Building Friendship in Fiction with Sally Rippin

Your Polly and Buster series is about an unlikely friendship. Can you tell us a little bit about what inspired you to write a book about a friendship between a witch and monster?

I wanted to write an allegorical tale about a community that is divided and how easily children can get caught up in this mix. Children aren’t born caring about class or race or religion or any other divisive structures adults create to keep to keep us afraid of “the other”. They only care whether you are friendly and kind or good at climbing trees.

Polly and Buster is full of imaginative magical detail. How do you start to build a magical world with words?

This was tricky for me as I don’t read much fantasy and also didn’t want to fall into overused tropes, so I spent a lot of time making up the rules of the world while writing the first book. Things such as: Are witches born magic, or do they study it at school? Do all witches ride broomsticks or do they have to earn a broomstick licence? I wanted to make my characters as relatable as possible, but still give the reader the freedom to transpose any real world scenario onto my invented world. I like to think these stories can be read on many levels: from a simple fantasy adventure story to a deeper story of racism and apartheid, depending on the maturity of the reader. 

We love the character of Mrs Spinnaker, Polly’s favourite teacher at the Academy. Where did the inspiration for her character come from?

I’ve had so many wonderful teachers I’ve loved over the years. I think teachers can be some of the most influential people on a young person’s life, particularly if they are not receiving the support they need at home. For me, it was my year seven teacher who would read my stories out loud in class, as if they were so much better than they really were, along with a year twelve Art teacher who would take me to galleries on weekends to see exhibitions of artists she thought would inspire me. Both these teachers opened my mind to the possibility of a life making art and I often think of them with gratitude today.

You’ve written over 70 books. How do you stay motivated and where do your ideas come from?

I’ve been doing it a long time. In fact, I’ve been making books since I was a child. I am just lucky enough that now people want to publish them! I’m fortunate to have a really clear memory of my childhood, which provides a bottomless source of inspiration for my stories. Not just events and situations, but the emotional landscape of those years where every experience is heightened just by the very newness of it, and we are all still filled with hope and awe.

What advice would you give to young writers with an idea they just have to get out on paper? Where should they start?

Don’t worry about how it comes out at first. Just get it down. Think of your first draft as a big lump of clay. You have plenty of time to work all the details into it and refine and smooth the surface later on. For now, just get the ideas down as quickly as you can before the excitement of creating something new leaves you. 

Catch Sally at these events during Word Play, our educational program aimed at students from prep - Grade 12. 

Check out the rest of the Word Play program here. Tickets on sale now!