https://padlet.com/shane1/writing Post at least THREE questions to ask Ken about his life, books and and how he brings his stories to life. You could ask him about his ideas, characters or any other part of the writing process. If you see a question that is already posted try to think of another one. Try to ask unique and different questionsPost an image related to Ken or his books or heroes for each post. en-us 2016-03-04 02:15:46 UTC 2025-11-08 12:14:07 UTC hello@padlet.com https://nextlearning.com.au/wp-content/uploads/2013/05/Ken-Spillman.png shane1 https://padlet.com/shane1/writing/wish/102132547 Ken Questions: How much background research do you do prior to writing book? ]]> 2016-03-22 02:07:58 UTC https://padlet.com/shane1/writing/wish/102132547 shane1 https://padlet.com/shane1/writing/wish/102133223 Where did you get the idea for your favourite characters?]]> 2016-03-22 02:16:33 UTC https://padlet.com/shane1/writing/wish/102133223 shane1 https://padlet.com/shane1/writing/wish/102133257 Which character is the true hero of the story?]]> 2016-03-22 02:17:17 UTC https://padlet.com/shane1/writing/wish/102133257 https://padlet.com/shane1/writing/wish/103262100 When writing any story, I like the main character to be a hero of sorts, even if they fail to achieve what they set out to do. For me the important thing is to enlist the reader to their cause!]]> 2016-03-30 15:03:42 UTC https://padlet.com/shane1/writing/wish/103262100 https://padlet.com/shane1/writing/wish/103262853 On the subject of background research, it depends very much on the story. I have written many stories with characters as diverse as sick old men, homesick girls and professional surfers. To create believable and emotionally real characters, I sometimes need to do some specific research. But as a writer I try to observe people and listen as much as I can, and that helps. Sometimes I also research locations, either personally or online.]]> 2016-03-30 15:06:23 UTC https://padlet.com/shane1/writing/wish/103262853 https://padlet.com/shane1/writing/wish/103264706 These are everywhere. All writers draw upon people they have encountered and themselves, and then reimagine some mix of all that in a fictional character. Often, the character represents some aspect of themselves. For example, Jake is an ideas guy, whose ideas are not always practical. That's me. But he's also uninhibited and goes for broke to bring his ideas to fruition. In writing that's me, but in life I'm more conservative and inhibited.]]> 2016-03-30 15:12:10 UTC https://padlet.com/shane1/writing/wish/103264706 https://padlet.com/shane1/writing/wish/103265859 I'm Ken Spillman. I write. I love ideas. I believe that every person can be creative in their very own way.]]> 2016-03-30 15:15:49 UTC https://padlet.com/shane1/writing/wish/103265859 monika_kataragadda https://padlet.com/shane1/writing/wish/103352070 Why do you mainly like to write kids/young adult stories? Is there something that you enjoy about writing those kinds or stories?]]> 2016-03-30 23:36:03 UTC https://padlet.com/shane1/writing/wish/103352070 monika_kataragadda https://padlet.com/shane1/writing/wish/103352145 Also, it seems like you like to do a lot of charity work. Does   this have anything to do with your writing life?]]> 2016-03-30 23:37:52 UTC https://padlet.com/shane1/writing/wish/103352145 BallSacksRUs https://padlet.com/shane1/writing/wish/103355672 o you do when you don't have ideas on what to write about?]]> 2016-03-31 00:42:37 UTC https://padlet.com/shane1/writing/wish/103355672 Kirby17 https://padlet.com/shane1/writing/wish/103355787  Do you call your work art or writing.]]> 2016-03-31 00:44:10 UTC https://padlet.com/shane1/writing/wish/103355787 shane1 https://padlet.com/shane1/writing/wish/103355875 What book did you take the most inspiration from?]]> 2016-03-31 00:45:26 UTC https://padlet.com/shane1/writing/wish/103355875 https://padlet.com/shane1/writing/wish/103355894 About how long does it take for you to finish a story?
