Written by Allison Tait (A.L. Tait)
When I was ten years old, I moved, with my family, from Alice Springs to a small beach village on the south coast of NSW. To say the change was monumental is an understatement. I have not been ten years old for, ahem, a very long time, but I still remember to this day that feeling of having landed on an alien planet.
I had gone from a place surrounded by red dirt, where the only glimpse of a surf boat was during the annual Henley On Todd Regatta. My Dad took part one year and I still remember the excitement of watching people running up and down the dry river bed carrying their boats. On the weekends, we would go into the dry hills around Alice to find the wildflowers, the spiky grass scratching our legs, the sun bright above us, no matter what time of year it was.
Then, suddenly, I was in a tiny town with beachs on two sides – one of which thumped with booming surf all day and all night. Dad took us to the Surf Lifesaving Club, figuring if we were going to live there, we were going to need to know how swim in those waves. I can still remember my first flag race, running along the shore behind everyone else, totally confused when they all dove headfirst into the sand to grab a flag…
But I found myself diving headfirst into that feeling many years later when I began writing ‘Willow Bright’s Secret Plot’. The story began a long time ago for me, in a simple character writing exercise. I had an image of a young girl wearing a large hat and standing outside the high, steel fence of an inner-city school. She was wondering whether the fence was there to keep the world out or the students in.
At that stage, I didn’t know much about Willow except that she was a capable country kid and she was most definitely out of her comfort zone. But when I began to write about Willow’s new life in the inner city suburb of Barrack Hill, I drew on those memories of landing somewhere new, somewhere I hadn’t chosen to go, and scrambling to try to figure out ‘the rules of engagement’.
When I visit schools for author talks, I encourage students to keep a journal. Not a full-blown diary (because that might feel like homework), but a simple little notebook in which to record the big moments of their days and their lives. Because if you can remember things that happened to you when you when you were younger – not just what happened, but how you felt at the time – you will never be short of a story idea.
These days, I live on the south coast of NSW, not too far from that little surf village where I landed when I was ten. I lived in Sydney and worked as a journalist for many years after I finished high school, before returning to the country to raise my two boys.
My latest novel ‘Danger Road’ explores life in a regional town and when I share the inspiration for it, and ‘Willow Bright’, in city schools, I can see the students eyes widen, as though they’ve never really thought about just how interesting (and exciting) life in country Australia can be.
But I know. And I know that you do, too.
I asked my Dad if I’d ever been to Longreach as a child – we drove many times from Katherine and Alice Springs to visit family in North Queensland for Christmas, and I have strong memories of those long, dusty roads. But he said that I hadn’t – although he has apparently been several times without me…
So I’m very keen for my first visit – and Dad’s keen for me to send photos to see what’s changed.
Be warned, though – I’m always searching for ideas for my next book, and I’ve got a feeling Longreach will be full of inspiration.
Allison Tait (A.L. Tait) is the author of 11 middle-grade novels, including ‘Willow Bright’s Secret Plot’ and ‘Danger Road’, both released this year. She is visiting Longreach for Storyfest Outwest and will be presenting to students, as well as bringing a two-hour workshop for adults on ‘Reaching Reluctant Readers (And Writers)’.
Allison also co-hosts the Your Kid’s Next Read podcast with Megan Daley and the pair is looking forward to discussing all things books, reading and writing for kids of all ages at the literary dinner – bring your questions! Find out more about Allison at allisontait.com and more about Your Kid’s Next Read at yourkidsnextread.com.au
