The Lost Loot of Lima, Melissa Wray’s new junior fiction novel, sheds light on the history of Queenscliff, Victoria, through the adventures and investigation of a young protagonist dealing with the loss of his grandfather.

What do you love most about writing?

There are many things about writing I love, but the one I love the most is the direction an idea can take you. It can quickly evolve from a thought to a possibility, to a plan, to a complete story. When I look back at my stories, the beginnings don’t seem to change much from the first draft. But it’s all the little tweaks and changes in between that bring it to life. This is so exciting for me because I am not really a planner so the story can end up anywhere!

What inspired you to write The Lost Loot of Lima?

I wanted to enter a writing competition that was themed “My Local Area” and it was originally 3,000 words. The concept for that shorter piece of writing has remained the same as the now published version. Once I discovered the local folklore that inspired the story, I was hooked! I wanted everyone to know what a fun and interesting history we have in my local area.

What research went into writing about the legend of the Lost Loot of Lima?

I have spent a lot of time researching what happened to the treasures from Lima. As well as trying to discover more about the infamous pirate, Benito Bonito. There was as much conflicting evidence as there were similar stories. Often, I was led down rabbit holes in search of new information which mostly led me around and around in circles. But I loved doing the research and trying to weave it into the storyline. This was a new and enjoyable challenge.

How did you approach writing about such heavy themes as loss and grief from a young person’s perspective?

The approach was a delicate balance because it needed to be done in a way that recognised the age of the intended audience, but kept the story moving. However, I also needed to ensure that themes of loss and grief were sustained throughout the story. I drew on the support characters of Mum and Nan to do this and support Ben (the MC).

What was your process for planning and drafting this book?

Once I submitted the entry for the 3,000-word writing competition, I quickly went on to more than double the word length and chop it up into chapters. After the chapters had been decided, I had to consider how much of the research to embed in the storyline. Once the publisher got involved, their requests pushed the word count up even further. I loved the editing process with this book and worked with some brilliant editors/proofreaders. There was also one new thing to consider – illustrations! I am thrilled that the talented Sandy Flett captured the story perfectly within her illustrations.

Did you run into anything challenging or rewarding when writing this book?

The biggest challenge was discovering the many discrepancies and differences in opinion when it came to the history of the piracy tale of Queenscliff. I was very conscious that there might be families still in the area who will have grown up with this story and possibly had family members who invested in the search for the treasure. In fact, a good friend revealed her grandfather was a member of one such search syndicate. She then went on to share original photos taken at the time. How incredible is that!

Previously, you’ve written fiction for teens. How was writing The Lost Loot of Lima different?

I wanted to make sure I was using vocabulary suitable for the target age group. By doing this it would ensure the story was accessible to all levels of literacy. This was very important to me. Also, with the reduced word count, I had to make sure I held the attention span of the reader while keep the integrity of the story. This was a bit more challenging with those serious themes of grief and loss to include.

You’ve said that you love to travel. Have your travels influenced any of your works? In what ways?

I love learning and travel provides an opportunity to do that. I’m that annoying person who reads ALL the information boards! As an author, I do research on many things to have a solid understanding of what I’m writing about. I want to share this knowledge with the audience, but in an entertaining and engaging manner. My previous YA novel, Summer Change, was based in Townsville, QLD. Having lived there I was familiar with the area, but I still had research things I included in the story. Returning a few years ago as a tourist allowed me to look at the place with a different lens which was so helpful for adding authenticity within the story.

What do you hope readers take away from this story? Other than an exciting adventure!

Everyone loves a treasure story, a pirate story, an adventure story. So, I hope to help these young people bring their imaginations to life with this tall tale of adventure. But mostly I want to shed a light on a very cool story set in a beautiful part of Victoria called Queenscliff. How many people can say they live near buried treasure just waiting to be discovered!

Do you have any other projects in the works?

I have another story I am working on that is inspired by historical events, just like the Lost Loot of Lima. Once again it is a relatively unknown part of history that many have never heard of. Initially I imagined it as a picture book, but I have begun extending it into another middle grade fiction length story. Watch this space! In the meantime, Dream Big … Read Often.