The Interview: Bookbag Talks To Maudie Smith

The Interview: Bookbag Talks To Maudie Smith

Summary: We were completely blown away when we read Opal Moonbaby and we were sure that it was going to be great fun when Maudie Smith came in to talk to us and as Opal would have said, we had a balloon.

Date: 5 January 2012

Interviewer: Sue Magee

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We were completely blown away when we read Opal Moonbaby and we were sure that it was going to be great fun when Maudie Smith came in to talk to us and as Opal would have said, we had a balloon.

• Bookbag: When you close your eyes and imagine your readers, who do you see?

Maudie Smith: That's easy. I think of my daughters. I had them very much in mind when I started writing Opal Moonbaby. I was looking for characters and stories that I thought would appeal to them. My younger daughter is 9 now, and I've loved having her and her friends test-drive the book for me. They've all said lovely things about it - I hope they weren't just being polite!

• BB: I just loved Opal Moonbaby (and I enjoyed the book too!) - where did you get your inspiration from? Do you know many aliens?

MS: I'm glad you liked Opal. I like her too and I think of her as something of an alter ego. I'm naturally quite cautious, like Martha, but I'd love to be fearless like Opal and say the first thing that came into my head all the time without worrying about the consequences. Opal does the first thing that comes into her head too and that can lead to some pretty tricky situations. In my experience, being friends with an alien can be great fun - it's certainly never boring - but it does present difficulties!

• BB: You caught perfectly the way that young girls interact - the instant swings from best friend to best enemy, the casual cruelty and disregard for truth - have you seen much of this? I'm living in hope that you're NOT going to tell me that you've been observing your daughters!

MS: Actually I think most of this comes from memories of my own childhood. Peer groups are so important for children and the things that happen when we are growing up, the politics of the playground, really stick with us. I definitely had my ups and downs at school (no violins, please) and I think memories of that formed the basis for Martha's friendship problems. Of course I do observe my daughters and their friends too, and that's useful for keeping things contemporary. If it weren't for them I'd be dressing my characters in cheesecloth hot-pants all the time, having them ride around on space hoppers, eating Caramac bars.

• BB: Opal Moonbaby has the most marvellous stock of brilliant one-liners - with friends like those you don't need anemones is now in regular use in our household - how did you accumulate so many?

MS: Oh dear, yes, the one-liners... I'm afraid I'm living vicariously through Opal again here. I have a huge back-catalogue of sayings and proverbs tucked away in my mind and I love muddling them up and mixing them into my stories. I blame my grandfather who was an incorrigible punster. John Cleese once said there are three rules of comedy: No puns, no puns and no puns. But sometimes I just can't help myself. At least if I put the puns in Opal's mouth then I can pretend it's not really me doing it. Though, between you and me, I think children enjoy puns too.

• BB: I think they love puns! Opal isn't a very girly girl. Was that deliberate?

MS: Partially perhaps. When I started writing about Opal I was certainly aware that my own daughters had grown out of sparkly fairies and all things pink. I think many girls, once they reach the age of 7 or 8, start looking for other things to do and to read about. I didn't set out to ensure that Opal wasn't 'girly' but I did want her to be funny and to make sure she had exciting adventures and interesting relationships.

• BB: Orion signed you up for a three-book series whilst you were doing an MA in Writing for Young People at Bath Spa University. Do you feel that the course helped and are you enjoying it?

MS: Most of the book was already written before I started the course but I very quickly learned some new skills and was able to apply them to the story before I sent it off to publishers. I remember tightening up the point of view and making sure that everything is seen through Martha's eyes, because although Opal is the title character, it's really Martha's story. I also took out any waffly bits that were coming from me, the so-called omniscient narrator (at least I hope I took them out).

I've finished the course now and I'm very glad I did it. Not only am I much more confident about my writing (though a book deal helps with that too!) but I also feel that I'm part of a community of writers and people working in the world of children's publishing. I don't think I would have found that without the MA course.

• BB: How did you feel when Orion signed you up for the three-book deal?

MS: As if I was in my own fairy tale. I ran round and round the kitchen table, whooping. That's a year ago now and I haven't calmed down since. I must be dreadful to live with.

• BB: Where and how do you write? With or without musical accompaniment? And what are you reading at the moment?

MS: If I'm at the beginning of something I like working with pen and paper. This can be done in a number of places: in bed, in a cafe or on top of a moving bus. Once I'm immersed and down to the nitty gritty stuff I work at our family computer. I wait until the children have gone to school and then I have to dig through slips of paper full of Moshi Monster passwords, drawings of Manga eyes and bits of old flapjack before I can find the keyboard. I don't like having music on when I'm writing. My husband is a TV writer and he's usually tapping away on a laptop somewhere. It's companionable, both of us being in the house working, but we do argue about whose turn it is to make the coffee.

At the moment I'm reading Hoot by Carl Hiaasen with my daughters. To myself I'm reading One Dog and His Boy by Eva Ibbotson and The Tiger's Wife by Tea Obreht.

• BB: I loved One Dog and His Boy. You've got one wish? What's it to be?

MS: Apart from world peace and winning Wimbledon, you mean? Well, a purely selfish wish would be to have my new writing career go on as long as Eva Ibbotson's did. She started publishing books when she was a little bit older than I am and she finished the last one just before she died, aged 85. So I'd like a bit of longevity, please!

• BB: What's next for Maudie Smith?

MS: I'm about to start editing the second Opal book which is called About Zooming Time, Opal Moonbaby! Then I'll have to dream up the third story - suggestions on a postcard, please. I've a picture book on the go, and there are a few other ideas I'm waiting to get me teeth into as well. Hooray!

Thank you very much for having me, Bookbag. As Opal might say, I've had a balloon!

• BB: We've had great pun too, Maudie and we're really looking forward to the next Opal Moonbaby book. Thanks fo coming in to chat to us.

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