Your magic spells are welcome ...

This is my third go at writing this blog post. I began in early January and have ditched both earlier versions. Fingers crossed that third time's the charm. Bit like writing a book really eh?

Early in January we said farewell to our middle child who has emigrated to the UK. She's found a flat (moved in yesterday) and is now working on employment with a few interviews (some in person, some online) already under her belt. I asked her this morning how she was settling in and she said she was off across the road shortly for a pub quiz with the flat-mates and I felt a little jealous. It's deep mid winter there (not jealous of that although she loves the cold weather), but I do love a fun pub quiz with good people on a cold night. Eldest (resident in LA) has just had time away in Mexico City which looked wonderful, and youngest is currently indulging us by remaining at home. The kids are all right. 

And me? I've been dividing my time recently between reading, assessing other people's writing and dabbling with my own. With fewer in-person engagements likely over the next wee while I'm hoping to carve out more time for bigger projects. So far I've revised a picture book ms, and written around two thirds of a new one, so zero progress on the longer works. I feel like I have a bit of a hoodoo on me around long form fiction at the moment and need to find a way to lift the curse. Your magic spells are welcomed. I do have a few big ideas swirling round in my head though - fingers crossed one of them comes in to land. 

In the meantime there has been more news for my favourite little pachyderm. Taiwan has now also signed up to publish My Elephant is Blue. I'm trying to keep my expectations realistic about what this and the earlier deals might mean for the book. I do love that people in other countries will be reading our story. I hope they like it. I'll keep you posted on how things work out. One thing I will say at this point is that I did nothing different with the writing or submitting of the stories that have received overseas offers of publication. I sent them off to NZ publishers who agreed to take them on and those publishers have subsequently succeeded in obtaining these overseas sales (Blue does also have an agent working on her behalf). I didn't anticipate any of this when I wrote those manuscripts. I certainly didn't write with that eventuality in mind. I just wrote the best story I could and that is always the bottom line for me. 

In near future news, I'm running my Picture Book Writing Workshop again this year in March and August (information on the courses can be found HERE). I'm always adding to my knowledge base on picture book writing and I love sharing everything I've learnt with keen writers - my goal is to help you achieve your writing dreams by giving you as much information, and advice and as many tools as I can. I hope I see you there. 

 

The picture book gospel according to me ...

A couple of weeks ago I had a pretty rubbish week. Rejections, failures on several fronts, and it was all a bit depressing. Then last week was a good week. Some good news about a submission, beautiful pics to look at for my next book Moon and Sun with Upstart Press, and some more good news for another family member. Now this week is just plain weird. I'm a bit 'all at sea', wondering if I'm doing enough in response to Covid 19, wondering how Covid 19 might affect me healthwise and book wise, wondering where this will all end, wondering if I dreamed last week's good fortune. And it's only Monday.

I'm an asthmatic with high blood pressure so I'm immunocompromised when it comes to an illness like Covid 19. I'm sticking at home as much as possible. You might think this is a great thing for a writer but all the developments happening around the world are making it difficult for me to focus on my writing. And I just finished the first draft of a new project and I'm not at all hopeful I've nailed it. I'm trying to read as much as possible. Especially as I have a few reviews to write. Maybe this is the time I finally make a dent in my tbr pile.

My good news about a submission (fingers crossed this isn't compromised) means there will be a tenth picture book by me published. I think I might have the hang of this picture book writing thing. I also recently judged a picture book writing competition. I have thoughts. Maybe if you have down time and want to use it writing picture books these thoughts might be helpful. Here are ten of them. Please note these are just my opinion rather than hard and fast rules.

1) There should always be a penguin.

2) Don't write at children, invite them in. Your story should make them feel centered (whether there are children in the story or not). They should be part of the fun - like a juvenile conspiracy. It should make them feel respected too.

3) Yes you can be too silly. Be restrained with your made up words too, although they do have their place. Some picture books that appear to be complete nonsense actually have an underlying sense or meaning or value. Roald Dahl and Spike Milligan are a lot harder to imitate than you might think.

4) Good picture books only look effortless, but make no mistake, the language has been carefully crafted. This is where our youngest readers learn to love words, stories, books. Give them great language and they'll be readers for life, and probably good at expressing themselves too. Don't stint on the words. Passive, monosyllabic writing should definitely be avoided.

5) If you are going for a more old fashioned style of story or storytelling, you are competing with all the classics which are already readily available, and have already stood the test of time and survived many previous book cullings. Old fashioned is a hard sell. Look forward, not backwards.

