WILLIAM ASKS EIGHT
In this blog series William, age 12
Has come up with eight questions
To ask his favourite authors
We will share the answers
On Instagram and Facebook
And also here on the blog
Alongside the Q&A we will also share
A picture of the author’s latest books
And a picture of any other books they have written
We are hoping to get more children reading
The books that William loves
Here are the questions
What inspired you to become an author?
What was your favourite book as a child?
Do you have a favourite place to read and/or write?
Which of the characters you have created is your favourite?
If another children’s author was to write the story of your life, who would you choose and why?
What three pieces of advice would you give to young writers?
If you could “book wander” into any story which would it be and why?
Can you give us a hint about your next or future books?
William has a LONG list of authors that he wants to send his questions to
But top of his list was Ross Montgomery
Who is also who William would want to write his life story
And, being the awesome human being that he is
Ross agreed to help William kickstart the series
If you have not yet read any of Ross Montgomery’s books I suggest starting with The Midnight Guardians
Though I suspect the twins would say The Chime Seekers
Both books are BRILLIANT!
Find out a little more about Ross and his books as William Asks Eight!
What inspired you to become an author?
I guess it was a mix of lots of different things, but the main reason was how much I love stories. I’ve always loved reading stories, and being told stories, and even telling my own stories. The chance to actually write my own was a dream come true!
What was your favourite book as a child?
I had so many different ones – I loved the Horrible Histories series, and Beano annuals, but I think Jacqueline Wilson was the first author I really loved. I was a particularly big fan of DOUBLE ACT!
Do you have a favourite place to read and/or write?
I have a chair at home where I do all my writing – I used to like writing in libraries and cafes, but I was spending a fortune on coffee!
Which of the characters you have created is your favourite?
I can’t answer that, the others would kill me!! But I do have a real soft spot for Mr Noakes in THE MIDNIGHT GUARDIANS.
It’s a badger! In a waistcoat! How cute is that?
If another children’s author was to write the story of your life, who would you choose and why?
Oh lord, that’s a good question. I guess I should pick someone who could make ANYTHING exciting – I’ll go for Frances Hardinge!
What three pieces of advice would you give to young writers?
Read loads, write loads, and get a notebook! You can’t write unless you read – the two go hand in hand. The more you write, the better you’ll get at it – don;’t sit on an idea for years and years, waiting for it to be perfect in your head. And a notebook is key – ideas jump out at you from nowhere, and if you don’t write them down immediately, you forget them!
If you could “book wander” into any story which would it be and why?
I love perilous and scary books, but I’m a bit of a wimp so I don’t think I could handle actually being in one. I feel like the opportunity to have my own daemon would be too good to turn down though, so His Dark Materials it is!
Can you give us a hint about your next or future books?
I’m working on quite a few different ones at the moment. In November, my next picture book with Sarah Warburton comes out, called PENGUIN HUDDLE – I’m already working on the next one, called ANT PARTY. In May, my next big middle-grade book comes out, which is currently called SPELLSTONE and I’m very excited about it! After that I have a few smaller books – two for Barrington Stoke and a new picture book I can’t talk about just yet – and I also have to start my next middle grade to follow up SPELLSTONE. I’m *also* working on something top secret – so as you can tell, I’m ludicrously busy!!
To keep up with Ross Montgomery’s busy book schedule you can follow him on Twitter and also check out his website http://rossmontgomery.co.uk/