Will the real Cooper Jones please stand up

August and September have flown by in a blur of school and library visits, Book Week events, festivals and conferences. It has been an absolute blast, and although at times I have been on the brink of exhaustion, I would do it all again.

There were so many highlights - too many to mention - but one that I do want to share is when a great young lad by the name of COOPER JONES introduced me at one of my Brisbane Writers Festival sessions. He did a great job with his speech; he was funny and clever and I couldn't help but get a photo of the two of us afterwards.

Coincidentally, this Cooper Jones goes to my niece and nephews' school and his family won a pack of my books (including Get a Grip, Cooper Jones) at a school fundraiser earlier in the year, so it was extra special that Payne Road School was asked to do the introductions and that Cooper was chosen.

Thanks, Coops. (By the way, he assured me that he isn't quite the idiot that the Cooper in the book is and that his life, thankfully, isn't spinning out of control.)

Stories - they'll take you places

I have been talking a lot these past weeks about story, and in particular story journey.

I love how a story, well told, will take hold of you and transport you to a new and/or different reality; how characters, well drawn, will become like new friends - people you want to hang out with for a while; and while you are hanging out with these new friends and going on a journey with them, you not only get entertained, but you also get to discover a little more about what it means to be a human being.

Here's my favourite quote for the week (another from the wall above my desk):

"Stories not only move us, they motivate us because we can see in them echoes of possibilities for ourselves."
Peter Guber, Film Director

Brilliant, isn't it?

Packing my bags today as I'm off to Brisbane for the Ipswich Literature Festival, Brisbane Writers and CYA conference. Looks like my stories are taking me on a bit off a journey too!

Word Play - Brisbane Writers Festival

So excited to be part of Word Play at Brisbane Writers Festival. I will be joining many fab children's authors including Wendy Orr, Susanne Gervay and James Roy.

I will be doing two writing workshops, two general sessions and for the first time ever an online session - that's a little scary.

I also have the luxury of having a whole session devoted to the writing of Get a Grip Cooper Jones. Can't wait. Hope to see some of you up there.