FAQ

What is How to Kidnap a Mermaid about?

Tiny Wilde is not exactly hero material. Yet.

At twelve years old, he’s a giant who hasn’t had his growth spurt. He wears Star Wars pyjamas to bed. And he lives in an abandoned warehouse away from human society. Tiny doesn’t even have the super strength all giants should have because Mythics lost their magic years ago. Oh, but he can make a spectacular grilled cheese sandwich.

Tiny’s nothing like his dad, a legendary giant famous for his heroic quests and ridiculously awesome hair. So when Tiny’s mermaid friend, Nalia, recruits him for a dangerous adventure to revive the long-lost magic, Tiny jumps at the chance to prove he can be a hero. And when Tiny’s dad is captured by villainous forces, completing the quest becomes a matter of life or death. 

With the help of a cantankerous gnome named Podge, Tiny and Nalia must outwit shape-shifters, fight off attacking pixies, and heal the extraordinary ancient creature responsible for all Mythic magic.

With an incomplete prophecy, a perilous journey, and an unlikely set of allies, How to Kidnap a Mermaid invites you on the quest of a lifetime.

How to Kidnap a Mermaid is the first book in The Quests of Tiny Wilde series.

Why did you write this book series?

When I was a kid, there wasn’t the vast landscape of children’s literature that you have today, though did I read lots and lots of comic books. Superman was my favourite, but I also had a soft spot for the brooding and misunderstood Batman. Fast forward thirty years to when my daughter was growing up, and I loved nothing better than reading to her at bedtime, especially fantasy stories full of adventure and thrills. I knew those were the kind of stories I wanted to write.

Why did you write about mythical creatures?

I was obsessed with classic movie monsters when I was a boy, so it felt natural for me to tell the stories of otherworldly creatures. Often when mythical creatures are portrayed in books or movies, the setting is vaguely medieval. I wanted my creatures, the Mythics, to interact with a recognizable modern world. You could see them in the lineup at the grocery store or walking their dogs. I was drawn to the idea of how magic would be portrayed in the real world.

How important is humour to your writing?

I’ve tried writing serious stories, but my instinct is to add a joke or a sense of fun to a situation. Humour was a big part of our house when I was growing up, so I’ve always looked at the funny side of things. The world can sometimes be a harsh place, so if I can transport someone through my writing, and amuse them too, then I’ve done my job. I certainly don’t shy away from serious subjects, and often they’re more powerful when balanced with humour.

What age range do you write for?

My books can be enjoyed by all ages, but for this series, the 8 to 12-year-old middle grade reader is my sweet spot. I clearly remember that time of my life, the discovery, the strong bond of friendships, and my imagination running wild with the possibilities of life.

What do you think is the most important aspect of writing a children's book?

Whether you’re writing for someone who is eight or eighty, it’s important to create characters who feel real to you as a writer. If they’re real to you, there’s a better chance of them being real to the reader. You don’t have to like your characters, but you should find them interesting because potentially you’ll be spending months and or even years with them.

How do you come up with the ideas for your stories?

Ideas are cheap and plentiful. The trick is finding the right idea that has the scope for you to build on. When I imagined a small town full of mythical creatures living among humans, I knew that was something I could create a story around. Once I had that idea, I began casting characters as if I was making a movie. I needed a protagonist, a villain, plus all the supporting players. That’s the fun part for me: developing characters to guide through their journey. Often, they will guide me to where they want to go. Sometimes they will take me down a dead end and I have to find them a way out. I believe humans love to be told stories, so if you feel you have one to tell, then tell it. Of course, it also never hurts to throw a dragon into the mix.

What writers have inspired you?

Neil Gaiman, Sarah Waters, Kate DiCamillo, Rick Riordan, Barbara Kingsolver, Erin Bow, and Jonathan Stroud are a few of the many writers who have recently cost me sleep because I didn’t want to leave the worlds they’d created with their words. The first book I remember reading was Where The Wild Things Are by Maurice Sendak, which continues to have a profound effect on me.

Are you a Pantser or a Plotter?

Before I was a published author, my strategy (such as it was) was to keep diligently writing until something approaching a narrative emerged. I loved the creativity and the momentum of watching a story unfold as I wrote it. So, I was a pantser, creating a story by the seat of my pants. It took many drafts and months of revision before something readable emerged.

Then I became a plotter, working out the plot and structure of my stories before writing them. I mistakenly assumed this method would take away all the creativity and discovery from the craft, but it turns out that having those narrative signposts gives me the freedom to focus on the characters. Sometimes they still take me down paths that lead to nowhere, but with an outline, it’s much easier to get the story back on track. Pantser or plotter, you need to find what works best for you. For How to Kidnap a Mermaid, I took the structure one step further, incorporating The Hero’s Journey framework into the story. It was a fun way of including the various stages – The Call to Adventure, Gathering of the Allies, Crossing the Threshold, The Road Back – into the quest Tiny Wilde and his allies embark on. 

If the Hero’s Journey sounds new to you, it isn’t. This ancient storytelling method is still going strong in modern books and movies. Once I learned about it, and how it worked, I recognized it in many places, including Star Wars, The Matrix, and the Harry Potter series. This fantastic video is a good place to start. 

How do you know when a story is finished and ready to be published?

In my case, there’s nothing I love more than tweaking a manuscript to within an inch of its life. Thankfully, with How to Kidnap a Mermaid, I was on a deadline to finish it and move onto the next book in the series, How to Rescue a Unicorn. A deadline, whether your own or from someone else, is a very good indicator as to when your story is finished.

What advice would you give young writers?

Have fun! Don’t pressure yourself to write a masterpiece the first time your fingers hit the keyboard. When you’re working on a project, if it’s a short story, a novel, or a screenplay, try to write every day – even if it’s only for a few minutes to work that muscle in your brain. Play with your characters. Make them do stuff you might never do or say. Or make them do things you’re familiar with. Do you play hockey? Do you like music? The great thing about stories is that nothing is permanent. You’re the boss. You can change a character’s name or gender or hobby. You can edit them from the story if you don’t find them interesting. Or you can make them the main character if you feel they deserve it. You can transform an elephant into a mouse if you think a mouse is better for your tale. Once you realize you’re allowed to change anything in a story (because you are the writer) it frees up your imagination. You’ll develop an instinct for when your story is working, when the plot and characters feel right to you. Start small, maybe just a paragraph, then a page, and soon you could have a finished short story or even a novel. Once you have finished a project, you can revise, edit, and change things around until you think it’s polished enough for people to read. And I’ll say it again: Have fun!