The new Australian Girl book series draws on the dolls created by Helen Schofield. Liane Young, author of Bronte’s Big Business, shares her journey of bringing Bronte to life into a character with determination, creativity, and a love for Australia’s oceans. 

What do you love most about writing fiction?

For me, writing is a way to let my imagination run free. It’s really fun to give life to new characters; to create a unique backstory and personality profile for each of them. I can make them as similar or as different to me as I want, which I need to keep in mind as they navigate the world, grow and develop. I can’t just have them react the way I’d react in a given situation. That can be rather liberating… or annoying when you just know they’re making a big mistake! In that sense, they become like real people and by the end of the book I often feel sad to let them go!

Have you always wanted to be a writer? 

I’ve been writing stories for as long as I can remember, so in that respect I’ve always been a writer. As for getting a book published and becoming an “author”, that was one of those childhood dreams along the lines of becoming an actress or singer, something I hadn’t considered to be a possibility until recently. So naturally I’m thrilled that Wombat Books chose my manuscript to be the first book in the new Australian Girl® series.

Bronte’s Big Business is your first children’s book. What inspired you to write it?

When I play around with ideas for stories, I often find myself gravitating towards characters with determination and creativity, trying to solve problems they experience in their lives. I love the way children don’t let their age stop them from tackling tricky issues in society, and I think Bronte represents many children already doing their bit to make our beautiful planet stay that way for future generations.

What did you find challenging when planning and drafting?

It can be tedious to check that all the tiny details in a story are accurate, all those technicalities that make the story seem real and authentic. You need to be aware of them, not only when mapping out the draft so you don’t start something that cannot go anywhere, but also throughout the entire process and especially with editing. It can really slow you down. When you’re in the writing “zone”, you’d much prefer to be carrying out the plot and sending your characters into interesting scenarios than bothering to research when Nippers training and school holidays start in Western Australia, council regulations for beach stalls, or how many people fit into a maxi taxi! Having said that, I’ve learned a lot of fascinating and often random things doing research for previous story ideas. For instance: ask me anything about Australian housing styles and architectural features!

Did any personal experiences form part of this story?

When writing the chapter in which Bronte meets the other girls for the first time, I was taken straight back to primary school. I was always that overly eager little kid who was the first to raise their hand and offer to show the new pupil around. I loved making new friends, but it always came with some initial insecurities. What if they wished someone else was chosen to be their buddy? What if I said or did something embarrassing? What if they just didn’t like me? What if they were mean? I’m so happy that Bronte, Emily, Matilda, Amy and Jasmine are all such friendly, sweet girls and they immediately clicked!

Bronte and her friends are based on the Australian Girl dolls, but how did you go about fleshing them out into full characters within the bounds of the information already available?

It’s true that I was limited by the already established information each character carried, but it didn’t make the process any less enjoyable once I got started. It also helped to learn the story behind the Australian Girl® Dolls. Helen Schofield, their creator, was motivated to design a realistic and age appropriate doll for children who are often exposed to and negatively impacted by popular culture. Why not hold onto and enjoy childhood for as long as possible; it’s such a fleeting moment in time! I loved that thought. As I studied the character information already available, I made notes on each girl, their personalities, backstories, family relations, surnames if mentioned, and so on. I had the added benefit of starring Bronte, the newest doll in the collection, which meant her backstory wasn’t quite as fleshed out. Bronte is introduced to the others in my book, so many of my readers who are unfamiliar with the dolls can meet their book namesakes just as Bronte does.

Bronte loves the beach. What made you decide to write about her in particular, as well as beach litter and business skills?

Choosing which girl to focus on was difficult at first. I admit that I worked on some drafts written about two of the other girls. But the Bronte character in particular just seemed to have such joie de vivre and energy. Her enthusiasm for the beach plus her desire to protect it made her a great role model.

Littering has always been a pet peeve for me. It’s really not that hard to put litter in a bin, don’t you agree?! And, of course, the topic of beach litter provided a gateway to the broader environmental repercussions of waste which everyone should be conscious of. It was very fulfilling to be able to address those issues in my book.

I enjoyed making Bronte a bit of an entrepreneur! I felt it would be a great bonding exercise for the new friends to engage in some teamwork and lateral thinking when approaching the litter problem and developing the business. As for Bronte’s beach stall, that was a throwback to one of my own similar but far less successful ventures. When I was her age, I parked a table out the front of my house and tried to sell some old toys and games (for a less-than-philanthropic reason to Bronte – I just wanted a bit of pocket money!). I made $4 in total selling a ukulele and a yo-yo. I regret selling that ukulele, it was pretty cool!

Do you think any of the other Australians Girls may also have particularly interesting stories?

I’m certain they do! The next book in the trilogy is being perfected as we speak by an amazingly talented writer. It’ll definitely be one to look out for!

Do you have any other projects in the works?

I’m in the process of developing an idea I’d started a while ago, lengthening it and adding more depth to the characters. I’m rather excited at how that’s progressing. And, of course, I still have all the research notes I’d made for Bronte’s Big Business as well as the draft manuscripts for two other characters in the series. So, should children want more of their stories, I’d be happy to revisit my old friends!