In the early years of Susan Brocker’s marriage to Lionel, her husband was posted to the Netherlands as trade commissioner. As a diplomat’s wife then, Susan was unable to take on full-time employment. Instead, she enrolled in a post-graduate course with the University of London on Russian history and politics.
“For me, that was where becoming a writer began. I travelled extensively through what was then the Soviet Union and wrote it all down. Then I went on to write about other historical sites I visited in Europe and began to publish travel and human-interest articles.”
Writing requires dedication and discipline, and Susan learned about their importance in Auckland during the 1980s and 1990s when she worked in-house for an educational publisher. Her multifarious titles were mainly structured for the US school curriculum, and one series was aimed at reluctant teen readers and had to be high-impact, immediately drawing in the reader.
“This taught me the need for a strong story, and the importance of engaging, active language,” she says, and when Susan became a full-time writer, such lessons served her well.
No one’s life is ever smooth sailing and in her late 20s, Susan was diagnosed with a brain tumour and had to undergo surgery and ongoing radiotherapy. Sadly, this meant she was unable to have children. Soon after, she and Lionel made the call to move from inner-city Auckland to their ‘hobby farm’ in Pyes Pa, Tauranga.
“Here I could surround myself with animals,” she says, smiling. “We kept goats and horses, and added our much- loved pets.”
You’re always greeted by a dog or two when visiting Susan, and she often cares for SPCA foster-kittens that need socialising before they go to a permanent home.
“We also fostered older children and teenagers and what a great place for them to grow up in. For the two of us it was a difficult, but also extremely rewarding time. Animals have definitely been a major inspiration, and it’s true that many story ideas have developed through my interaction with animals, how they relate to humans, and especially to troubled children and teenagers. The therapy they offer is incredible: unconditional love and loyalty.
“Our old German shepherd dog, Layla, for example, was gentle and loving with kids. From observing that, a story, Saving Sam, developed about a dog who helps a young boy gain his confidence and rescue his older brother from a gang. I often use animals to serve as a means of introducing problems the main character will face.”
Fostering could be where Susan obtained useful insights into teenage behaviour that are such a feature of
The Wolf in the Wardrobe, Dreams of Warriors and The Drover’s Quest – titles begging to be turned into films. The ‘strong story’ is always there, and her characters are fully-defined, 3-D young humans dealing with crisis and conflict.
Susan and Lionel present as a team and she values the support he’s given her over the years of her ongoing development as a Young Adult writer of high reputation.
“Lionel is the first person to read my drafts and give helpful feedback. He also supplies emotional support during those times when I question myself and the worth of my writing.”
She agrees that New Zealand is a particularly challenging country to be a writer in.
Definitely. We don’t have a large enough population to support local writers, yet it is difficult to get our books sold offshore, especially if they’re set here. Also, traditionally, it could be said many New Zealanders are more interested in sporting endeavours and outdoor pursuits than arts and literature.
You also have this strange dichotomy that most of our writers, and especially those who are grant-aided, are expected to write the New Zealand-based, New Zealand-biased stories that fit best within our country’s culture. These are not necessarily those that do well outside of New Zealand.
Though mainly published by HarperCollins, Susan was commissioned by Scholastic to write Riding into War, one of four commemorative books on World War I for Young Adult readers in New Zealand.
“After Brave Bess and the ANZAC Horses, which is set in World War I, I was approached by Scholastic and asked to write the first book in the series. And now I’m writing a set of animal stories for them aimed at younger reader in picture-book format.”
With the first out now, expect an extended fan base for this award-winning writer!
Some words of advice for intending writers?
Generally, write about what you love or care about and the passion will shine through. Specific to writing for older children and young adults: Don’t ever ‘write down’ to your readers, and don’t preach or teach. Your first duty is to entertain! And never allow adults to feature too prominently or solve your young character’s problems. You’re in their world. Put them in charge.