To be a writer, you need to read, read, read, says children’s book author Karen McMillan, who recently wrote Elastic Island Adventures: Rarotonga.

McMillan who returns to New Zealand today, says: “If you want to be a writer, you've got to read. I don't know any published author that doesn't read books. So read, read, and read and if you haven't found the right books that you like, go and try some other books.”

McMillan was in Rarotonga this week, where she spent time with students of Apii Te Uki Ou reading her latest edition Elastic Island Adventures: Rarotonga.

Karen McMillan, author of the book Elastic Island Adventures: Rarotonga. SUPPLIED / 24112206

How did she come up with the idea of a Rarotonga based children’s book? She said she was talking with the Pacific Resort management and decided it would be nice to do a book set in Rarotonga.

“They very kindly hosted me so I could come over and do the research. I have been to Rarotonga before but it's really different when you're writing a book, you need to come and do the research, you need to make the book work.”
She said it was based as a children's adventure book, weaving in Cook Islands culture that's child-appropriate and fun.

“I wanted four main children (characters): two girls, those two boys and I guess the girls are a bit of a composite of me.

“Kiri, she's outgoing and outspoken and she loves swimming. I love swimming. And she's a really, really good singer so that comes through in all the books and I love music.

“But I'm probably more like Emma, she's a bit shy and introverted and dreamy and she loves books. And then there's Ethan who is like the clever scientific one and then there's Jed who is the athletic one.”

The book was published by Duckling Publishing, and Cook Islands actor Dominic Ona-Ariki has narrated the audiobook version and is released on multiple international platforms.

McMillan said she has also written another book but the setting is in Fiji and this will be released next year in February.

“The elastic island adventure world is growing. So the first six books were made up of islands but firmly set in the South Pacific. So now we're branching out into real life places.

“Rarotonga being absolutely the first and Fiji being second and then we'll see where we go from there.”
McMillan has been writing since the age of 10, where she says she began writing terrible short stories that were published in a nationwide Sunday newspaper- a kids' page.

“And I just thought all kids did that. And then my first adult book was published in 2003 and now I have had 23 books published.” She says when you write as a child or as an adult, don’t try to edit it as you go but you can go back and fix it later, just let the story flow.