As a child I read the Deltora Quest books by Emily Rodda, some Goosebumps and some Animorphs- as the youngest child with two big brothers, their interests influenced me a lot. As I got older I read the Harry Potter books and also stumbled upon a book that is still a favourite - Go Ask Alice, by ‘Anonymous’ is the diary of a teenager who becomes addicted to drugs and sadly passes away. I discovered this book at the age of about 11 (though its target audience is teens) and I feel this heavily influenced me as a person, and as a writer, as I began keeping a diary after reading the book and still do today.
As an educator, I now know that keeping a diary is a great way for children to develop literacy skills. My own reading interests have continued to lead me down darker paths, with books such as The Gargoyle by Andrew Davidson listed highly as one of my favourites.
Would you say your childhood and teenage reading has had a distinct influence on how you write fiction now, and why?
My writing drifts from dealing with dysfunctional family issues that centre (or feature) a child protagonist to dark teen speculative fiction. It’s pretty clear how my earlier interests have informed my current writing style.
I try to stay true to my original goal, which is, I try to write in a way that I would personally enjoy. I always enjoyed reading fantasy, and still do today. It’s also now my favourite genre to write.
Pick one of your favourites among your fiction stories or a story which is an interesting example from your fiction. What makes this story one of your favourites or an interesting example of your fiction?
My favourite work so far would have to be my Alice stories, to be published next year, though my favourite published story would be My Place. I prefer my Alice stories only because they are the genre I prefer to write, being YA fantasy. My writing usually focuses on a strong female protagonist who the reader can relate to, and Alice is no exception. As a teen who can see ghosts but is believed to be deranged, themes such as ‘belonging’ and ‘isolation’ that occur in most teen stories are emphasized in my Alice work. There are two stories narrated by Alice which will feature as a part of the integrated short story collection to be released by AusLit early 2012.
Issues of family and childhood are explored in all my work and are informed by my experiences with children, as I am in my third year of a Bachelor of Education (Primary).
My other short stories are available to read at my blog: http://www.belindadorio.com.au/
Who is another author whose fiction writing you admire and why?
If I had to choose one, Kelley Armstrong is probably my favourite author. I love the way her Otherworld Series shifts narrators with each book. It really helps to build a whole story world and it’s very interesting to see this world from the different narrator’s viewpoint. On her website she discusses that she is frequently told she would sell more books if she stuck to a single narrator, but she enjoys writing the way she does and her fans love it.
How would you summarise one of your short stories in one paragraph?
The Girl Who Lives at Number 54 is a story about a homeless teenager who finds unlikely companionship with a child. The story explores the intelligence and compassion of children, and their ability for forgiveness. The child, ‘Mouse’, offers food and forgiveness to Lou, who in turn becomes a better person. One who is capable of bravery and apologizing for wrong-doing.
It’s a short story that aims to depart a message of ‘don’t judge a book by its cover’ and a reminder that parents may not always know best.
How would you describe the appeal of this short story to readers?
It’s a story that I believe parents, and those who believe in second chances will appreciate.
How would you summarise a scene or sub-section from this short story in one paragraph?
Lou stretches onto her tiptoes to sneak a peek through the window at the hot food set out on the dinner table of Mouses home. Dim light filters through the glass and touches her cheeks which are wet from the pouring rain. She knows she shouldn’t bother the child again, but her stomach protests the thought of leaving without anything, as her hungry eyes track the way the steam rises from their plates, heaped with food.
How would you describe the contribution this scene or sub-section makes to the short story?
This is how the story opens, it aims to establish a curiosity in the reader – why is the teenager there? Why is she hungry? And what relationship does she have with the child? It also begins the exploration of Mouse as a character, of her intelligence and compassion. And it introduces Lou’s character quite well, showing her indecision and glimpsing at her internal dilemmas of having nowhere to go, but not wanting to go home.
Do you aspire to primarily write novels in the future, or are you more interested in writing short stories, and why?
When I began writing, I started by writing my first novel manuscript named Shifter – A YA fantasy manuscript about shape shifters which I wrote when I was eighteen. However, without any formal literary training I realised I had a lot to learn, and to improve on. Google was my best friend when I had questions, and I began writing short stories for practice.
The first short story I ever wrote was My Place, and was published by AusLit in early 2011.
So yes, I would like to one day achieve the goal I set out to accomplish when I was eighteen, and to primarily write and publish novels. I am set to work on my new manuscript Flesh throughout 2012 and aim to hopefully have it published in 2013.
However, I really enjoy writing short stories and I feel that it is a great outlet for all my ideas that I know wouldn’t make it into a novel length work. Ideally, I would like to continue writing short stories throughout the entirety of my writing career.
Do you read many short story anthologies, and why?
I do, I really enjoy reading short story anthologies – though I do find it frustrating sometimes when the story ends but I want to read more! For this reason, I find anthologies exceptionally good to read when I’m busy and need a ‘reading fix’, but don’t have time to get hooked by a fantastic novel.
What lengths of short stories do you usually write, and why?
I usually write stories between 2000-5000 words. Any shorter than this and I find that it’s not enough words to get everything I want to into the story, and much longer I find that a story can have too much ‘fluff’ and doesn’t get to the point quickly enough. Though, this is just the length I prefer to read and therefore prefer to write.
Do you submit for many short story competitions, anthologies and magazines, and what are your main motivations for this?
I do, I have had two short stories published with AusLit and am working as a part of the Melbourne Writing Team on the integrated short story project. I have a few stories currently being considered elsewhere as well. I enter my stories to get my work to as many readers as possible so that I can get feedback and continue to grow as a writer.
Author website: http://www.belindadorio.com.au/
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