My first piece of amateur writing + a dream.
Little Orchid’s
story originated from her mother’s – Mother Lee (whom I’d called Moon Flower
when I wrote her story more than five
years ago). It was the first piece of fiction I’d written and it was an adult
story about a 70-year-old mother losing and regaining her relationship with her
youngest daughter, Little Orchid. She, the mother, lived alone in a crooked house
on the family farm and had a heart attack. I never completed that story but it
was always tucked at the back of my mind. By the time I’d gone into children’s
literature, I knew I could tell Moon Flower’s story by telling Little Orchid’s
first. One day, I will get to Moon Flower’s story again.
As for the dream
I had, it was about a Malay princess bride escaping onto a train and
transforming into a cuttlefish. A bizarre dream. I don’t know any Malay
princesses and I certainly don’t know anyone who’s turned into a sea creature.
But there it was. Too vivid to be forgotten. I’m blessed to be able to remember
some of my dreams. Anyway, I wrote this as a short story, which didn’t work, so
I tried it on Little Orchid. Their combination works so much better than I was
expecting!
How long did
it take you to write Little
Orchid’s Sea Monster Trouble?
Taking into
account the setting-research done on Moon Flower’s story, about five years. The
actual change of it into a children’s story took two years.
Snow Queen/Edmund Dulac |
The Snow Queen.
(I have a thing for stories that are a little sad in the cold way. There’s
mystery in the aloof appearance and the frosty heart.)
As for the
character I relate the most to, it’s Pinocchio. It shows on my face when I’m
lying (not the nose, though), and there’s also this inexplicable understanding
towards the puppet’s need to be a real boy.
What inspired
the personality traits for the characters in this story (sea -dwelling and
human)?
There is a bit
of me (the ‘me’ in childhood) in Little Orchid. As for the Baby Lobster, he is
loosely based on a young girl I tutor – energetic, sometimes timid, but strongly
supportive and honest.
If you could
befriend a character from one of your stories, who would you befriend? Why?
Buffalo
Brother – he tries to fit in the Lee family, works hard, and takes care of the
girls like a real brother should. But on another level, he’s pretty much on his
own. Part of the family, but not really.
Where do you
like to write? Do you have any writing rituals?
I do most of my
work at home but I like writing at my local library’s café. Just some music (acoustic
folk or piano) and I’m off.
If you could
live anywhere, fictional or real, where would it be? Why?
A small town,
preferably by the sea, with a good coffee shop, like the setting of Gilmore
Girls or Ghost Whisperer (not that I’m a huge fan of these shows, just a huge,
huge fan of their settings). So I could dress pretty and write pretty. The sea
will make me feel pretty. (I’m quite vain ...)
The
illustrations are whimsical and fascinating. Who is your favorite illustrator?
What element of their creative style do you enjoy?
Thanks, I’m glad
you like the illustrations. I can’t pick just one favourite illustrator, so
here goes: Alison Jay (the quiet warmth in her colours, and her attention to
details); Chris Van Allsburg (details and sense of grandeur); Chiaki Okada (the
soft tones and portrayal of adorable Japanese girls and rabbits); Pamela
Zagarenski (her sense of wonder), and Kate Greenaway medalist Helen Cooper (the
strokes, the colours, the way she makes living in that cabin in the woods
adventurous).
Illustration by Gueh Yanting, Claudine/ Little Orchid's Sea Monster Trouble |
If you were
to turn into a sea creature, what would you wish to be?
When I first
received these interview questions, my thought on this one was “a prawn” for I
love eating them. But that can’t be good for me! So I’m going to go with the
sea turtle. I’ll get to bring my home everywhere, and I’ll always have a place
to sleep in.
Where can we
purchase your books?
From
my website at an early-bird offer of US$1 {for 5 days only: 9th – 13th April 2014}: CarryUsOff Books
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A small town by the sea sounds lovely and it's great having vivid dreams that inspire. Awesome interview.
ReplyDeleteThank you, Medeia. I hear that vivid dreams have served many writers & artists very well. They are precious, even the nightmares!
DeleteWhat an amazing dream! And I also wish I lived in one of those beautiful small towns, especially one with a wonderful coffee shop!
ReplyDeleteI hope we all get to live in beautiful towns with quaint coffee shops at least once in this lifetime. Thanks for the lovely comment, Meradeth!
DeleteLovely to get to know more about Claudine and her books, thank you.
ReplyDeleteThank you for spreading the word on this post on FB, Tracy!
DeleteJust want to thank my wonderful hosts, Jess & Stephanie, for having me and for adding those beautiful pictures up there. Love the pencil sketches and the depth of details. It always feels like home here at the DMS.
