Frequently Asked Questions
The top questions Scream Street author, Tommy Donbavand, is asked…
How do you pronounce your surname?
Donbavand? It’s quite easy, really – yet EVERYONE gets it wrong! I get called Donovan, Dombandigo, Dumberland… Most people, however, just start and then fade out to silence.
Yet, it’s VERY easy to say. Just break it down…
Don – rhymes with ‘Gone’
bav – rhymes with ‘have’
and – rhymes with, er… ‘and’
Now – say this sentence: Gone have and
Great – now say my surname in bits: Don bav and
Superb – now put it all together: Donbavand
Not hard at all, is it?
No, it’s not! Is it a foreign name?
No, although a lot of people think it’s Dutch or Spanish. The name, apparently, used to be Dunbobbin until a wedding around 400 years ago. Neither the bride nor groom could read or write, and the entry into the parish register was misspelled as Donbavand. Fascinating, eh?
ZZZ… What?! Oh, yes – fascinating!
Hmmm… I think you’d better move on to the next question!
OK – what made you want to be a writer?
I didn’t – I wanted to be an actor. I studied acting at school and college, then worked for many years as an actor in both touring shows and West End musicals. The acting world is tough, however, and you have to go to lots and lots of auditions. Another way is to write your own shows to perform in, so that’s what I started to do. Eventually, I began to enjoy the writing more than the acting (being out on tour is hard work!), and I decided to write full-time.
Where and how do you write?
I’ve converted the smallest bedroom at home into an office. I can usually be found hiding in there – especially when my baby son needs his nappy changing! I write on a computer (a Mac) after making lots of notes on index cards and sticking them on the message boards I have on the walls.
Do you write every day?
I try to and, if I’m not actually at the computer, I’m often thinking about my story and what my characters will get up to next. Some days, of course, I get to visit schools, libraries and bookshops to meet the people who read what I write. That’s great fun!
Do you listen to music while you write?
I wish I could – but I need silence! I mostly get it, too, until my nine-year old son comes home from school and starts blasting aliens on his Playstation in the next room.
How long does it take you to write a book?
About a month for each draft, then I send it in to get notes from my editor. I’ll do at least three drafts of each book, maybe more if the story isn’t working exactly the way we want it or the characters aren’t behaving nicely for me!
Do you draw the illustrations for your books?
Not a chance! I have all the artistic ability of a spoon! Luckily, there are plenty of talented illustrators out there to help me out!
Where do you get your ideas from?
Ah… I was waiting for this one! Ideas can come from anywhere, at any time. The idea for Scream Street came because so many pupils at my school creative writing workshops wanted to write haunted house stories, and I wondered what would happen if there were two or more haunted houses, side by side. Other ideas can come from something I hear, see, or even read – although you have to be very careful not to copy anyone else’s work.
Do you read a lot?
As much as I can. If you want to be a writer – you have to be a reader, too.
What do you like to read?
I read a lot of children’s books, because that’s what I write. But, occasionally, I’ll take a break and read something aimed at grown-ups or even a book that’s considered a classic.
Which authors do you like?
Lots, including: Barry Hutchison, Sam Enthoven, Joe Craig, Darren Shan, Andy Stanton, Terry Pratchett, Stephen King, HG Wells, Jules Verne, Bram Stoker, JRR Tolkien, Jim Butcher and plenty more besides!
What advice would you give someone who wants to be a writer?
As I mentioned earlier, read as much as you can. You wouldn’t try to learn piano without listening to other people play on CD and hearing how great a sound it can be. Then, just write! You don’t have to show your work to anyone until you’re ready – so write story after story after story. That’s the only way to learn.
How do I get published?
That’s a different question entirely. I talk about it a lot over at my main website – www.tommydonbavand.com Search through my blog there and you should find some useful stuff!