Michael Wagner
Michael Wagner is the author of the Maxx Rumble Football and Maxx Rumble Cricket series — 16 children's books bursting with madcap sporting action — and the acclaimed novel Dog Wars, a book about wrestling fleas and fighting dogs.
Michael loves writing books that are amusing, exciting and accessible to everyone. Before becoming a full-time writer, Michael worked for ten years with ABC as a radio broadcaster. He lives in Melbourne with his wife Jane Godwin (also a children's author) and his two children, Will and Lizzie.
Frequently asked questions
How many books have
you written?
Eight Maxx Rumble Footy
books, eight Maxx Rumble
Cricket books, one Maxx Rumble Footy Grand Final book,
Dog Wars (a novel), and lots
of other educational books. About 35 all up.
What was your first book?
An educational book called Ricardo Swaps His Lunch. My first
trade book was Maxx
Rumble: Crunched!
When did you start writing?
I have been writing for most of my life. When I was a teenager I wrote
poems. When I was a young adult I wrote songs and comedy. As an adult
I have written radio scripts, TV scripts and even advertising copy.
It wasn't until I was about 37 that I wrote my first children's book.
And I haven't looked back since.
Why do you like to write
books for children?
I'm not sure that I have ever really grown up. I make very silly and
childish jokes with my own kids. Actually, they are starting to outgrow
my humour. Basically, I think I am still quite a lot like a child,
so I find it fun to write for them.
Where do you get
your ideas from?
Ideas are everywhere. I get ideas from the people I meet, the books
I read, the radio and podcasts I listen to, TV, newspapers, friends,
family, everyone and everything. I see ideas when I'm walking in the
street. I overhear ideas when I am amongst people. I am always steeling
ideas from my children. It's like I'm surrounded by ideas! The hard
part is knowing which ones are worth noting down.
Are
the characters in your books based on real people?
Some of my characters are partly based on real people. I like something
about someone I know, so I make that part of a character's personality.
But I don't ever take the whole personality of a real person — I just
take the best bits. On the other hand, most of my characters are not
based on anyone. They are just themselves.
How do you
create characters that will appeal to children?
The first think I do is try to make my characters funny. I think that
makes them appealing. I know I find funny people very appealing. I
also tend to make them very enthusiastic. Maxx Rumble is extremely
enthusiastic about sport and about telling stories. That's why he
sometimes gets a bit carried away when he's telling stories about
sport. It's why he sometimes exaggerates. He just wants the story
to be as exciting as possible.
Who are your favourite
writers/illustrators? And favourite books?
My favourite children's authors are Roald Dahl, Paul Jennings, Dav
Pilkey (Captain Underpants), Charles Dickens and CS Lewis.
Oh, and my wife, Jane Godwin! My very favourite illustrators are Terry
Denton and Leigh Hobbs. My favourite books are Catcher in the
Rye by JD Salinger, To Kill a Mockingbird by Harper
Lee and many, many more.
Which character from a book
would you most like to meet?
I would love to meet Atticus from To Kill a Mockingbird.
What do you use to write your books?
I take notes with a pen and a journal. Then I write on a computer.
I have a PC, even though Macs look very cool.
What were
you like at school?
I enjoyed school a lot. I was shy, but had quite a few friends. I
was pretty smart, but there were lots of other kids who were smarter.
What is your favourite food?
My favourite foods are curry, pizza and raw fish (Japanese style).
What are your hobbies?
I love watching and listening to and reading about sport. I particularly
love Australian Rules Football and cricket. I love listening to music,
particularly pop and rock music. My favourite band of all time is
Blink-18s. I also like reading and listening to talking books. And
I enjoy walking with my iPod and listening to podcasts and music.
Do you have any pets?
We are about to get a dog. My daughter has finally worn us down. We
also have two goldfish and used to have two guinea pigs and a cat.
What is your most treasured possession?
My iPod is probably my most treasured possession, but I wouldn't get
far as a writer without a computer, so it's right up there too.
If you weren't a writer, what would you be?
If I could be anything I like I would be in a very successful rock
band. Or maybe I'd be a sports commentator. Either would be nice :
)
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Books by Michael Wagner
