Here we go 2013...

A Winter's Day in 1939 is nearly here - releasing in March. I will do a give-away here on my blog closer to release, and I am also doing one here on Goodreads. Book launch details will be revealed soon.

I was thrilled to see this the other day - page 14 in Scholastic Australia's April Catalogue. My book is a staff pick!!!

Happy days :) I hope readers like it.

March is also New Zealand Book Month and I am part of a fabulous exhibition taking place at the National Library in Parnell and Takapuna Library over the whole month, showcasing the background work that goes into books. The exhibition includes titles by Margaret Mahy and David Elliott, Gavin Bishop, Fifi Colston and David Hill, Maria Gill and Heather Arnold, Jennifer Beck and Lindy Fisher, Kyle Mewburn and Donovan Bixley, and of course me. We are having a gala opening with myself, Maria, Heather, David Elliot, Donovan, Fifi, Kyle and Lindy Fisher on March the 4th at the National Library at 6pm if you are interested in coming along  (RSVP to the National Library at : Simon.Vincent@dia.govt.nz). 

I have been reading more books - finished Ian Rankin's Standing in Another Man's Grave (terrific writing although one or two plot points left me a little unsatisfied), and The Raven Boys by Maggie Steifvater (ditto, although I wanted to marry the writing and have its children, it was brilliant). Now I'm working my way through The Demon's Lexicon by Sarah Rees Brennan (jury's out so far).

The bi-annual NZ Children's Writers and Illustrators Conference is due this year in Christchurch Queen's Birthday Weekend and I am making plans to head down. I'm keen to see what they have on their programme. I hope to visit Canterbury University while I'm down there. I'm all signed up for this year's paper - Young Adult Fiction - cannot wait for the study guides to arrive.

Because I have a novel to complete I polished up a picture book I wrote a little while back and sent it off to a publisher. Its something quite different to my other picture books (which is probably a statement you can apply to every picture book I've ever written) - somewhat like a Maori myth/legend, and inspired by a film short I saw at the movies some years back. I also recently signed the contract on my picture book due out later this year, While You Are Sleeping.  The year seems to be gathering some momentum. Here we go 2013.

Just so's ya know...

So the final assignment is handed in and the academic effort is over for another year. Of course my first thought on finishing was, what am I studying next year. In my defence I still have two papers to do to complete the diploma in Children's Literature. I can't imagine I'll do any more university study after that but I have learnt never to say 'never'. Never is a very long time. And study is yoga for the brain, or maybe pilates with a little spin class thrown in. It would be nice to write more. Maybe I will do that instead. In 2015.

Of course I'm not just looking ahead to what paper I will do in 2013 (YA fiction, if you want to know), I'm also wondering what else I should get up to. By early next year Jack the Viking: Magnetic North should be done and dusted and available at an e-store near you. I will be promoting this and my new print book A Winter's Day in 1939. I'm thinking I might put another title out as an e-book shortly. Just working on the cover. As soon as it is good to go I will let you know. And there is a half finished fantasy YA hiding in the laptop. We shall see.

Recently there was a facebook discussion on the average earnings of children's writers and illustrators in New Zealand. We aren't a wealthy lot. Those who did best took on additional work in educational writing or the like. I have earned between $4 and $6k a year from advances, royalties, school visits, and workshops etc...(somewhat under the reported average on fb), over the last few years, but that is still an improvement on what I was earning on my writing in preceding years. I really don't think folk appreciate how little money there is in this business. I don't think its cos I'm bad at what I do. Although I guess I could be doing it wrong :). I do pine for funding as a way to address the considerable shortfall between my efforts and my remuneration. Funding, so far, has managed to resist me. And in the meantime I keep writing. Its what I do. And children (and adults) keep reading my books, which is why I do it.

Mobius strips, the best mental origami....

I do love a good Mobius Strip (the never ending loop of time travel) story/movie. Terminator, Brian Falkner's 'The Tomorrow Code' and now the terrific Looper are some of my favourites. I'm a little embarrassed my sixteen year old had to explain one bit that I got muddled up on, in Looper but I think I get it now. I love having my brain tied up in knots - mental origami - good times.

I recently had the honour of writing the final chapter in this year's fabostory project. This fun online writing challenge for primary and intermediate school students provides a framework (plot, direction, characters) for budding writers to practice their writing skills with, and prizes are awarded for the best submissions. Every year children impress us with their abilities and their commitment and all the NZ authors involved are thrilled to be encouraging the next generation of writers. We have wrapped up the project for this year but keep an eye out for what we come up with next for 2013. If you think you might want to participate or your school might, just drop me a line, comment here or keep an eye out for fabostory4 online. If you want to know more about how it all works go check out this year's project at the link above or you can see last year's project here and 2010's project here.

I am currently working hard on pulling all the threads of this year's university studies together in my research project, so today's post will necessarily be brief. I cannot wait to have this assignment done and dusted but I have a wee ways to go yet.