In Conversation ... with Sandra Bennett

            

In Conversation with 

Sandra Bennett – Children’s Author

Tell us about your most recent publication. 

Fossil Frenzy, the Adamson Adventures 3, was released in November 2020. It is a middle-grade adventure set in the drought-stricken present where the only hope of saving the family farm is buried in the past. Science know-it-all Zac, animal loving Clare and mischievous Luke are determined to help Uncle Tom’s farm survive until the rain returns. When they are caught in an unexpected storm, the siblings must take shelter fast. Everything becomes complicated after they emerge from shelter with danger lurking around every corner. Nothing is as it should be and the creatures they encounter are huge! It’s an exciting and suspenseful romp through time that dinosaur loving kids will be thrilled to read.

While still in manuscript form Fossil Frenzy was one of the shortlisted winners of the Queensland Writers Centre Adaptable competition. It was a thrilling experience to have the opportunity to pitch my story to film producers and encouraged my determination to see the book be published even after my publisher closed.

What do you enjoy most about being a writer?

There are so many reasons I love being a writer of children’s stories. I can work from home at any time (or when the inspiration hits me) and fit writing in around everything else that involves family life. Most of all though, I love sharing my stories with children, whether in person at school visits and other events or whether they buy my books and tell me how much they enjoyed the story. There’s nothing like hearing a child ask when is the next book coming out? I know then I have achieved my passion for helping kids develop a love of reading.

Writers are sometimes influenced by things that happen in their own lives. Are you?

Most definitely. It is my life experiences that inspire all my stories, from my short stories in anthologies to all my published books. My story, Peek-a-Boo Echidna written for the Tell ‘Em They’re Dreaming anthology could only be completed after experiencing last Summer’s bushfires. Even the first book I published eight years ago, Gingerbread aliens, arose from a mishap in our own kitchen with a bread-maker when my boys were young. 

As for Fossil Frenzy, our family has been fossicking ever since my eldest son was aged five. We love discovering new fossils and what is better than dinosaur fossils? My son’s passion for fossils has certainly influenced my enthusiasm and I hope Fossil Frenzy will inspire more young readers to develop a fascination with not only fossils but all the earth sciences. Caring for our environment and studying all aspects of science will help our children of today become more environmentally aware in the future.

How much research goes into your writing? 

Research is always an integral part of any story I write. My world building always begins with a place I have visited, then I research all about the area and anything important that may arise from that. I like my stories to have an element of curious information so that my readers are learning something throughout the adventure.

Fossil Frenzy had months of research involved while I collated as much information as I could about the dinosaurs found in the Winton region of outback Queensland. I even travelled to the area for more research. I took notes and lots of photographs, I even bought a video. Then I visited the Daintree Rainforest Discovery Centre to add further information to my research. While in Winton I gathered information on the dinosaur fossils found in recent years and then in the Daintree I was able to walk in an ancient rainforest comparable to the habitat that the dinosaurs roamed. It was all great fodder for the description of my scenes and the dinosaurs.

Top tips for writers? 

1. Write from the heart, if you love it, write about it. You need to enjoy what you are writing for the heart of the story to shine through.

2. Don’t worry about who your audience might be, there is always someone who will enjoy reading it if you remain true to yourself.

3. Keep writing, even though some days it might seem impossible. I know life gets busy but writing one word today is one more than you had yesterday. It’s not how much you write everyday that counts, it’s doing whatever you can to move forward in any small way.

Do you have a favourite character from your stories?

Like most authors I would say all my characters are like my own children, it is impossible to have a favourite. While they are all unique individuals with flaws and positive attributes, I love them all. Obviously the three Adamson siblings are closest to my heart as I have invested many years in writing about them and watching them grow. Zac has learned to accept help from his brother and sister and Luke, while still a scallywag, is learning not to be quite so impetuous and jump into trouble head-first. 

However, Clare has begun to shine. She is no longer the shy little girl that followed along in Secrets Hidden Below. In A Lighthouse in Time she stepped-up to help Zac and Luke even though she was scared. By the time I wrote Fossil Frenzy, Clare was speaking more clearly and with determination. Even though the adventures are written in first-person through Zac, Clare was sitting over my shoulder as I wrote telling me that she was stronger and much more confident. I enjoyed the process of realising Clare’s character had really grown throughout the story arc that developed between the three books.

Have you ever had a fan moment and met somebody famous? Tell us about it.

Being a children’s author means I have the opportunity to meet lots of famous children’s authors, Jackie French, and Leigh Hobbs are the first two that come to mind. But the stand-out for me was meeting Emily Rodda. Our boys read all her books as they grew up. In fact, the Deltora Quest series were the books that finally hooked my middle son into reading. I have always wanted to write stories that would have the same impact on other children, so when I had the opportunity to talk to Emily at the CBCA conference here in Canberra, I was the first in line. It was a thrill to thank her in person for inspiring my boys and myself.

How can we learn more about you? 

Check our Sandra's social networks below!

  

  

  

Thank you for joining In Conversation this week. Remember to always 

Dream Big ... Read Often.