Ask the Author: Alison Grunwald
Answered Questions (6)
Alison Grunwald
Grandma is always lurking about in my head, along with Gertrude the cat.
She is completely nuts but, oddly, we share impulses and ambitions. Her adventures up to now are driven by my imagination asking "What if.....?
Well, I can never be the wife of Henry VIII, but Grandma might just make it.
I have never skiied very well and my nightmare would be causing mayhem on the ski slopes. Ah...Grandma seems to have done that! I would love to be able to fly and talk to animals. Gosh, Grandma appears to be able to do both. So it would appear that, deep down, we may be the same person. Now that's a truly terrifying thought, but you did ask.
She is completely nuts but, oddly, we share impulses and ambitions. Her adventures up to now are driven by my imagination asking "What if.....?
Well, I can never be the wife of Henry VIII, but Grandma might just make it.
I have never skiied very well and my nightmare would be causing mayhem on the ski slopes. Ah...Grandma seems to have done that! I would love to be able to fly and talk to animals. Gosh, Grandma appears to be able to do both. So it would appear that, deep down, we may be the same person. Now that's a truly terrifying thought, but you did ask.
Alison Grunwald
I'm just finishing off my fourth children's story, "Grandma Rides A Pony." Then I will be starting the process of proof-reading and self-publishing (on Amazon) the next one: 'Grandma Gets a Bump on the Head'.
Alison Grunwald
This is a question I find lots of children ask me. The answer is to believe in your idea and simply WRITE.
I suspect that many people, young and more venerable, lack self-belief and the confidence to show other people what they can do. You may feel afraid that what you are writing isn't any good. Believe me, we all feel like this sometimes!
So join a writing group if you can - there are lots around. There are helpful organisations and internet support groups.
Children, find someone you like, who enjoys reading stories and ask them to have a look at your writing and give you feedback. Don't be hurt and offended by constructive criticism (when suggestions are made for changing something). All writers, certainly I, need guidance and must accept that things can be improved. This is healthy and helpful.
Keep going and don't give up whatever you do. We all have something to say which is unique and there are people who just can't wait to read about what YOU have written.
I suspect that many people, young and more venerable, lack self-belief and the confidence to show other people what they can do. You may feel afraid that what you are writing isn't any good. Believe me, we all feel like this sometimes!
So join a writing group if you can - there are lots around. There are helpful organisations and internet support groups.
Children, find someone you like, who enjoys reading stories and ask them to have a look at your writing and give you feedback. Don't be hurt and offended by constructive criticism (when suggestions are made for changing something). All writers, certainly I, need guidance and must accept that things can be improved. This is healthy and helpful.
Keep going and don't give up whatever you do. We all have something to say which is unique and there are people who just can't wait to read about what YOU have written.
Alison Grunwald
My first job as a writer was as an indentured News reporter, aged 19, on a weekly newspaper group in London, the Hendon Times group. I covered everything from often tedious local council meetings to tough cases at the local law courts. These could be very exciting.
I sometimes offered ideas (that just popped into my mind) for headlines, to the newspaper's subs. Mostly these were met with eyes thrown heavenward, but once or twice I found them above my stories. Hah!
I conducted hundreds of interviews and was sent to the scene of an aircrash at midnight when a famous motor-racing personality tragically crashed in fog while travelling in a light plane. I was commended by my editor for my front page story. He was not a man given to paying compliments so I was thrilled.
I went out with the police and fire engines, met famous TV personalities and sported an expensive new hairstyle (free) when writing a piece about new trends.
There's a picture of me scribbling in my notebook as I interviewed Margaret Thatcher, staring down a manhole at work being done in a Finchley street. I seem to have elbowed my way so close to her I was virtually in the hole.
Writing was by miles my favourite subject through school. I wrote lots of short fiction; ideas would seem to generate themselves simply from my being given a title by a teacher.
I was encouraged by my teachers and told I had talent. This made a big, positive impression on me; I felt a failure at a lot of other subjects - the word 'maths' was enough to induce a mild panic attack. I knew I had to keep on writing and never give up.
The process of transitioning to News reporting was an exciting one and I loved it. I loved seeing my 'byline' on stories and once in a while I got the front page scoop! As the paper's Women's Page editor later on I enjoyed being sent sample make-up and other goodies!
I have always written quickly and prefer to be left alone to allow my thoughts to flow.
Over the many years between then and now (I am grandma to eight children!) I have written humorous diaries and occasionally contributed to newsletters and magazines.
I enjoy editing a local community mag which is published twice a year. I spent a year as a freelance reporter on BBC Radio London's 'London News Desk' prior to having my four children and this taught me to really write at speed.
I was recently invited to be on a panel helping to select a shortlist of entrants to a short story competition. I was delighted to be asked.
It was only in 2018 that I started thinking about writing stories for children. It is great to see what started out as a tiny seed-thought become a shiny new book full of witty cartoons by my brilliant illustrator, Mike Phillips. I have to pinch myself to prove I'm not still in bed, dreaming! Readers' generous comments are the icing on the cake and I really do appreciate them.
