I grew up in Meadow Lake, SK and spent my
life in school until I
graduated and moved to Quebec City in 1997.
I'm actually using all of my studies - I am
a part-time school librarian, I teach
English as a Second Language part-time, and
do translation from time to time. I
originally wrote "Don't come here, Julie" as
a short story for a class. When my teacher
encouraged me to expand the story, I just
couldn't ignore his words. It has truly been
a labour of love. I have been encouraged
several times to write a sequel, so keep
your eyes peeled.
http://www.outskirtspress.com
PageOneLit.com: Where did you grow up and was
reading and writing a part of your life? Who were
your earliest influences and why?
P. JOY WEBSTER:
I grew up in Meadow Lake, SK
Canada. When I was a kid, school and municipal
libraries were woefully underfunded, and the selection
was either Nancy Drew or the Hardy Boys. (The selection
is better now, however there's still work to be done in
terms of funding libraries). I always enjoyed reading,
read everything in our small municipal library, and
bought a lot of books for myself as a kid. My teachers
told me right from Grade One on that I was good at
writing stories, and I wrote for my High School (and
University) newspaper.
My earliest
influences, other than Nancy Drew, were the Chronicles of
Narnia, Anne of Green Gables, the Little House on the Prairie
series, as well as the "Katie John" series. I have always liked
books in series because I always want to know what happened to
the characters later on.
PageOneLit.com: Why do you write?
P. JOY WEBSTER:
I wrote "Don't come here, Julie" because a friend encouraged me
to in no uncertain terms. The story burned inside me for years,
and had to come out. Now that I've written one book, I want to
find out what Julie and her friends do next.
PageOneLit.com: Your new book is "Don't come here, Julie!" -- Who is
Julie? Where is Norandia? And why shouldn't Julia go to Norandia?
P. JOY WEBSTER:
Julie is a
very independant, strong 15-year-old who studies on Earth. Her
home planet is Rinda, but she's human like us. Norandia is a
new planet that has just joined the Interplanetary Council.
Julie's mother, Eva, is an Ambassador who has been assigned to
Norandia because the Council feels that she is the only one
that has the experience necessary to deal with the political
tensions there. Julie has heard about these tensions while
watching the news, but doesn't realize how bad things are
getting. Of course, Eva doesn't talk to her about the
situation, because she doesn't want to worry Julie. Therefore,
Eva says simply, "Don't come here, Julie".
PageOneLit.com:
Where did the plot/story come from for "Don't come here,
Julie"?
P.
JOY WEBSTER: It was
originally a short story that I wrote for a University class.
My friend Remi told me in strong terms that I needed to
tell more about Julie, her mother, and the planet. He wanted
more! The idea came to me even then to make it into a novel in
order to have a chance to tell the full story, but university
life got in the way until 2004..
PageOneLit.com:"Don't come here, Julie!" is obviously a science
fiction story for all ages - What is it about this genre you
enjoy?
P. JOY WEBSTER:
When
one writes Science Fiction, one can create a world in which events
that are impossible on Earth can happen, People from other planets
can look and act however the author wants, and that helps the story
go beyond the ordinary.
PageOneLit.com:Your
character 'Julie" would make a very good animated TV series - If
you had to pick an actress to give her a voice who would you
select and why?
P.
JOY WEBSTER: Thank you! I would be thrilled for "Don't come here,
Julie!" to become a movie or TV series. I love Amanda Bynes'
work, but I'd be thrilled if the casting director discovered a
new actress, too. Since Julie is African American, maybe the
voice actress should be an African American.
PageOneLit.com: What do you hope to achieve with "Don't come
here, Julie" ?
P.
JOY WEBSTER:
I hope to
become better known as an author, and I'd love for the story to
be made into a movie. This would allow me to buy a condo,
and have a nest egg for retirement. Mostly, I just want to
entertain people with the story, and get kids excited about
reading.
What do you
hope readers will learn after reading "Don't come here, Julie"?
P. JOY WEBSTER:
I would like
young people to realize that when their parents tell them not to
do something, that there's a good reason for it. I would also
like parents, grandparents, aunts and uncles, anyone who works
with youth to learn to be fully honest with the kids in their
lives, especially once they hit 15, like Julie, and let their
kids know what's really happening. Then the youth would be more
likely to open up in return.
PageOneLit.com: What was the last book you read?
P. JOY WEBSTER:
I am currently reading, "A curse as dark
as gold" by Elizabeth C. Bunce. I love it! I only have a few
minutes each day to read, and I'm dying to know if the man who
weaves straw into gold is Rumplestiltskin.
PageOneLit.com: What's next?
P. JOY WEBSTER:
I am mainly working on publicizing
"Don't come here, Julie", but I'm also working on the last
assignment for the program in writing for Children and Teens given
by the Institute of Children's Literature. The assignment is in 2
parts - Part A is preparation and Part B consists of writing the
first 3 chapters. I'll soon be starting the first three chapters of
a sequel to "Don't come here, Julie" for this assignment in order to
take advantage of my instructor's comments. Since I live in Quebec,
I feel I also should print my revised editon of "Julie" in French,
and try to make contact with bookstores and libraries across the
province..
PageOneLit.com: Do you have any hobbies? What are they? How do
they enhance your writing?
P. JOY WEBSTER:
I gain
inspiration from the TV programs that I watch, and I really
enjoy singing and playing the piano. I also play flute with my
Church's band every Sunday. Music feeds my soul and stimulates
my creativity, which is necessary for writers.
