Interview with a writer
One way to become a better writer is to read a lot. When you read a range of books, you can learn from different authors' styles. You can see what sort of words they use and expand your vocabulary and knowledge of English. You can also do research about writers on the internet or from books. When you have collected enough information, you could write a profile of the author.
If you are lucky, you might even meet an author. Sometimes, when authors visit schools, you can conduct an interview with them. Before talking to an author, it is a good idea to prepare a list of questions to ask.
Useful questions include how the author began writing. You could ask them how they plan their writing and when and where they write. Authors enjoy being asked about their books. Read the interview below.
Interview with an author
Anne Fine wants to encourage all children to read books. She should know what she is talking about. Fine is the author of more than 40 books, mostly for young readers, that have won numerous prizes, including the prestigious Carnegie medal and the Whitbread Children's Novel Award.
Fine, who is now a grandmother, recently spent two years as children's chief poet in the UK and enjoyed being able to promote greater access to literature especially for visually-impaired young people.
Her latest book, Frozen Billy, which was published in September last year, is the first one she has set in the past. 'I chose the late-Victorian world of the music hall. It is a rather spooky story about two children, Clarrie and Will, and their uncle who is a brilliant ventriloquist.'
Though she began writing at school and encourages children to write as well, she warns of the dangers of trying to write a book too soon. 'I was simply given a title by the teacher and about an hour of peace and quiet. I scribbled the writing and it flew out of my head. But to write a good book, writers need more experience of life than most children have. Children should read, read and read whenever they get the chance. And they should join a library.'
She encourages young writers to write things they would want to read themselves. She recognises the importance of knowing the basics of punctuation and grammar but says that budding authors should '... write freestyle and find their own voice and not worry about what other people will say'.
Glossary
to encourage (v) - to give support
prestigious (adj) - famous; important
visually-impaired (adj) - having difficulty seeing
ventriloquist (n) - an entertainer who has the ability to speak without moving their lips so that what they say seems to come from another person or some part of the room
to scribble (v) - to write quickly and untidily
Comprehension
1. What is the name of the author?
2. How many books has she written?
3. Where did the author begin writing?
4. What's the address of the author's website?
5. What does the author say is her greatest pleasure?
Writing style
If you want to interview an author, there are many questions you can ask. You should plan these in advance. Read the questions below and insert the word that completes each sentence.
books, typewriter, plan, start, author
6. How many ____________ have you written?
7. When did you ________ writing?
8. Who is your favourite __________?
9. How do you ________ your stories?
10. Do you write using a computer or a ________?
Crossword
There are many jobs that are needed to produce a book once the author has written it. Look at the clues below and write the correct job in the crossword.
bookseller, author, proofreader, illustrator, editor, publisher
1. This person draws or paints the pictures.
2. The writer of the book.
3. The producer of books that are ready to be sold.
4. The job of selling books is done by a ...
5. Somebody who checks whether the book is ready for publication.
6. This person checks for spelling and grammatical mistakes.
6. books; 7. start; 8. author; 9. plan; 10. typewriter
Crossword: 1. illustrator; 2. author; 3. publisher; 4. bookseller; 5. editor; 6. proofreader
