Author Laura Dockrill is Bringing Mermaids to Life
Authour Laura Dockrill, best known for very successful fiction books Darcy Burdock, tell us what’s coming up for her and what other fictional worlds we can look forward to.
How did you start getting into writing kids books?
I have always wanted to write a book for a younger audience. For a long time I’ve been toying with ideas and playing around looking for a character to build a world around and then one day Darcy [Burdcok] just seemed to find herself in my writing. It was important for me, when I did get round to writing a book for children, that I created a character that was relatable and alive and fun but still came with flaws that children could identify with but also a character that adults could enjoy too. It all started after a reading at Camp Bestival when my stage was gate crashed by lots of children that I thought I really need to do this now and here I am.
Is Darcy Burdock the first fictional character you’d created?
Darcy Burdock is not the first character I’ve created by any stretch. All my writing is character lead, I am fascinated by people and am always hunting for new and interesting subjects to inject into my work. Although I would say Darcy is the most developed and 3D. I feel like I have spent a long time with her- well she basically is me – it’s all hidden inside the ‘Dock’ you see!
Are you developing more?
Yes there are more Darcy’s to come. Book 3, Sorry About Me, has just released and I’m just illustrating book 4 and writing book 5.
What age group loves your books most?
There’s no age group specifically- just all the naughty ones!
Career highlight for you:
A career highlight was certainly being shortlisted for the Waterstones book of the year and of course hosting for Jacqueline Wilson at her readings. She is a very big inspiration for me.
Other dreams and ambitions of yours:
I have 2 film ideas that I’m playing with, a stage play and a new book idea. I never stop working because there are ideas hidden everywhere!
What’s coming up next?
I am just finishing my first fantasy novel at the moment which about Mermaids. This has been a massive learning curve and challenge for me as I have been building a whole new world from scratch- but I am so excited. I’ve really pushed my writing to a new realm and of course more Darcy’s to celebrate too! I have been doing lots of song writing too with others and that’s been so creative and fun.
