!
-deltay
No comments:
Post a Comment
Add to the conversation! Thank you for commenting on TWFT!