If I Could Fly (22 page)

Hi, Jill. Tell us a bit about your childhood and teenage years. Where did you live, and what were your interests?

I was born in Brighton and lived at the top of a hill with my parents, my sister and brothers in a flat with a spooky cellar. You could hear trains passing by in deep tunnels underneath. It made me think there was a subterranean world existing beneath my bed.

Growing up was a bit of a bumpy time involving loss and the arrival of step family. I often escaped into imaginary worlds! I discovered a love for music and drama, and I also learned to sail.

As a teenager, I worked in a sweet shop (bliss!), then at M&S, so life became a blur of school exams, bras and knickers (my department) and dates with a dark-haired student at college . . .

Did you have any favourite books or authors?

Yes, I loved stories about animals.
Black Beauty
by Anna Sewell,
Call of the Wild
by Jack London (cried for days),
Tarka the Otter
by Henry Williamson (ditto). Later, I studied English Lit and loved everything by D. H. Lawrence, E. M. Forster and Thomas Hardy, especially
Tess of the D’Urbervilles
. And if we’re including dramatists, Will Shakespeare, of course.

Who’s your favourite fictional character?

Two favourites: Tess from
Tess of the D’Urbervilles
, who is stalked by tragedy despite her innocence, and Flora Poste from Stella Gibbons’
Cold Comfort Farm
, who hauls her mad, rural
relatives into the twentieth century with cool, common sense. It’s one of the funniest books I’ve read.

In
If I Could Fly
, Caly sometimes longs to go and live in Thailand, and there are some beautiful descriptions of the country. Have you ever been there? Is there anywhere you would especially love to live?

I travelled for several weeks through Thailand a few years ago with my young family, and fell completely in love with the country. The vibrant colours of the temples and night markets have stayed with me, together with the sounds of monkeys chattering in the trees and elephants bathing in the rivers. And I’ve never seen a sky so full of stars.

I feel very lucky to live by the sea in Sussex, close to wonderful downland walks and four miles from a buzzy, cultural city. I love the open landscape here. It’s where my roots are and I can’t imagine living anywhere else.

Caly builds a house of books, and collects bits and bobs to make her feel more at home in the hospital. What is your most treasured possession?

Can that be plural? If so, I would say my photo albums. They hold so many memories, especially of my daughter growing up and our adventures with our three rescued retrievers, Luke, Zack and now Henry the hooligan.

When did you first start writing? What did you do before you were a published author?

I wrote poems and stories from an early age and started to do it seriously when I was studying for a degree in English and
Drama. After working in theatre and journalism, I trained as a screenwriter and wrote for children’s TV. I also got involved in a musical theatre development group in London. An idea for a TV drama series was then optioned for production and when it didn’t go ahead, the producer suggested I write the book instead. So my first novel,
Deeper Than Blue
, started to take shape and was published in 2007. Happily, I am about to write my sixth book!

Where do your ideas come from? What inspired you to write
If I Could Fly
?

Ideas are strange things. They are always tumbling about, probably because there has always been an alternative world going on in my head. Sometimes a title will come first. Or it might just be a feeling, a rhythm, a voice. Or a question – what if? I usually let them float about for a few days to see if they are going to stay. If they do, I write a short outline, to see where the story will go.

If I Could Fly
began to form in the spring of 2009. All my previous books have been about teens who have to face big challenges in their lives, but I wanted this new one to have an extra element – a twist. I could hear Caly running in my head, but for a long time I didn’t know what she was running from. I liked the unfolding mystery of her situation. Hope readers will too!

Do you have any advice for readers who are hoping to follow in your footsteps?

I think if it’s in you to write, you will write. It’s a sort of natural compulsion. The good news is that, while publishing deals are
always elusive, there are many markets out there for writing – and many ways to be a writer. The internet has opened up massive opportunities for people to reach an audience through personal websites, blogs and networking communities. Some publishers keep a close eye on the net for signs of talent!

There are creative writing courses and degrees up and down the country, which can inspire or maybe buy you the time to get your brilliant work finished. And there are lots of annual competitions to enter. So take a deep breath, begin, explore, develop, keep your spirits up (despite rejections), be exciting, brave, persistent and very flexible. Keep the
Writers’ and Artists’
Yearbook by your side for advice, contacts in the industry and submission guidelines. And good luck!

Watch out for more stunning fiction from Jill Hucklesby. Coming Soon!