Appearing
Website
www.cliffmcnish.com
Cliff McNish was born in Sunderland, but has spent most of his life in the southeast of England. His daughter Rachel loved listening to his stories from an early age.
THE DOOMSPELL started as one of these. 'But before I knew what was happening,' says Cliff, 'the whole magical world of Ithrea just wanted to come to life in a bigger way. It wanted to live!'
"My first real book memory is being given C.S. Lewis’s The Magician’s Nephew by my English teacher, Mrs Baldwin. Wherever you are now Mrs Baldwin, I thank you, because you opened my eyes. I was so bowled over by it that I read all the other 6 Narnian books right away. I loved them. Actually, I went further than love. I remember lying in bed in the dark, staring at the ceiling and wishing, wishing with all my heart, not just that I could meet C.S.Lewis (he was dead, actually), but that I could be C.S.Lewis. I wanted to BE C.S.Lewis! Don’t ask me what was going on in my head ..."
Who's your favourite author?
Changes all the time. If you forced me on pain of death to name one book for young people that's impressed me more than any other over the last few years, I'd have to say Bloodtide by Melvin Burgess.
What's the first book you remember reading?
The Magician's Nephew by C.S. Lewis.
Where and how do you write?
Straight onto computer, in a small bedroom converted into a messy study with loud music playing constantly. I'm so used to loud music that I now find it hard to write without it.
Do you have any children?
One. Rachel, aged 16.
Do you have any pets?
Two. A cat – who's never liked me – called Sophie, and a dog – who adores only me – called Sam. Guess which I prefer.
Where is your favourite holiday destination?
Anywhere hot, or with mountains. Flat cold places are my idea of a nightmare, which is probably why they figure as the main landscape in The Doomspell.
Describe yourself in three words.
Tough one, that.
What is your favourite food?
Red-hot bursting-your-throat curries.
What music do you like?
Mainly classical and film.
Did you always want to be an author? If not, what did you want to be when you were little?
I never wanted to be an author. I wanted to be an astronaut. Every boy growing up in the 1960s wanted to be astronaut. If we'd achieved our dream, there'd be millions of us floating around in space by now, bored out of our brains, probably.
What do you do when you are not writing – what are your hobbies?
Walking, reading, socialising with friends. Boring, eh?
Where do you get your ideas from? Are your characters based on real people?
Rachel from The Doomspell was based as closely as possible on my real daughter, Rachel. Everyone else is made up. Except for Dragwena, the witch. She has four jaws, and spiders that live inside her, and frghtens children to death when she's irritable. She's based on my Irish wife, Ciara (just joking).
What would you rescue from your house if it was on fire?
My Dell notepad.
How long does it take you to write a book?
About a year usually. I'm pretty slow.
Any writing tips for budding young novelists?
Yes. Anyone can write a good book if they're willing to work hard at it. You don't need a great vocabulary or imagination. You just have to be patient. Trust me, I was never particularly good at English at school. I didn't get top grades. I just work very hard at it.
Recommended Reads
Breathe
Orion Childrens
978-1842555590
Angel
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978-1842551110
Silver World
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978-1842555057
Publisher
Orion Children's Books