Cathy Cassidy Talks About Writing for Tweens
An Interview With a Best Selling Author of Books for Pre Teen Girls
May 19, 2009
British writer for tweens, Cathy Cassidy has an uncanny ability to get inside the skins of girls as they enter puberty. In An Interview with Cathy Cassidy, Suite 101 asked her about her writing process. In this second article she talks about how she developed her emotional intelligence around preteens, and the role her website plays in counselling children with problems.
Writing Books for Girls
Q. How do you get the tone so right for girls of this age group? Do you hang out a lot with 12 -13 year olds?
A. Probably! I have two teenagers of my own, now aged 15 & 16, so the house is often filled with strange, random teens! Up until very recently, I worked as an art teacher too, and again that was great for tuning in to the teen/pre-teen way of thinking. And for 12 years I was agony aunt of teen mag Shout, which certainly helped me to stay aware of what kids were concerned about.
Q. What were your puberty years like? Were you a cool kid or a weird kid?
A. Not cool! I went from being quite a confident child to being a VERY shy teen. I worked hard at school, but was a little bit too quirky to fit in with the studious kids. So... weird, I guess!
Writing Fiction That Enriches the Reader
Q. Your books are ‘meaty’ enough not only to bring huge enjoyment, but to speak to girls on an emotional and psychological level as well. How do you go out about layering in so much ‘meat?’
A. I love that my readers feel so strongly about the books and can let me know via the website, for example. I think they identify with the characters, which is brilliant.
I have to admit I do not plan or structure the stories deliberately to cover all these bases... I write from the heart, write the stories I WANT to write, about things that matter to me. And feelings, emotions and the magic of real-life are the things I care about. It's something I do unconsciously, but I am forever grateful that the books are so accessible to my readers!
Helping Children in Need
Q. Your website is very interactive. How many hours a week do you spend responding to fan mail and personal problems?
A. You really don't want to know! I get about 150 reader emails a day and am often still working on replies at 10 at night. I am about to go on an overseas tour to Singapore, New Zealand and Australia, and will take my laptop to stay on top of emails... I feel I have a responsibility to my readers. They have put me where I am today, after all.
Q. What do you do if you discover a reader has a very serious personal problem? Are you ever tempted to intervene? Do you maintain your readers’ confidentiality?
A. It's hard to do otherwise, even if I wanted to, as almost all the 'personal' questions I get are by email, which is obviously a very anonymous way of communicating. However, I would have to be very, very concerned about a reader’s safety to even consider breaking a confidence - my job is to offer the best advice, support and back-up resources I can. I often refer readers on to ChildLine, and have a ChildLine section on my website.
An Author’s Day
Q. Can you tell me about your working day? What does it usually entail? Do you write every day, or in bursts?
A. I get up early and work on emails and website updates from about 7.30-9am. Then I write, sometimes until 3 or 4 o clock, often for longer, taking time out for a quick lunch and possibly a dog walk. After 5 o’clock I take an hour out to see my elderly mum, who lives nearby, and then after tea I usually work on with emails and edits until 10 o clock.
If I am on tour, the days are different, and consist of school visits/book festival events and signings, or full-on Friendship Festivals. This sounds easy, but can be pretty exhausting! I like the variety, though. I sometimes work 7 days a week, but value the occasional weekend off or a day out in Glasgow with a friend.
Good Books for Children
Q. Are you a great reader? Do you read other children’s books?
I am addicted to reading! If I have a really busy day, I will set my clock a little earlier so I can have some reading time. My fave books to read are children’s books and teen fiction... there is some amazing stuff out there. Some of my favourites are Meg Rosoff, Gennifer Choldenko, Siobhan Dowd, Suzanne La Fleur, Jerry Spinelli and Sharon Creech.
Read a Review of Gingersnaps by Cathy Cassidy.
Don't miss the first article in this series of two.
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