'Very inspirational' - Beaumont Book Club meets Tamsyn Murray

Beaumont Year 7 Book Club met writer Tamsyn Murray during her recent visit. Here are some of the questions they asked:

Why did you want to be an author?
Because I loved reading so much I decided I wanted to write my own book, to see if I could do it. I think if you're a good reader you're halfway there.
 
Did you expect your first book to be published?
I hoped so but wasn't sure. I wrote My So-Called Afterlife in six weeks in 2008. It's about a girl ghost who haunts a boys' toilets in Carnaby Street. I thought  a boys' toilet was the worst place to spend eternity! It was the easiest book I've ever written.

Where do you get the inspiration for your characters?
Partly from me, for example, my sense of humour; also friends and family, everyone I meet really. Cassidy in my Completely Cassidy series is 40% me and 60% my daughter.

After writing funny books, why did you write Instructions for a Second-hand Heart?
My stories just come to me and it was a nice challenge to do something different. It was inspired by a blog post about a mother giving up her son's heart for donation. This book took much longer to write; I did lots of medical research on organ donation and also spoke to the Samaritans. It took two years and lots of crying to do the first draft and four years altogether to write the book. I'm very proud of it.

What do you want your readers to feel when they read the book?
I think I want tears, or I haven't done my job properly. I want readers to live for the characters and feel what they're going through but I also want them to feel uplifted. It's not a book about death but about learning to live. It's a hopeful book so I want readers to smile too.

How did you feel when you wrote the last chapter?
Mixed emotions. I was relieved, because it had taken so long. I found the characters wouldn't leave me alone. The book is important to me.
 
Will you do a sequel to Instructions for a Second-hand Heart?
No, this is a stand-alone book.

Of all the books you've written, which is your favourite?
That's hard! I think Instructions for a Second-hand Heart because I put so much of myself into it and I love the characters.

Have you met any other authors?
I already know lots of authors, such as Sarah Crossan. I have met JK Rowling, who was lovely! If I could meet authors from the past I would like to meet Jane Austen and Agatha Christie.

What is you favourite Harry Potter book?
The Half-Blood Prince.

What profession would you choose if you weren't a writer?
A singer!

Thank you, Tamsyn, for a look inside the world of a writer!