6) Make sure you are reading some recently published picture books. Read some prize winners. And some best sellers. Have a good think about why they are winners and/ or bestsellers, or just made the cut in general. And yes some published picture books defy explanation, but that is not what we are aiming for.

7) Find some recent books with writing you really, really like. Have a go at imitating their style and voice with some of your picture book ideas. The underlying goal is to move toward developing your own distinctive style and voice. This is also a good way to refresh your writing if you feel you are stagnating. I have definitely tried to incorporate some of the stylistic tendencies of some of my favourite writers over the years and I think this has made a significant difference.

8) Struggling for ideas? The natural world is a good place to start. What are hot topics for today's kiwi kids in the natural world? Some successful titles over the last few years have included natural disasters like oil spills and earthquakes, endangered species like the hector's dolphin and kakapo, also rainbows, fantails, and kiwis. Natural topics I have written about recently include the Moon, the Sun and the Rain.

9) There is nothing fresh about a fairy.

10) Don't think you can get away without a proper ending. That's cheating.

Be your own fish kettle...

My mind is a bit of a holey sieve right now. I had a big creative burst which kicked off with me writing a junior novel last year over May - October, and then a flurry of new picture books over the first six months of this year. Now I am an empty vessel again, although I am plodding along with an old project currently backtracking to get an asthma inhalor into the shorts pocket of my main character in the first half of the book so he can whip it out to help another character in the second half. Fun and games. Really, this creativity thing just has a mind of its own and a complete lack of discipline. Sometimes I think I'd like it to get its act together, but fear what things would look like if it did. Weirdly I think (at least for me), the 'fits and starts' school of writing has its merits. I write when I've a mind to, don't beat myself up on the days where the word count does not budge an inch, and give myself plenty of opportunities to read and recharge the creative battery in a variety of ways (oh and earn some actual money doing visits and workshops etc., as well). I've come up with some interesting stuff this way and occasionally, in the past, publishers have agreed. Some folk write every day and are immensely disciplined and it works beautifully for them, but I am a completely different kettle of fish. However over the last few years, as the goal of publication has been a bit of a slippery sucker, I have begun to wonder if I should empty my kettle and do some fish rearranging. Well, unsurprisingly, my process has proven pretty stubborn. And when I look at the things I have written in the last 15 months I am not unhappy with them. That's a good place to start as a writer - satisfying your own expectations and desires as a reader.

Still, satisfying oneself is only part of the aim, and chasing the mighty publishing goal never changes. If you thought getting published was the only hurdle to clear, staying published is apparently an endless supply of them. Each time you jump one, the next one is being raised off in the distance. Welcome to the publication race for life. You have to keep running. Don't lose your rhythm or forget to watch where you are going. Seriously, it's never a dull moment. 

Anyways,  it appears I have successfully jumped a few hurdles cleanly, and a few of my more recent projects are to be books (there is even a wolf in one of them!!!! - a long held ambition), so there is a brief stretch of clear track ahead. Yahoo!! Those fish can rest easy in their kettle - I won't be bothering them, at least for a wee while.

August ...

I suspect there may be an assumption outside the publishing world, that if your books are published they are automatically sold outside of New Zealand as well as locally. Just as we see all sorts of books from overseas for sale here in New Zealand, so must our books travel to other countries.

But it's not a given. The reality is generally pretty modest. Many books that start their publication life here don't escape the gravity of this country. I guess it's partly that some overseas publishers may find our stories too local in flavour and believe they won't fly in other parts of the world. Or that without the authors/illustrators presence to drive promotion the book might struggle to succeed. Or maybe it's something else. Several of my books have been published and/or sold in Australia in addition to New Zealand which has been great. One of my picture books has had a modest foray into other territories. We all hope that our books will be picked up by overseas publishers. That their appeal and value is international. That they have a life, an audience, beyond this country. I have watched wistfully as some other NZ children's authors and illustrators have had some international success.

So I'm really pleased to say that an English language edition of my picture book Fuzzy Doodle, illustrated by Donovan Bixley, is to be published by Scholastic Asia in October. This is the first time one of my books has been picked up by a major publisher outside of Australasia and it's quite a thrill. I'll post up some more info as it comes to hand. And watch this space as I think I'll have to do a give-away soon in honour of this cool news.

