In Conversation With Victoria Maxwell

Today I am lucky enough to be in conversation with Victoria Maxwell, author of Class of 1983, a time-travelling YA novel.  Without further ado, let's find out more about her...

Your book is set in the 1980s – what are you favourite things from this period of time?

Pretty much everything, but just to name a few - John Hughes movies, Back to the Future, Xanadu, Family Ties, Quantum Leap, Who’s the Boss?, Sweet Valley High books, Journey, Styx, Cyndi Lauper and Toto, 80’s cardigans, perms, blue eyeshadow and My Little Pony.



What made you choose the YA genre for your first novel? Is this a genre that you enjoy yourself?

When I started writing the book I was working as an English teacher in a high school in Sydney. I only started reading YA books when my students kept recommending them to me. The first YA book I read as an adult was Twilight and I fell (back) in love with the genre. It’s pretty much all I read now. There’s something about YA fiction that feels so raw and honest and heartfelt to me that I don’t always feel when I read books for grown-ups.

Any advice to anyone dreaming of becoming an author?

It’s pretty hard work. It took me nine years from idea to book on the shelf, but it was all worth it of course! My advice is to write because you love it. It’s tough out there, and while some people get a publishing deal and make bank, most of us are working other jobs and writing on the side. Write because your soul needs to, not because of what success you think you could gain from it. Writing a book is a success in itself! Also, don’t be afraid to go the indie route. The publishing industry is changing and we don’t have to spend years trying to get an agent and publisher to get our books out to readers any more. It’s an exciting time to be an author!



Where do you get your writing inspiration from?

I first had the idea for Class of 1983 when I was a high school teacher. There was a book room at our school that was hardly ever used, it was full of stacks of old class sets of books. The little room was like a time warp. Every time I went in, I had this feeling I was going back in time and I thought about how cool it would be if I could walk out in another time. I guess my vivid imagination is my inspiration! I’m very inspired by song lyrics too. A lot of the scenes in Class of 1983 were inspired by 80’s pop songs.

What are you working on next?

I’m currently working through a very rough draft of the sequel to Class of 1983 which I’m hoping to publish later this year and I’m also working on a standalone book which desperately wants to be written.



If, heaven forbid, there was a fire, what possession would you grab first to save?

I’d grab my rescue kitties and make sure my fiancé was safe. Everything else can be replaced. But maybe an 80’s cardigan and some snacks!



What five people, living or dead, would you choose to invite to a dinner party?

Jesus, Shakespeare, Olivia Newton John, Michael J Fox and Tonya Harding.




Thank you so much Victoria for hanging out with me.  Class of 1983 is available to buy from Amazon in both kindle and paperback format and you can find out more about Victoria and her writing by going to www.magicpizza.press.


Happy Reading

Miss Chapters x