Kelly Norman's Understanding Molly - Q&A

Kelly Norman is a woman of many titles. A mother, a high school librarian, and now a writer! She has been inspired by all these roles to produce her story Understanding Molly. Which introduces us to a young girl who experiences ADHD and ODD and how day-to-day life can be different, crazy, scary and hard. This book identifies the struggles but also highlights the good and what families and friends can do to help. Come with us as we interview author Kelly Norman and learn more about this chapter in her life.

Q: What inspired you to create a novel about a child with ADHD (Attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder) and ODD (Oppositional Defiance Disorder)?

 A: I began writing the novel as an exercise in self-care and mindfulness. Having five children at home, two of whom have either ADHD or ADHD/ODD, I have lost count of how many nights I have gone to bed feeling nothing but defeat and frustration.

Parenting is hard at the best of times; but parenting both neurotypical and neurodivergent children, together, under one roof, felt impossible.

It seemed as though the harder I tried to keep everything under control, the more chaotic life became. I kept asking myself the same questions, over and over. “What was I missing?”, “What am I doing wrong?”, “Why won’t my children listen to reason?”

After a particularly difficult day, I sat down at my kitchen table and decided that I would try to step into the shoes of an ADHD/ODD child. Afterall, how can I possibly expect my children to see things from my point of view, when I wasn’t willing to give them the same consideration?

Such a simple form of empathy has changed not only the way I parent each of my children individually, but also the way that I view the world.

Q: Was it a challenge finding the authentic voice of 11-year-old Molly and her peers, and did you have any tricks to tap into that age mindset when writing?

A: Yes and no. I was very mindful not to base the character of ‘Molly’ on my own children or any situations that had actually occurred under my roof. I needed her to carry her own voice, her own feelings and of course, her own personality. The way in which ‘she’ would react to circumstances became so fluid within my imagination, that the story almost wrote itself. I could see things from her point of view, and I could empathise with how she was feeling. I felt it too.

I would often reach a peak moment within the story and close my eyes. I would take a moment to put myself into ‘Molly’s’ position and write accordingly. Everything fell into place once I was immersed in her mind-set.

Q: When reading Understanding Molly, we see some chapters written from different characters' perspectives in Molly’s life. Why was it important to you to show these POVs and not just Molly’s?

A: I felt compelled to not only share with the reader Molly’s point of view, but also the perspective of those around her. ADHD and ODD has a broad reach; not only does it impact those who live with the condition, but also those around them. As such, it was my intention that whoever picked up the book would find a meaningful connection with at least one character, but also be able to empathise with the rest.

Q: What is the biggest takeaway you hope young readers will remember and learn from your novel?

A: I believe that it is so important for young people to understand that every person they meet is worthy of acceptance and understanding. Although we might struggle to comprehend people’s actions or begin to rationalise why they react the way they do, it is imperative that we practice empathy. By taking a moment to look at a situation from a different perspective other than our own, the way in which we view the world begins to change. That conflict driven game of tug-o-war that we are each trying to conquer becomes less important and can pave the way to a peaceful resolution.

Q: Having the opportunity and experience of working in school libraries, do you believe this made it more difficult or easier to write a book aimed at children?

A: In some ways, easier. Children are so diverse in the books they choose to read. They want to either be taken away on an adventure, or they want to read something they can relate to. Something that lights a spark within them.

With the right combination of humour, guidance and connection to story, books have a wonderful way of positively influencing young minds. All it takes is that one novel to turn a reluctant reader into an avid booklover. Helping children discover a love of reading is perhaps the best part of my profession. If my book can spark that wondrous light in at least one child out there, then my job, as a writer, is indeed done.

Q: After finalising this novel and knowing about these particular disorders in young people do you have any advice for teachers, librarians and parents who might find themselves in need? 

A: Be kind to yourself.

There are countless days when I struggle to get by. I think we all do. The unpredictability, the anxiety, the tendency to “make it up as we go along”, is always there in the background, and it’s both mentally and physically exhausting.

Throughout the years I’ve lost count of how many times my husband and I have been advised to, “just ignore it”, or “don’t let it land”, but we are human, and it hurts.

I have never pretended to have all the answers, oh, how I wish I did, but the one thing I have learnt is the importance of self-care and empathy.

If you think this is hard for you, take a moment to imagine how hard it is for these children. They don’t have the ability, or the coping skills, that we have gathered throughout our journey. As such, it is up to us, as the adults in their lives, to help them pave their own path and teach them self-love and acceptance.

Reach out. Seek professional help. Forgive yourself during your most difficult days and celebrate the little wins.

I know it might feel as though no-one understands what you are feeling, but I do. I really do.

Click Here to Buy Understanding Molly now!

Constantine & Simone Pakavakis' Earthrunner and the War of Water - Q&A

Co-authors and father daughter duo Constantine Pakavakis and Simone Pakavakis created Earthrunner and the War of Water, a great entwining and thought-provoking story of family, war, peace and resolve. How did they do it you may ask? And what were the ups and downs of collaborative composition? Fear not, we asked for you!

Q: Was it a difficult process to distribute the writing of Earthrunner between each other? 

Con:

It was quite an organic process that seemed to go through different phases as needed.

