What Country do you write on?

I write in Nipaluna (Hobart) on the island of Lutruwita (Tasmania).

When did you first admit that you were a writer?

I never had to admit that I was a writer - sounds snotty of me but my parents had a hunch what was going to happen after I started writing stories on scrap sheets of paper at six years old, sticking them together like sticky tape. I was almost my own publishing house! I mainly wrote Thea Stilton fanfiction (before I knew what fanfiction was) because

I just wanted to be one of the Thea Sisters.

What was your favourite book as a child?

My favourite book series as a kid was the Thea Stilton series, they were like the Harry Potter series for me before I knew what Harry Potter was. From the ages of six to eight, Thea/Geronimo Stilton were the only chapter books I ever read!

What inspired you to write this book?

I was inspired to write Not Like in the Movies due to my fascination with fame. At the ages of ten and eleven years old, I became entranced with the idea of being known for something, literally anything. I would talk to myself in the mirror as if I was being interviewed on a late night talk show. It wasn't until I turned twelve years old and slightly matured that I realized the damage my fantasies had been doing to my mental health and the only solution was to write a book about it!

Are there any secrets hidden in your writing?

There are many secrets in my book that will not be secrets by the time you read them because you will already know what they are...but it's up to you to decide which is based on truth and which aren't. I know, very cryptic.

Is there a message in your book?

The main ideas to take away from NLITM is that like addiction, fame is something that is thought to be a depressant, to take us away from our problems. But it has proved to be more problematic than we have ever considered our personal issues to be. It's better to live a life filled with good problems than bad problems.

Who is your most or least favourite character to write?

My favourite character to write was Zelda Mulette, the main protagonist of the book! It almost sounds cliche, but I unintentionally made Zelda out to be just like me, our personalities are very similar, my aunt even pointed this out while reading the first draft, so it is quite obvious. It was quite therapeutic to share my feelings about fame when it was all

Zelda's call, I'm not famous (obviously) but I reckon we would be great friends!

What’s the most useful writing advice you’ve been given?

"All killer, no filler!" -Joel Rhineberger after he interviewed me for ABC Radio