2. What is your nickname?
My family nickname is Amybob and my uni friends call me Amypants, both named after my idol, Spongebob Squarepants.
3. What is your greatest fear?
I am TERRIFIED of huntsmans: they are just too big and hairy! I used to live in Eltham, and every hot day at least two huntsmans would be hanging out in my bedroom; so much so that I nicknamed them ‘Fred and George’, like the Weasley twins. I still get a bit on edge every time it’s a hot day that Fred or George will come and visit my new home.
4. Describe your writing style in 10 words.
Another great question. I would describe my writing style as: light, humorous, contemporary, fun, entertaining, amusing, conversational, quirky, playful and imaginative.
5. Tell us five positive words that describe you as a writer.
I would love readers to find my writing quirky and humorous, with a hint of playful cheekiness. I think as a writer, I am those things but with an added layer of intention, as I begin my writing process by thinking about the end-reader and what they are currently listening, watching, reading and wanting out of a good book. I then use the answers to those questions to inform to my work.
6. What book character would you be, and why?
Definitely Madeline. Besides the fact that I rocked a bob for most of my childhood and love wearing straw hats, I think Madeline and I have very similar qualities; we are both teeny-tiny with BIG personalities.
7. If you could time travel, what year would you go to and why?
I used to say 2015 to see if the Back to the Future reality was true, but now I reckon I’d visit ancient Egypt and see how the pyramids were really made.
8. What would your 10-year-old self say to you now?
We did it! Which is actually what I wrote as my dedication in Amigo Capybara. It was always my dream to write, and I’m so grateful that I have been able to realise this aspiration.
9. Who is your greatest influence?
I would say my greatest writing influence was my Grade 4 teacher, Mrs Walsh. I used to think that to be considered a good writer I had to write about ‘serious’ topics. I remember having such bad writer’s block for the class’s short story project, but she encouraged me to write about what I wanted, not what I thought she wanted me to write. So I wrote a story about deadly cabbage farts, and to this day, that short story is still the best piece I’ve ever written. I actually created it into a middle-grade series during the pandemic.
I would say my greatest writing influence was my Grade 4 teacher, Mrs Walsh. I used to think that to be considered a good writer I had to write about ‘serious’ topics. I remember having such bad writer’s block for the class’s short story project, but she encouraged me to write about what I wanted, not what I thought she wanted me to write. So I wrote a story about deadly cabbage farts, and to this day, that short story is still the best piece I’ve ever written. I actually created it into a middle-grade series during the pandemic.
10. What/who made you start writing?
It’s hard to say as I have been writing/making up stories ever since I can remember, but I’d say it was my mum as she always encouraged reading and storytelling in both written and verbal form. We still laugh about an old tape Mum used to play in the car called Pots and Pans, which was literally just sounds of different pots and pans clanging and banging in a busy kitchen. My sister and I used to pretend we were chefs in a super fancy French restaurant, yelling in accents at each other at 7.30 in the morning on the way to school. My poor mum!
11. What is your favourite word and why?
I actually have a few favourite words, all for different reasons and occasions. I love the sound of the word ‘indubitably’, but have never actually written it before. I love typing the word ‘accommodation’ because of all the double letters, and I love the impact of the word ‘suddenly’; it makes the tone of any piece shift automatically and I really enjoy the excitement that it brings.
12. If you could only read one book for the rest of your life, what would it be?
If I could only read one book, it would be my ultimate childhood book, The Journey Home, by
Alison Lester. I always wished I could dig so deep in my sandpit I’d find new worlds.
