Zoe Temple
asked
Sally Green:
How did you decide to become an author? Did you like writing ever since you were a kid? By the way I love your books!
Sally Green
Hi Zoe,
I think I'm fairly unusual as a author in that I only started writing recently (when I was in my forties - yes, I'm that old). I never thought I had much imagination - a notion that I got from rather poor teaching of English at the school I went to - and so it never occurred to me to write stories. But I've always enjoyed playing around with words and enjoyed words (not sure if you know what I mean) and I would dream up stories or adapt them in my head, for example I'd watch a film and then in my head work out how I'd change it to improve it. I read a bit but not a huge amount and as an adult because of my career I didn't have time for much reading (poor excuse but true).
But then one day I had some time free and an idea for what I thought would be a short story (I thought it would be maybe 3 or 4 pages). I wrote the story but had only just got going after 4 pages and so the next day I added more and then more and then more. After 2 weeks I realised I was writing a novel. After 3 months I'd finished it. That's when I knew I wanted to be a writer.
The novel was ok but I knew it wasn't publishable so I did some creative writing courses to learn how to improve.
Thanks for the question. Glad you love the HALFs.
I think I'm fairly unusual as a author in that I only started writing recently (when I was in my forties - yes, I'm that old). I never thought I had much imagination - a notion that I got from rather poor teaching of English at the school I went to - and so it never occurred to me to write stories. But I've always enjoyed playing around with words and enjoyed words (not sure if you know what I mean) and I would dream up stories or adapt them in my head, for example I'd watch a film and then in my head work out how I'd change it to improve it. I read a bit but not a huge amount and as an adult because of my career I didn't have time for much reading (poor excuse but true).
But then one day I had some time free and an idea for what I thought would be a short story (I thought it would be maybe 3 or 4 pages). I wrote the story but had only just got going after 4 pages and so the next day I added more and then more and then more. After 2 weeks I realised I was writing a novel. After 3 months I'd finished it. That's when I knew I wanted to be a writer.
The novel was ok but I knew it wasn't publishable so I did some creative writing courses to learn how to improve.
Thanks for the question. Glad you love the HALFs.
More Answered Questions
Kathryn
asked
Sally Green:
For the Half Bad Trilogy - are there going to be any more short stories, novellas, like Half Lies? I really liked reading a bit about Gabriel's backstory and what kind of drives him. It'd be really interesting to read more about some of the other characters that were introduced in Half Wild.
Justine
asked
Sally Green:
When you started Half Bad, did you think at that time that it would be a trilogy? I always wonder how much of writing in trilogies is a product of publishers and marketing departments these days. It isn't that I mind having more books to read (not at all). Or is the trilogy something that you, as a writer, had in mind as you were writing. If that is the case, why?
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