The Hub for Just Kids' Lit
Many times, I’ve been told the writing game is an emotional roller coaster ride. Ups, downs, hill climbs, racing downhill, loop-the-loops… From my experiences, I’m more inclined to match it to The Giant Drop; one of Dreamworld’s ‘Big 9 Thrill Rides’, particularly the vulnerability of submitting manuscripts to publishers. Note: If The Giant Drop is unfamiliar […]
Sometimes, if you’re lucky, you can. But three times in the past month someone has asked me if I can help them fix the formatting in a blog post they cut and pasted from MS Word. “It was perfect in Word,” my friend insisted. “Now on my blog, it doesn’t look like my other posts. I […]
6. Write You may be described as a ‘pantser’ – someone who can make decisions, flying by the seat of their pants, embracing creativity as it strikes. You may be a ‘planner’ – someone who needs to methodically map out their story, using page numbers and a prescribed plot line. Neither is right or wrong, […]
Today is Part 2 of my interview with Shelly Unwin – newly signed author. For part 1 go here (I’ve highlighted some themes […]
Guest Post by Katrina McKelvey I’m a self-confessed reluctant reader. I know what it is like to do anything to avoid reading. As a child I climbed trees instead. Andy Griffiths has showed me how to love books. He’s my inspiration! Here’s how it all happened … ‘Laughter is the reward for even the most […]
5. You need an idea! Whaaaat! I hear you say! So late in the process! You have already decided to create something from nothing haven’t you? Well, the actual idea of the topic or the subject matter doesn’t need to be determined until right now. Insane to shift the paradigm like this, but I am […]
Book Week is amongst us and there are schools around Australia enthralled with the Children’s Book Council of Australia awards books. Last Friday while we were congratulating the winners, some Australian authors, illustrators and publishers were planning their book for the next year’s awards. After attending Jane Parsons’ presentation and writing the article, ‘Judging the Judges’ […]
In my last post interview with Shelly Unwin, she said: If I’d had the same idea three years earlier though, my execution wouldn’t have been anywhere near where it was when this idea formed. I had taken time to learn the craft and really understand how to structure a picture book and really speak to […]
Guest Post by J.R.Poulter My tried and true way to overcome a bit of a blank spot in writing is to leave it. Down pen or off computer and do something else totally unrelated for a while. If the story then doesn’t flow the way I want, I put it away till I feel inspired […]
4. SWOT Yourself! Using this simple tool, do a little self-analysis to determine the path you will take as a published author. A SWOT analysis is four part matrix, focusing on your Strengths, Weaknesses, and at the Opportunities and Threats in the marketplace. By committing to paper a list of things you are good at; […]
