In the next exciting installment of “interviews with author girls who are appearing at the Bathkidslitfest this September” meet Kelly Mckain!
Now, here at Pink World, we totally love Totally Lucy!
If you haven’t read the Totally Lucy series yet, then you’re in for a treat!
They’re full of hilarious revelations of lively, loveable Lucy, wannabe fashion designer and Stand Up Babe. You will identify with her parent troubles, best-friend dilemmas, secret crushes and dreams of fashion fabulousness!
Describe author-girl Kelly in 5 words…
Pinkalicious, fabulastic, and, erm, Flake-eating!
Have you always wanted to be an author-girl and how did you make it happen?
Yes, I have soooooo always wanted to tell stories and I made my first book when I was only a teeny weeny five year old. Since then I just kept writing, and reading loads, and writing, and reading loads and… well, you get the picture!
You have written so many books - we love Totally Lucy bestest, who are your favourites and why?
It’s so cool that you lurve Totally Lucy! But then, I always knew you were tres cool girls at Pink World! I have a great time writing about all my characters but I do have extra-fab fun putting Lucy in cringe-tastic situations!
What do you dig most about being an author girl?
I get to be nosy as part of my job (yippeeeeee!!!), I get to meet fabulastic Lucy fans at events (you girls rock!) and I get to work with some of the loveliest people on this planet of earth, like Vici Leyhane, the illustrator of Lucy, and Rebecca Hill, the editor.
Tell us about your writing day, Kelly…
As every day is different, I’ll just tell you what I have done so far today. I have been to the shop to buy milk and stuff, and a Flake just accidentally fell in my basket (whoops!) and then I have written a chapter of the latest Lucy book, which I just typed very, very fast into my laptop (and I’ll edit it later), then I saw my neighbour going by the window and raced outside to pet her dog, who I totally lurve. Now I am sitting here filling in this questionnaire and in about 7 mins time I will be eating the accidental Flake.
How long does it take you to complete a book?
It depends what book it is – they are all different. A Totally Lucy book usually takes me about 3 months in all – a month to work out the plot and build up loads of notes and research and scraps to paper with little ideas on, a month or so to write, and then a couple of weeks to edit it (which is tidying it all up and checking that the story makes sense). Then I am supposed to give it in to my publisher, but I can’t bear to stop working on it, so Rebecca usually has to bribe me with Crunchies to get hold of it.
What was your favourite book as a teen girl?
Anything by Judy Blume, actually make that everything by Judy Blume, and this really, really funny book by Philip Pullman called How To Be Cool.
What’s your fave book for teens now?
Oh, what a great question! I have loads, but so you don’t get bored reading a massivo list I will just say a few: All Cathy Cassidy’s books but especially Indigo Blue; The Henry Game and others by Susan Davies; the Girl, 16, series by Sue Limb; the Ally’s World series by Karen McCombie… OK, OK, I will stop now.
Who and what makes you jump-in-the-air happy?
Seeing a new book of mine in the shops for the first time - the shop staff probably think ‘Hmmm, that jumping-up-and-down-girl is quite weird’ but I can’t help it! And going to visit my two oldest and bestest friends – as well as the jumping we do lots of squealing and giggling!
What would a Kelly Mckain soundtrack actually sound like?
What a crazy idea! You Pink World girls are tres creativo to come up with that question! There would definitely be some piano-playing in it, and lovely lady-singing (but not by me, obviously, as that would make it v. v. ear-destroying!) and then a bit with drums coming in going ka-pow-pow-pow!!!
What’s next in the world of Kelly?
What, you mean, apart from eating that Flake I was telling you about? Well, I am off to Edinburgh to do a cute fairy event at the festival and then heading to the lovely Bath Festival for a fab Lucy extravaganza.
What can we expect when we come to see you at Bath?
You soooooo have to come to the Bath Fest cos you’ll have a great time with me and the other groovalicious Totally Lucy fans hearing all Lucy’s most secret secrets, sharing her cringe-tastic moments and talking girl stuff. Plus, we will probably be laughing so much our sides will almost actually split.
The colour pink, discuss.
Oh, come on – I have already just answered, like, hang on, let me check back, TWELVE whole questions. Can’t I have my Flake now??? (Munching – yum yum!) P.S. Pink is soooooo IT! Thanks for having me at Pink World! I love you groovy girls! Mwah!!! xxx
To book tix for Kelly’s Totally Lucy event at the fest, head over to the site now: www.bathkidslitfest.co.uk
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