July has been almost solely for writing and I have made good progress on my new WIP. August, however, will be focused on other things and I'll have to manage my time more carefully to enable me to hang out with my manuscript. I have some school visits at the start and end of the month and the big night for the New Zealand Book Awards for Children and Young Adults on August 14. I'm off to Dunedin August 11th and 12th for some events associated with the book awards, and on August 19 I'll be running another workshop on Picture Book Writing at Selwyn Community Education. There will be lots of information on what picture books should and shouldn't be, some hands on writing exercises and some good oil on publishers, competitions and submitting. If you think you might be interested in attending you can find more details and register here. If I don't see you there, I'll see you on the other side.

Never say never... it can be embarrassing

I have always loved and admired poetry. The best poems make your mind sing. I still remember poetry I loved in my childhood (favourites included The King's Breakfast and The Invaders by AA Milne, Walter de la Mare's Silver and The Highwayman by Alfred Noyes). And I have studied poetry in my journey through tertiary education - I particularly enjoyed Keats, Coleridge, Donne and Arnold - and I have plenty of poetry books from the past and present, overseas and NZ poets (Kate Camp, Hone Tuwhare, James Brown and many others). There are other poets I am keen to try out - e.e.cummings and Emily Dickinson. Rhyming, poetic picture books are lyrical lovelies that stay in the mind and on the tongue - by rhyming geniuses like Lynley Dodd, Margaret Mahy and Dr. Suess, to name a few. And yet I have been very shy about my own poetry, both writing it and sharing it. I have not considered myself a poet and I have often looked at the poetry of others with envy. The best make it look effortless and natural. Like sirens calling they lure you on to the rocks, dashing your poetic hopes there. But sometimes...just sometimes... an idea turns up refusing to be anything but a poem. It is not my fault. I do as I am told. But once written, they have stayed in my drawer, or in a file on my hard-drive. Occasionally they have been wheeled out on my blog, (like trolls are, I have been emboldened by the relative anonymity of social media) because it's my blog and I can post if I want to. But I am not a poet. Really. And I couldn't write a rhyming story if I tried. Never.

Except last week I was contacted about having a poem of mine included in an anthology of children's poetry, edited by the wonderful Paula Green, and to be published next year by Random. And then on Friday I heard from a publisher about a rhyming picture book story I had submitted. It's coming out late 2014/2015. And several people have pointed out that the text of While You Are Sleeping is a poem. Well that snuck up on me. It's a bit awkward really. Never say never. It's likely to come back and bite you. Although sekritly I am very pleased.

our psychedelic and phantasmagorical experiment is at an end...

Well folks the amazing, psychedelic and phantasmagorical Fabostory experiment has come to an end for 2010 - there were laughs, drama and illustrations, there were crazy one-upping authors, dedicated and encouraging teachers and talented student submitters and worrying things like jewel encrusted trapeze pants, vomiting dinosaurs and posh english accented alien gorillas. The best thing is everyone survived - except me. In a stunning twist our final chapter winner Angus Smith wowed us all by pulling the nine fabo authors into the story and tying everything up incredibly smartly. I am not sure how to feel about the ending Angus gave me. Go read it here and let me know what you think. I am sure we will be seeing more of Angus in the future (although not on the dinosaur populated planet Awe in 3629). And you will also, most likely, be seeing more of Fabostory. Watch out for new Fabo developments in 2011, when like Lazarus, I rise from the dead...

I participated in a Meet the Author event (organised by the human dynamo Maria Gill and Kiwiwrite4kidz) on wednesday afternoon at Albany Junior High with a bevy of other writers and illustrators, speaking to and talking with school teachers and librarians from around the area. A good time was had by all, I busted some fiction myths (no Virginia, not all authors are rich and famous), spilled all my state secrets about writing and hopefully gave some useful tips for teaching creative writing in the classroom. It is very encouraging to find so many teachers and librarians keen to foster a love of books and writing amongst their students.

Not so encouraging? Once again I was turned down for Creative New Zealand Funding. The money would have been incredibly helpful and it is always a knock to one's creative confidence to be unsuccessful. I can't imagine having a better project to apply with than a contracted novel, with letters of support from several important industry folk. I am at a loss to know what is missing from my application. I now have a cold (to add insult to injury) and am feverishly applying lashings of chocolate and alcohol. I have a ship load of writing to do :)

A new book, by me

The publisher has said yes to a chapter book I am writing. Publication date (unless the wheels fall off) is March 2012. Although experience has taught me that things can change I am going to savour this moment. For the 10 to 12 year old reader, this is the project I have mentioned before that is very dear to my heart and I am excited it will be in print.

