Stuart, Duncan
IN BRIEF
Duncan Stuart writes fiction for young adults, and he has a background in scriptwriting, television editing, and professional research. Stuart’s first novel, The Whole of the Moon (1997), is based on a screenplay by Richard Lymposs and Ian Mune. Reading Time (New Zealand) described the novel as, ‘very readable – realistic, funny, unsentimental, but heart wrenching nevertheless’. Duncan Stuart is available for school visits as part of the Book Council’s Writers in Schools programme.
ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Stuart, Duncan (1955- ) writes fiction for young adults.
Stuart was born and raised in New Zealand, but has also lived in Canada and Australia. Professionally he has worked as a scriptwriter and editor for television. He currently works as a professional researcher.
Stuart’s first novel The Whole of the Moon (1997) is a ‘novelisation’ of screenplay by Richard Lymposs and Ian Mune. But, ‘don’t be deterred by that nasty word’ writes Jane Westaway in the New Zealand Herald. Westaway writes ‘You wouldn’t expect to make it through a novel about kids and cancer without shedding a few tears, but Stuart doesn’t overplay his hand, and there’s no mawkishness. He may be a first-time novelist, but his script writing experience shows. He’s a lively writer who knows how to pitch and pace a story.’ Reading Time (New Zealand) recommended the novel as, ‘very readable – realistic, funny, unsentimental, but heartwrenching nevertheless’.
Duncan Stuart lives in Auckland and participates in the Writers in Schools programme.
writers in schools information
Duncan Stuart participates in the Writers in Schools programme. Please continue reading to see his answers to a list of questions provided by school students:
KAPAI Questions
Where do you live?
Parnell, Auckland in a little old villa.
What sorts of books do you like to read?
A mixture of mainly American novels and non-fiction books about change, society and the future – I worry about these things.
Do you have a favourite author?
Haruki Murakami – he’s a Japanese author. He’s brilliant though his books are quite tough going. I also love books by Walter Mosley, a black US crime writer - just delicious. My other fave is, still, E B White. His book Charlotte’s Web is an inspiration.
How do you think up your ideas?
My head is popping with ideas all the time.
What is the best thing about being an author?
Seriously for me, it’s when somebody says that something I wrote actually made them cry. It’s not that I’m trying to make people miserable, but it is satisfying to know that with just 26 letters of the alphabet, a few bits of punctuation and heaps of blank paper I can conjure up intense emotion. That’s magic.
Some Questions from Primary School Students
Do you have any pets?
We don’t have pets at home, unless you count the hedgehog who visits us occasionally.
Do you have a favourite colour?
Egg yolk yellow.
Do you have a favourite food?
Pancakes with maple syrup.
Do you have a favourite movie?
Cinema Paradiso – now that’s a movie that made me cry.
Do you have a favourite game?
Othello.
What is the most fun thing about being an author?
Writing in my study with the music cranked RIGHT UP.
How do you make books?
Extremely slowly, The Whole of the Moon took at least six months to write.
Where do you like to go on your holidays?
A mix – beach places like the Bay of Islands and overseas. My Year 4 teacher told us to try Italy, and she was right.
What was the naughtiest thing you ever did at school?
I put a live laboratory rat inside Janet P-’s pencil case. It was delicious to watch as her hand went over to unzip the case… but immediately I felt really scummy. Janet kind of had a meltdown.
Some Questions from Secondary School Students
How did you get started?
Caffeine, I’m pretty sure it was caffeine.
Who inspired you when you were getting started?
I got started as a script editor in TV, and as a TV writer. My inspiration was the idea of an audience. Maybe I just want applause.
What advice would you give an aspiring young writer?
Get a thesaurus and use it. Emulate, don’t copy. Be prepared to work for six weeks and then throw it all out. Don’t keep a notebook. Use a computer and turn up the music. Music helps you write.
Is it difficult to make a living writing in New Zealand?
Yes. In fact, I run a small research company to make a living. I love research.
What were you like as a teenager?
Pretty boring actually. Introverted, but also really involved in school stuff – like the school newspaper. On a cool scale out of 10, looking back I’d give myself a 2. Pretty sad eh?
Is there anything else you would like to tell us about yourself?
The weird thing is, for a writer, I was never into books when I was at school. I think the problem was there wasn’t the same choice as there is today. Today I read more kids books than I ever did as a kid.