My favourite activity of all is reading my stories to classes and groups of children. I really relish their smiles and laughter - it makes all the tedious stuff involved in publishing worthwhile and very rewarding.
I sometimes offered ideas (that just popped into my mind) for headlines, to the newspaper's subs. Mostly these were met with eyes thrown heavenward, but once or twice I found them above my stories. Hah!
I conducted hundreds of interviews and was sent to the scene of an aircrash at midnight when a famous motor-racing personality tragically crashed in fog while travelling in a light plane. I was commended by my editor for my front page story. He was not a man given to paying compliments so I was thrilled.
I went out with the police and fire engines, met famous TV personalities and sported an expensive new hairstyle (free) when writing a piece about new trends.
There's a picture of me scribbling in my notebook as I interviewed Margaret Thatcher, staring down a manhole at work being done in a Finchley street. I seem to have elbowed my way so close to her I was virtually in the hole.
Writing was by miles my favourite subject through school. I wrote lots of short fiction; ideas would seem to generate themselves simply from my being given a title by a teacher.
I was encouraged by my teachers and told I had talent. This made a big, positive impression on me; I felt a failure at a lot of other subjects - the word 'maths' was enough to induce a mild panic attack. I knew I had to keep on writing and never give up.
The process of transitioning to News reporting was an exciting one and I loved it. I loved seeing my 'byline' on stories and once in a while I got the front page scoop! As the paper's Women's Page editor later on I enjoyed being sent sample make-up and other goodies!
I have always written quickly and prefer to be left alone to allow my thoughts to flow.
Over the many years between then and now (I am grandma to eight children!) I have written humorous diaries and occasionally contributed to newsletters and magazines.
I enjoy editing a local community mag which is published twice a year. I spent a year as a freelance reporter on BBC Radio London's 'London News Desk' prior to having my four children and this taught me to really write at speed.
I was recently invited to be on a panel helping to select a shortlist of entrants to a short story competition. I was delighted to be asked.
It was only in 2018 that I started thinking about writing stories for children. It is great to see what started out as a tiny seed-thought become a shiny new book full of witty cartoons by my brilliant illustrator, Mike Phillips. I have to pinch myself to prove I'm not still in bed, dreaming! Readers' generous comments are the icing on the cake and I really do appreciate them.
My favourite activity of all is reading my stories to classes and groups of children. I really relish their smiles and laughter - it makes all the tedious stuff involved in publishing worthwhile and very rewarding.
Alison Grunwald
Fortunately, so far I have not had to contend with writer's block. When I get an idea for a new story this seems to be a catalyst for a flow of ideas. I have written 12 'Whatever Next, Grandma!' stories and may decide not write any more in this particular series.
I would love to begin another chapter on my writing journey, and I confess this is where I do get a little stuck. I am not discouraged though; I believe that the right theme and genre will find me as time goes by, and my enthusiasm for writing will take over.
I love the process; I always express myself more easily when I write - I am not the most verbally articulate person - finding words that hit the spot seems easier when there's quiet and I'm left to my own thoughts. My memories and imagination seem to sharpen, to become ripe and to offer themselves willingly to the page.
I would love to begin another chapter on my writing journey, and I confess this is where I do get a little stuck. I am not discouraged though; I believe that the right theme and genre will find me as time goes by, and my enthusiasm for writing will take over.
I love the process; I always express myself more easily when I write - I am not the most verbally articulate person - finding words that hit the spot seems easier when there's quiet and I'm left to my own thoughts. My memories and imagination seem to sharpen, to become ripe and to offer themselves willingly to the page.
Alison Grunwald
When I was a child I adored riding ponies. My dad put me on a donkey at the age of two and that was how I became hooked on sitting in a saddle! I had lots of adventures going on 'hacks' around the fields owned by Pipers Green, the riding stables where I had my first lessons. By the age of seven I was a confident rider and loved my favourite pony, Cheyenne. But there were accidents along the way to learning how to ride well! We had to do an exercise called 'Round the World' where we had to swing ourselves round in the saddle to face the horse's bottom, then rotate back to the front again. This must have imprinted itself on my mind because in 'Grandma Rides a Pony' novice rider Grandma's problems start when she mounts up on Jitterbug.
I got the idea for the pony's name from the American fast dance, the Jitterbug, where dancers swing each other around and up in the air very quickly. Their feet move so fast that you can hardly see them and they have a lot of energy. So the combination of a stubborn, know-it-all Grandma and a lively, naughty pony all come together in my book, with hilarious results. And yes, I have seen exactly what can happen when a learner rider makes this mistake...you can imagine whom I'm referring to!
I got the idea for the pony's name from the American fast dance, the Jitterbug, where dancers swing each other around and up in the air very quickly. Their feet move so fast that you can hardly see them and they have a lot of energy. So the combination of a stubborn, know-it-all Grandma and a lively, naughty pony all come together in my book, with hilarious results. And yes, I have seen exactly what can happen when a learner rider makes this mistake...you can imagine whom I'm referring to!
About Goodreads Q&A
Ask and answer questions about books!
You can pose questions to the Goodreads community with Reader Q&A, or ask your favorite author a question with Ask the Author.
See Featured Authors Answering Questions
Learn more