R.W.R. (Rob) McDonald is an author of crime fiction for adults, as well as a respected writing mentor. His publications include The Nancys (2019) and its sequel, Nancy Business (2021), both published by Allen and Unwin. Rob is now venturing into the world of children’s books with his debut picture book, the charming and hilarious Happy Millionth Birthday.
Many thanks for taking the time to chat, Rob.
Thanks for having me, Cameron!
Firstly, I’d love it if you could tell us a little about your journey as an author up to this point.
I have always loved writing. Ever since I was little I would make-up stories and when I learned to write, I'd write them. I also wrote whatever came to mind, snippets, short stories, fables, that kind of thing. In my early twenties I wrote my first picture book manuscript and I loved the process. With a restricted word count each word has to do so much. I did a number of short writing courses, both in picture books, screenwriting and then Faber Academy, writing the first draft of a novel. Up until that point in 2016, I had only written only for myself, sharing my writing only very rarely to close friends, or in class. It was at Faber where I wrote the first draft of The Nancys, and from there I worked on it, re-drafting and submitting it to unpublished manuscript competitions. It was highly commended in the Victorian Premiers Unpublished Manuscript and from there I got my agent.
Was writing for children something you’d always envisaged doing, alongside your books for adults?
When it came to being a published author of adult fiction, it wasn’t until after Nancy Business that I thought, hang on, I have all these picture book stories… As a teenager I remember the impact Kiss Kiss by Roald Dahl had on me as a writer (though I did not claim “writer” as a title until 2016 – that’s another story – but I remember being blown away by the concept that an author could write children’s stories and adult stories, and his voice, that humour, the light and darkness was still there in both.
The concept behind Happy Millionth Birthday is so clever and fun, and translates into hilarious visuals. Was there any particular moment or spark that helped you crystallise the concept in your head?
I have always loved wishes, the idea of them, and what would it mean if they came true. One day I started to think about the idea for your birthday wish, you wished it was your birthday every day, what would that mean? Especially if you were a kid and for each birthday you aged a year, but for all your friends and family time stayed the same? Would you even care if you were getting presents and cake and a party every day? That was how it started.
As a multi-published author of crime books for adults, the drafting of Happy Millionth Birthday would obviously have been a very different experience for you. Did you encounter any particularly surprising parallels or differences in the writing process, compared to how you approach writing for adults?
Great questions! Short answer is yes, the parallels I discovered were around characters and plot, which may sound quite obvious but it was not something I had really considered about the two before. In terms of story origin, either a character(s) coming first, or a story question, so the same start with both. And then that fun part of writing, pulling on that thread and asking all the questions - who is this character, what is happening, why? and where is this set?
One of the big differences is in the tone, like if you had a knob that went from darkest to lightest, the dial is turned quite differently – but surprisingly it is still the same dial (voice) – if that makes sense?
It certainly does.
I love that that the book delivers a ‘too much of a good thing’ / ‘be careful what you wish for’ message, but never takes itself too seriously and doubles back to end with humour. It made me wonder to what degree you intended it to be a book with a message, or if this was a happy byproduct of the concept?
Definitely a happy byproduct! It may come as no surprise that my first drafts, being a crime writer as well, can be a bit dark – think Struwwelpeter dark… LOL! BUT I recognise that as part of my process, having fun with a draft that no one will see, and then redrafting back. Larrikin House were brilliant with their notes and editing. I definitely love the message of “Be careful what you wish for” but also that it plays out in a way, that for a kid, they get everything they want, and they have this incredible supportive parent, Jack Wolf’s mum, who helps him have this amazing experience. Which Jack Wolf at the end of the book then takes to the next level…
The artwork by illustrator Alexandra Colombo is so full of energy, humour and hilarious detail. I’d be interested to know a little about how the artwork came together, and how closely the two of you worked together to create such a fantastic outcome.
I’m a huge fan of Alexandra’s work, and it was so exciting to create this book with her. At Larrikin House, Mary Anastasiou was our liaison person between the two of us. Mary came to me with these incredible photos of real animals and she was spot on with every character and how I pictured them, down to the species of duck! She would then pass these on to Alexandra who then did her magic. I got to put in some Easter eggs, like the records that are in the Wolfs’ living room – Liza Minnelli’s Liza with a Z, and Kenny G’s G-force – also got to suggest clothing for the animals as well. I realise this was a bit of a special experience and does not always happen, so I am so grateful to Larrikin House and Alexandra that this was my experience!
What’s next for R.W.R. McDonald?
I have a new picture book coming out next year with the wonderful Larrikin House, which I am excited about, called Rainbow Street. I have other picture book stories in various stages, and I’m currently working on my next crime novel as part of a research degree. Also, I hope to be able to share some news very soon regarding an audiobook standalone crime fiction project I’ve been working on which I am very excited about…
Where would you advise readers to go online to get their own copy of Happy Millionth Birthday, and to follow your literary adventures?
I love the work independent bookshops do and their vital place in communities so I would check out your local bookshop first. Also, your library, LOVE LIBRARIES, if they don’t have a copy then please ask them to order it in.
Instagram is my happy place @rwrmcdonald, and I follow back! This is the first place I share my news and writing updates.
My website is https://rwrmcdonald.com/ . I have book links in there for people who are interested in buying a copy of Happy Millionth Birthday, as well as a link in my Instagram bio.
Thanks so much and happy birthday!
Same to you, Rob! And thanks for sharing your insights and experiences so generously.
This post is part of a blog tour for Happy Millionth Birthday, presented by Books On Tour PR & Marketing. Please keep following Rob's journey on all of the fine blogs and sites below.
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