Q&A: Judy Nunn, Author of Black Sheep

About my book:

‘Black Sheep’ is a historically based novel set in the rich pastoral lands of the Goulburn Plains where, since the 1850s generations of a wealthy farming family have been successfully producing the finest Merino wool.  One would therefore presume the book is about the breeding of sheep, but it’s not really.  It’s more about the genetics of the people who are breeding them.

Inspiration behind it:

Strangely enough, the inspiration behind my novel is the nursery rhyme Baa Baa Black Sheep.  I bet that comes as bit of a surprise, eh?  I’ve always been fascinated by the secret meanings, usually political and very often violent, that lie behind many an old nursery rhyme, and Baa Baa Black Sheep is a beauty.  I won’t give away anything more than that.  It’s all in the book’s prologue actually.

What am I hoping the reader will take away from the novel?

I hope above all that the reader will take away a sense of having read a good book.  One that has ‘transported’ them, offering enjoyment/escape/fulfilment, whatever a good read has to offer.  And maybe along the way, they will have learned some things they didn’t know.  Things that interest them, and also perhaps leave them with food for thought.

What is something that has influenced me as a writer?

I was an actor for many, many years, and undoubtedly my career in this field has influenced me as a writer.  Actors are great observers (as are writers of course, this is part of the job for both.)  But actors are trained in many specific ways that relate particularly to the characters they’re portraying.  For instance, their accents, the connection they share with the other characters on stage or screen – a great deal of analysis goes into these relationships.  My books are always very character-driven and I enjoy the use of dialogue.  I’m sure this is due to my acting background.

One piece of advice I’d give to aspiring writers would be:

Forgive the cliché, but don’t leave off between a rock and a hard place.  If you do, you might not come back.  Simply because you don’t want to.  This can undermine confidence and invite writer’s block.  Soldier on.  Link up to somewhere you feel you want your book to go, then come back and solve the problem later. Even if by then it requires a fair bit more work to make the link viable, you must keep your head in the space.

Buy a copy of Black Sheep here.