Author: Alphabet Soup

MEET THE AUTHOR

AL Tait is the bestselling author of the middle-grade adventure series The Mapmaker Chronicles and the Ateban Cipher. Her latest novel is The Fire Star (A Maven & Reeve Mystery).

From the publisher:

A maid with a plan.
A squire with a secret.
A missing jewel.
A kingdom in turmoil.

Maven and Reeve have three days to solve the mystery of the Fire Star. If they don’t, they’ll lose everything.

The Fire Star is book 1 in an adventure mystery series set in Medieval times. How much research did you need to do before you began writing?

I have a strong interest in the Medieval period and I describe my novels as ’not quite history’ because they draw from that time but are then pivoted to create a whole new world. So I have a solid grounding in the flavour of the period, which allowed me to start writing The Fire Star, and then I research particular details as I go.

Sometimes, when I’m working on my first draft, I might even just put a note that says something like [insert description of Medieval kitchen here] and then go back later. That allows me to keep the story flowing. Story always comes first.

This is probably not the most efficient way to write a novel, but it works for me.

Characters’ names are an important part of their identity/personality. How do you choose the names of the main characters in your books?
Names are very important, particularly for the main characters, so I take my time to get them right. I look for names that are meaningful to the main traits of the character in question. So, as an example, I chose Reeve because it’s a Medieval word meaning ’sheriff’, which works really well for a mystery story! Maven, on the other hand, is a Hebrew name meaning ‘one who understands’, which describes Maven as a character perfectly.

If you found yourself living in Medieval times, what would your occupation/role in society be?
I like to imagine I’d be Queen of the land, but in reality I’d probably end up a peasant, running a small-holding with my husband and kids. That was the reality for most women, and it’s one of the reasons The Beech Circle exists in Cartreff, the world of my novel.

Do you have a tip (or a challenge) for kids who’d like to try writing an adventure mystery?
Writing a mystery story is a major challenge in itself. But I think my best tip is just to keep asking yourself ‘why?’. If this happens, why? If that happens, why? If you can get to the ‘why?’ of a mystery story it helps you to plot out the who, what, when and where of the crime.

So, in my novel, The Fire Star, a fabulously valuable and dazzling jewel goes missing. Instead of asking myself who took it, I looked at why someone might do it – and there were lots of reasons. So I chose the LEAST OBVIOUS answer and the story flowed from there.

Can you tell us a bit about your next project? 
I am writing a new Maven & Reeve Mystery and I am so thrilled to be back in Cartreff. The ‘why?’ of this one is a doozy!

The Fire Star is out now – ask for it at your local bookshop or library!

EXTRAS:

Click here to visit AL Tait’s resources page on kings, castles & secret societies.

Click here for Teachers’ Notes.

Read our 2015 interview with AL Tait.

Find out more about AL Tait and her books at her website.

MEET THE AUTHOR

Kitty Black is a Western Australian author of picture books and children’s novels. Kitty currently lives in Perth with her husband, two children, two cats and a puppy, but she has also lived in Melbourne, Hong Kong and Mt Isa. Kitty’s first picture book was Who’s Afraid of the Quite Nice Wolf? (illustrated by Laura Wood), and her latest picture book is A Crocodile in the Family, illustrated by Daron Parton.

From the publisher:

A family of birds stumble across an egg in the bush and take it home with them. The family are thrilled when a little crocodile hatches from the egg, but the other animals are a little confused.

‘Why do you keep him?’ they ask. ‘Is it because he’s helpful?’

‘He is helpful,’ replies the family, ‘but that’s not why we keep him.’

When you’re writing a new story – pen & paper? or computer?
Always pen and paper for a picture book. I have a few writing books and while they’re meant to be used for different things if a story shows up then I grab whichever one is closest. My last picture book idea was written in the margins of a middle grade novel writing book. Never underestimate the audacity of ideas, they don’t care what you’re meant to be working on!

I swap between laptop and paper for the novel, just because typing is faster and there’s a lot of words. But if I get stuck on what happens next I always swap to paper. Paper just feels friendlier. Plus it doesn’t run out of battery and if you leave it in the garden overnight it’s probably okay.

Both of your picture books include animal characters who don’t seem to fit in – at first glance. Is this a theme that’s common in your writing?
Definitely. Growing up with undiagnosed ADHD meant that at school I always felt a bit different and I couldn’t figure out why. I have an affinity for the different kids, the ones who don’t pay attention to the ‘right’ things or get rowdy or spend loads of time day-dreaming. I want them to know there’s a place for them, just as they are. I’ve realised in hindsight that I also chose tough/creepy animals? Wolves and crocodiles! My next picture book in 2021 is about a bat. I guess I like different animals too!

Did you communicate with the illustrator of A Crocodile in the Family? Or did you each work separately?
We worked separately. I’ve never spoken directly to him! However, my commissioning editor at Hachette would tell me nice things he said, and also pass on nice things I said to him. So we knew we liked each other’s work. Despite the not talking directly we were both involved in all the choices and I think we worked really well together.

Do you have a tip for kids who love to write?
A tip that I’m using at the moment is to think about what my main character doesn’t want to happen – and then do that.

Can you tell us a bit about your next project?
I was lucky enough to receive an Arts Grant to develop a middle grade novel, so I am deep in a fantasy world with witches and magic and talking bears and monsters. It’s fun! Although not for my main character at the moment because that thing they didn’t want to happen, just happened.

I’m also working with the illustrator from Who’s Afraid of the Quite Nice Wolf? on our next book – Mr Bat Wants A Hat. She likes creepy animals too.

AWESOME EXTRAS:

• If you live in Western Australia, you can attend the book launch of A Crocodile in the Family! The launch will be 29 August 2020, 3pm at Paper Bird Books, Fremantle. FREE event! Details here.
• Click here to download Teachers’ Notes for the book. 
• Visit Kitty Black’s website for more about her and her books.