FAQs
Where do you live? 
Adelaide Hills, South Australia.
What are your favourite books, movies and hobbies?
Read my
Writers-Bitz Blog biog.
How did you get started as a writer?
I entered every competition that I could, sent articles and short stories to magazines and newspapers, then approached book publishers with my short stories. Also lots of hard work. Occasional panic. Pots of green tea.
Why do you write books?
I love books, reading and writing them. It's fun and I pretend to be the characters in my stories - it's like acting on paper. I hope my readers will be moved to laugh, think and sometimes cry.
What awards have you won?
For the full list click see
my awards page.
What inspires you?
You, the reader. And all of the readers out there. When someone has a reaction to my story, I love it. Although I wasn't too sure about the time a young fan asked for his book to be autographed, then turned to his friend and said loudly, 'This will be worth a lot of money when she dies.'
Which is your favourite out of all the books you have written?
I don't have a favourite. Truly. It's too hard to decide. All the fifty books that I've written are stories that I could feel enthusiastic about. Otherwise, I wouldn't bother writing them. And favourite books depend on a person's mood. Sometimes you might select a funny book but other times you want to read something scary. I have characters that I am especially fond of, and Audrey from the Outback series is one of those.
Where has your writing been published?
Australia, New Zealand, United Kingdom, Russia, United States, Sweden, France, Korea, Italy, Canada, Thailand, Brazil and Japan.
Did you have any special friends when you were little?
My imaginary friend, Jennifer Hobarr, and my Nanna Mavis. Nan made me plaits from darning wool when I pretended to be a princess and 'adopted' me when I imagined being an orphan. And she had a fantastic garden full of trees and bushes to play in and climb on (and write books in).
Where do you get your ideas?
Stories children tell, things I see or hear, articles from newspapers, movies, other books, pictures, songs and childhood memories. Every story is like a jigsaw. Pieces come from everywhere. I've travelled so I can write about other places: Russia, China, Turkey, Italy, Syria, Fiji, Vanuatu, Singapore, Hong Kong, Yugoslavia, Bali, Cook Islands, Thailand and Vietnam. Check out some of
my travel photos from these places.
Do have a special place you write?
Usually I write at my computer desk, which is in a small, sunny room at the back of my house. With short stories I compose directly onto the screen, but with longer novels I write scenes or character descriptions on paper first, with different coloured gel pens. Take
a short tour of my office (video goes for about one and a half minutes).
What is the strangest place you have ever written a story?
Pizza Hut on a serviette.
Have you written other things besides novels?
Check out the
book section of my website - then you can see the covers and read the blurbs. But yes, I have published poetry, short stories and plays. Some of my short stories were adapted into a dance performance called Second Hand by Outlet Dance in 1995. I've edited several books, and had articles, stories, and photographs published in newspapers and magazines. Oh, and I love writing lists. They're not for publication, of course. But I couldn't through a single day without writing a list.
What's the best part about being a writer?
I can act weird and people expect it. I work whatever odd hours I like
- or take a 'power nap' if I'm tired. Writing is exciting. I receive
wonderful emails from readers. Sometimes they write to me, Christine
Harris, and sometimes to my characters. One of the funniest was from a
boy who wrote to Jesse Sharpe, the
Spy Girl/Undercover Girl character, saying, 'Do you know you're not real?' Holding a new book in
my hands is pretty good too. I look at the cover, then open the pages
and sniff them. Don't laugh till you try it.
What's the worst thing about being a writer?
Waiting for my agent or the publisher to say whether they like my
story. And when I'm about to start a new book, I sometimes worry that I
can't do it and spend a long time doing a cover page and setting up
paragraphs because I trick myself that I'm working on the story. I used
to have a deal with the writer 'me' that as soon as I completed a game
of Solitaire on the computer, I would start writing. But sadly, I
became quite good at Solitaire and started getting the cards right in
the first game. So my delay tactic stopped working.
Do you belong to any writers' associations?
What does it take to be a writer?
Imagination, being observant, regular practice - even if it's diary or
letter writing, and determination. Reading a lot, and all sorts of
books, is a good idea. I think we absorb language patterns and ideas
without realising it. A thick skin helps. Sometimes I'm asked, 'Do you
ever get rejections?' Of course I do. What writer doesn't? There's an
old saying, 'Nothing ventured, nothing gained.'
What are some of the strangest things that fans have said to you?
Check out
Writers
are Immortal: (on my Writers-Bitz Blog).
What happens when you do book signings?
Usually I just chat and sign books, have a bit of a laugh with people. But one time, it wasn't quite that simple:
A
Six Foot Dog. 
Do you and David help each other with your writing?
Sure we do. We read each other's work and discuss ideas. But, sometimes, chatting about our work gets us in trouble:
Eavesdropping
On A Murder.
Caricature: Ivano
Mavis Brown photo: Gary Webster