Scouting landscapes

I've been on a road trip through the central west and outback NSW. Marvellous country. Essentially, I was on holiday, but I was also scouting for material for my work in progress, which is set on a wild property somewhere in rural NSW.

I live in a small coastal village, so it was easy for me to write authentically about life by the sea in Get a Grip, Cooper Jones and Battle of the Rats. The sea is such a part of me, I swear I have salt in my veins.

Although I have spent quite a bit of time in the country over the years, country life and all that goes with it is less familiar. That's why it is so important for me to experience it first hand. To drink in the smells, immerse myself in the sights and sounds, and experience the joys and hardships of rural life, take note of the minuscule that will add authenticity to my work.

Here are some of the visual images I brought home with me. We live in a vast land.

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.

Book Week facts and figures

Well, Book Week is over yet again and I must say I had an awesome week.

The kids at every school I visited were fantastic: warm, friendly, welcoming, excited, funny, interested, motivated - awesome. And the school / council librarians were fantastic too, going out of their way to make my day - and most importantly, the kids' day - the best it possibly could be, and to enthuse all about books and reading and writing. What an important job they do!

Here is the week in a nutshell.
Number of kilometres driven: 759 kms
Number of schools involved: 8 (including 4 who visited Marrickville Library)
Number of sessions: 16
Number of children I spoke to: 960+
Number of times I dressed up as a firefighter: 9
Number of times I told my "Antarctic" story: 8
Questions that I had never been asked before:

Did you tell lies when you were a child?
A: Very rarely. Perhaps that's why I like telling stories now - it gives me the opportunity to "stretch the truth".

How many books have you written that haven't been published?
A: Not counting the numerous unfinished manuscripts gathering dust in my bottom drawer, probably about six.

When you walk down the street do people run after you screaming and wanting your autograph?
A: No.

Favourite display: The giant cactus and spiders at Narraweena.
Number of words added to my work in progress: 0 (Not surprisingly!)

Feeling a bit weary, but there is no time to rest.
Next week is Literacy Week, and the week after that I fly up to Brisbane for the Ipswich Literature Festival, Brisbane Writers' Festival and the CYA conference.

More fun ahead!

Flexing the writing muscle

I have this quote on the wall above my desk. It's from Jodi Picoult. I can't remember where I got it from.

"Write until it’s a muscle you can flex on command."

This says so much, don't you think? And it is really good advice, and something I have been working on of late. 

And you know what? I think it's working. This year, almost every day, no matter what, I have spent some time working on my current work in progress. It has required a lot of discipline and I have had to be creative and tenacious in making writing part of my daily routine, but as a result, my "writing muscle" is getting stronger and more obedient and I am so much closer to the whole "flex on command" thing. 

Making writing a habit is well worth the effort, me thinks.

Killer first sentences

I'm a sucker for a cracker opening sentence.

Here are some of my favourites.
Enjoy!

"We came on the wind of the carnival." Chocolat, Joanne Harris

"Joseph fixed his eyes on the coffin and thought of silkworms." The Running Man, Michael Gerard Bauer

"Change tiptoed into our lives with her eyes down, like a shy chick coming late to class." Boofheads, Mo Johnson

"HERE IS A SMALL FACT
You are going to die."
The Book Thief, Markus Zusak

"My name was Salmon, like the fish; first name, Susie. I was fourteen when I was murdered on December 6, 1973." The Lovely Bones, Alice Sebold


"The monster showed up just after midnight. As they do." A Monster Calls, Patrick Ness