My interview with… Paul Mason

Thank you so much to Paul, for firstly writing such a great book, and secondly for sharing his answers to my questions!

Learn a little more about him as a person, as a writer and about his wonderful book.

In one of the answers, I especially love the fact that Paul recounts struggling to keep a particular voice going for a whole book when reading Mr Gum out loud to his class (he is a former teacher) – I’ve been there and I’m sure so many other teachers have as well!

 

YOU

• What do you hope for in your future as an author?

I hope to be able to continue to write full time and find homes for my work, neither easy. I want my stories to strike a chord, and inspire readers in some way, and continue to have meaning.

 

• A lot of your current and previous writing and comments appear to deal with loosing things (loosing words, ideas, creativity) do you worry about this a lot?

As in ‘let loose’?  I’ve certainly been influenced by Ken Robinson and his call to embrace creativity. Everyone should have the freedom and opportunity to explore their own ideas, and discover their path, a theme I do return to. I really want children to see the joy in writing, and share their voice.

 

• We both share a fondness for reading books to our classes, from reading your book reviews on your blog, what would you say was your favourite book to read out loud to a class?

I remember having great fun reading Eva Ibbotson’s The Secret of Platform 13, and one of Andy Stanton’s Mr Gum books.  I gave Mr Gum this throaty kind of voice, and keeping it up for the whole book – almost wrecked me.

 

• As a fellow teacher, I always feel like I grow a great deal older whenever I’m out of school for a while, what do you miss about teaching?

I miss those times when things really gel, I’ve done my job well and we’re all meaningfully engaged and enjoying what we’re doing…those lightbulb moments…reading an original and surprising piece of writing…seeing how far someone has grown…I could go on. 

 

• Are there any books that you wish you could have written yourself?

Inkheart by Cornelia Funke.

 

• If you weren’t an author, what would you be?

In the starting line-up for Arsenal. (A bit of a stretch considering I’m fairly hopeless with a football at my feet.)

 

 

YOU AS A WRITER

• What book(s) inspired you to become a writer in the first place?

Nothing specific as such—sorry to dodge. Roald Dahl’s books for sure. Spike Milligan. I began by writing short stories, so lots of short fiction—people like Somerset Maugham. The Wombles certainly played their part influencing the Yeti.

 

• Do you have any writing routines (like Roald Dahl’s shed, Philip Pullman’s lined paper with only two holes or Stephen King’s 6 pages a day)?

I’ve learned that if you want to write you need to find a routine, but it should be something that works for you. All writers are different.

I try and sit down to write at the start of the day once my kids have left for school. I read my work from the previous few days and tinker. Then I aim for a rough word count—usually between 1000-1500 words if I’m working on something new, but I also try to work on the text for a certain length of time–particularly if I’m in rewrites. If I have more than one project on the go, I’ll split the day up to devote time to each.

 For me, there are often days when writing is a struggle—on those days I lean on my routine.

 

• I’m interested in how you construct your stories; are you a planner or a plodder (someone who just writes and doesn’t plan)?

I’m a bit of both. Planning too much can stunt spontaneity, the ideas that show themselves to you as you write—and at times I’m certainly guilty of that. I’m getting better at letting my characters breathe, to lead me to unexpected places. Having said that, when working on a book I do like to have a broad plot in mind with some rough checkpoints along the way.  With my short stories, as soon as I have a kernel of an idea that excites me, I just start writing without much idea of where I’m going.

 

 

YOUR BOOK

• Would you like to meet a yeti, and if you did, what would you do?

Absolutely–imagine the thrill, though I wouldn’t try to intrude on their world, just observe. I can only think it would be like swimming in the ocean surrounded by dolphins which I’ve been lucky enough to do.

 

• How would convince someone to read the book?

Go on, please! (Katy Riddell’s illustrations are amazing.)

 

• What would your yeti name be?

Trunkk (he tall and dense like tree) or Naan (he who craves fresh, baked bread).