Read Cameron's article about the journey to publication, 'What do elephants and beginning writers both need?'
Cameron Nunn
Cameron lives in north-west Sydney with his wife Belinda and their two children; Benjamin and Kaitlin. He is Director of Studies and teaches English at St Paul's Grammar School in Sydney's outer west.
"My teachers did the best they could at school to beat any love of writing out of me by making us write on riveting topics like 'What I did in the holidays'. Nevertheless, I was determined to push on, and as a result had my first book rejected at 13. That put a downer on my ambition to be the next Shakespeare, so I adopted the usual approach, 'If you can't write like Shakespeare, become a teacher and make everyone read Shakespeare, even if they hate it!'
"I began seriously writing when a friend challenged me that it wasn't fair if you made kids write but didn't write yourself. There's not a lot of credibility for the teacher who tells kids that writing's fun, but never lifts a pen themselves.
"Shadows in the Mirror is the first of what I hope will be many young adult novels. Although the novel is fiction, it's sadly based on a variety of real events. I think writing is really a process of exploring the 'what ifs' of our own experiences and those we observe. I love teaching and spending time with kids. It's in listening to other people's stories that the best novels come. "
Read Cameron's article about the journey to publication, 'What do elephants and beginning writers both need?'
Frequently asked questions
How many books have you written?
So far just the one novel, but I hope to write more.
What was your first book?
Shadows in the Mirror
is the first novel that I have written, although I have edited a collection
of reviews called Unreal Books for Real Kids and have contributed
to a number of textbooks.
When did you start writing?
I was rather late to the writing game. I finished Shadows in the
Mirror when I was 36, but I'd written lots of short stories
and poetry before that.
Why do you like to write books for children?
Because I teach children, I like to read what my students are reading.
There are so many great books being written by Australian authors
that I wanted to get involved and have a go myself.
Where do you get your ideas from?
My ideas usually start with a situation and a character. It's
a sort of 'what would happen if...' approach, and slowly the
situation grows and the character develops and expands to fill that
situation. I like to 'live with the character' often for
weeks before I narrow down the plot.
Are the characters in your books based on real people?
I don't think I'm very good at inventing new people, so
I have to rely on real people. The two main characters in Shadows
in the Mirror are both parts of me. The villains are conglomerations
of a whole variety of people; some who are good friends.
How do you create characters that will appeal to children?
I try and make complex characters that have to wrestle with issues.
I don't want to tell kids what they should think. I want to
ask them, 'What would you do in the same situation?' Kids need to
empathise with characters and feel that they are part of the story.
Who are your favourite writers/illustrators? And favourite books?
Ursula Dubosarsky was one of the first people to encourage me to write.
I love the way that she develops such engaging and sensitive characters.
Brian Caswell is also a favourite. I particularly loved his early
novels such as Merryll of the Stones.
Which character from a book would you most like to meet?
Who wouldn't love to meet Bilbo Baggins? He is such a bundle
of contradictions.
What do you use to write your books?
Always the computer. With the amount of drafting and re-drafting that
goes into a novel, I don't know how writers survived before
they invented word processors.
What were you like at school?
I hated school with a passion. I had a handful of great teachers who
really made a difference to my life, but I never really fitted in.
I decided to become a teacher because I wanted to help others the
way that I had been helped and to really make learning come alive.
I must also confess that I hardly ever read anything for most of my
high school. I tried to read the books that our teachers gave us but
they always seemed so boring. When I look back now at what we were
forced to read, I can understand why I was turned off reading for
so many years.
What is your favourite food?
I love Italian food, any sort of pasta or pizza. Usually the unhealthier
it is, the more I love it. However, my favourite food is Italian gelato.
What are your hobbies?
Obviously I love writing. I really enjoy people, so being an English
teacher gives me a chance to put it all together. I also have a wonderful
wife and two great kids and that keeps me very busy.
Do you have any pets?
I love animals but my wife is allergic to animal fur. I regularly
visit pet shops or try to play with our neighbours pets. It's
quite sad that a grown man should end up stalking the next door neighbour's
pet.
What is your most treasured possession?
My photo albums. I'm very sentimental and love looking back
at my kids growing up and remembering holidays and family trips. I
love taking photos and creating huge scrapbook style albums.
If you weren't a writer, what would you be?
I guess I'm primarily a teacher who loves writing. I can't
think of what I would do if I could no longer teach. I love writing
but I hope it always remains a labour of love rather than a job I
have to do each day.