One of the issues many writers can face is the feeling of powerlessness. Stories are essential to the publishers but they are spoilt for choice. Chatting with some writer friends yesterday, one described her recent strategy for dealing with that issue. She has now developed an action plan which has given her back some control over her situation. I realised that I had come to the same conclusion/result via a different route. Over the last month or two I have been advocating for myself, asking questions, and putting myself forward. The results have all been positive and in addition I have to say I feel very proud of myself. Too many times in the past I have been a shrinking violet but the funny thing is when you take more control and act confident people treat you differently, and in a good way. I know my new approach won't always have positive results but at least I'll know I tried. I might fail if I try, but I can guarantee I will fail if I don't try. Don't hang back in the shadows people, no one can see you there!!

Apparently I am an adult - surely i can write a story for them

Fabo has its first winners and the second chapter is now posted over at http://www.fabostory.blogspot.com/ . One of my favourite things is all the children who have rocked up to participate in our crazy scheme. I am so impressed by what they are writing. It is quite a thrill to find so many book loving, great writing kids. My second favourite thing are the illustrations that accompany the two chapters. We love them so much we are doing our best to organise some more. This juggernaut is growing and gathering momentum and who knows where it might end up. Yeehah!

Special mention also needs to go to fellow writer and blogger on the other side of the planet, Miss Windsor (aka Welshcake) for her fabulous win at YouWriteOn.com for Children's Fiction Book of the Year 2010 with The Scarlet Heart. Fantastic news!!!! This must become a book!!!!

I have finally shoved another assignment in the post and will shortly be beginning the next one. I am thinking right now that I may take a sabbatical next year so I can actually do some writing. Yesterday I had a go at getting down on paper the adult short story that has been knocking around in my head. Ha ha - it reads like a short story for kids with grown up themes. Ack. I shall persevere. After all, I am an adult and I do occasionally read fiction for adults. I also have to do some research as its set in Pakistan where I have never been and of which I know little.

It is raining again but earlier this morning the water just hung in the air in a gloomy fog. It would have annoyed me if I hadn't been so fascinated. The rain was so light it was suspended, fixed in an earth bound cloud. Much better than the poxy stuff thats falling now. Even the vegetation is over it.

Taking advice from Life of Brian....

In the past few days while blog surfing I came across a comment on a post where the commentor complained about the cynicism in the post and also in other comments. I felt a pang. I have been guilty of some pretty intense cynicism over recent years. Now I didn't arrive at my cynicism on my own, I was driven there by some upsetting events. I have had some wonderful highs in my writing career to date, but I have also had some very miserable lows. But it is easy to let cynicism take the wheel and keep driving. So here are some positive things from recent weeks. I finished (Welshcake, I hope you're reading this) the first draft of my YA after having an epiphany about the ending the other night. Yay. Its now all printed off waiting for a read through and I am puddling about happily on my other YA, the bodice ripper. I have had some nice comments on my story Made with Love, now appearing on the Smorie website here, and fabulous illustrator friend Fifi has blogged about it too. I had coffee with writer pal Maureen Crisp yesterday, in itself a lovely event, during which she suggested long waits on submissions might mean they are 'crunching the numbers' to confirm whether they can take the financial leap with your work. I confess my cynicism reared its ugly head then, but today it's nice to think my stories might have made it to this part of the process (I have 8 submissions out there right now, five of which have been out longer than 5 months). Thank you Fifi and Maureen, I really appreciate your kind words. And another comment I came across in the ether made me realise that whatever happens to all my stories whether they are ultimately loved or unloved by others, I love them and feel proud of what I have created.

Also writer friend Sher Foley was on the children's bestseller list this week with her new picture book The Three Little Lambs: Kiwi Corkers Great NZ Yarns (Scholastic NZ), and another writer friend Elena de Roo is launching her first picture book The Rain Train (Walker Books)- with pictures by Sher's partner, award winning illustrator Brian Lovelock - on August 7. Big congratulations to Sher, Elena and Brian.

And last but not least I am a lucky participant in the most amazing writing project you might ever come across - the FaBo project. Go take a look on July 21st...

9 Mad Writers. 1 Crazy Story. No Idea What Happens Next.

A team of New Zealand children’s writers have a crazy idea for a story and they want children to help them write it.

On the 21st of July - a wacky Wednesday - the story opens with the first chapter of a junior fiction novel being posted on the FaBo story website.

