CHILDREN’S author and illustrator Laura Ellen Anderson will be appearing at the St Austell Festival of Children’s Literature.

Laura will be taking part in an event at 11.30am on Saturday, June 14, at St John’s Methodist Church featuring the cast of characters found in her latest book, Marnie Midnight and the Minibeast Mission.

Tickets for the event cost £1 and can be bought from the festival’s website at staustellfestivalofchildrensliterature.com

In this article, Laura gives an insight into her work.

What inspired you to create characters like Amelia Fang, Rainbow Grey and Marnie Midnight?

I love to create characters we can all relate to. Amelia, Rainbow and Marnie are all kind and curious protagonists who see the best in everyone. I want my characters to provide a safe space for readers, to make them feel welcome and to feel like real friends!

What can readers expect from your latest book in the Marnie Midnight series?

Lots of adventure and silliness! Marnie, Floyd, Star and Num-Num find themselves trapped inside a human house – that’s rather scary for a group of teeny-tiny bugs! Of course, teamwork, determination and some daring decisions get them through it.

Can you describe your typical workday and routine?

I tend to work much better first thing in the morning and then after dinnertime in the evening. I quite like to head out to a local cafe to write, but will often stay at home in the studio room if I’m illustrating. Both often involve copious amounts of coffee! I find I use the middle of the day for the more tedious tasks such as updating accounts, emails, admin and housework! Booooring!

How do you balance writing and illustrating in your projects? Do you find one aspect more challenging or rewarding than the other?

Both are as challenging and rewarding as the other. Writing is more immediate as writing something down is much quicker than drawing something! Writing is more like a jigsaw puzzle. There’s so much to consider from the structure of the story, the pace and flow, the story beats and the character arcs... Once all of this falls into place (and it’s the best feeling when it does!), I can bring the story to life visually.

From picture books to middle-grade novels, how do you tailor your work for different ages groups and readers?

Picture books require less words, and less words are a real challenge, believe it or not! I often write picture book texts in verse. For middle-grade books, I aim for around 23,000–30,000 words, packed full of illustrations to break up the chapters.

What advice do you have for young aspiring writers and illustrators?

Never give up! Be inspired by all the things you love in life, because then that love and passion will burst out from the page!

What are you most excited about visiting St Austell Festival of Children's Literature?

I can’t wait to share my love of creating stories and characters, and to celebrate the wonderful world of books together!