Maybe doing voice-overs for radio and documentaries. Or arranging flowers or handwriting. (all things I love doing, but not in a mainstream way)
2.Who is your favourite literary villain and why?
Matron Pluckrose in Jen Storer’s book, Tensy Farlow and the Home for Mislaid Children, because she is the antithesis of how I think children should be treated and cared for. Which is of course, was the writer’s aim. The Matron is cruel, heartless, hypocritical and wears Red Alert lipstick.
3. You're hosting a literary dinner party, which five authors would you invite? (alive or dead)
Tim Winton, Robyn Klein, Ruth Park, Kate di Camillo, Michael Morpurgo, John Steinbeck, Jackie French, Sue Monk-Kidd, Steven Herrick and Noel Coward.
5. What are five words that describe your writing process?
Brainstorm, pen-on-paper, write-edit-write-edit, persist, talk-and-read-aloud
6. Which are the five words you would like to be remembered by as a writer?
Enjoyable, fun, connection, emotions, picture-maker-of–the-mind
7. Picture your favourite writing space. What are five objects you would find there?
Lipsalve for dry lips, cup of tea, glass of water, laptop, scrap paper
8. Grab the nearest book, open it to page 22 and look for the second word in the first sentence. Now, write a line that starts with that word. (Please include the name of the book!)
Celebrating Australia – a year in poetry by Lorraine Marwood
Line: With heart shapes
The sight of a willy-wagtail dancing for me on the lawn makes my heart dizzy with delight.
9. If you could ask one author one question, what would the question be and who would you ask?
I would ask Shakespeare how did he manage to re-arrange or edit such vast amounts of material when everything was laboriously handwritten with quill.
10. Which would you rather do: 'Never write another story or never read another book'?
Never write another story.
Janeen Brian is an award-winning Australian author with over 80 published books. Her writing includes picture books, novels, short stories, poetry and information books. Her latest book, I'm a Hungry Dinosaur, is a sequel to the popular I'm a Dirty Dinosaur, both illustrated by Ann James and published by Penguin. Visit Janeen's website and Facebook page for more information about her books and writing projects.
