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July 8th 2021
Like a lot of writers, my stories begin with questions. I’m a massively curious person (okay, nosy!) which is one of the reasons I love social media. It enables you to peek into someone else’s world and, in some cases, watch their entire life unfold in front of you.
I came up with the idea for Girl (in real life) when I had a tiny glimpse into Gwyneth Paltrow’s life (believe me, it was miniscule!) but it proved a really inspiring insight for me. Gwyneth had posted a selfie of her daughter, Apple, in a ski mask, on Instagram. Apple had commented: ‘I told you not to post any photos of me’ and Gwyneth replied saying, ‘You can’t even see your face!’ That little public exchange sparked an idea I’d already been thinking about for a while – what would it be like to grow up online? To have your entire childhood shared with millions of followers? And what would happen if you wanted it to stop, but your parents kept on sharing?
Girl (in real life) follows the character of Eva as she navigates this exact dilemma. Her parents created a YouTube channel about her before she was even born, and they’ve shared everything from toddler tantrums to her first outbreak of acne. Only Eva doesn’t like being in the spotlight. I knew the opening of the story had to be dramatic. And for Eva, it’s her mum sharing her first period with the entire world. This pushes Eva into taking matters into her own hands, and along with her new friend, they begin sabotaging the channel.
Part of the wonderful thing about writing for young teens is creating a character and a situation that is relatable and horrifying in equal measure. I have to strike a balance between exploring the difficult stuff about growing up, and the parts that are joyful and funny.
Books have so much competition for young people’s time these days. Gadgets flash and beep around them, popping up with notifications, demanding their attention. Books haven’t changed much since my childhood. They still sit quietly on the shelves, waiting to reveal their magic.
So when a young person picks up one of my books, I want them to be immediately drawn into its world. I want them right there with my character, right inside their head, walking with them along that awkward tightrope of teenagerhood.
I spend a lot of time crafting emotion, realism and humour into my scenes. My books delve into contemporary themes like social media, bullying, mental health, and identity. Big ideas that my readers can explore in the safe space of their pages. But always, at the centre, has to a gripping, un-put-downable story.
Girl (in real life) is out now.
