The Newcastle Herald

Ingrid was interviewed by Jade Lazarevic for an article that appeared in the Newcastle Herald on 15 July 2008.

Here is an extract:

Q: Why did you decide to become a children’s author?

A: As a kid, I used to read all the time. I’d go to the library and borrow as many books as I was allowed. Whenever we went on holidays, I’d read in the car the whole way.

Eventually, it got to the point where I started having ideas for stories myself. I’d write them down on whatever I had at the time — serviettes, pieces of paper.

I wrote my first manuscript when I was 13. It was all about fairies and a magical ferris wheel. Looking back at it, it was really naive.

Q: How did you approach writing your first book The Frank Frankie?

A: I looked at which books were successful. I think the creative process is really important for developing your writing.

Children’s books were achievable for me, not only because I loved to write them, but also because they’re shorter.

I still read a lot of children’s books, and I pick up the books I used to read as a kid. I look to popular characters like The Babysitters Club and Harry Potter and they are all things that kids want to emulate.

Q: You initially worked as a journalist. Has that helped with your career as an author?

A: Journalism is really credited with pushing me forward with getting my stories published, because it taught me to stop being so creative and actually treat it as a project. You’ve got to look at it from a commercial aspect as well.