The Heroine’s Journey of Yvette Carol

What is the best thing that I love about my work? There are so many things to love about writing for children that choosing “the best part” is almost impossible. I love author, Kate de Goldi’s view, when Kate said her fiction was ‘chasing childhood Edens,’ and ‘seeking the shaded places of youth.’ I feel very much the same way. Creating imaginary worlds for others means I get to escape into them. The process takes me back to the freedom of childhood. It’s liberating, fun, and rewarding.

What is my idea of perfect happiness? I love quality time spent with my family. And, I love when I am at home alone on a perfect sunny spring day with nowhere to go and nothing to do but write. When I’m writing I feel I’m in the right place at the right time. There is a sublime sense of wellbeing that surpasses everything.

What is my greatest fear? Not fulfilling my life dreams. I heard a compelling story a while ago about a woman, who after her mother’s death, discovered a box of her mother’s handwritten stories which no one had ever seen. It transpired her mother had been a stifled writer, who wrote in secret. The daughter was so moved by the discovery, she published the stories and it led to her following her own dream to become an author. I was struck by that true story. It made me feel, time is short, I’d better get busy!

What is the trait that I most deplore in myself? Saying yes when I should have said no. It creates a negative cycle. You end up doing things you don’t want to do and feeling resentful. Having been a people-pleaser in the past, this trait is something I’m still working on transforming.

Which living persons in my profession do I most admire? Neil Gaiman, Kate de Goldi

,Anne Enright, Jane Yolen, Christopher Paolini, J.K Rowling, Maggie Stietfvater

What is my greatest extravagance? My eyebrows. They’re tattoos. But, they do say eyebrows frame the face so I feel they’re worth the pain and the expense. In the public speaking I do, they help me to “stand out” on the stage.

On what occasion would I lie? I prefer to handle sensitive matters sometimes by omission. The old adage, when you can’t say something nice, say nothing at all, springs to mind.

What is the thing that I dislike the most in my work? Self-promotion. The marketing side of Indie authorship galls and appals me.

When and where was I the happiest, in my work? There were two times in my early adult life when I moved back home with my parents. One of those times, my parents had retired and were living in their log cabin home by the sea. For about six weeks of my stay, mum and dad went away on holiday to Australia and left me to house-sit. I took care of their house and pets. It was a slice of heaven at the seaside. I was deep into writing the genesis draft of a new novel. Completely immersed in the fire storm of creativity that accompanies the first draft, I felt I was so close to the Source, to the creative muse, that the story came alive. The characters of my story inhabited the rafters of the house. I was convinced that chancing a look up at just the right moment, I would glimpse them chattering and flitting back and forth. It was a creative ferment and a retreat and utter bliss.

If I could, what would I change about myself? Growing up, I felt different to those around me, isolated within my own family. I lived the first half of my life steeped in self doubts and it made life difficult. This led to joining Toastmasters two years ago, to start to break down the barriers in my psyche about self worth. The goal is to grow my self confidence to the level where I can comfortably embrace my points of difference. So, to answer your question, I would go back in time to childhood, and start from there embracing my own uniqueness. Then I could have poured more time and resources and even study into pursuing my creative writing interests and native talents from a much earlier stage. Self belief is king.

What is my greatest achievement in work? Breaking through my own glass ceiling and making the choice to self-publish. Old attitudes were holding me back. In 2014, I stopped waiting for the nod from “the gatekeepers”—the traditional publishing establishment—and went Indie. It was a personal milestone, and made me feel I was taking my destiny into my own hands. It made me step up my level of social media engagement, and I believe going Indie helped my writing improve also.

Where would I most like to live? I’m a home girl. This is the house my father built when he and my mother emigrated from the U.K. to New Zealand in the 1960’s. It’s where I grew up with my siblings and had an idyllic childhood. Our family DNA is imbued in the earth of this place. Having moved back here about twenty years ago, I’m proud to say that a number of improvements have been made in my tenure. I spend a lot of time on maintenance and especially tending the extensive gardens. I’ve been nurturing a little pocket of Eden in the suburbs. This is where I’m happiest and home forms the cornerstone of my life.

What is my most treasured possession? My house and property, and the family legacy it represents.

What is my most marked characteristic? Energy.