Then the fun begins. New Zealand children are being invited to write the next chapter, at the same time as one of the FaBo story writers, and send it to the FaBo Team. The winning kid’s chapter will be posted side by side with the FaBo Team’s version.

Each week New Zealand kids can write the next chapter, while the Fabo story team tries to out-write them and take control of what will be a wild and crazy plot.

Kyle Mewburn, FaBo story team leader, said ‘On week 1 - Writer A writes chapter 1. In week 2 - Writer B writes chapter 2 and completely messes up Writer A's original idea (while cackling gleefully and rubbing evil little hands together). In week 3 - Writer C takes the story off into a completely different direction altogether (while cackling gleefully etc).

There will be competitions, prizes and ideas stolen.

Kids can write as part of school or library teams or on their own.

The FaBo Story website is www.fabostory.blogspot.com

All details will be up on the website in time for the start of term 3 of the school year.

The name FaBo was chosen as short for Facebook as the writers initially discussed the idea in a facebook discussion.

The FaBo Team want the story finished by Christmas. ‘We’ll need a nice lie down by then,’ said Team Member Maureen. ‘We’re up against New Zealand kids, it’s going to be tough!’

The writers are spread around New Zealand geographically.

Kyle Mewburn is in Central Otago. Michele Powles is in Dunedin.

In Wellington, Fifi Colston, Fleur Beale and Maureen Crisp.

Auckland have four writers in the team, Melinda Szymanik, Brian Falkner, Kathy White and Tania Hutley.

The FaBo story writing team, email; fabostory@gmail.com

Adverbs get a reprieve...

Read an article on 'luck' in the weekend paper's magazine this morning and decided that your luck improves if you are a little crazy. Crazy means taking some risks, doing things outside the routine, speaking to complete strangers and more, and all of these things can expand opportunities - all good if you are an author. The more I think about maintaining a little bit of craziness in order to survive being a writer, the more I realise that it may actually advance your career as well.

I had an e-mail this morning to say a story of mine (one of my personal favourites - yay) had been picked as one of fifty finalists in the third and final round of the Smories Competitions (http://www.smories.com/ ). It will be up on the website July 1st. This is very nice. I also managed to finish one of my projects (well the part of it I had to complete by now - there's still a lot to do but I've taken the all important first step and will hear back about this hopefully by the end of this month - fingers crossed in a major way). Now I just have the other project - a university assignment - to complete which has a strong whiff of 'I don't really want to do this' about it. I am going to have to force myself to complete it and of course once its done I will need to start all over again on the next one. Still as my SO likes to remind me I brought this on myself. Right back at you baby. He goes under the knife next week for a knee operation followed by several weeks of convalescence and yet again 'No driving!' Next time he wrecks a joint I will just pass him the panadol and the duct tape and they will have to do.

In recent times I have given adverbs a hard time and argued against their use. I softened my stance a little as I realised they should not be eradicated wholesale (I certainly couldn't do entirely without them myself) but now I can send you to this juicy link at Nicola Morgan's Blog which really does explain how adverbs don't totally deserve their bad rep and provides guidelines for their safe use in your writing. And because this gave me a lump in my throat and beautifully summed up what the gift of a love of books really means here is part of Kate Di Camillo's speech when she was awarded Indies Choice Award for 'Most Engaging Author', which I first came across at Beattie's Blog. Enjoy!

Writing is one of my happy places...

I have to say this - http://newarrivals.nlb.gov.sg/item_holding.aspx?bid=13226602 put a big smile on my face. If you live in Singapore you can now check out my novel Jack the Viking at a library near you.

I have finished the first draft of my current junior novel. This is also making me smile. I plan to do some editing while I'm away on holiday (this does not conflict with the concept of relaxation - writing is one of my happy places). I have nearly completed my pre-holiday to-do list and my panic levels are becoming more manageable (always present pre-travel). Wish I didn't have a slight temperature and urge to cough.

Been noticeing a surprising trend amongst writing colleagues recently. Now I know I'm a bit uptight about these things and feel free to wade in with your opinion on this if you disagree, but I think if a publisher/editor/agent expresses an interest in seeing something you have discussed with them you should foward it to them as soon as possible. If you pitched at Spinning Gold and the pitchee said "please send that to me," you should have sent it to them by now. I read alot on the topic of publishing every day and 99 times out of 100 editors/publishers/agents do not express interest in something lightly. They do not give their enthusiasm away for free - generally you should acknowledge that you have earned it and should act accordingly. Strike while their interest is still hot and your name is still fresh with them. Even if the passing of time does not dull their interest, it is time where your manuscript is idle. Because the next step may take a long time, the sooner you get the process started, the sooner your plan for world donimation can progress. If you pitch something incomplete and they ask to see it when finished, this is a little different, and its probably worth asking when they might like it by. But no one can say yes to your work if you don't send it out. As Nike apparently once said (when she was wearing sweatbands and sneakers) - Just Do It!

