Cora Seen and Heard by Zanni Louise

Cora Seen and Heard

by Zanni Louise

(Published by Walker Books Australia)

Zanni Louise is a beautiful writer and, true to form, has written a beautiful piece here about putting herself into the story.

Guest author post by Zanni Louise about her new children’s middle fiction novel, Cora Seen and Heard, for Joy in Books at PaperbarkWords blog

Putting Yourself in the Story by Zanni Louise

How much of ourselves should we put in our story?

Arguably, fiction (no matter how fictional) captures the author one way or another … in the way we see the world, our values, thoughts, feelings, experiences. A novel is an imprint of everything we’ve seen, done and thought, all of which folds into the lives of our characters.

For a while, I was trying to write novels that were fun and entertaining. But there was something lacking. I think it was truth. It wasn’t until I reached inside of myself and drew out shards of my personality and worldview that I started to create characters that felt true on the page.

My first middle grade novel, Queenie in Seven Moves (Walker Books 2023), very much mirrored the experiences myself and family were going through during the pandemic housing insecurity crisis. The story poured out of me. Queenie was fictional. She’s not me. Her moves were fictional. But I definitely understood how she felt.

When it came to write my second novel, I wanted to capture some of the mental acrobatics I wrestled with when I was twelve. I was one of those kids who thought and felt too much. My big preoccupation was: how do I unite the Zanni in my head with the Zanni in the world? Private Zanni was fun, relaxed, silly, weird. External Zanni seemed awkward. Years later, I understood that a lot of people wrestle with this dilemma and by leaning into our quirks, our flaws, we lean towards connection.

So this became the seed of twelve-year-old Cora’s journey.

Couple this with an interesting set. I came across a beautiful image as part of Francis Meslet’s abandoned ballroom series. I knew at once where Cora would live. She and her family would move to a decrepit theatre in fictional Caroline Creek, where Cora would proceed to renovate her personality.

The story is definitely coming-of-age and about self-discovery. But it’s also a mystery; one that ties in with the missing jazz singer from the mid-twentieth century.

I left plenty of space for this story to evolve. For the threads to weave together. For story world, character, and plot to find their harmony.

I worked a lot longer and harder on my second novel than my first. I am so proud of the result. And yes, there’s a lot of Zanni on every page. My hope is that by sharing my soul, I forge a path towards the reader. I know when I was twelve, I looked for pathways out of the lonely woods every time I opened a new book. It helped me understand myself and the world around me. It helped me feel connected.

Cora Seen and Heard at Walker Books

Zanni Louise is author of over forty internationally published books for kids, from board books to teen fiction. She runs a vibrant community for writers called The Sunshine House and travels to schools around Australia to inspire students. Learn more at http://www.zannilouise.com.

Interview with Zanni Louise and Anna Pignataro about their picture book Florence & Fox at PaperbarkWords blog