At the very start we discussed ideas of what could happen and gradually built a backbone to the story. It was pretty clear from the outset that we would build it around the idea of twins as we didn’t want the story to have a stereotypical appeal limiting it to only boys or girls. We wanted it to be realistic as possible and so having different writers for Leeta and Patish would help give their personalities more individuality.

Yet there were times when we called on each other for joint drafting, which seemed to work well too. We would often finish each other’s sentences or revise a sentence in a more engaging way. It was always about the best writing, not who wrote it. So, really, there were three authors, Simone, Con, and Simone & Con combined.

Simone:

Splitting our novel between our twin characters, Leeta and Patish, made distribution a natural process, particularly after we’d created a structure of the story and key events for each chapter. We had different times and systems for our writing; Dad would often get up early in the morning before work and dedicate himself to a chapter, whereas I preferred to write sporadically during the day and sometimes into the night. At intervals, we’d come together to edit, rewrite and polish different sections. 

One time, I remember writing the dialogue between Leeta and Anula as if they were 21^st century teenagers; lots of ‘oh my gods’— probably the way I was talking as a fifteen-year-old myself. Dad not so gently highlighted my five pages of writing, days and days of work, and said, ‘um, this won’t work for ancient India, Simone’ and told me to start again. My teenage writing ego was crushed many times over, but for it, the better writer I became.

 

Q: Where is your favourite place to sit and write? 

Con:

This story was written in so many places…at home on the couch if we were writing together, at the State Library Victoria, on holidays at Daylesford, Lorne or Byron Bay, at Byron Bay library, at Mr Tulk Café at SLV, at our friends’ property at Malmsbury, the Botanical Gardens, and even while holidaying in Paris and Crete. I guess the single most used place was when I wrote intensely for a year getting up at 5am every morning to write for an hour before work, sitting on the living room couch with a cup of black tea as dawn broke. In the silence, and before the day’s activities began, I would read back over the last few pages to help me re-enter the land of Gandhara, 330 BC, and allow the story to write itself.

Simone:

Earthrunner was written with Dad in so many places and especially during so many summers on school holidays, but, most memorably, together on the couch at our home in Richmond with our toy spoodle, Alby. Alby often would often sleep in an awkward position alongside — or on top! — of us on the couch as we wrote, circling his body between our two laptops. His gentle snores would often ease any editing tension as we debated the placement of a full stop or the best direction for a paragraph. When writing alone, I adore the bustle of a café or the gentle hum of a library. There’s something soothing about the happy chatting of voices and the wafting smell of caffeine, and I love noting others as they carefully study their own projects; there’s something inspiring about surrounding yourself with other creatives.

 

Q: What is the major message and takeaway you wish to give to readers of the Earthrunner? 

Con:

You are never alone or helpless. Whether it’s a personal matter like being teased or bullied, or a global issue like climate change or war, use whatever agency you have to solve the problem in a peaceful way. Ask questions, get help, collaborate, you do not have to face it alone. And trust the wisdom in your heart.

Simone:

Young people have the agency to make positive, peaceful changes on a local or global scale in the world. Find your voice and, with others, discover how you’re going to use it. 

 

Q: Would you or have you ever considered making Earthrunner a series? 

Con & Simone:

Yes, from early on, once we decided on the setting of ancient India, we wanted to highlight the concept of Ahimsa or non-violence that has such a strong influence in the culture and philosophies existing in the Northwest of India at the time of the arrival of Alexander the Great. Most historians and novelists have concentrated on the personality of Alexander and the strategies he employed in his conquests, but there are great, little known stories about the Indian population and their perspectives that we want to highlight. And these stories are important historical examples of how war was averted, stories of non-violence that need to be known. War is often claimed to be inevitable by the rulers or politicians who have their own motives for going to war at the expense of the common people who are the ones who will die or be maimed or lose loved ones. So, the story of how the people in the kingdom of Gandhara made a decision to avert a war with Alexander deserves to be examined more broadly than it is.

 

Q: After this experience can you imagine working as co-authors once more for future projects? 

Con:

Absolutely. Of course, it will be different as our living conditions, availability of time, knowledge and skills are continually changing, but we know we respect each other’s ability to cooperate and trust in each other’s creativity, honesty, and reliability.

Simone:

Definitely. Our lives have changed a lot since when we worked on Earthrunner – I was a primary and high school student, and now I’m a teacher myself! — but we have grown significantly as co-authors in writing our first novel together and doubtlessly would be able to use these newfound skills for a future project. 

 

Q: If you were to meet Patish and Leeta in real life, what advice would you give them? 

Con:

I met them while writing and said “I’m glad you didn’t listen to me and followed your own hearts. Oh, and your Way of Peace sounds pretty cool. I wish I had known that stuff when I was your age.”

Simone:

I think I’d begin by congratulating Leeta and Patish. In Earthrunner, the courage they found to follow their inner voices, and stand up for those they cared about, was brilliant.

I’d encourage them to continue demonstrating this courage in all aspects of their lives. In addition, I’d remind them to let the other Shaktin kids know about the monkeys down at the mangoes. Saving cheeky monkeys instead of throwing stones at them might just have unexpected value…

 

Click here to get your copy of Earthrunner now! 

Click here to watch Earthrunner's book launch!