My interview with… Gianna Pollero

1)Do you have any writing routines?

I tend to write in the evenings when I’ve finished my day job and all my home tasks are done. I almost always read the chapter I have written most recently before starting a new one! There must always be coffee involved and often a biscuit or two!

2) How do construct your story arc? Do you plan or do you just see what happens?

I am a terrible planner although I’d like to be a really good one. I mostly come up with a broad idea, start writing to see if it flows, and then plan as I go in notes at the bottom of my manuscript! Usually, a few chapters in, if I feel like I might get stuck, I stop and plan in a bit more detail.

3) I’ve looked at your website, which has some fantastic ideas linked to the book, but if teachers wanted to use your book in the classroom, do you have any top ideas for how to do this?

I plan to add more school resources soon so watch this space! I wrote a blog about getting to know your characters better so you can write them well, which has worked well in classes. I have also done some school workshops around using your imagination to create monsters.

4) There are lots of funny moments in tour story, what’s your favourite ever joke?

I love funny things but I am terrible at telling one liners… but, I’ll have a go. What do you call cheese that isn’t yours? Nacho cheese!

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

For the future, I hope to be an author full-time and to continue writing books that make children want to read – ones that also put smiles on their faces.

6) Are there any books already published that you wish you had written?

So many! I wish I could’ve written ‘The Wolves of Willoughby Chase’, ‘The Twits’, ‘The Beast and the Bethany’, and all the Alex Rider books! And that’s just the tip of the iceberg!

7) If you weren’t a writer, what job would you have?

If I wasn’t a writer, I’d be an independent bookshop owner, with a little bakery inside the shop where my customers could sit and read (or a zookeeper!).

Thank you to Gianna for taking the time to answer all my questions. And, it’s a great joke!