1. What's your hidden talent?
Well I don’t want to blow my own trumpet, but I have A LOT! I play the saxophone (so whilst I don’t want to blow my own trumpet, I’m more than happy to blow my own saxophone). I can juggle. I can open a champagne bottle and pour a glass, using only my feet – yep foil, wire, cork and all. I can do the Moonwalk. I am an exceptionally good tree-climber. My spaghetti bolognaise is to die for. Look, the list really goes on but I don’t want to sound too braggy. I’m also really good at sounding braggy!
2. Who is your favourite literary villain and why?
2. Who is your favourite literary villain and why?
Oooooohhhh, if we are sticking to kid’s books then it probably has to be Count Olaf from Lemony Snicket's A Series of Unfortunate Events because I like a villain who is truly and wholeheartedly committed to their evil doings. If we are talking grown-up books then Annie Wilkes from Misery by Stephen King… for much the same reasons.
3. You're hosting a literary dinner party, which five authors would you invite? (alive or dead)
3. You're hosting a literary dinner party, which five authors would you invite? (alive or dead)
Oscar Wilde, Paul Jennings, RA Spratt, Raymond Carver and Katherine Rundell. There would be so much clever and funny in the room that I wouldn’t even dare to participate in the conversation but I would be happy to sit back and just bathe in the genius surrounding me.
4. Which literary invention do you wish was real?
4. Which literary invention do you wish was real?
Daemons from Philip Pullman’s His Dark Materials. I want one so bad and I want it to be a Tarsier.
5. What are five words that describe your writing process?
5. What are five words that describe your writing process?
Unplanned, optimistic, fluid, instinctual and rambunctious.
6. Which are the five words you would like to be remembered by as a writer?
6. Which are the five words you would like to be remembered by as a writer?
You mean like something that could be carved on my headstone? Always found a fart funny.
7. Picture your favourite writing space. What are five objects you would find there?
7. Picture your favourite writing space. What are five objects you would find there?
A standing desk, coffee, a view, silence, Uber Eats.
8. Grab the nearest book, open it to page 22 and look for the second word in the first sentence. Now, write a line that starts with that word. (Please include the name of the book!)
8. Grab the nearest book, open it to page 22 and look for the second word in the first sentence. Now, write a line that starts with that word. (Please include the name of the book!)
Well I’m sitting at my desk and the closest book is the uncorrected proof of my new book The Power Of Positive Pranking. The second word on page 22 is ‘refocus’. Refocus on the task at hand Nat – that means stop picking your nose, playing with that Rubik’s Cube and imagining a hippopotamus made of chocolate.
9. If you could ask one author one question, what would the question be and who would you ask?
9. If you could ask one author one question, what would the question be and who would you ask?
I would ask Paul Jennings out for ice cream. I bet he enjoys a good ice cream. And I can’t imagine anything better in this world than eating ice cream with Paul Jennings.
10. Which would you rather do: 'Never write another story or never read another book'?
10. Which would you rather do: 'Never write another story or never read another book'?
What?!?! Why would you ask that question? Do you hate me? Did I do something to you? Why do you want to punish me? What a horrible question! Uuuuuuummmm, er, ah, I guess… never write another story? You know what… NO! I quit. I’m not playing this game anymore.
Nat Amoore is a writer who is passionate about encouraging kids to read, write and explore their imagination without boundaries. With a background in writing for screen, she wrote and directed international award-winning short film Elemenopee and has a feature film screenplay and a kids' TV series in development. Nat was a recipient of the CBCA Maurice Saxby Creative Development Program for 2018. In February 2018, Nat (along with fellow hosts Kate and Liz) launched kidlit podcast One More Page (onemorepagepodcast.com), which was a finalist in the 'Best Newcomer' category for the 2018 Australian Podcast Awards. The podcast has featured in publications such as Books+Publishing, Buzz Words and the SCBWI AUS&NZ newsletters. For more information, see www.natamoore.com.
