Making rice. I can get it really light and fluffy. There’s nothing worse than stodgy rice.
2. Who is your favourite literary villain and why?
Annie Wilkes in Stephen King’s Misery. Who hasn’t wanted to hobble an author?
3. You're hosting a literary dinner party, which five authors would you invite? (alive or dead)
Nina Stibbe and Nora Ephron - I love funny women. Mo Willems and Shinsuke Yoshitake - my favourite picture book authors. Richard Osman - I haven’t read all his books; I’m just a huge fan of Pointless. I’d serve my deliciously fluffy rice and, if they didn’t like it, I’d hobble them.
4. Which literary invention do you wish was real?
The invisibility cloak from Harry Potter. I’m terrible at small talk and it would come in handy when I have to hang around the gate at school pick-up.
5. What are five words that describe your writing process?
Procrastinate. Panic. Write. Rewrite. Repeat.
6. Which are the five words you would like to be remembered by as a writer?
Her books make me laugh.
7. Picture your favourite writing space. What are five objects you would find there?
A wall covered in random pictures. A large pair of googly eyes. A stack of my most recent favourite reads. Post-it notes. Hand cream. (Moisturising my hands is one of my favourite ways to procrastinate - you can’t type with slippery fingers!)
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!)
I’m Sorry You Feel That Way, by Rebecca Wait.
To the pool? With Granny? No!’ Madeleine whined. ‘Last time I went to the pool with Granny she swam in a turtle-shaped shower cap.
9. If you could ask one author one question, what would the question be and who would you ask?
I’d ask Judy Blume how she manages to say so much without ever seeming to spell anything out.
10. Which would you rather do: Never write another story or never read another book?
Never write another story. I like writing, but I find it hard. I like reading, and it makes me happy. I’d choose happy.
Jo’s writing career started in advertising in Melbourne and continued across agencies here and in London. Jo and her husband now run a small creative agency from home in Melbourne, where they live with their two boys. Jo loves any sort of crafty activity and is also an avid theatre fan. In another life, she would definitely have played Ado Annie in Oklahoma or at the very least would have been cast as a dancing hay bale in the chorus. Get Your Act Together, Doris Kozlowski is her first middle-grade novel.
For more information, see https://www.jodabrowski.com/
