On Thursday 17th July, Author Kelly Mckain visited DGGS. Kelly spent all day talking to students about what it was like to be a writer, and also helping them to develop their own stories and characters. At the end of a long day, Sophie, Grace and Reporter Hannah sat down with Kelly. Sophie and Grace asked the questions whilst reporter Hannah captured this exclusive DGGS interview on her secret recording device aimed to catch out the celebs 
….Here is the interview.
Grace: What inspired you to start writing?
Kelly: I don’t know really, I just seem to have always been writing because I really enjoy it.
Grace: How did you come up with the name for the Totally Lucy books?
Kelly: We started doing literal names like Fantasy Fashion and Make Over Magic. And once we did that they all had to follow the same pattern. Generally you come up with one and you know it works. We had one recently where we thought we were going to call the book Dream Designs, but then changed it to Planet fashion as it sounded better.
Grace: Do you like the idea of Totally Lucy being a TV series. And if it was a TV series would you like to be involved in the casting?
Kelly: I would love it to be a TV series, and be involved in casting but the author is usually the last person who is consulted., and of course if I was in charge you 2 would be in it
Grace: Do you think the Totally Lucy series would be as successful if Lucy was not in to fashion if Jules was not a rock chic and if Tilda was not a braniac?
Kelly: That’s a really good question as obviously if they were not who they are, it would be a completely different book. I’m sure it would still be a fun, but I like the fact that they are all so different but they are still friends, and they don’t expect people to be the same as them in order for them to be friends.
Grace: Could you relate any of Lucy’s adventures to your own?
Kelly: No I wish we had, had a catwalk thing at school and that I had been in a movie, all of that stuff, but obviously it is made more exciting because it is in a book, real life is not like that. Although I was an extra in a TV series once which was fun, so I sort of know about that a little bit. And I did a little bit of modelling when I was younger, but it’s not like it is in the books.
Sophie: what TV series was it?
Kelly: Oh love stories… I think its probably on UK TV gold now, I was only 16. I was in scene where your were not aloud to talk while the actors were talking, but I was in like a group where I was drinking, eating and chatting – but I was not aloud to make any noise. So you have to really exaggerate movements. ;-)
Sophie: Are Lucy or Jules based on anyone you know?
Kelly: Not really, I have a friend called Lucy and a friend called Jessica who are both into fashion design so that is where Lucy’s name came from. Lucy is probably based on me in some ways because I have a little brother, and it was just me my mom and my brother. Also my dad is very much like Lucy’s dad, and sometimes I worry that my dad is going to be offended by the books saying things like ‘he is an immature man’ . But he doesn’t seem to mind, so that is ok.
Sophie: Do you think the totally Lucy series should be continued with Lucy growing up into an adult and becoming an inspiration to older readers?
Kelly: That is a really good question, but I don’t think it can continue as I cant make her 14, 15, or 16 in the books as the subject matter is going to be to grown up for the people who are reading it now. So for now we will have to stop, maybe in future we can carry on with her as an adult.
Sophie: Would you start to write another series of books about somebody from Lucy’s family?
Kelly: That would be a good idea. I had thought of writing about Jules winning a scholarship at a stage school in London and having a Just Jules type book and having a sort of Angel/ Buffy situation where Lucy makes a ‘guest appearance’ occasionally. But I don’t know really if I am just better to leave them as they are.
Sophie: How old were you when you first started writing?
Kelly: As soon as I could write I started writing stories, but I have always really loved doing it. I used to want to be a journalist, I don’t know why but I didn’t realise that writing stories was actually a proper job so I thought being a journalist was the next best thing.
Sophie: Out of Jules, Tilda and Lucy who would you say you are most like and why?
Kelly: Probably Lucy in some ways in that her family and my family are very similar, and because she is the main character a lot of my experiences are things I have drawn on. I would like to be more like Tilda, only really I don’t think I am but I would like to be. Sometimes I would like to be more like Jules as I am sometimes shy, and she is like ‘hey, lets go and do this’ but I’m not really. Who are you most like?
Sophie: I don’t know really…
Kelly: You are like Jules Hannah as your all like a Goth princess..
Hannah: There you go Jules has got a sister…
Kelly: We need a more Spanish name though
Hannah: Brie like the cheese…