Why do you write?]]> 2016-03-31 00:45:44 UTC https://padlet.com/shane1/writing/wish/103355894 shane1 https://padlet.com/shane1/writing/wish/103355948 What age did you discover that you were a good writer?]]> 2016-03-31 00:46:20 UTC https://padlet.com/shane1/writing/wish/103355948 Kirby17 https://padlet.com/shane1/writing/wish/103355980 Did your parents want you to be something else]]> 2016-03-31 00:46:49 UTC https://padlet.com/shane1/writing/wish/103355980 shane1 https://padlet.com/shane1/writing/wish/103356002 What is your best selling book?]]> 2016-03-31 00:47:09 UTC https://padlet.com/shane1/writing/wish/103356002 Kirby17 https://padlet.com/shane1/writing/wish/103356009 What do you use as your inspiration ]]> 2016-03-31 00:47:15 UTC https://padlet.com/shane1/writing/wish/103356009 monika_kataragadda https://padlet.com/shane1/writing/wish/103356048 How do you get new ideas to write? What do you research to write a story?]]> 2016-03-31 00:47:42 UTC https://padlet.com/shane1/writing/wish/103356048 BallSacksRUs https://padlet.com/shane1/writing/wish/103356063 Out of all your books which book took you the longest?]]> 2016-03-31 00:47:51 UTC https://padlet.com/shane1/writing/wish/103356063 TheOnlyBacon https://padlet.com/shane1/writing/wish/103356229 Out of all the awards that you have recieved, which one do you hold in the highest regard]]> 2016-03-31 00:50:57 UTC https://padlet.com/shane1/writing/wish/103356229 https://padlet.com/shane1/writing/wish/103356295 Is it harder writing for ]]> 2016-03-31 00:52:22 UTC https://padlet.com/shane1/writing/wish/103356295 https://padlet.com/shane1/writing/wish/103356343 Do you ever find yourself writing things that are similar to your previous books?]]> 2016-03-31 00:53:03 UTC https://padlet.com/shane1/writing/wish/103356343 https://padlet.com/shane1/writing/wish/103356415 I remember a particular feeling I had in Year 4 - that when I wrote a story, I could imagine I was in it, just the same as when I read a book. That was when I started writing for enjoyment... I wasn't sure that I was a good writer, but I was sure I enjoyed it.]]> 2016-03-31 00:54:03 UTC https://padlet.com/shane1/writing/wish/103356415 https://padlet.com/shane1/writing/wish/103356500 about inspiration - characters (people) are everywhere, and they inspire my stories.

]]> 2016-03-31 00:55:32 UTC https://padlet.com/shane1/writing/wish/103356500 TheOnlyBacon https://padlet.com/shane1/writing/wish/103356537 You've said that you enjoy travelling overseas so out of all the cities that you]]> 2016-03-31 00:56:12 UTC https://padlet.com/shane1/writing/wish/103356537 https://padlet.com/shane1/writing/wish/103356573 about my parents. I don't think they ever expected me to make a life of writing, but they always wanted me to do the things I wanted to do. They didn't want me to be anything in particular, I guess - just to be okay and to be myself.]]> 2016-03-31 00:56:45 UTC https://padlet.com/shane1/writing/wish/103356573 TheOnlyBacon https://padlet.com/shane1/writing/wish/103356668 Do you prefer writing fiction or non-fiction books?]]> 2016-03-31 00:57:57 UTC https://padlet.com/shane1/writing/wish/103356668 https://padlet.com/shane1/writing/wish/103356737 whether I prefer writing non fiction or fiction. I prefer fiction, for the freedom, for the play of ideas.]]> 2016-03-31 00:58:38 UTC https://padlet.com/shane1/writing/wish/103356737 BallSacksRUs https://padlet.com/shane1/writing/wish/103356882 2016-03-31 00:59:56 UTC https://padlet.com/shane1/writing/wish/103356882 MsCapes https://padlet.com/shane1/writing/wish/103356911 You've written a number of non-fiction books about influential West Australian places and organisations. Is West Australian history interesting to you, and ]]> 2016-03-31 01:00:20 UTC https://padlet.com/shane1/writing/wish/103356911 BallSacksRUs https://padlet.com/shane1/writing/wish/103356952 Out of all your books which ones took you the quickest to write.]]> 2016-03-31 01:00:56 UTC https://padlet.com/shane1/writing/wish/103356952 MsCapes https://padlet.com/shane1/writing/wish/103357244 Out of all the books you've written, which genre did you enjoy writing the most?]]> 2016-03-31 01:04:30 UTC https://padlet.com/shane1/writing/wish/103357244 MsCapes https://padlet.com/shane1/writing/wish/103357284 Out of all the books you've written, which the most?]]> 2016-03-31 01:04:53 UTC https://padlet.com/shane1/writing/wish/103357284 https://padlet.com/shane1/writing/wish/103357527 Do you have a type of character which you favour in your written work ?]]> 2016-03-31 01:08:06 UTC https://padlet.com/shane1/writing/wish/103357527 MsCapes https://padlet.com/shane1/writing/wish/103357541 Do you have any tips for the budding writers?"]]> 2016-03-31 01:08:18 UTC https://padlet.com/shane1/writing/wish/103357541 MsCapes https://padlet.com/shane1/writing/wish/103357546 Do you have any tips for the "Write a book in ]]> 2016-03-31 01:08:25 UTC https://padlet.com/shane1/writing/wish/103357546 MsCapes https://padlet.com/shane1/writing/wish/103357566 Do you have any tips for the "Write a book in a Day' competition?]]