[fusion_builder_container hundred_percent=”no” equal_height_columns=”no” menu_anchor=”” hide_on_mobile=”small-visibility,medium-visibility,large-visibility” class=”” id=”” background_color=”” background_image=”” background_position=”center center” background_repeat=”no-repeat” fade=”no” background_parallax=”none” parallax_speed=”0.3″ video_mp4=”” video_webm=”” video_ogv=”” video_url=”” video_aspect_ratio=”16:9″ video_loop=”yes” video_mute=”yes” overlay_color=”” overlay_opacity=”0.5″ video_preview_image=”” border_size=”” border_color=”” border_style=”solid” padding_top=”” padding_bottom=”” padding_left=”” padding_right=””][fusion_builder_row][fusion_builder_column type=”1_1″ layout=”1_1″ background_position=”left top” background_color=”” border_size=”” border_color=”” border_style=”solid” border_position=”all” spacing=”yes” background_image=”” background_repeat=”no-repeat” padding=”” margin_top=”0px” margin_bottom=”0px” class=”” id=”” animation_type=”” animation_speed=”0.3″ animation_direction=”left” hide_on_mobile=”small-visibility,medium-visibility,large-visibility” center_content=”no” last=”no” min_height=”” hover_type=”none” link=””][fusion_text]
Hello! I’m back, after a long stretch away, camping with the family. I find getting to the beach refreshing, like I can finally stretch my arms after being cocooned for a long time. I also find completely abandoning all tech and social media (letting my phone die, no pics, no reception, no charging capability, nil, nada, nothing) for an extended period incredibly rejuvenating. I recommend it highly. I got a lot of writing and thinking done, and did a lot of kayaking, and hung out with my fam and friends, and basically had a really excellent, relaxing time.
But I wasn’t the only one who did this over Christmas – Vikki Wakefield is also a Camping Person. I know this, because she and I have been comparing how much sand we’ve had in our washing over the last week or so, while sorting out some questions and answers for this author interview. Vikki is a writer of very exact words, as you’ll see from her Q&A below. She also told me once that, during the editing process for her books, she deletes excess copy. Deletes it. Just like that. (Most writers I know – me included – are not that gutsy. We cut bits out and put them in a ‘Nice bits that we might try to cram in somewhere else’ file. But Vikki just hits delete – and BLIP, the bits are gone forever. I find this whole idea terrifying.)
So here’s Vikki, on movies, music, fave openers, and her other non-writerly skills:
1) One curious or unusual thing about you that most people don’t know:
I’m pretty much unemployable (I mean thatーI have no qualifications in anything) but I’m freakishly good at reading and deciphering instruction manuals. And assembling flat-pack furniture.
2) You have to select movies for a school film night, and you choose:
Little Darlings starring Kristy McNichol and Tatum O’Neill for its honesty, humour and condom liberation scene, plus a groovy soundtrack
Little Miss Sunshine for the finale, because everyone wants to be that kid who doesn’t GAF
and Little Man Tate for the weird kids (and to complete the ‘Little’ trifecta)
3) We’re at a dance party right now, and the DJ wants to know which song gets you out on the floor for major boogies and you say…:
Livin’ Joy’s Dreamer and Don’t Stop Movin’ get me every time.
4) Horror Challenge – which fave horror movie would you cheerily inflict on your friends?:
It Follows (I’m a hard-core horror fan but this one made me look away)
5) The best opening line from a book, in your opinion, is:
‘I write this sitting in the kitchen sink.’ I Capture the CastleーDodie Smith
I love how this simple sentence gives such a perfect introduction to the MC.
We’re going to be finding out more about Vikki and her work on Monday January 23 at 8pm, when she joins us for a live Facebook chat for #LoveOzYAbookclub. Come over to the Event page to sign up, and then pitch in with your burning questions, as we chillax for half an hour, talking books (InBetween Days, Friday Brown and more), writing and author life. The discussion post for InBetween Days (there’s a pic of the US cover, at right) will go up on January 28.
I also wanted to give you an early heads-up that I’m running a competition soon to find a bookclub title for March – the winner of the comp will get to choose our March read, and win a copy of one of my books (unless I can think of a more interesting prize). More details about that coming shortly, so stay tuned in. I’d also like to encourage you to drop by #LoveOzYAbookclub on Fridays – we’ve been posting about our Weekend Reads (both YA and not-YA), and I always like hearing about what other people are getting up to!
Meanwhile – I wish you all the very best for 2017! I hope your holiday season was a happy and peaceful one, and you managed to get in some rejuvenating of your own. May all good things come your way this year! Have a great week, see you on Monday 23 🙂
xxEllie
[/fusion_text][/fusion_builder_column][/fusion_builder_row][/fusion_builder_container]