Nicola Morgan

As a child

Nicola Morgan was born in a boys-only boarding school, and later attended a boys-only school until she was eleven years old. Consequently, she was brilliant at making bows and arrows, climbing trees and winning conker matches - none of which have been of any use to her whatsoever in later life. She loved writing though. She wrote her first ever actual story aged fourteen - in a public exam. She loved reading too, and spent most of holidays curled up with a book.

As an adult

Nicola Morgan first knew she wanted to write for a living when she was at university. Before that, she had thought that all writers were dead. She studied classics and philosophy at Cambridge. “That doesn’t sound very useful,” she says, “but it was the most useful grounding for a writer because it taught me to look very closely at language and meaning. She became an English teacher, later specialising and training in teaching children with reading difficulties. She is now an Ambassador for Dyslexia Scotland. She also helps writers understand about publishing, how to get published and the whole business of surviving and thriving as a writer.

As a writer

Nicola works in her garden office at the far end of her garden. All she can see from it is birds, trees, flowers and sky. She always uses a computer because she likes to change what she’s written a lot. A LOT! Main books: Be Resilient, The Awesome Power of Sleep, Ten Ways to Build a Brilliant Brain, The Teenage Guide to Stress, The Teenage Guide to Life Online, The Teenage Guide to Friends, Mondays are Red, Fleshmarket, Sleepwalking, The Passionflower Massacre, Chicken Friend, Blame My Brain, Deathwatch, The Highwayman’s Footsteps, The Highwayman’s Curse, Wasted, Write to be Published, Tweet Right – the Sensible Person’s Guide to Twitter, Dear Agent Write a Great Synopsis, People Who Made History in Ancient Greece, Lots of Thomas the Tank Engine books and home learning books

Things you didn't know about Nicola Morgan

1. I am obsessed by boots and shoes and each time I get a new book contract I treat myself to more.
2. I do press-ups every day. Well, almost.
3. I am frightened of frogs.
4. I have one leg longer than the other.
5. Someone once tried to abduct me and my dog.
6. I was born in a boys’ school and I went to school in a boys’ school till I was 11.
7. My favourite foods are anchovies and stinky blue cheese. And Brussels sprouts.
8. When I was a child I was very, very shy. Now I pretend not to be.
9. My pet hate is people dropping litter.
10. If I could wave a magic wand, I would stop teenagers suffering from too much stress.

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