Goodreads asked Alison Grunwald:

What’s the best thing about being a writer?

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.

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