fabostory for 2011 - have you got what it takes?...

Hold on to your hair, the Fabo behemoth is grinding in to action for 2011. Sparklier, tighter, brighter and more surprising than in 2010, we have a brand new challenge for young writers to pit their skills against us and win some super prizes. Are you brave enough, have you got what it takes (a free afternoon and a computer?), will you dare??? Have bucket loads of fun while keeping your teachers happy (or get them to join in the fun) at www.fabostory2.blogspot.com Be there or be an underarm pimple!

And in other news I have signed up to have my young teen thriller My Sister's Shadow published, more details soon, and I have received my fresh-from-the-printers copy of The House That Went to Sea and I am delighted to report my new baby is beautiful. Launching in July, details also to follow soon. In addition to the launch in Auckland in July I will be reading The House That Went to Sea at the Children's Bookshop in Kilbirnie, Wellington on Friday, August 19 at 10.30, and loitering with intent at the Storylines Family Day at the Wellington Town Hall on Sunday 21st.

The game is afoot...

What a week it was last week. Went to the NZ Post Children's Book Awards on Wednesday night and was one of the organisers for an event with Walker Books Australia Publisher Sarah Foster on Thursday night. Both were super events with lots of interesting industry gossip and fun catch ups. Other things happened too and by the end of the week I was so pooped I felt like I could sleep longer than Rip Van Winkle. There are things afoot...which reminds me, I watched Sherlock last night on tv with Benedict Cumberpatch in the title role and Martin 'Bilbo' Freeman as Dr Watson. Its all set in current times with cell phones, texting, surveillance cameras and websites but it retains everything that defines and keeps faith with the original. But all the story telling and smartness aside its just really well done. I love watching people who can act - people who inhabit a different persona with their own mannerisms, tics, inflexions, history and habits. Dr Watson checks his service revolver like an experienced army man should - like its second nature - I can't imagine Martin Freeman has that experience but Dr Watson does. And I believe its Dr Watson. And its intelligent - I can just feel my grey cells getting excited. Yay for something decent on the telly for a change. And thank you to the journalist who pointed out the links between Sherlock Holmes and 'House' (House/Holmes, Wilson/Watson, medical detectivery/criminal detectivery) - I hadn't twigged.

The Fabo gears are slowly grinding back into motion. Watch this space. Its an all new and exciting writing adventure for years 5 and up with loads of fun and heaps of prizes. More on this soon...

So I will keep you posted on any developments that may occur (I can tell you I am in Wellington in August, reading The House That Went to Sea at The Children's Bookshop in Kilbirnie at 10.30 on Friday 19th and at Storylines Family Day at the Town Hall on Sunday 21st) - in the meantime I'm off to hang out the washing and have a coffee.

Grease is the word...

Chapter Three is now posted at fabostory with the most excellent artwork by ***** ****** (name embargoed in case we run an illustrator guessing comp). I would rather be a ***** ****** (btw the number of asterisks bears no relation to the number of letters in the illustrators name) picture than a Salvador Dali one right now.

My daughter finished reading my draft YA and gave it her seal of approval. She's been talking about it with her school mates and tells me they want to read it. So I started wondering if I should just do the e-book thing and my daughter promptly said none of her school friends have something to read an e-book on. So back to considering the traditional route, I am at that horrible point in the writing of a book when I need to turn it from a first draft into a final draft and I just can't face the prospect, I'm not sure why. I like this story and I'm happy with how the plot developed and finished up. I know its common practice to put a first draft away in a drawer for a few months to let it ripen like a smelly cheese but I have to say this is one writing rule I've never really followed. I want to get on with this one. A publisher has expressed an interest in having a look and I sent the first three chapters to another publisher some months back and if they do decide they'd like to see the whole thing its probably best I whip it in to shape as soon as possible. I have some other things that need working on and if I don't attend to the YA soon, it may be a while before I can get back to it. Update: I asked if they wanted to see it in its raw state and they said 'send it now'...so i did. As these things take a while to consider it makes sense to be doing the titivating whilst they weigh up the project. As I am happy with plot and voice and only working on improving grammar and style this seems sensible to me.

Took my YA reading daughter to a live performance of the musical Grease last night. It was loads of fun and she loved it. She has aspirations in that direction and felt very inspired by the whole thing. My only quibble - whenever we go see a movie or show together we always end up sitting next to, directly in front of, or behind the person with the hacking cough, the loud-voiced seat-kicking rudely-behaved children or the crying infant. I am acquiring some good aural blocking skills but I would rather I didn't need them.

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.

results are inconclusive...

So the extra exciting, all-new fantastic Fabo project is up and running and children are sending in their chapters and their guesses about who penned Chapter One. As this is 'all-new' and never been done before, we are tweaking and adjusting as we go along to make sure it is the best possible. This suits me very well as my general MO is flying by the seat of my pants. It is also very exciting as we wait to see what happens with every new step we take. I never knew it would be this much fun. I can't wait to see what happens next week. If you aren't already part of the fun and would like to be, check fabo out here.

I have bleated on and off recently about the drag of having to wait to hear back on things and I was sure my brain would explode if I had to wait any longer. You will be relieved to know my head is still intact on my shoulders despite the fact that I have had no conclusive results on anything (although I did discover that the overseas conference I attended several years back is still paying positive dividends now - note to self, plan to attend another writery conference over next year or two). I can also without doubt confirm I do not have esp, or any mind bending or telepathic persuasvie powers (rats). Having the weighty carcass of a smelly assignment albatross hanging around my neck has kept me a little distracted and given me other things to carp about and the fabo project has been a thrilling little sidetrack. And here over at one of my favourite blogs (with a warning about excessive expletives) is an insightful little rant about publishing by the rejectionist. This lady is smart and wise. Go read it.

Fabulous first fabo chapter

Its ALIVE! The most amazing book writing project ever, like Frankenstein's monster, has finally breathed its first....Go check it out here. I can't wait to see what will happen. Children, sharpen your pencils and your imaginations 'cos the fabulous first chapter of fabostory is rolling out.... Can you guess who wrote it? Will you take up the challenge to write the next thrilling installment? Will it be anything like our next thrilling installment? Win prizes! Laugh your heads off! Find out what we think about when we write, the questions we ask ourselves, and the crazy answers we are sometimes forced to come up with!