What is my most inspirational location, in my city? Mt. Victoria in Devonport. It’s a repeat picnic spot when my sister and I are celebrating our birthdays. The site has big bearded trees and sweeping slopes of green, plus it offers spectacular views over the sea and harbour. It’s a place where you can lie under a pohutakawa tree in peace, listen to the Tuis singing and the waves sighing. It’s paradise in the city.

What is my favourite place to eat and drink, in my city? The nearest restaurant which serves Yum Cha. Sushi is nice; however, the food I choose to celebrate special occasions with is always Yum Cha. The quality in this city is consistent, so the closest restaurant will do. I’ve sampled many and they’re all good!

What books influenced my life and how? As a child, I would withdraw one of the Moomintroll series of books by Tove Jansson from the school library at a time and savour them. Tove was inspirational with her masterful world building and nonhuman cast. She deeply influenced my thinking about creative fiction. Tove offered glimpses, sneak peeks beyond the fetters of this life, and that is the secret message that is so beautiful and empowering to pass onto children. There is more. Open your hearts and minds and expand the possibilities. I love the empowerment that forms the core of children’s literature. When I approached the idea of writing my first story, I did so with a sense of limitlessness. I didn’t feel my characters necessarily needed to be human for me to care about them.

Who are my favourite writers? Tove Jansson, C.S. Lewis, Beverly Cleary, Laura Ingalls-Wilder, Marion Zimmer-Bradley, Dianne Wynne Jones, Kate de Goldij, Amy Tan, Philip Reeve, J.K. Rowling, Alice Walker, Margaret Atwood, Christopher Paolini, Ray Bradbury

Philip Pullman, Margaret Mahy, Paulo Coelho, PJ Reece, Daniel Jose Older, James Preller, Neil Gaiman, Anne Enright, Jane Yolen, Maggie Stietfvater, K. A. Applegate

You Only Die Once. What music would I listen to on my last day? Unashamed Christmas music, then, some rock and roll at top volume, probably something by Steve Earle or The Blasters, and I’d finish with R&B music so I could go out dancing.

Who is my hero or heroine in fiction? Anne of Green Gables. Growing up I related to Anne, because she was relentlessly idealistic and optimistic. She had a hard time but nothing ever got her down. She never tried to change who she was. And, the people around her were slowly transformed by her presence. I also adored Pippy Longstockings because she was a rebel, a wild girl at heart, like I am.

Who are my heroes and heroines in real life? My middle child, Samuel, was born with Downs’ syndrome. Each of his “carer supporters,” teachers and teacher aides, who has contributed to Sam’s developmental milestones and wellbeing in a positive way have been the real life heroes and heroines in my life.

Which movie would I recommend to see once in a lifetime? Avatar on the big screen.

What role plays art in my life and work? As a hobby artist, it plays a huge role. I see my stories visually. Expanding on the creative impulses given to me through art as well as the written word, I’ve used pencil and coloured pencil, pen and ink, water colour with gouache, and oil paints as means of illustrative expression. I’ve sketched and painted illustrations for the last thirty-five years.

Who is my greatest fan, sponsor, partner in crime? My son, Samuel. Now that Sam’s younger brother is entering his teen years, he’s outgrowing his older brother and leaving him behind. Therefore Sam and I hang out together a lot. We dance and play ball, and have a lot of laughs and fun.

Whom would I like to work with in 2017? Peter Jackson, the famous Kiwi movie director. (I say the same thing every year!)

Which people in my profession would I love to meet in 2017? Maggie Stietfvater,

Neil Gaiman, K. A. Applegate

What project, in 2017, am I looking forward to work on? Book Three in my upper middle grade series the Chronicles of Aden Weaver: ‘The Last Tree’

Where can you see me or my work in 2017? Amazon, National Library of New Zealand. Signed paperback copies from the author: yvettecarol@hotmail.com

What do the words “Passion Never Retires” mean to me? It means energy is boundless and not defined by our puny human life spans. It means when you’re doing what you love, time is meaningless. Time melts and morphs into something else. It means passion exists outside of human confines. It means there is no particular age you have to stop doing what you love. It means the creative impulse is limitless. It means the fire to follow one’s star is an eternal flame. It means the drive for expression is beyond human comprehension and therefore divine. Star stuff.