Five questions for Jo Simmonds
Jo’s contribution to Brave New Words is Runaway; a contemporary YA road trip romance following seventeen-year-old Mouse as she runs away from home with a girl she’s had a crush on for months. But Brooke has her own problems too, and they soon figure out that life on the road isn’t necessarily the easy solution they were both looking for.
What is your writing routine?
I’ve been juggling my writing alongside full time work for years now, so the only time I ever have to dedicate to writing is in the evenings. It’s turned me into a late afternoon/early evening writer, and that seems to be when my creativity naturally peaks anyway. I often finish work and find a café to sit in, or go to the Bristol Central library, which has a gorgeous study space. Pubs and hotel lobbies are my other favourite places! I like writing while out in public somewhere; I draw a lot of energy from having people around me while I’m working on a story. I’m writing this blog at home, but it is 10pm, so a bit late to be out! When I’ve finished this I’ll move on to editing my manuscript.
What was the inspiration for your manuscript?
The music video for Aerosmith’s song Crazy was definitely my kicking-off point for Runaway. Kids of the 90’s might remember it from MTV; it features Liv Tyler and Alicia Silverstone as teenagers in their school uniform, taking off in a convertible black Mustang. When I was younger I couldn’t say quite why I was so obsessed with that music video in particular; as an openly queer adult looking back it doesn’t take a lot of mental gymnastics to figure it out! I also can’t discount the Thelma & Louise influence. I took the idea of two girls running away in an amazing classic car... and the rest of the novel unravelled from there.
Who is your favourite character in your book?
My favourite character only has one scene in the book! Brooke gets a phone call from her older sister Julianne, who tries to convince Brooke to turn around and go home. Julianne is the voice of reason, bringing sensible advice that Brooke and Mouse just don’t want to hear while they’re off being wild and irresponsible teenagers. The big sister energy Julianne brings to that scene is drawn from many experiences with my sister, Emily, over the years.
So even though I adore Mouse and Brooke, writing Julianne was so much fun.
Describe your book in five words.
Wild runaway road trip adventure!
‘Get to know me’: Describe your perfect day.
I’m a huge theme park nerd; my family are used to me booking last-minute flights and disappearing a few times a year to visit my friends who live in Florida. My favourite theme park is the original Disneyland in California—it's the park that Walt Disney himself designed and built. My perfect day would include riding Pirates of the Caribbean and Big Thunder Mountain, sitting in front of the castle with an ice cream, and watching the fireworks show at the end of the night.
