We're delighted to have a guest post from Juliette Forrest, talking about five inspirational things that help her dream up the fantastic characters and worlds in her fabulous stories.
Without further ado, over to Juliette!
Some people listen to music when
they are writing. Not me. I need to surround myself with pictures. I turned my
kitchen wall into a mood board when I was working on Twister and this was one of the photos I pinned up. I snapped it not
far from my parent’s house. I found the tree quite spooky, which was perfect
for one of my characters in the story. It is a sweet chestnut and I have grown
quite attached to it now.
This was given to me by an old
colleague of mine. We got our very first job together in advertising – she was
a copywriter and I was an art director. That was many years ago when an all-female
creative team was unusual in the industry. My friend knows I have a busy mind,
so having this close by when I am writing reminds me to concentrate on the task
at hand.
When I am stuck, or need to figure
something out plot-wise, I take the dog for a walk. I always find time away
from the laptop works wonders. I love being outdoors and will often weave what
I see in the park into the story. I am so deep in thought, my friends have to
flap their hands in front of my face before I notice them. I am quite sure they
think I am a sandwich short of a picnic.
The chair is a symbol of sitting
and watching people. Place me in an airport, train station, library or park
bench and I am in seventh heaven. Sometimes, in the theatre, I will be looking
at the audience instead of the actors. People are a never-ending source of
great inspiration and writing material for me.
Meet my dad. As you can tell from
this ancient photo, having a sense of humour was a must in our household. I am
forever thankful for the stories he used to read out at bedtime. No Roald Dhal
or Enid Blyton for me. I was held spellbound by authors and poets such as
Laurie Lee, Dylan Thomas and Norman MacCaig.
Twister by Juliette Forrest
is available now , published by Scholastic Children's Books.