ReplyDeleteI had to enter to win this one. I read your post about it the other day and loved the story. The illustrations are precious. Great to read more about the author.
ReplyDeleteSo happy to hear that you like the sound of the story, Ms. McKenzie. Good luck with winning!
DeleteJust the title of the book reeled me in. If you pardon the pun. What a great premise and being such a great guy, I shall take the liberty of sharing this posting. Thank you for this and have a lovely weekend.
ReplyDeleteGary :)
Thanks for sharing the post, Gary. Happy weekend!
DeleteThe part about the dream is fascinating! In fact, this whole interview is great! Gotta enter the Rafflecopter and keep my fingers crossed!
ReplyDeleteOops, forgot to say what sea creature I'd want to be. Hmm, I think dolphins are awesome, so that's my choice!
ReplyDeleteDolphins are awesome. Thanks for entering the giveaway, Lyn!
DeleteThanks, Heidi!
ReplyDeleteNow THAT'S a dream. Love the feel of these stories.
ReplyDeleteThanks, Leslie!
DeleteIt sounds like a lovely story, and your illustrations are gorgeous.
ReplyDeleteThank you so much, Cate. :)
DeleteIt's so nice to meet Gueh! It sounds like a wonderful story. I love the illustrations. Best wishes, Gueh! Thanks, Jess, for sharing! :)
ReplyDeleteIt's very nice to meet you all here, too, Karen. Thanks for your wishes!
DeleteMy dreams are useless, so I'm glad yours inspired you! I love the idea of a girl turning into a cuttlefish - kinda scary and gross, just like a girl's real journey into adulthood. I'd pick a turtle (or tortoise) too! :)
ReplyDeleteLol, it was scary and gross in my dream, Lexa. But it was also kind of mysterious. Like you said, it's like a girl's growing into adulthood.
DeleteHmm... I would be an octopus. :) This book sounds really good. :)
ReplyDeleteOctopuses are highly intelligent sea creatures. Good choice, Erik!
DeleteI LOVE story dreams, and I think it's the core emotion in them that can get us writing. The dream world taps into our subconscious and the core of our emotional drive.
ReplyDeleteI really like the way you put it, Crystal - "taps into our subconscious and the core of our emotional drive." Sometimes story dreams don't just give us plot. They also 'give' us the mood of our future stories.
DeleteI would totally love to live there, so cool that you dreamed about it!
ReplyDeleteIt was pretty cool! Thanks, Kimba.
DeleteCongratulations! This book sounds awesome!
ReplyDeleteThank you, Nas!
DeleteWhat a lovely interview. It’s so interesting to read the reasoning behind a story.
ReplyDeleteI hope you do write Moon Flower’s story one day Claudine, I’m sure it will be beautiful.
I hope to get to Moon Flower's in few years (when my writing has matured enough to match what she has to say). Thanks for reading the interview, Barbara!
DeleteGreat interview--best of luck with your latest book!
ReplyDeleteThank you, Marcia. All the brightness with your books, too! xoxo
DeleteI really enjoyed your interview, Claudine and congratulations on your new book. May your imagination and dreams continue to carry you off to wonderful places. Continued success!
ReplyDeleteThank you, Barry! What an absolute treat to hear from you. May your writing take you to new places and beautiful heights, too!
DeleteGreat interview! I love anything to do with crooked houses...so many story possibilities there. :)
ReplyDeleteAnd if I were a sea creature, I'd totally want to be mermaid!
Katie- Thanks for visiting! I love crooked houses too and mermaids are fascinating. :) ~L
DeleteOne of my students would love to be a mermaid! Thanks for stopping by. (Also, I really must get to Moon Flower's story and her time in that crooked house in this lifetime.)
DeleteLovely interview, Claudine! If I was a sea creature, I think I'd pick the starfish--they have always fascinated me!
ReplyDeleteBecky- Thanks for stopping in. :) Starfish are definitely interesting! ~L
DeleteI agree, starfish are fascinating. (Though I do get goosebumps looking at them up close.)
DeleteKaie- I am so glad you enjoyed the interview. I hope you get to read this wonderful book soon. :) A blue whale is an excellent choice! :) ~L
ReplyDeleteFor some reason, blue whales sound romantic. I love your choice, Kaie. Thanks for your interest in the story!
ReplyDeleteThat illustration for 'Waiting' is just so, so lovely. Other-wordly, really.
ReplyDeleteYour work has a very special quality, too, Jess.
Suze- I agree with you about "Waiting"!
DeleteThanks for your sweet words about my illustrations. :) ~Jess