{"id":1197,"date":"2025-05-07T16:48:07","date_gmt":"2025-05-07T06:48:07","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.newington.nsw.edu.au\/student-magazine\/?p=1197"},"modified":"2025-05-07T16:48:07","modified_gmt":"2025-05-07T06:48:07","slug":"qa-introduction-to-will-kostakis","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.newington.nsw.edu.au\/student-magazine\/2025\/05\/07\/qa-introduction-to-will-kostakis\/","title":{"rendered":"Q&A: Introduction to Will Kostakis"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

Story by Luca Dukovski<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Photo by Ryan Low<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Will Kostakis is a proclaimed award-winning author. I had the opportunity to sit down with him and ask him about his secrets to writing with voice, but also some personal experiences that have motivated and influenced his successful career so far.  <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Luca Dukovski: So, what inspired you to begin writing? <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Will Kostakis: Writing was always something I enjoyed. I could tell my family wanted me to be a reader and writer. In Year One, I received an award for excellence in creative writing. How can you be excellent at writing in Year One? That\u2019s delusional, right? I would\u2019ve written 10 words on a sheet of paper in an hour. But that sort of support really made me believe I was excellent. And it was only because of the staff at Newington that I continued to love writing. They first fostered the love for reading and writing in me, and then when I got to high school, the teachers really began to push me. Yes, you are good, enthusiastic, but let\u2019s make you great. The first time I received feedback on my writing, I ran to the bathroom and cried for 30 minutes. And then, after I implemented her feedback into my writing, I realised why she was so harsh; because she was so right. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

LD: What is your favourite part of writing books, Will? <\/p>\n\n\n\n

WK: It\u2019s getting to reveal some truth about my life or something that I’ve learnt, but also getting to see my story on the page. I get to write stories now that when I was your age, wouldn\u2019t have been published.  Now I get to write that stuff and know it gets to exist. \u2029 Knowing that you’ve done something that never would have previously existed. That is my favourite part of writing. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

LD: What is your favourite book you have written and why? <\/p>\n\n\n\n

WK: I really liked \u201cThe First Third.\u201d That was my first personal novel, that was about growing up in my family. And because of that novel, I can go across Australia and people will ask, \u201chow is your grandmother?\u201d I\u2019ve made my grandmother famous. I find that really cool. But with Sidekicks, that was about my journey through high school and spending time with a friend that has now passed away. That was also my first work to get published overseas. I don\u2019t think I can choose just one; they all have an equal share of my love. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

LD: Finally, what is your advice to aspiring young writers? <\/p>\n\n\n\n

WK: Actually write. Kids will say \u201cI want to be a writer,\u201d but they never actually write. Give yourself some time. Put the phone on the other side of the room and just write. It\u2019s going to be garbage. It\u2019s fine. That\u2019s the point. You\u2019re supposed to be bad when you start out. But then you start to love it and you build up the confidence to let others read it. For me, I thought I was going to be a writer, and I thought that I was perfect until others said \u201cNo, this is not as good as you think it is.\u201d And that rejection can hurt, but sometimes it goes really, really well. So just put yourself out there, even when you don\u2019t think it\u2019s good. If someone sees your writing, they see a little bit of yourself and they understand you a little bit better.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

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