Claire Malone Changes the World: An interview with Nadia L King

MEET THE AUTHOR

Nadia L King is a children’s author and award-winning short story writer. Her novel for teenagers, Jenna’s Truth, is about cyberbullying. Her first picture book, Claire Malone Changes the World (illustrated by Alisa Knatko) was published in November 2019:

Armed with her typewriter and the determination to make a difference, Claire Malone is an ordinary kid with an extraordinary desire to change things for the better. The moment she sees the broken swing and the cracked slide at her local park she decides to take action.

We’re thrilled to have Nadia L King visiting us at Alphabet Soup today.

How long did it take you to write Claire Malone Changes the World (from story idea to publication)?
I thought of the idea while I was on holiday. I always take a notebook when I go away so I wrote the story down and promptly forgot all about it! A few months later, I found the story again and worked on it for a few weeks. So the short answer is, it took me a very long time to write Claire Malone Changes the World.

Is Claire based on anyone you know?
Claire Malone is kind of based on me when I was a kid. I loved writing and receiving letters when I was young (I still do) but I didn’t think about writing to the government to change the world. I wish I had. The character Claire is also based on my youngest kid who is an awesome environmental warrior.

Writing a book: Pen and paper, or typing straight into the computer?
I am very much a pen and paper writer. I eventually transfer my drafts onto the computer but I find when I’m stuck I need to go back to pen and paper again. I can also write much faster than I can type so handwriting my first drafts is a huge part of my writing process.

Do you have a tip for young writers?
My BIG, BIG, BIG (add another 100 BIGs) tip for young writers is to READ. Reading is fun but it also teaches you how to write. Read everything you can and then go read some more.

Can you tell us something about your next writing project?
I’m trying to write a very creepy young adult novel. I’ve never written creepy stories before so I’m really focussed on building evocative scenes. I hope I can scare you with one of my stories one day.

Awesome extras: