Helping you find your way through the tall-hedged maze...

 Well colour me blush. I talked about some of the reasons why your book might not get to be published overseas and lo and behold I have had news over the past week of some overseas deals for a couple of my books. Unsurprisingly I am happy to feel awkward about this turn of events. While I am not sure I can share all of my news, I am thrilled to say Sharing with Wolf, published by Scholastic NZ, and illustrated by Nikki Slade Robinson, will be heading off to Italy. Being published in Europe is a first for me and I am looking forward to the adventure. I guess the bottom line on my previous post was that overseas publication is not a given. If it doesn't happen to you, you are in good company with other good people and other good books. And then when you least expect it, it may happen after all. Honestly, I'm as surprised as the rest of you.

Usually, as we approach Christmas, I do a stocktake of the year that's been, but this year has been like no other. A big bunch of things I signed up for never happened. A bunch of other things still went ahead via zoom, or with masks, hand sanitizer and social distancing. We all became anxious about our wifi dropping out at crucial moments, and the habit of frequently touching our own faces that we never knew we had. And lockdown was the weirdest time of all, full of challenges we'd never had to contemplate before. It hasn't been all bad. I've had books accepted, an award shortlisting and now I can add the latest overseas developments to my 2020 good things. And I'm not alone - I've been hearing some very bright spots of good news across the children's writing community. Maybe because through it all we've been reading as much as we can. Its been fantastic to see books bring other people much needed joy and comfort. In times like these, books are even more essential than usual. 

Next year is slowly beginning to take shape. I have some gigs lined up in March, April, June and August. I'll be teaching my Writing Children's Picture Books course again at Selwyn Community Education, and in 2021 I'll also be taking a half day workshop there on Writing Short Stories. Woohoo! I really enjoy sharing tips, tools, and techniques with you and I'm really looking forward to doing it again next year :-) I have everything crossed that things go ahead way more often in 2021 than they did in 2020.

And I have books coming out. A few days ago I received an advance copy of Moon and Sun illustrated by Malene Laugesen and published by Upstart Press, which launches in February. Squuueeeeeeee!!

And in 2021 I'd really like to provide more blog content that helps you build your craft, find your way through the tall-hedged maze that is getting and staying published, and develop ways to manage everything from the admin of writing and books, to surviving rejections and successes (however, I beg of you, do not ask me about commas). So, to that end, if you have a burning question, or an issue that you can't quite resolve, or topics you'd really like me to tackle (even if I've covered them before), please let me know in the comment section here, or via facebook or twitter.

Possible topics include:

1) What your plot cannot live without.

2) Top qualities of successful picture books deconstructed

3) Imagining the pictures when you can't 'picture' to save yourself (i.e. making sure your story will work as a picture book)

4) The publishers secret handshake

5) The grammar you can't avoid

I will try and address all of these in 2021, but let me know if there are any you are particularly interested in. And if I don't know the answer I will go in search of the person who does. 

Wishing you a safe and happy festive season, and perfect weather for the summer break (with occasional rain cos we really need it in Auckland). See you in 2021...

Barriers to writing...

I have been applying some brain twirlings to the business of writing recently as you might imagine after my last post. Why is it easy sometimes and not others? How come the ideas that accumulate and assemble into rational plot lines and sentences in our heads sometimes refuse to fall into line on the page? And why do the same composed words give us joy one day and grief the next? Well I have no answers to any of those questions and I am willingly accepting any that you might offer, but in the meantime I thought I'd talk about a bunch of things that can interfere with our writing.

1) You aren't reading enough and aren't benefiting from the lessons you could be getting if only you read more books demonstrating how good plots, great characters, well composed sentences and expertly applied grammar look and work. Reading can also be inspiring and motivating. And I'm sorry, but if you don't read at all I'm not sure where your desire to be a writer can possibly come from.

2) You are reading too much and everything you read is light years better than anything you've been trying to write, and/or you are reading so much you run out of time to produce your own things. Too many books can overwhelm and demotivate you. It is a delicate balance and it may take a little while to strike it right. Being aware of the potential problem is a good place to start.

3) You aren't living your life. Seriously folks, having a life makes writing easier. Experiences provide raw material for future stories.Where else can you eavesdrop on the juicy conversation of others and find the people who will become the basis for the antagonist in your story who you will gleefully kill off in the most slow and gruesome fashion in your children's comic novel. And for a bonus 190,000 points, living your life will help you keep body and soul together when the writing is proving difficult and deflating. Hanging out with people you love is the best tonic.

4) You forget to feed your creative mind. Seriously, that thing does not work for free and cannot run on empty. And those sad desperate $20 fill ups that have you limping along will not result in the best work. And don't fill the tank with just anything or a constant diet of the same thing. Go watch, listen to, feel and take in, stuff you love, hate, want to analyse, and feel terrifyingly jealous of. All will inform your work in a positive way.

5) You listen too much to your inner voice when its on a downer. Man that thing can be a complete bummer that makes you wonder what the hell you are doing. It can be a broken record with a broken message. Tell yourself the message is boring, or even better, wrong. Graft in some positive mantras. Or listen to yourself give someone else some good advice and then use it too.

6) You give more weight to the negative voices of others than you do to the positive ones. This a classic. The negative feedback just seems so much more believable because it chimes in with what our inner voice has been telling us. Here is one of the reasons you need to deal to your inner voice. And remember if you choose to believe the criticisms, then you must also believe the compliments. They are no less worthy of your trust.

7) You don't eat properly, get enough sleep or get any exercise. You either treat your body like a temple, or a public toilet. Now think about what each of those might produce.

Things that don't matter

a) having the perfect place to write. Writing is conveniently portable and transferable. You can do it just about anywhere although I hear pen ink freezes in Antarctica. If you are delaying writing while you look for the right place, you are not writing.

b) having that world changing story idea. There are no new ideas, and even if that isn't true, waiting for something that no one has ever thought of before in thousands of years of civilization and written expression will stop you honing your craft, so, if and when that idea appears, you won't be skilled enough to write it. Of course if your world changing idea appears immediately I don't want to talk to you

c) believing there is some insight or secret that will make all the difference in finding writing success. 'Lots of writing' is the only secret I've discovered that works so far, in twenty years of writing experience. Do some writing while you wait

The Storylines National Children's Writers and Illustrators' Hui...

One of the things I have always envied about writing greats, is their hobnobbing with other writing greats. Like Neil Gaiman's friendships with Terry Pratchett and Diana Wynne Jones. JRR Tolkien and CS Lewis. And Stein, Hemingway and Fitzgerald. And many other literary groups and friendships. I can only imagine how cool their conversations are/were, and wonder whether they offer(ed) each other criticism and advice or just talk(ed) about more lofty philosophical topics. Maybe they just talk(ed) about what colour ink to use, but probably in a very exciting way. I think the important thing to hold on to here, to assuage the jealousy, is the fact that when these people formed their friendships/alliances they weren't necessarily the writing greats we have come to think of them as. They just got together to talk about their common interests.

As with any job or vocation, getting to know others in your field is how you keep your sanity, overcome issues that are hard to wrangle on your own, share information for the betterment of the group, and help and support each other through successes and failures, because if you stay in this business for the long haul you will experience both.

I always recommend to writers just starting out that they should find their tribe. You will need friends who understand what being a writer means as you make the journey. Ideally you will make friends with writers at all different stages of their careers because every stage has its own unique set of advantages and pitfalls. Most likely your group will be centered around the type of writing you do. You might belong to several groups. And late at night when you are struggling with your writing or, anything really, you will message your writery friends and they will know just what you mean and suggest ways to fix it or get through, or sympathise with the place you are at, or cheer you on.

If you don't know how to find your tribe, if you are unsure how to reach out to them, a conference (in addition to having many other benefits) is a good way to begin. Hanging out with your tribe (current or intended) is one of the loveliest things about a writing conference. There is to be a Hui for Children's Writers and Illustrators in Auckland this coming October. I'll be running a workshop for beginner writers, and there will be lots of practical workshops, pitching sessions and opportunities to meet and hang out with writers and illustrators from all over New Zealand at all sorts of different stages in their careers. If you want to find out more or sign up to attend, everything you need to know can be found here. I hope I see you there!

A baker's dozen of writery advice....

Some new tips for writing in these tricky times. The rules have changed. Writing and publishing have become a wide open field of possibility. Be brave, have fun, but let's be careful out there...

1). Read as if your life depended on it. To become a good writer you must learn to recognize good writing. The best writing for you to learn is the kind you love reading the most; that you enjoy; that best satisfies your reading needs. Folk might try telling you only one kind of writing is the good kind. I would rather write the kind of book I love to read. They are my benchmark for good writing.
2) Don't jump in without checking the water first. There might be sharks, mermaids or pirates, none of whom will help you. Don't let ignorance be your excuse for being eaten alive, being lured by the siren, or being plundered for booty.
3) Ideas are two faced and will abandon you when you need them most. Don't call them, they'll call you. Have faith in the fact that they are there, whether you can see them or not. Eventually they will show themselves
4) Some ideas take years to develop. If you like the look of it don't give up on an idea just because it refuses to grow. Put it aside and let it prove
5) Act like a writer. Write. Think about writing. Write some more. Make friends with other writers. Read. Write some more. Put writing first sometimes.
6) The buck stops with you. People can give you advice and you can choose whether or not to take it. This is very exciting. But don't forget the responsibilities and the consequences of your decisions will also be yours.
7) Reward yourself. When things go well. When things don't go so well. You will write better if you feel good about it
8) Take care of yourself. Rest, eat, exercise, see people, get fresh air, laugh.
9) Celebrate any successes. If you haven't had a success for a while - celebrate an old one. I recommend wrapping successes in gladwrap so they stay fresher longer.
10) Don't be afraid to find new dreams. This does not necessarily mean getting rid of old ones. But as it appears it is still possible to achieve your dreams it pays to update them regularly.
11) Instincts can be quite trustworthy. If you are not sure about your own, find friends who have good ones and ask their opinion. If a bad decision happens, unless it stops you breathing, know that you will get past it. Do your best to learn what you can from it.
12) Be happy that you are doing what you love, no matter how it turns out
13) Know that no one has all the answers - even the biggest smartypants

Use a spoon...

I'm sorry folks, but if you are serious about writing, I believe you have to be rather serious about reading too...

When I first outed myself as a wannabe writer I was a bit rubbish. The desire to write was overwhelming, I'd read a lot all my life (although I realise now for many years I was obsessive about a small number of books rather than tackling a wider range), and I'd been playing with words for years. But my stories were pretty much lifeless.  Looking back it's easy to see I still had a long way to go to write something publishable. Now when I talk to new writers I still advise them to read a lot of books. That is where you learn your craft. And to a certain extent this is true. You can't help but consume a lot of well written sentences, a lot of correct punctuation and hopefully a good dose of creative word play when you read. Some of it does soak in and helps you write in a logical, readable manner. All those wonderful books that were my best friends growing up taught me and inspired me. But it took me a long while to learn how to read in a way that would transform my sensible sentences into a strong voice with something truly interesting to say. The change wasn't a conscious decision. I don't remember experiencing a shift in how I read. Well maybe I do. My first assignment for my Children's Writing paper when I worked my way through my English degree back in the 90's required me to read closely a passage from two set books. The BFG by Dahl and Rowling's Harry Potter and The Philosopher's Stone. Subconsciously I had always appreciated the 'voice' of certain writers, without actually putting a name to it or wondering how they might achieve it. But to meet the demands of the assignment I picked apart the unique qualities of these two writers and in doing so liberated my own voice. It's no good to just pick your brain, you actually have to scoop it out with a spoon and throw it at the page. Metaphorically of course.

In the beginning, imitation is a good way to get started in finding your own voice. Imitation and a willingness to let go. This isn't recommending purple prose (a.k.a the presence of a thousand adjectives), this is about collecting words and turns of phrase that have impressed you as a reader. How or why did they work? How can you use the same techniques - metaphor, POV, imagery, symbolism, rhyme, rhythm, allieration etc...etc...etc... Experiment. Don't be afraid to fail. Some of life's best inventions (including stories) were meant to be something else. Finding your own voice takes practice. And it will continue to evolve. Be brave. And remember, writing is a conversation with your readers, not just listening to the sound of your own voice.

So my advice to new writers isn't just to read a lot of books. It's read a lot of books, select the ones that really spin your dials and ask what it was about those books that flipped all your switches and how did the writer do it? Because, as a writer, if you aren't asking the questions, how will you find the answers??

Not the gospel according to me...

A lot of writing advice is predicated on general truths about the writing and publishing business. But for every truth, there is an exception. And for every bit of advice it pays to remember that this advice is generally the product of someone's experience. Anything I say on this blog is based on my experience over the years. The more time that passes, the more experience I gain. I'm active in the writing and publishing world here in New Zealand and network with others who do the same. I read blogs written by folk doing the same in other countries. Where possible I try to pool the experience and give you a range of information, or give you links to check out for yourselves and make up your own mind about. No one has all the answers and anyone who says they do is worthy of your suspicion. And ultimately I can only tell you what worked and didn't work for me. Please don't think that anything I say here is the final word. Keep an open mind. Do some research. Read widely. And then make informed decisions and do what you feel is right for you. The things I always do are trust my intuition, and know the world is not irreparably broken if I make a mistake. Politeness and professionalism are my mantra (and no I don't always get these right, but I do try to). You've read that here before. You'll probably read those words here again. As time passes and I gain more experience I continually revise my understanding of the writing and publishing world, how it works and my place in it. I am  still surprised by things that happen. Just when I feel like I have a handle on the rules and know how things work something happens to prove me wrong. I should learn not to say 'that'll never happen to me'. You shouldn't say it either. Its good to have a little faith. And its embarrassing when you say 'that'll never happen to me' and then it does (although that's not always a bad thing to be embarrassed about).   But being polite and professional will always be the right thing to do.

and if you are wondering what I am going on about, after my blog post last week about my life being the result of the unexpected, I got a pleasant surprise on Friday which hopefully will result in a new book by me out next year. But it didn't seem to follow the usual rules I have become familiar with. When details are sorted and confirmed I will tell you all about it.

Don't be a slave ... the sandals are so uncomfortable

I sometimes mostly always think the general public have the wrong idea about what it means to be a published author in New Zealand. I guess that isn't so surprising. Only big successes get reported in the media here. Or articles talk about what is happening to overseas writers, where an advance for a first novel in the US is likely to be in the 5,000 to 10,000 dollar range (sometimes much more, although it can also be zero) and an american debut author can be whisked off to London on an author tour and be interviewed by the press. Its all so exciting. We don't generally get whisked off so perhaps we seem less real to the media and the public. I think the general rule is you need to be something to be aspired to, or warned away from, to get media coverage. I just don't want the public to have the wrong idea. Our population here means everything is on a much smaller scale. Print runs are smaller, advances are smaller, and getting whisked away might mean a trip to the publisher's offices or a local cafe. I am not complaining. I want to live here and things are smaller here and that naturally will have implications, but I just want folks to know that its not a flash, rolling in money and junkets kind of occupation is all. And writing isn't a holiday, its a job (and often a compulsion). I think I'm probably repeating myself on this topic but I still hear the same misapprehensions when I talk to folk so I guess it bears repeating.

I also wanted to say that I am changing my mind about writing rules and writing advice. Go check out this smart link over at writer Helen Lowe's blog on Ten Bits of Advice Writers Should Stop Giving Aspiring Writers (warning - lots of swearing). I especially like the one on show don't tell (2) and on watching what you say on the internet (4). I've always been one for keeping both show and tell in a story (I find reading all show gives me a headache). As the blogger says - both have their place. I think I want to change my stance on adverbs too. They can be a bit of a lazy option sometimes but sometimes they are the right word for the job.

There is heaps of advice out there and lots of rules and some of it is good but its important to not feel straitjacketed by it all. Advice and rules can be a comfort and sometimes a lifesaver - something to cling on to when the creative seas get rough. But they aren't a cure all or necessarily your saviour. Following them can help make you a better writer and can help you improve your understanding of writing and storytelling, but sometimes you need to ignore the advice and the rules and sometimes you have to break them. They're your friends, not your masters. Don't be their slave.

Smart advice on the creative life...

I am linking here to Neil Gaiman's commencement address to the 2012 graduating students at The University of  the Arts in Philadelphia, partly because I want to have it to refer back to when I need a pep talk. If anyone can give a pep talk to creative people in these crazy times it is Mr Gaiman. So many things he says, I found myself nodding along to: philosophies that underpin my own approach, ways of doing things that I have learned by the doing, advice that it never hurts to be reminded of. I love that he says he learned to write by writing. This is what I believe too, and sometimes my faith in this has been shaken by other writers, or teachers of writing (who I guess have a vested interest in rattling this belief) who disagree. I suppose it might not be true for everyone, but it has been true for me. The more I write, the more I understand what I need to do. The better my stories have become. I guess if I showed you my early stuff you would see the difference, but then I would have to kill you.

Gaiman also talks about writing the things you want and need to write, not just for the money you have been offered to write them. If the money side of things falls through all you will have to show is something that means nothing to you, that you don't care about. If you write something you care about , whether you get paid or not, you will still have something you are proud of to show for your efforts. I have tried to write things just for a payday and they turn out rotten. I know better than to try now.

And I am most guilty of worrying, when I should be enjoying the moment. Sure, my 'moment' isn't anywhere near what Gaiman's 'moments' have been. I've never had all those award nominations, or wins, the long line of eager fans waiting patiently for a Gaiman signature, the invitations to prestigious events, interviews, TV appearances etc .... but I've had good things happen and I struggle with the idea of stopping to smell the roses. If I stop the world might move on without me. But what is the point of doing this if you can't get pleasure out of the happy results of your own creative efforts.

I like that he says he didn't know that certain things were going to work, their success never inevitable in his eyes; I like that he says make mistakes - Coraline after all, was the result of a misspelling; I like his idea of making your goal a mountain and only choosing to do things that take you closer to that mountain - of course the problem with this analogy is whether you can always tell whether certain steps will take you closer or not - it's better, I suppose to take a wrong step then take no steps at all. I like that he talks of the upheavals in the creative world with excitement not fear. And I like that Melinda Szymanik, children's author does have things in common with the Rock God of Writing Neil Gaiman. His faith is my faith.

There are other pearls of wisdom in Gaiman's address and if you are a creative person I urge you to watch it and take notes. And go make good art!