I find coming up with ten things I'd like anyone to know about me a little tricky, as although I put larger than life characters out there though my writing, I’m secretly quite a private person - a bit like Batman.
Birdie Milano
I'm an only child (so was Batman) from a large family. My mum was the oldest of six, and when I was little I used to reel off the names of my aunts and uncles when asked if I had siblings. It left my teachers very confused. Family has always been important to me, which I think shows up a lot in my writing.
I trick my way out of writers block by going to the theatre. Plays invite their audience to participate in the story in a way that's not unlike reading a book. They bring you in to someone's Valium-inspired hallucinations, or balcony in Verona, or alley full of singing cats and give you a private glimpse into the lives lived there. When I leave the theatre it feels like having been creative but with someone else doing all the hard work, and it often triggers my own brain to pick things back up. I used to act, and find developing characters for books is a similar process. I guess I like pretending to be people I'm not. Somewhat like Batman.
Like Batman, I'm motivated by the death of a parent. Mum wasn't gunned down for her pearls outside a screening of Zorro, but she died of cancer in January this year. She always encouraged me to write, and was looking forward to the release of my debut teen novel, Boy Meets Hamster, more than anyone. I’m lucky she had the chance to read it before she got too ill. It's been incredibly difficult, but when things are toughest I think of what she wanted for me, and keep going.
I like a bit of fancy dress, as you might be able to tell from the inclusion of a gigantic hamster mascot in my book. (Not that I'd call a bulletproof bat suit with welded nipples fancy dress, obviously. That would be business attire).
I believe kindness is a strength. Kindness doesn't mean coddling people or letting them get away with things they shouldn't. It just involves having an awareness that everyone has their own struggles and we can never know what someone may be dealing with under the surface. That's something I aspire to, and try to show in different ways in the stories I write. As Batman knows, even super villains have an origin story.
One of the themes of Boy Meets Hamster is that appearances can be deceptive. My main character, Dylan, is not yet out about his sexuality to anyone except his best friend – but wonders how he’s ever supposed to find a boyfriend while he’s hiding part of who he is, like Superman keeping his costume under a suit (or like… you know). But he discovers that most people are hiding something, whether it’s a feature they’re insecure about or a part time job as a hamster mascot for a holiday camp, and when those secrets are revealed it’s not always the end of the world. In fact, having someone to share your secrets with can lead to finding out you’ll be accepted for who you are. This is something I have to remind myself of sometimes, too. Even Batman needs an Alfred.
I'm an animal lover and have two pets who are the best of friends: Moppet the Wonder Dog and Ziggy Starcat. I'd find it very hard to write without someone small and fluffy curled by my feet, so I've never been without a cat. You could say I have a long history with cats. Just like Batman.
I adopt orphans from the circus and train them to be my crime-fighting sidekicks*. *This is a lie**.
**It should be noted that Batman also lies.
I'm not Batman (which is exactly what Batman would say).