> 2016-03-31 01:08:38 UTC https://padlet.com/shane1/writing/wish/103357566 MsCapes https://padlet.com/shane1/writing/wish/103357573 Do you have any tips for the "Write a book in a Day' competion.]]> 2016-03-31 01:08:43 UTC https://padlet.com/shane1/writing/wish/103357573 MsCapes https://padlet.com/shane1/writing/wish/103357577 Do you have any tips for the "Write a book in a Day' competion]]> 2016-03-31 01:08:44 UTC https://padlet.com/shane1/writing/wish/103357577 MsCapes https://padlet.com/shane1/writing/wish/103358366 How do you set up your setting in your mod]]> 2016-03-31 01:18:58 UTC https://padlet.com/shane1/writing/wish/103358366 https://padlet.com/shane1/writing/wish/103360527 about settings. The secret is to make a clear picture in your imagination. If you can see it, you can put your characters into it!]]> 2016-03-31 01:32:35 UTC https://padlet.com/shane1/writing/wish/103360527 https://padlet.com/shane1/writing/wish/103360644 whether I have favourite types of characters. Yes, I think I do... they are full of ideas (this sometimes leads to trouble) and also have a sense of humour.]]> 2016-03-31 01:33:33 UTC https://padlet.com/shane1/writing/wish/103360644 https://padlet.com/shane1/writing/wish/103360812 whether the things I do for disadvantaged kids relates to my writing work. I'm not sure! Maybe in this way... I believe that all young people need support so that they can become the best people they can be. Stories are important in developing empathy for others, and that is also part of becoming the best we can be.]]> 2016-03-31 01:34:59 UTC https://padlet.com/shane1/writing/wish/103360812 https://padlet.com/shane1/writing/wish/103361148 about the book that was quickest to write. Once I was in a cafe in Hanoi, Vietnam, and I had an idea for a story. The idea was about a girl born with a smile on her face... in a place where nobody ever smiled. I couldn't stop writing that story, and stayed in the cafe until it closed. Later that night, I finished the story in my hotel room. It's a picture book called "The Strange Story of Felicity Frown".]]> 2016-03-31 01:38:10 UTC https://padlet.com/shane1/writing/wish/103361148 https://padlet.com/shane1/writing/wish/103361616 about genres. To be honest, I don't even think about genres - when I get an idea, I just write the story and let others think about the genre. However, I have been asked to write in particular genres... one publisher asked me to write horror. I said I was interested, but I keep getting ideas that are not horror stories!

]]> 2016-03-31 01:40:45 UTC https://padlet.com/shane1/writing/wish/103361616 https://padlet.com/shane1/writing/wish/103361762 about which book took the longest. The non-fiction book that took the longest was a history of mining in WA - it took me 2 years. The fiction book that took the longest is called 'Blue'. It's a novel for older teens and adults, and I worked on it over many years while also writing non-fiction for a living.]]> 2016-03-31 01:42:35 UTC https://padlet.com/shane1/writing/wish/103361762 https://padlet.com/shane1/writing/wish/103361935 about how long it takes to write my books - this varies from one day to 2 years. Aster, you also asked why I write. I started writing as a kid because I loved stories, and I still write because I love stories, and also because I love to be able to 'speak' through my books to thousands of people. But as I said on Skype, writing first became really important to me when I was a shy teenager. I felt that everything in life was out of control... but when I wrote, it was me who was in control. It was important for me to develop ideas and confidence as a person - by expressing myself at my own pace and in private.]]> 2016-03-31 01:44:36 UTC https://padlet.com/shane1/writing/wish/103361935 https://padlet.com/shane1/writing/wish/103362357 whether I consider my work art or writing. For me, they are the same. Using words to create pictures and emotionally real characters is like creating another world on a canvas or on the stage.]]> 2016-03-31 01:48:56 UTC https://padlet.com/shane1/writing/wish/103362357 https://padlet.com/shane1/writing/wish/103362698 about my best selling book. The Jake series sells in very many countries, but I couldn't say which particular book in the series has sold the most. Apart from Jake, I have a book called Advaita, about an Indian girl. This book is on a major school curriculum in India, which means hundreds of thousands of copies are now in circulation.]]> 2016-03-31 01:52:03 UTC https://padlet.com/shane1/writing/wish/103362698 https://padlet.com/shane1/writing/wish/103362877 It was great talking to you, and I hope my answers on this Padlet have helped you understand more about writing generally. Don't forget the Epic! writing competition I mentioned to you... who knows, you could be a winner, but even if you are not the process of polishing a short piece to enter will help your writing. Finally, if you are a keen writer, don't hesitate to ask for any advice via email: kenspillman@hotmail.com]]> 2016-03-31 01:54:14 UTC https://padlet.com/shane1/writing/wish/103362877