FAQ
Q: Is there any news on a movie?
A: While there’s been some interest in turning How To Ditch Your Fairy into a movie nothing has come of it so far. Trust me, if there’s any news on this front I will sing it from the rooftops. Though I think HTDYF book would make a better TV series than a movie.
Q: Do schools like New Avalon Sports High really exist?
There are all sports high schools around the world. But I hope they’re not quite as strict as NA Sports High. I didn’t base it on any particular high school. Though I was influence by a doco I saw about girls training to be gymnasts at the AIS (Australian Institute of Sport). I was shocked at the long hours these young girls were training and at how strict their coaches were. Yet they seemed to love it. I remember one girl being asked how she could love such a tough training regime. She looked at the journo asking her the question as if they were crazy: “Are you kidding? I get to go to the Olympics!”
A: Is all the slang a mix of US & Australian or is some of it made up?
I made up the majority the slang, mostly by playing with my thesaurus. Thesauruses are fun! My favourite is “pulchy” for cute or good-looking. I’ve always thought “pulchritudinous” was the most hilarious word ever because it sounds so ugly yet it mean beautiful.
Q: Will there be another book set in the HTDYF world?
A: At the moment I have no ideas for another book set in the How To Ditch Your Fairy world. That doesn’t mean I won’t get some great idea later on. But right now the next few books I have planned have nothing to do with those worlds. I don’t plan to write any.
Q: Diana Peterfreund asks, You seem to be drawn to very unusual names for your characters: Reason and Jay-Tee in Magic or Madness and now Charlie and Fiorenze in How To Ditch Your Fairy. I know you’ve talked about the story behind “Reason,” but what about How To Ditch Your Fairy?
A: Charlie’s not an unusual name! The names in How To Ditch Your Fairy come from two sources: 1. Famous sports people, 2. I borrowed them from teenagers I met doing appearances in libraries, schools and book shops in Australia and the USA.
Q: Where did the idea for How To Ditch Your Fairy come from?
A: I answered the question of how I came up with the idea for How To Ditch Your Fairy here. It’s a good story because I have good friends who inspire me. If you are a writer it is best to have many friends for they are much goodness in the giving of ideas.
Feel free to ask more questions below. I can’t promise a quick response but I definitely will answer.
Leave a Reply
Spam filters ate your comment? Let me know and I will rescue it.