What I mean is: all the things I like, theater, cats, fabrics, food, books, etc., come up in my books, that’s all... they take up lots of space in my life because they sort of are my life! I mean that you can’t help the things you like appearing in your books. I like relationships, seeing how families work. I like to think about the influence of the past on the present. I am interested in the way memory works... etc.
What will your next book be about?
My next adult book is about the consequences of a will. My next children’s book... I’m not thinking about quite yet.
What would you say has been your most significant achievement as a writer?
I reckon my greatest success is that people are still interested in [my books]. Publishers are still interested in publishing my work, after 30 years in the business and ninety-two books published. And that some people like reading what I write.
How did you get there?
By not giving up at the beginning when I was getting rejection letters for about 18 months... by doing what I like doing but also listening to other people.
You are also one of the few writers who are catering for children, young adults as well as adults. Why would you say this is so? Do you approach each of your books for children, young adults as well as adults in the same way or do they present different challenges? How do you deal with these challenges?
Each book presents a different challenge. It’s not to do with age. Each book is its own ‘thing’. You have to approach each one with a fresh eye, as it were. The main thing is to decide: whose point of view are you telling this story from? And then it becomes like a kind of acting job and you just become whoever it is... be it a fat black cat or a retired ballerina! And I like to change and change about because I don’t want to be bored with what I’m doing. And I never am! The adult books take longer... about a year, I suppose... because there are more words in them...
Facing the Light, your first novel for adults was published in March 2003. What made you decide to write a novel for adults? How did the idea for the novel come to you?
Article comments
1 - L. Diane Wolfe
Adele's trick of starting every day by correcting the previous day's work is great advice! If inspiration isn't hitting at the time, editing previous work gets it going. And there is always editing to do! I have three stages I work in - handwriting the initial story, putting it into the computer, and editing a printed hard copy - so I have options for getting my creative juices going in the morning!