A Fascinating Interwiew With Hana Tooke

Elif İrem Türkel (12 years old)

How does writing make you feel?

Writing makes me feel a lot of things! When I start writing a story, I feel excited by the new idea but also a bit nervous because I know how much work it will be. In the middle of writing the book, I often laugh at what my characters get up to. I have moments where I feel very clever indeed, and moments when I feel very dumb and should never write another word ever again. This is where I feel utterly hopeless, thinking the story will never work and I’ll never get it finished. I’ve learned to persevere through this stage because I know it is normal to feel that. And then, when I finish the book, I feel elated and very proud of myself. It’s like I’ve just climbed to the top of the highest mountain and I’m looking at the most wonderous view from the top. It’s truly one of the best feelings in the world. And then I go back to feeling nervous and excited at the prospect of doing it all over again with a new story. Writing a book is definitely a journey of emotions – all of them (good and bad) are absolutely necessary to create something worthwhile.

Is it a coincidence that all children in The Unadoptables are weird with strange features?

Not at all. I shall explain why in the next question…

Where did you get inspired?

I was a ‘weird’ child, with ‘strange’ features. Like Fenna, I couldn’t talk for much of my adolescence (even some of my adulthood!). Like Lotta, I had a limb difference that everyone noticed (for me, it was my right leg being much shorter and slightly twisted). Like Milou, I had a strange sense of humour,and I loved all things spooky. Like Sem, I fell over a lot and was very clumsy. And like Egbert, I moved to a country where I really stood out as a foreigner. As it was my first book, I don’t think I really understood what it was that inspires me to write a story, but I’ve figured it out now. I always start with a place (e.g. Amsterdam, where I was born and spent my childhood) – somewhere I feel a connection to and a sense of adventure lurking. Then the characters appear to me. And from there, I write what I ‘feel’. As a child, I felt like I never really fit in or knew where I belonged. I also felt quite rejected by people who thought I was weird and who teased me about things I couldn’t help or change about myself. That really became the heart of the story of The Unadoptables. On the flip side, I have also met wonderful people along the way who are just as weird as me, in their own way. My bond with them inspired the bond between the five children. I wanted to show that if you should listen to the people who love and support you, rather than those who judge you harshly and say mean things, you’ll be able to achieve things you never dreamt were possible.

Will there be a sequel to The Unadoptables?

I’m afraid I have no plan to write a sequel. I feel that their story (where they become the family they always wanted) is a good place to end. Not all of them had the same drive as Milou to find their birth families. And now that they have escaped Gassbeek and Rotman, there is no real threat lurking to force them into a new adventure. And I feel like they’ve had more than their fair share of threats and would probably appreciate being left alone to build their life in the windmill together. The one story that does pull at me and feel unresolved is Egbert. However, because I am not from East Asia like him, I’m not sure I could do his story of discovering his roots any justice. I also think, as an author, it’s important to let your characters have a life beyond the page, so that readers can use their imaginations as to what becomes of them later. That said, I love these children dearly and I do try to sneak them into later books as background characters, so readers can catch another glimpse of them. So, keep your eyes peeled for that!

What has been your favourite part of being an author?

All of it. I feel so passionate about what I do. I love meeting and speaking to readers and hearing how my stories have resonated with them. I love that I can make good use my weird imagination every day and channel my feelings, hopes and dreams into characters I love and worlds that intrigue me. It feels nothing short of wizardry at my fingertips. I love sniffing my books when they’ve been printed. I love that writing books pushes me to leave my comfort zone and has really helped me grow as a person – it’s taught me to understand myself (and the world) more. Even the ‘bad’ (but very normal) things – like criticism or being rejected by publishers – has made me realise that you can’t please everyone and that you shouldn’t try to. I write books that are meaningful to me, which is what makes me excited to write more.

Can you share a memorable moment in your writing career?

I did a festival in Berlin a couple of years ago and I took my suitcase puppet theatre with me. I re-enact the scene from The Unadoptables where Milou and the gang sneak down to spy on Gassbeek and Rotman talking. Throughout the puppet-show, I get the audience to do the sound effects (rat squeaks, creaking floorboards etc). And then the finale is when Gassbeek sees the rat shadow and lets out a blood-curdling scream. Hearing 400 German children doing that blood-curdling scream was hilarious and very, very loud.

Can you give some advice about writing?

Firstly, write what is meaningful to you. Don’t try to guess what your audience will like or want in a story; they themselves won’t even know until they read it! Your best stories will come from a place deep within you that is eager to come out. Perhaps a desperate longing to explore the far reaches of the world. Or a fear you want to overcome. Whatever it is, if it means something to you and makes you excited to write – that is what will carry you through to the end of the story, even when self-doubt kicks in.

Secondly, write (a lot) – with wild abandon and without worry about it being good. Get the story down on paper, even if it’s messy and every word makes you cringe.

Thirdly, rewrite (a lot). Look at how other authors craft sentences or how they structure a chapter. Apply this to your own work. Start rewriting your story and make that messy first draft less messy, page by page.

Fourthly, share your work. Ask friends, family, neighbours, pet cats! Anyone. Ask them to tell you what they loved about your writing. But more importantly, ask them to tell you what they didn’t love. Maybe some sentences were too long and boring. Maybe you have too many characters. This feedback can be hard to take, but it helps you make your writing even better. You’ll learn to appreciate criticism like this, rather than get upset by it.

Fifthly, be patient. There will be times when you feel like an awful writer. It’s unavoidable but shows you’re doing it right. Sometimes the best thing you can do for your story is NOT write it. Take a week or a month away from it. Try to not think about it. And then come back with a fresh pair of eyes and renewed energy. Books are difficult to write, but that’s also what makes it so rewarding. Think of it as climbing that mountain. There will be times when you make lots of progress, times when you need to rest, then times when you want to roll back down the hill, screaming, and give up. But, step by step, you’ll make it to the top.