Quinn, Pat

FROM THE oxford companion TO new zealand literature

Quinn, Pat (1947– ), won the 1994 Senior Children’s Fiction Award for her first teenage novel, The Value of X (1993), which refreshingly weaves the mathematical symbol of the unknown, ‘X’, into the home, school and social lives of a girl on the threshhold of adulthood.

Born and educated in Wellington (BSc, DipCommns, Victoria University), Quinn began writing for New Zealand and Australian School Journals, winning a 1989 short story award.

Her other books are the non-fiction Sailing with New Zealand Endeavour (1993) and Free Fall (1994), and the teenage fiction Sounds Crazy (1995), as well as readers for Learning Media.

A freelance writer, she lives in Wellington, working actively with New Zealand Society of Authors (PEN).

DH

Author entry from The Oxford Companion to New Zealand Literature,
edited by Roger Robinson and Nelson Wattie (1998).
 

writers in schools information

Pat Quinn is available to talk to school children aged 5 and over as part of the Writers in Schools programme. She is prepared to discuss being a picture book writer, a teen fiction writer, a novelist/adult fiction writer, a non-fiction writer, and a screenwriter/Playwright. Pat Quinn can do an introduction and talk, a reading and Q&A session, a storytelling session, and workshops. She can speak to any number of students and is able to travel outside of her region for school visits depending on other commitments.

KAPAI: Kids Authors' Pictures and Information

Where do you live?
In a quiet house in Wellington.

What books do you like to read?
All sorts!

Do you have a favourite author?
I couldn’t pick only one! But among the books I’ve really liked have been ones by Margaret Mahy, Stephen Donaldson, Nick Hornby, Roddy Doyle (and lots of others).

How do you think up ideas?
I notice things around me. I watch, and listen and file things away in my memory.
Then, when I come to write a story, I sit down and think: I’ll write a story about [and I scan through my memory for an interesting sort of person or animal I’ve seen somewhere] and maybe they’ll be involved with [I scan again for an event, or a type of behaviour – usually something fairly ordinary at this stage] but then something happens [scan for unusual things, or problems that might come up] so they have to [and I think about how that sort of person or animal might behave under those sorts of circumstances] – and so on!

What is the best thing about being an author?
Two things: Meeting interesting people (real ones, as well as the ones I make up in my head!) Doing things, as a result of writing about them, that I’d never thought I’d do in real life (for example: becoming the drummer in a band)

Special Questions for Primary School Students
Do you have any pets?
Not any more, though a few years ago I had a dog named Keir and a cat called Kuri. Now I just enjoy visits from the neighbour's cat who comes into our garden and drinks water out of the bird bath.

Do you have a favourite colour?
Electric blue

What’s your favourite thing to eat?
Nuts; cashew nuts, hazelnuts, peanuts, macadamia nuts (yum!) – but not pinenuts.

Do you have a favourite movie?
I don’t have a favourite movie but I like movies that are good fun, tell a good story, and have a happy ending!

Do you play any games or sports?
Scrabble (the board game, sometimes called Funworder)

What do you like most about being an author?
Going up to people and saying, ‘I’m writing about [whatever] and I wondered if you could tell me’ People are SO helpful; they give me heaps of ideas and information!

How do you make books?
I write the words, using a word-processor (computer).
I send the words to the publisher.
The publisher gets someone to do the pictures (if there are any), and makes it all into a book.

Where do you like to go for holidays?
Anywhere I can relax in the sun (or in the shade), go for long walks, eat and sleep when I want to, and have fun with friends.

What was the naughtiest thing you ever did at school?
Played kiss-tag with the boys

Questions for Secondary School

How did you get started as a writer?
I first started writing when I was at primary school, doing stories in class, like everybody does. I liked writing, and I also liked learning about Maths and Science. I did a Science degree at University and worked as computer systems analyst. I had no intention of being a writer but later, when my children were all at school, I decided to try something different from computer work. I went to classes on writing, and I began to write stories, articles and plays. That was about 20 years ago!

Who inspired you when you were getting started?
The people who taught the classes on writing (they were all writers themselves), and my friends who were also learning to be writers – and now some of them are on this website, too!

What advice would you give to someone who wanted to be a writer?
Read, read, read, read and write, write, write. Believe in yourself, and know that it’s worth persevering. Many people talk or dream about writing, only writers actually do it!

Is it difficult to make a living writing in New Zealand?
It depends what you call ‘a living’, and also what you see as ‘writing’.

If you want to earn 6 figures a year, own two houses and a yacht, I wouldn’t recommend being a writer. And if you want to be able to survive on fiction writing alone, it could be tough going. But if you’re prepared to fit your fiction-writing in with other writing ‘jobs’ (for example writing articles for magazines, advertising copy or educational resources), or if you’re prepared to take odd jobs to supplement the income from your writing, it’s do-able.

What were you like as a teenager?
Active, out-going, boy-crazy, and a bit rebellious also anxious and pre-occupied about myself; how I looked, what others’ thought of me, who my friends were, and the sneaking suspicion that everyone else was having more fun that I was!