The year of the Bean Counter...

Congrats to Kiwiwrite4kidz clanfolk, Maria Gill and Heather Arnold for having their book Rangitoto in the Listener's top 50 children's books of 2009. And congrats to Heather Arnold for her shortlisting in the Storylines Gavin Bishop Illustrators Award. And it is great to see fellow writers Lucy Davey (A Right Royal Christmas), TK Roxborogh (Banquo's Son), Jill Marshall (Doghead) and Victoria M. Azaro (Saffron) listed in the Christmas Book Special in the Weekend Herald's Canvas magazine. Yowza! Exciting and excellent stuff.


Super lovely South island Children's writer and Spinning Gold co-attendee, Jane Bloomfield, has a fab template so you (or any crafty associated small fry) can make your own Lily Max Christmas angel for atop your Christmas Tree, via her blog here. I am particularly jealous of the winged boots and would like a pair of my own.

I have also been checking out brilliant jewellery at Meadowlark and covet the silver fang ring, especially after trying one on yesterday in Little Black Crown in St Kevin's Arcade on K Road, and deciding it enhanced the natural beauty of my hands ten-fold (ha ha). Having spent up very large on myself just last thursday, I know I must be patient before I can shell out for any new jewellery. However I did just get any extremely good result for my University paper so maybe I am deserving although a fang ring may not be the best symbol of academic acheivement. But it does go with the tattoo :)

I feel like it has been the year of the bean counter this year (I don't know whether accountants object to that moniker but I am a writer for children and that's my excuse for using it). When the recession bit, the voice of the bean counter got stronger and I have felt the sharp sting of the bean counter's "no" several times this year. This is akin to running the 100 metre hurdles and crashing on the last hurdle. Rats. In fact, several rats. It is no good winning the editor over if the bean counter is not keen. Not sure what my plan of action will be should next year also be the year of the bean counter, but I am taking suggestions...

Celebrity Reads Picks for NZ Book Month 2009 (Kids Category)

Here is that list I mentioned yesterday...

Celebrities have been reading submissions from NZ publishers over the last months and have now picked their personal favourites to promote during NZ Book Month. A (list) of these titles will be available from the NZBM website in September.

Kids Category – Cast of ‘Studio Two’
‘Studio Two’ is New Zealand’s most popular after school kids television program.
1. The Were-Nana – Melinda Szymanik and Sarah Nelisiwe Anderson (Scholastic)
2. Awesome Aotearoa – Margaret Mahy (AUT Media)
3. Why Do Dogs Sniff Bottoms? – Dawn McMillan and Bert Signal (Penguin)
4. Salt – Maurice Gee (Penguin)
5. Five (and a bit) Days in the Life of Ozzie Kingsford – Val Bird (Random House)

The list and our celebrity readers’ reasons for their picks will appear in newspapers and online in October and will be promoted by our TV and radio personalities on-air.

Whew. I am amazed (and very happy).

Small reveal...

Okay I can now confirm that I have had three short stories accepted for inclusion in an anthology to be published by Scholastic NZ next May. Yay! I love these three stories and I'm very happy they are making it in to print. And checking back on my list/egg incubator I've realised that this particular egg wasn't even on it. So I still have 7 eggs, some looking more robust than others. And there is the potential for more eggs to be laid as I finished my new picture book and the agent has already sent it off. Also very happy with that. Its a funny story. There's a chihuahua in it.

I heard the news today, oh boy...

I suspect I do not perceive the news like other people do. For example Michael Jackson's untimely and tragic death at the young age of fifty. I am embarrassed to say one of my thoughts was Farrah Fawcett picked the wrong day to die. I do not mean to trivialise death. Its the biggest crisis we will ever face in our lives. But her, also tragic and untimely passing on the same day, will forever be overshadowed by the unexpected death of the King of Pop. Maybe thats how she would have wanted it. I don't know. I hope both of them rest in peace. They both seemed to share an air of sadness about them. Michael Jackson in particular appeared, like Benjamin Button, to live his life backwards. I can't help thinking of him singing one of my favourites of his, Rock with You, in an amazingly sparkly costume, looking young and handsome and talented and full of joy. There are so many questions surrounding the person he became. I think I will continue to think of him as he was when he made Off the Wall. There has been no mention of his children by the media so far. I hope they are okay.

