Get to know author Neale Payne
Neale Payne was born in 1957 and grew up playing in the bush and the beach. He has had many jobs, from general manager to handyman and can turn his hand to fix or make anything. He failed English twice, but this did not hold him back from his goals.
Always a storyteller, he finds treasures or adventures under every rock through his imagination. A traveller who turns up when his friends and family least expect it, he is now tackling his newest adventure with writing stories and producing products and toys for the wee people who believe in fairies and magic.
Ramona: How long on average does it take you to write a book?
Neale: The first book took about 8 months to complete, the story was always there in my head – it was easy to write, but to get it so children would enjoy it was the time consuming part
Ramona: Is there anything you find particularly challenging in your writing?
Neale: I write as if I were telling the story to children, easy to read and understand which allows the children to imagine they are part of the story.
Ramona: Do you have a favourite time and place where you write?
Neale: Living on a boat, I find it easy to drop anchor in a quite secluded bay with only bush to be seen, I sit listening to the sound of the bush, animals, birds which are included in my book. It is so peaceful and faraway from the hustle and bustle of the city where people are always complaining about being time poor. If only they would stop and smell the roses instead of rushing by them.
Ramona: Do you read much and if so who are your favourite authors?
Neale: Clive Cussler – I find his works stimulating from the point of the underwater activity his characters undertake. I have spent my whole working life on the sea in some form or other, scuba diving has also been a big part of my life with over 40 years experience. The thrill of finding something that may have not been seen in hundreds of year always keep me going back into the water.
Ramona: What kind of research do you do, and how long do you spend researching before beginning a book?
Neale: The stories I write are from my imagination and having grown up playing in the bush research is a very small part of my preparation.
Ramona: What does literary success look like to you?
Neale: It would be nice to be able to support myself from my writing, but most of all its about people enjoying the stories.
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