An advance copy of my latest picture book, Dance of the Sugar Plum Fairy. Gorgeous illustrations by the talented Sarah Davis and a CD with the story narrated by Antonia Kidman.Happy day.
Wednesday, April 29, 2009
Look what came in the post today!
Yay! Look what I got today.
An advance copy of my latest picture book, Dance of the Sugar Plum Fairy. Gorgeous illustrations by the talented Sarah Davis and a CD with the story narrated by Antonia Kidman.
An advance copy of my latest picture book, Dance of the Sugar Plum Fairy. Gorgeous illustrations by the talented Sarah Davis and a CD with the story narrated by Antonia Kidman.
Sunday, April 19, 2009
Freaky Interview
Interested in a Freaky interview? I have been interviewed by Sally Murphy - author and reviewer - about the writing of Freaky and also about writing for series in general. Thanks, Sally!
Catch the interview at: http://sallymurphy.blogspot.com/ and also http://aussiereviews.blogspot.com/
It's a gloriously wet Sunday afternoon here, perfect for curling up in bed with my laptop and working on WIP. So back to it.
Ciao
PS: Watch out for Sally's new book out next month - Pearl Verses the World. It is gorgeous.
Catch the interview at: http://sallymurphy.blogspot.com/ and also http://aussiereviews.blogspot.com/
It's a gloriously wet Sunday afternoon here, perfect for curling up in bed with my laptop and working on WIP. So back to it.
Ciao
PS: Watch out for Sally's new book out next month - Pearl Verses the World. It is gorgeous.
Friday, April 10, 2009
It's all in the telling
Many years ago, when I first started out trying to write stories for publication, I wrote a story called The Baker and the Bunyip. It was, at the time, the "best" story I had written. I loved it and was very keen to see it get published.
In my enthusiasm to find a publisher, I rang the editor at an established trade publishing house and very cheekily asked: "Do you have an aversion to stories with talking bunyips?"
The editor laughed (thankfully!) and said, "Well, actually, yes. Talking bunyips aren't really my thing. But send it in anyway as, after all, it is all in the telling."
Well, obviously, my "telling" at the time wasn't quite up to scratch as the manuscript was quickly rejected and returned. But that bit of advice - it's all in the telling - stuck. It is the one truth that informs all my writing to this day.
No matter how wonderful your story idea, how exciting your plot, how quirky your characters - it all comes down to the telling. To voice and style. To the way your words flow into sentences and weave their magic on your readers. It is all in the telling.
Now ten years on, the editor I spoke to is a very well-respected publisher.
The Baker and the Bunyip was reworked and became The Baker and the Bush Beastie. I sold it to Macmillan Education in 2005. (Seems it's okay for bush beasties rather than bunyips to talk!)
And I am now an editor who very frequently utters the words: "Well, it's all in the telling, really ..."
Happy writing.
In my enthusiasm to find a publisher, I rang the editor at an established trade publishing house and very cheekily asked: "Do you have an aversion to stories with talking bunyips?"
The editor laughed (thankfully!) and said, "Well, actually, yes. Talking bunyips aren't really my thing. But send it in anyway as, after all, it is all in the telling."
Well, obviously, my "telling" at the time wasn't quite up to scratch as the manuscript was quickly rejected and returned. But that bit of advice - it's all in the telling - stuck. It is the one truth that informs all my writing to this day.
No matter how wonderful your story idea, how exciting your plot, how quirky your characters - it all comes down to the telling. To voice and style. To the way your words flow into sentences and weave their magic on your readers. It is all in the telling.
Now ten years on, the editor I spoke to is a very well-respected publisher.
The Baker and the Bunyip was reworked and became The Baker and the Bush Beastie. I sold it to Macmillan Education in 2005. (Seems it's okay for bush beasties rather than bunyips to talk!)
And I am now an editor who very frequently utters the words: "Well, it's all in the telling, really ..."
Happy writing.
Saturday, April 4, 2009
Playing With Spiders
Any Aussie will tell you that you shouldn't play with spiders. But here's a link to a spider that begs to be played with.
http://www.onemotion.com/flash/spider/
Drag the spider around with your mouse. Feed it some insects and be ready to shudder. Not recommended for anyone suffering with arachnophobia!
Yours in skin-crawling freaky fun. (Thanks for the link, Paul.)
http://www.onemotion.com/flash/spider/
Drag the spider around with your mouse. Feed it some insects and be ready to shudder. Not recommended for anyone suffering with arachnophobia!
Yours in skin-crawling freaky fun. (Thanks for the link, Paul.)
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