But back to my strange news consumption habits. Don't think I don't read the headlines because i do. But my favourite newsworthy items are the strange and curious that only get one paragraph, always leaving me wanting to know more and I guess, with a writer's eye, conjuring up all sorts of possible extrapolations of the story. And folks, should I be worried that I laughed myself silly over the story of the German old folk who kidnapped and held hostage a financial advisor responsible for the loss of $5.14 million of their savings. They attacked him with a zimmer frame, tied him up with duct tape and stuck him in a cellar where they beat him up. My favourite quote was this one, "... they bound me with masking tape until I looked like a mummy. It took them quite a while because they ran out of breath." I guess he wasn't the fittest specimen himself if he couldn't subdue two breathless geriatric attackers. Upon release, the financier could only whine and complain about the harsh treatment he had received and turned his focus on having his captors charged, with the possibility if they are found guilty of being jailed for up to 15 years. Seeing as they have lost their retirement savings maybe jail offers a greater level of security then they got from the financier's handling of their nest eggs. I don't condone violence and crime but I could not bring myself to blame those OAP for their actions. No court of any country seems to be adequately dealing with the self-important, over paid, smug, creepy, greedy people who play risky games with other peoples life savings.

And more evidence that tv can have a positive influence (after all, its where the idea for The Were-Nana came from) - another news item in the paper talked about a young boy who survived when lost by doing things he'd learned watching Bear Grylls on Man vs Wild. No reality show is truly 100% real but obviously the survival tips in Man vs Wild have credible value. They helped save a small life. Now thats good news.

Good book design...the silent hero of many a good book

Awhile back I checked in at this blog and read an interesting post on book design. Book design is one of those things that you probably never notice. But you can be certain that when you have found a book particularly enjoyable and satisfying, good book design has played an important part in this reaction. And when you put that book down five seconds after picking it up in a bookshop, poor book design most likely played a part in that too. Or when a book seems hard to read or confusing. Or gives you a headache.

Great book design is one of those things that is a seamless part of the whole product that makes a book a delight to hold, to read and to pore over again and again. And its absence can make even the most heartbreaking work of exceptional genius a trial to read. Good design can make text books easier to learn from. Good design calls out to you across the bookshop. It makes reading a pleasure.

I know it has made a difference to my books. Which is why its such a buzz to tell you that the book designer for The Were-Nana is a finalist in the picture book category for the 2009 BPANZ Book Design Awards. Its especially exciting because the The Were-Nana was designed by its fabulous illustrator Sarah Anderson who is truly multi-talented. I love that the design supports the underlying themes of the book so well and that everything contributes to the telling of the story and the changing moods and emotions that Sarah has illustrated so well. The winners are announced in September. Good luck Sarah!

Gotta love the indie's...

After my first book was published I quickly learned it is not a certainty that bookshops will stock my books, although my fingers and toes are always really, really crossed. So I felt my heart drop when I read the news at Beattie's blog here, that Whitcoulls/Borders will in future be managed from overseas. I cannot imagine that this can have a positive effect on the stocking of books published here in NZ. Two large Dymocks shops are closing doors on Lambton Quay, Wellington and Queen Street, Auckland. Sigh - why are things getting harder? Still, gotta love the indie's and hope they are doing okay. I'll keep doing my bit by buying books as often as possible.

In better news I got an A on my first assignment for the university paper I am doing. Crikey, I better get cracking on the second one. And it was fantastic to read of Tania Roxborogh's success (also on Beattie's blog) signing up with a US agent to represent her book Banquo's Son. To be published here by Penguin NZ in October, it sounds like a ripping read and I can't wait to get my hands on a copy.

Still waiting to hear back on a bunch of stuff (come on guys, its been months now!!). Its friday. Sipping at a piccolo of champagne and laughing at Fifi's comment to my last post. I've decided the secret to managing it all is to lock the door from the inside and stay really quiet so no one can find you :)

All over the place....

