One thing I love about the creative industries is that several people can have a similar idea yet express it in totally different ways. This was brought home to me the other evening when attending a talk by CBCA judge, Cathie Tasker. Cathie pointed out that two of the books shortlisted for awards this year […]
Are you an aspiring or emerging children’s book author? Not too sure of what you have to do? How do you write that opening sentence? What is a story board? Do I need one? How do I work with an illustrator? Do I need to find one? What are agents looking for? The answers to […]
In Part 1 of this interview with Deb Kelly, we found out how she got started on the road to writing books for children. This week we focus more on how the books came to be picked up for publication and the setbacks and encouragements along the way: Deb, can you tell us the path […]
The value of festivals cannot be underestimated when it comes to both networking and nourishing our writing craft and career. So here are my top take home messages from the NSW Writer’s Centre Kids and YA Festival in June: 1 The Process of writing – hints from picture book authors: Don’t delete your rubbish ideas. ‘You have to […]
Today we continue and conclude the interview with Katrina Roe, awesome author and radio presenter. To catch up, you can find part 2 here and part 1 here. Katrina, what have been the discouragements for you in the writing/publishing process? How did you deal with these? I’ve been fortunate that so far I’ve been totally happy […]
In Part 1 of my interview with Katrina Roe, we looked at her inspiration for writing and the things that encourage and help her hone her craft. In this installment, we continue that and look at ‘what next?’ once the book is published. Katrina, I’ve often bumped into you at festivals and conferences. The CBCA […]
Katrina Roe is a radio presenter and author of picture books Marty’s nut Free Party, Emily Eases her Wheezes and Same, with Wombat Books. I am fortunate to share a book-bond with Katrina, as the illustrator of her first two books is Leigh Hedstrom, who also illustrated my When I See Grandma. Katrina is a […]
I’ve just added this accumulated pile of books on my desk to my Goodreads profile. It got me thinking about the importance of reading for writers. One of the things I put on my Writers’ Action Matrix at the beginning of the year was “Read books in your genre – study their elements.” It’s something […]
Last month we gave a shout out to several amazing Australian literacy foundations that tirelessly advocate for and celebrate children’s literacy skills. Today we’ll get behind some wonderful educational initiatives fostering positive and engaging reading and learning experiences. Hail to educators and their passion for literacy development!!! Kids’ Book Review is a terrific resource for […]
I’m so excited to be able to announce that since posting our last part of this interview, Marian has had yet another story accepted for publication by The School Magazine! Congratulations Marian! In Part 3 of this interview, Marian talks about what she has gained from the writing mentorships and offers a few other top […]
