Saturday 19 August 2017

Maz Evans

Maz Evans

After I had done my Who Let the Gods Out post I decided to interview Maz and I have had the reply and the answers so I can now show you what she has said.

I hope you all enjoyed my Who Let the Gods Out post and I will be doing some more like that.


Here is the interview;


Who inspired you to become a writer?  As a child, I loved reading – I always had my nose in a book!  I was a huge Roald Dahl fan – still am in fact – and wanted to write a book that would make children laugh like I did.    

         

Why did you write a children's book and not an adults book?  Because kids are awesome! I’m really just a big kid myself, so thinking like a child comes very easily to me. I would like to write a grown-up book one day, so watch this space… 


Did you ever want to be something else?  Never. Writing was the only thing I ever wanted to do and it was the only thing I was ever any good at. But it still took a lot of hard work – which has made it so satisfying to achieve my dream.


Why did you choose Greek Gods?  Because I loved their stories as a child. I won a book on Greek Mythology at school when I was eight – I’ve been hooked ever since.


How did you think of the storyline?  It evolved over quite a long time. The idea that the Gods were still alive came first and then Elliot’s story came afterwards. I wanted a real hero, so I made Elliot a Young Carer – but no amount of magic can solve his problems. 


Why does he live on a farm?  I grew up in the country, so a lot of friends lived on farms and I thought they were so cool. I also wanted a very special home for Elliot, one he was very scared to lose.


Who is your hero?  Great question! I have so many. J K Rowling is my author hero because she never gave up and her books are just genius. But the Young Carers I’ve met this year have really inspired me – they are all such heroes.


Why did you want to put constellations in it?  I thought it was a bit different. I don’t really believe in astrology (although I am SUCH a Gemini!), but it’s a bit of fun. I liked the idea of them being real and a bit mad.


Who told you to never give up?  It’s something I’ve always told myself. I believe we are all capable of so much – we just need to believe in ourselves and work hard.


What were you like as a child?  Very chatty! I was always getting in trouble for talking too much! In fact, not very much has changed… 


What was your favorite book as a child?  The Twits by Roald Dahl. Although I also loved Greek Myths and stories like the 1001 Arabian Nights.


 
Who is your favorite author?  Argh – couldn’t say! There are so many I admire and now I’m lucky that lots of them are my friends. I think anyone who writes a book is awesome.


What is your favorite joke?  Q: What’s brown and sticky?A: A stick!


If you are a big Who Let the Gods Out fan please put in the comments your favorite character and your favorite part. 


Thank you so much Maz Evans, for spending time answering these questions and for being so inspiring.