With thanks to the NZ Book Council, you can find a review of Jack the Viking by Crissi Blair here. Its just a little ways down the page :)

I finished The Tomorrow Code yesterday. Nice crisp writing, strong characters and with increasing tension as it went along, it had a very satisfying ending and one that will keep my brain ticking over for quite a while. Some time back I toyed with the whole future-past, mobius strip looping concept for a story idea and as it hurt my head a lot I put it to one side. Its good to see someone making it work and gives me fresh hope. Haven't decided what book to read next. Maybe I'll do some more work on my YA, before I crack the spine on someone else's work

I believe the new publishing manager is now at work at Scholastic NZ. Yay!! There would have been a few tail chasing moments over the past few months there as two people worked hard to cover a three person plus job. I'm looking forward to meeting the new person. Of course the Margaret Mahy day would have been the perfect opportunity to mosie on up and say howdy but drat if it isn't down in Christchurch this year and I'm too cheap to go. I'm still hoping to get to Wellington this September (please let me register in time, please let me register in time) for the Spinning Gold Conference and can't really afford too many trips. And there are just too many other things on over the next few months so a quick trip to Chch was always going to be in the hard basket.

In other good news the White Ferns (NZ's women's cricket team) are now in the final of the Women's cricket World Cup (facing England) following a great win against Pakistan which featured a record breaking, outstanding 168 runs off 105 balls by Suzie Bates. Yowza. England are the only team to beat them in this competition so the final could be very exciting indeed. Go Kiwis.

And in one of those "its not like I knew her but her death really saddens me," moments, the news of Natasha Richardson's untimely demise has bummed me out. It is shocking that something so seemingly insignificant can have such tragic results. Human beings seem so robust at times and then just incredibly fragile at others. As she was my age (way, way too young to die) and the mum of two young children I guess its had more of an impact on me. And we shouldn't need reminding, but folks, don't put things off. Don't put off writing if its your secret dream, don't be afraid to show other people your work, don't file things in the bottom drawer - send them out. Get off your butt and live your life NOW.

When the voice isn't quite right...

Went to see the movie Watchmen last night. I can't say I was keen. This movie contains what I call extreme excessive violence. Ack. Now I ain't too squeamish. I like a good action flick and heck, I've even autopsied dead animals at 2 o'clock in the morning while all by myself, in the name of science, but this was a hard watch when I wasn't busy covering my eyes with my hands. I do have to admit, however, that I was fascinated by other aspects of the movie. I loved the idea of exploring a world where superheroes are part of the normal fabric of society. And that they weren't all good and noble. I loved the idea of the Dr Manhatten character - finding his humanity while being able to understand and control the physical nature of the universe. But after presenting a world where violence is the answer to just about everything and man is his own worst enemy, I didn't buy the characters rejoicing in the miracle of being human. And how many people was the most philanthropic character willing to kill? And that final act of altruism? The Dark Knight did it so much better. I'm glad I'm not immune to that level of violence but I'm worried about all the movie goers who might be. I also have to say it was weird being in town on a saturday night. I hope all those drunk young folk, especially the ones in their flimsy mini dresses didn't freeze to death and got home safely. Their parents were probably worried.

I have a truckload of writing work to do at the moment and I have been putting it off. However there's a deadline appraoching at a hundred miles an hour on this and I will have to suck it up and get on with it. I have this story idea I am very keen on and there is interest in it. I have already written an outline and a few chapters but I just know I haven't got the right feel yet. The voice is too old and too inside his head. I'm going to expand my outline and then try switching from first to third person and see what the result is like. The main issue behind the idea is quite a weighty one too and while respecting it, I don't want young readers to drown in the message so i have to keep a firm yet light control. I shall keep you updated. Oh and one of the short stories I submitted for this year's Random anthology edited by Barbara Else was accepted. Yay!!

The Were-Nana - NZ Post Book Awards finalist...updated

BREAKING NEWS! - my picture book The Were-Nana is a finalist in the picture book section of this year's NZ Post Book Awards. Yay!!

'There's nothing Simon enjoys more than scaring his little sister, Stella Rosa.And now that the mysterious Nana Lupin is coming to stay, Simon is having great fun. Stella Rosa is afraid. Is her nana really a monster?'

Congrats to Sarah Anderson too, co-finalist, who produced such fantastic knock-out illustrations and did such a wonderful design job. And thanks to Scholastic NZ for taking a chance on a story thats a little different.

Whoops - due to an error by the NZPA The Were-Nana and me were omitted from the list of NZ Post Book Awards finalists in yesterday's NZ Herald. They also got illustrators a bit mucked up and a book title too. Don't worry, you can read the correct list here by clicking on the side menu.