With her latest book Wombat Warriors hot off the presses, Samantha Wheeler shares her love of wombats and her writing journey.

What was the inspiration behind Wombat Warriors?

I saw a newspaper photograph showing a roll of wire jammed into the entrance of a wombat burrow. I was so shocked by the article that I decided to visit a wombat sanctuary and talk to Conservation Volunteers Australia, where I learnt there are two sides to the story. Wombats are native Australian animals, but they also cause damage on farms. Farmers have understandably taken measures to prevent this damage, but sometimes these measures can harm wombats and other native animals. I’m hoping that Wombat Warriors will inspire the farmers of the future to make a change and care for all animals.

The main character, Mouse, has quite a transformation. What are you hoping readers will draw from that?

I think we all have a bit of Mouse in us. Sometimes we know we should speak up, but fear and old habits hold us back.

Whether it’s standing up to a bully, or doing something right for our environment, no voice is ever too small. Together, we can all make a difference.

Did you learn about wombats to write this book?

I couldn’t have written this book if not for the generosity of the wildlife carers. The people at the Wombat Awareness Organisation in South Australia, and at Safe Haven near Gladstone gave me hours of their time and loads of wombat cuddles as I gathered information about behaviour, diet, health and other wombat-y issues. I also spent a weekend with Conservation Volunteers Australia at their wombat sanctuary in Brookfield (SA), where I learnt more about farmers’ perspectives when it comes to wombats.

What surprised you most?

The way they play, leap and roll around like puppies was quite a surprise. When I’ve seen wombats previously, mainly in zoos, I thought they just lay around and slept. How wrong I was.

All of your books have a strong theme of native wildlife. Was that a decision you made early on?

I don’t think I made the decision consciously. I wrote my first book, Smooch & Rose, after becoming aware of the plight of koalas in SE Queensland, particularly in Redland Bay, and it all just snowballed from there.

Once I realised how much fun I’d had researching and immersing myself in the world of koalas, I didn’t want it to stop. I’ve always loved animals, so I guess I shouldn’t have been surprised. I began actively seeking other native wildlife issues to write about, and now I have hundreds of ideas to explore.

I don’t think I’ll ever run out of inspiration. As it turns out, native animals are an excellent theme for me!

In both Smooch & Rose and Wombat Warriors human homes are at risk. Why is that?

I travelled a lot as a young person, and I think home became my safe place in times of uncertainty. I’m still a homebody now, which is a perfect attribute for a writer – I can stay home every day if I like.

Imagine how I’d feel i my house was destroyed, boarded up or knocked down? It would be terrible. So when I see the homes of our wildlife destroyed like this, it hits hard. I don’t think we have the right to deny other species a safe place to live. If only we could learn to live with, and cater for, our wildlife rather than destroying them.

Smooch & Rose and Mister Cassowary were both short-listed for a number of awards. What was that experience like?

A little surreal. One of the things about writing is that you’re putting a lot of yourself on the line. Emotional connections to your childhood, your world, the people around you. It’s tempting to be too hard on yourself – convincing yourself that your stories are no good. Being shortlisted for awards helps reinforce what keen readers have already told you—that they love your stories and hope you’ll write more. The readers are who you write for, but the award nominations do help.

Tell us about your May Gibbs Creative Time Fellowship.

I was like a cat on a hot tin roof. I couldn’t believe I actually had a whole month to devote to writing, and I hardly slept from the excitement! I worked about 15 hours a day on three projects: editing Mister Cassowary, researching Wombat Warriors and extending a story I’d written about a girl who can’t talk. I was also the author-in-residence at St Mary’s Memorial School for a week, which I loved. The May Gibbs Children’s Literary Trust were wonderfully hospitable, but mainly, the fellowship made me feel very validated as a writer.

Your characters all discover how to make a difference. What difference do you hope your stories will make?

I hope they’ll show young people that they don’t have to be famous, rich, or politicians to change things for the better. The media often makes out that it's all doom and gloom when it comes to the environment, but I see so many stories of hope, where individuals and community groups are instigating real change. I hope my stories might empower young people to believe that their voices do matter, and that together we really can change our world for better.

I understand your first book, Smooch & Rose, was published by UQP after you pitched it to them ace to ace at the CYA Conference. What do you consider to be the pros and cons of connecting with prospective publishers in that way?

A definite con is the terrifying nerves that develop as you sit in front of a publisher with all your dreams in their hands. If you can get over those nerves, everything else is a positive. Publishers are real people just like us and they are friendly, helpful and honest.

If a story needs more work, then what nicer way to hear it than straight from the mouth of a publisher? Take their advice, work on your story and keep trying.

It took three years of pitching at CYA or a publisher to say yes, and my nerves never got better—but my writing did! I took their advice, worked hard, learnt more and re-submitted. And it paid off.

Connecting directly like this gave me an opportunity to ask questions and to learn, rather than just finding a rejection letter in my inbox.

You’ve written about bats, cassowaries, koalas and now wombats. Which animal (if any) will feature in your next story?

I love asking kids ‘what next’ and this time was overwhelmed by responses to write about turtles. Everyone loves turtles! So turtles it is!

Based near Bundaberg, Turtle Trackers (releasing early 2018) focuses on the problems litter and introduced pests such as foxes have on our precious turtles, who swim for thousands of kilometres to return to our shores. Don’t we owe it to them to make sure they’re safe when they get here?

What’s next for you?

After editing Turtle Trackers with the editors at UQP, we’ll work on the edit of a slightly different story. This one, due out in late 2018, is about a girl who can only use her eyes to communicate. It is a story based loosely around my daughter and is very close to my heart.

Is writing your main focus?

Writing and teaching I think. I love writing, but visiting schools, bookstores and libraries to talk to young people about their ideas and relive the curiosity of our world through their eyes is hugely rewarding.

I feel extremely lucky to be writing for such a receptive age group and love every minute I spend with readers.