Originally from Ballarat, Tobias Madden worked for ten years as a dancer, touring Australia and New Zealand with musicals such as Mary Poppins, CATS, Singin’ in the Rain and Guys and Dolls. He now lives in Sydney with his husband, Daniel, and their Cavoodle, Ollie. In 2019, Tobias edited and published Underdog: #LoveOzYA Short Stories, which featured his first published work, ‘Variation’. He also co-wrote the cabaret show Siblingship, which played to sold-out audiences in Sydney, Melbourne and Canberra. Tobias is a passionate member of the #LoveOzYA and LGBTQ+ communities, and he currently works full time for a major independent publishing company. Anything But Fine is his debut YA novel.
Today, Tobias Madden is on the blog to take on our Ten Terrifying Questions! Read on …
Tobias Madden (Photo by Kate Williams).
1. To begin with why don’t you tell us a little bit about yourself – where were you born? Raised? Schooled?
I was born, raised, and schooled in Ballarat, Victoria. It’s a country town with a thriving arts community, so it was the perfect place for an aspiring writer and performer like me to grow up! It’s also where Anything But Fine takes place, though all the schools and some of the more specific settings are fictionalised. The lake and the theatre are definitely real, though (and so, so beautiful!).
2. What did you want to be when you were twelve, eighteen and thirty? And why?
Twelve – an architect. I just loved designing houses. I used to draw floorplans and build model houses out of cereal boxes in my spare time. This was before I started dancing, so my interests were very different at that point (read: I was a huge nerd).
Eighteen – a musical theatre performer. I started dancing when I was fourteen, and from that point on, all I wanted in life was to perform professionally on stage. I feel incredibly grateful that I got to do that for many years!
Thirty – (surprise, surprise) a writer! When I was twenty-nine, I set myself the goal of writing a book before my thirtieth birthday … and I did! That particular book (a young adult fantasy) will most likely never get published, but I learned so much about writing and querying agents and publishing in general from the process.
3. What strongly held belief did you have at eighteen that you don’t have now?
That you only get one career, and that you have to decide what it will be while you’re still at school. People’s passions and interests change so much over the course of their lives, and I think we should all be encouraged to change direction whenever it feels right!
4. What are three works of art – this could be a book, painting, piece of music, film, etc – that influenced your development as a writer?
Okay, this question is actually so hard …
1 – The entire Disney film catalogue. I know that’s cheating, but Disney animations are just so inspiring. And every time I watch one, I feel like I know a little bit more about the mechanics of good storytelling.
2 – This is also cheating, but MUSICALS! I’ve spent a great deal of time immersed in the scripts of the plays and musicals I’ve performed in—examining them, dissecting them, taking what’s written on the page to build a believable, three-dimensional character. I think my love of theatre has given me a greater understanding of how characters work and interact, as well as an overwhelming passion for dialogue.
3 – Simon vs. the Homosapiens Agenda by Becky Albertalli. Before I came across this book, I honestly thought I would have to write stories exclusively about straight characters. That publishers would be reluctant to publish books about gay teens. But knowing that a YA novel with a gay protagonist could become an international bestseller—and be adapted into a box office smash, no less—gave me permission, so to speak, to tell my own stories exactly how I wanted to tell them.
‘Every bestselling author in the world was once ‘aspiring’, and it takes an enormous amount of resilience and vulnerability and patience and creativity and strength to even write a book, let alone get it published.’
5. Considering the many artistic forms out there, what appeals to you about writing a young adult novel?
I think, like many writers, I love writing YA because everything is so new and intense and dramatic for the characters. In contemporary YA, you’re writing about everyday things, but the stakes are incredibly high, and the emotions are raw and exposed. I love that the characters have to navigate so many new things, so many grey areas. Simply put, it’s just fun to write.
6. Please tell us about your latest book!
Anything But Fine is the story of Luca Mason, a gifted young ballet dancer who falls down a flight of stairs, shattering not only the bones in his foot, but his dreams of becoming a professional dancer. It’s a very personal story about identity and grief and finding your place in the world. It’s generally light-hearted and fun, but has some moments of real conflict and sadness, and it’s full of characters I absolutely adore. I honestly can’t wait for everyone to read it!
7. What do you hope people take away with them after reading your work?
I hope teenagers (and adults) come away from the book knowing that no one needs to have their life ‘together’. We don’t always need to know where we’re going or what our next step should be. Life is messy and complicated and our journeys are never straightforward. But that’s the fun of it!
8. Who do you most admire in the writing world and why?
Gosh. If I was allowed, I’d write a ten-thousand word essay on all the people in the industry I admire, but if I really had to choose … I would say the people I admire the most are the aspiring authors. Every bestselling author in the world was once ‘aspiring’, and it takes an enormous amount of resilience and vulnerability and patience and creativity and strength to even write a book, let alone get it published. I firmly believe that everyone has a story to tell, and I admire anyone who sets out on a publishing journey, no matter what happens in the end.
9. Many artists set themselves very ambitious goals. What are yours?
Well, the first one was to become a published author, so I guess I can tick that off (which is honestly still so surreal). My current goal is to get my second book published, and after that, I guess book three? My long-term goal is to become a full-time writer, but very few people get to live that dream, so I think small, achievable goals will be more helpful at the moment.
10. Do you have any advice for aspiring writers?
Finish it. Whatever you’re working on, finish it. Take it as far as you can. You’ll learn so much more from polishing one manuscript and diving into the query process than you will from starting (and abandoning) hundreds of projects. Also, let people read your work. It’s the scariest part of the whole process, but it’s also the end goal, so why not share your work with the people you trust as soon as you can? Their feedback will only make your writing better!
Thank you for playing!
—Anything But Fine by Tobias Madden (Penguin Books Australia) is out on the 31st of August.
Anything But Fine
Luca is ready to audition for the Australian Ballet School. All it takes to crush his dreams is one missed step . . . and a broken foot.
Jordan is the gorgeous rowing star and school captain of Luca's new school. Everyone says he's straight - but Luca’s not so sure . . .
As their unlikely bond grows stronger, Luca starts to wonder: who is he without ballet? And is he setting himself up for another heartbreak?...
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