Author of A Guide To Falling Off The Map, Zanni L. Arnot, shares her love for getting swept along by a story and insight into the process of writing her latest novel about two teens on a road trip across New South Wales. 

What do you love most about writing? 

What don't I love about writing?! My happiness is tightly bound with creativity. Writing regularly keeps me content and sane. I love disappearing into character's worlds, bringing landscapes to life, and seeing where the story will take me. But then I also love the outward-facing aspects of writing; connecting with readers and other writers.

What inspired you to write A Guide to Falling Off the Map?

The idea emerged on a trail run in the Bellingen hinterland. I'd had the title for a while, but suddenly two characters formed, Vinnie and Roo, and I could instantly sense their connection to one another and the kind of journey they'd go on.

Do you listen to music while you write? Were there any go-to songs for your latest novel?

If there's background noise, I sometimes put on a 'focus piano' playlist on Spotify. Mostly, though, no. However, I've made an A Guide To Falling Off The Map playlist which are the songs the characters would listen to, but also songs that inspired the story.

Were there any characters in A Guide to Falling Off the Map that you found challenging to write?

No, not really. When I'm writing, I just go with the flow, and the characters speak to me. It never feels too forced. I was cautious, however, writing about Vinnie's mum, who had MS, and then took her life (off the page; this happened a few years before the novel is set). These are sensitive issues, and I wanted to tread very carefully. I did lots of research, had sensitivity readers, and took every painstaking measure to make sure I was dealing with the themes as responsibly as I could.

Did you encounter any roadblocks while writing this book, or just in general? How do you overcome these?

Not often, but if I hit a pothole, I gave my friend Kiah Thomas a call and she'd help me brainstorm my way through it. I'm not sure I can write a novel without Kiah!

Vinnie and Roo go on a road trip through New South Wales. Have you been to any of the places they stop in? Are there any stories from those places that you can share?

Yes! They're all based on a very specific road trip I did just weeks before writing the novel. I've been to several of these places many times, and yes, lots of stories. Nothing too dramatic, but the essence of these trips is imbued in Vinnie and Roo's trip.

Without any spoilers, did you have any favourite moments in this book?

Well ... my favourite moment is definitely a spoiler. Every time I read it, I get goosebumps. I also have a fondness for Vinnie and Roo's morning on Bald Rock, making flower crowns, and later, swimming in the water hole nearby. Oh, just thinking about it makes me want to go back!

What do you most hope to impart on readers through your writing?

The joy of getting lost in a story. And hopefully the characters will live on for readers in the way they live on for me.

Do you have any other projects in the works?

Many! I have a picture book series coming out soon with Affirm, called Handbooks for Little Humans, a couple of rhyming picture books with Walker Books, a picture book with Moon and Bird, and a junior fiction series illustrated by Kyla May, coming out next year. I'm also in the first draft of my third YA novel.