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Elizabeth Arnold
How many books have you had published?
I have had seven books published so far. Four for children aged from about
ten. (Mammoth) (Quite popular with adults too, I've been told.) Three
designed for youngsters about seven years old and up.(Mammoth Story Books)
Did you write for fun when you were at school?
Absolutely not! I wasn't the ideal pupil. We
moved around a lot and I hated school.
However, once instructed to write, I was away. I enjoyed creative writing
so much that my fingers couldn't keep up with my brain and so I used to
miss whole chunks out. This meant my efforts were not always appreciated!
I wasn't too hot on spelling either.
Have you always earned your living as a writer? If not, what else have
you done/do you still do?
By the time I started to write seriously I was
almost a granny. I worked as a science technician for most of my life,
either in schools or in the food industry. I ended up as a Quality Control
Manager. I have worked in a fish shop too. I learned to fillet fish, which
was useful, but the job was just too smelly.
.
When was your first book published and what was it called?
My
first book was called The Parsley Parcel, and published first
as a hardback by Heinemann. My first, and probably last hardback! I was
lucky, it was short-listed for the Whitbread Children's Award. It became
a Mammoth paperback in 1996 and was reissued in1998. That year too, it
became a Chivers Children's Audio Book read by Nerys Hughes. This year,
Film and General Productions Limited, are turning it, into a television
series for ITV. The heroine is Freya, a Romany girl with magical powers.
Was it difficult to get your first book published?
I
found a publisher on my second attempt. I didn't actually write The
Parsley Parcel for children. I wrote it because I loved the folk law
involved, which is quite adult really. So, I sent it first, to an adult
publisher, I can't remember who, and they sent it back. Then I realised
that my heroine was a child and not too many adult books have child led
plots. I sent it to Reed Books, now Egmont Children's Books, and it was
accepted.
Which is your favourite of your own books and why?
The
favourite, when I'm writing, is always the one half in my mind, and half
scribbled on paper. I have to be totally involved. When I am between books,
my heart returns to The Freya Trilogy. Without Freya, I would
not be a writer. I have to love her most.
Which is your favourite children's book written by someone else?
I always come back to Alice in Wonderland
by Lewis Carroll. Why? Because it was the first book I became truly aware
of, from the age of about two. My father used to read it to me at bedtime.
I insisted. Through this one book, I learned the joy of reading and being
read to, the fun of poetry, and the delights of wonderfully imaginative
adventures. There were the most wonderful colour-plates too, and through
them, I learned to 'see' in my mind.
How long does it take you to write a book?
It depends whether you mean, write, or edit.
The initial idea for a small book might only take a few days, but the
editing can take up to a year. Double this, at least, for my books for
older children. And that's before my editors add their contributions!
But all the hard work is worth it, I think, in the end.
Do you use a computer or write first drafts long hand?
First drafts -long hand, always. I think there
is still some 'magical' connection between the fingers and the brain.
At a more scientific level, typing induces a greater tendency to 'cut
and paste.' With hand written scrawl, it is much easier to chuck a bad
bit of writing into the bin and start again. I'm convinced that this method
produces a more even flow.
Do you have a writing routine or just write when you feel like it?
I'm an instinctive writer, breaking most of the advised rules.
I write when I'm driven, never when I'm angry or sad, unless I know I
can tap into those emotions at that part of the story. I think the reader
knows instantly when you're not 100% with them.
Rewriting - do you love it or hate it?
This
is a bit like the school essay answer! I hate starting. Once I pick up
my pen, or open my file on the computer, however. I love it! I always
end up thinking 'Why couldn't I see to do it that way the first time?'
There's something very satisfying about seeing a work steadily improve.
I'm lucky with my editors too, they've learned how to 'play me.' They
tend to drop hints rather than give orders, and sooner or later, I usually
bite.
Have you ever belonged to a writers' group? If so, did it help?
I
still belong to two! The first, I joined when I had almost completed
The Parsley Parcel and wasn't sure if I had the nerve to do anything
with it. It took me a whole month to summon up the courage to phone the
Writers' Circle.-that's how scared I was! I remember them making me read
aloud. I wanted to curl up and die. Now, I am so grateful to them. Because
of that basic training, I can read my books and speak children and adults
alike. I'm an associate member now, and still go to the parties!
In the village I now live in, we have a small circle. Writing can be a
lonely business. It's nice to meet other writers, published or not, and
exchange ideas, hopes and dreams.
Have you got an agent?
Yes,
David Higham Associates.
Why do you like writing for children?
Children
are less constrained. With children's books, there is so much more freedom
to spread your wings and imagine. Children, are much more capable of walking
beyond the obvious, more emotionally dynamic maybe. I enjoy reading children's
books most too, for the same reasons.
How do you get your ideas?
I let ideas 'come to me.' I empty my mind, not
too difficult, some say. I walk with my dogs in The New Forest, or doze
idly in the bath, or cut the hedge, even allow myself to wake up very
slowly, and suddenly the idea flips into my head and I know which way
I want to walk. Though the idea might not totally gel, for some time.
Do you draw the pictures for your books?
Me,
draw? :-)
What advice would you offer anyone who wants to write for children?
Don't talk down. Don't lose heart. Don't give up. With a little talent
and a lot of determination, you can do anything.
Are you willing to do author visits to schools?
I visit schools and do talks. Visits are arranged through my publishers.
e-mail contact :- info@egmont.com
Telephone:- 020 7761 3500
Post:- Egmont Children's
Books Ltd
239 Kensington
high Street
London
W8 6SA .
Have you won any awards or prizes?
1995 The Parsley Parcel shortlisted for the Beefeater Children's
Novel Award
(Whitbread Children's Award)
1997 Gold and Silver Water short-listed for the Nasan Special
Educational Needs
Award.
Spin of the Sunwheel Nominated for the Carnegie Medal 1999
For a list of Elizabeth Arnold's books in print, visit her website
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