Ask the Author: Malorie Blackman
Answered Questions (27)
Malorie Blackman
I don't have just one favourite Shakespeare play as there are a number I love - especially Hamlet, Macbeth, Othello, Romeo and Juliet and Much Ado About Nothing. They are all amazing stories which are just as relevant today as they were when written hundreds of years ago because they have as their theme basic human emotions which we can all experience. Macbeth - ambition. Romeo and Juliet - falling in love with someone you shouldn't. Othello - love, lies and jealousy. Hamlet - family loyalty, revenge and retribution. I also love the language of Shakespeare plays and seeing them performed when they're done well.
Malorie Blackman
All the books, plays and poetry I have loved throughout the years have inevitably had an influence on me. They have all driven my desire to write stories, plays and poems for myself. As far as Shakespeare's work is concerned, I love his poetry and plays, especially his tragedies. Noughts and Crosses was inspired by Romeo and Juliet and Chasing The Stars was inspired by Othello. I am always very careful to make the stories my own though. It's like cover versions of songs. Why do a cover version which sounds exactly like the original? Make it your own!
Malorie Blackman
An English teacher. I thought of doing nothing else for years.
Malorie Blackman
Make sure it's as good as you can possibly make it before you send it off. Make that first impression count. Ensure it has no spelling mistakes and that it is professionally laid out, i.e each page is numbered, chapters begin on a new page and the lines are double-spaced, etc. Hope that helps and good luck.
And if you read any more of my Noughts and Crosses series, I hope you enjoy them.
And if you read any more of my Noughts and Crosses series, I hope you enjoy them.
Malorie Blackman
I'm a planner. I like to know where I'm going with a story so I plot them out first before I write a word of the first chapter. That said, some plot points can and do change whilst I'm writing. A story may take on a life of its own and that's a good thing.
Malorie Blackman
Lots of things: my childhood, real events that happened to me, things that happened around me, conversations with friends, the death of Stephen Lawrence, working in the city during the 1980s, etc.
Malorie Blackman
I love writing stories, so if I get tired of writing a book mid-way through then I know something has gone wrong with my plot somewhere. If I'm bored writing it, then it's a given that others will be bored reading it. So I read through it to see where it started becoming less enjoyable and usually find it's because I've taken a wrong turn somewhere when telling the story. What keeps me motivated is a desire to see how the story will end!
Malorie Blackman
No more alternate endings. I have no plans to write more about Sephy and Callum though I would like to revisit this world in another book at some point. Maybe one day...
Malorie Blackman
I'm assuming you're based in the UK? If so, then try and get hold of a book called The Writer's Handbook or another one called The Writers' and Artists' Yearbook. They are available from bookshops or libraries. Those two books will list all the agents and publishers in the country and what kind of books they're looking for and perhaps more importantly, what they don't take. Or join a writing group if you can or a writing class where the tutor and other students can provide you with all kinds of advice. I hope that helps.
Malorie Blackman
No, Cameron doesn't die at the end of Pig Heart Boy. The story is told as a flashback after chapter one but he is still alive at the end of the story.
Malorie Blackman
Nope. I can't draw to save my life!
Malorie Blackman
Watch this space!
Malorie Blackman
I wrote it as if I were Callum experiencing it, which made it very emotional to write. I tried to slow it right down and write it as Callum experiencing his last moments via all his senses, so I wanted to write about all the things he could hear, smell, taste, touch and see. As for a vampire resurrection of Callum? Er... no! It's not that type of book! :-)
Malorie Blackman
I've seen a number of Shakespeare productions which embrace diverse casting. The RSC's current production of Hamlet which I intend to see before the end of its run features a black Hamlet and the reviews have been brilliant. The RSC's production of Othello last year featured Lucian Msamati as a black Iago. Helen Mirren played Prospero in a film version of The Tempest. Maxine Peake played Hamlet at the Royal Exchange Theatre in 2014. Some people may not like the idea of diverse casting but the more it is done, the more people will get used to it. I personally think its a great idea and Shakespeare productions lose nothing and are indeed enhanced by these different interpretations and depictions.
Malorie Blackman
The first chapter begins with Cameron drowning and the rest of the story is told as a flashback. They say when you're drowning, your whole life flashes before you which is why I structured the story that way. The first chapter is linked to the end in that you have to wait until the end of the story to find out what happens to Cameron. Hope that answers your question.
Malorie Blackman
Sam, this sounds like a homework question and I'm not going to do your homework for you! How do you feel the family relationships in both the plays are portrayed differently? Let me know your thoughts and I'll tell you whether or not I agree!
Malorie Blackman
I'm afraid I'm not going to be of much help to you. I write fiction not non-fiction so the marketing model would be different and to be honest, my publisher handles all of that. I don't try to sell my books directly to Amazon, book shops, etc. I don't know where you live but have you thought of seeking out a course on selling/marketing your own books or ebooks? Or perhaps you could try to get in contact with other self-published non-fiction authors to get their advice? Sorry I can't be of more help. Good luck!
Malorie Blackman
I won't try to answer in iambic pentameter but kudos to you for your verse.
Malorie Blackman
One thought at a time, one word at a time, one sentence at a time, one page at a time. And then I can go back and hone, rework and re-edit. It's like working on a framework which you need to finish and then you can go back and add flesh to those bones but you need a solid framework first. That would be how I muster my thoughts into story constellations. (I love your question and the way you phrased it by the way.)
Malorie Blackman
Chasing The Stars was inspired by Shakespeare's Othello which was one of the plays I had to study for A Level English back in the day. However, I wanted to write the book so that you didn't have to know the play to understand and hopefully enjoy my book.
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