PASS IT ON ISSUE 73
PASS IT ON
Knowledge Is Power
www.jackiehosking.com
Issue 73.
Hi everyone! Welcome to the new look PASS IT ON! I hope you have all had a
fantastic week. Thanks to all who have contributed and a special hello to
all new subscribers. Thank you also to everyone who has offered support and
encouragement, I really do appreciate it. Please enjoy this week's issue of
PASS IT ON.
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WHAT IS PASS IT ON?
PASS IT ON is a weekly, on-line, interactive, networking newsletter for
those involved with or interested in the children's writing industry. It is
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CONTENTS
GENERAL INFORMATION
SEEKING
REPLIES TO SEEKING
NEW PUBLICATIONS
SPECIAL EVENTS
MARKET OPPORTUNITIES
COMPETITIONS/AWARDS
WRITING COURSES/WORKSHOPS
NEW WORK STYLE SKILLS
HAVE YOUR SAY
ARTICLES
PUBLISHER GUIDELINES
AUTHOR/ILLUSTRATOR PROFILE
YOUR WRITING TIPS
USEFUL BOOKS/WEBSITES
BOOK REVIEWS
INDEPENDENT CHILDREN'S BOOKSHOPS
CRITIQUE GROUPS BULLETIN BOARD
MILESTONES
INSPIRATIONAL QUOTES
ADVERTISEMENTS
PASS IT ON SUBMISSION GUIDELINES
GENERAL INFORMATION
In Memoriam
Many Pass It On readers will be saddened to hear of the death of Bill (WN
Scott), poet, yarn spinner, story teller, song writer and folklorist. Bill
died in
in the town he and Mavis made their home on 29 December.
Recipient of the Medal of the Order of
preservation of folk song and story, Bill was also recipient at various time
of the Mary Gilmore Medal for Short Stories, and the Judith Hosier Memorial
Award at
His poems, which reflect a long life - he was born in 1923 - spent in jobs
ranging from the Merchant Navy during World War 2 to Sales Manager of
Jacaranda Press, bristle with the energy of a man who enjoyed every moment
of the adventure of existence. Several of them have been set to music, some
by Bill himself, and some by Roger Ilott and are often heard on Sunday
morning's ABC radio show, Australia All Over.
Bill's philosophy was probably summed up in the refrain to his poem 'The Old
Man's Sont" -
Way-hey, lift it along
What good is your life if it isn't a song?
The New Policeman has won the Whitbread Book Award 2005 in the children's
category.
There were a record 109 entries in children's category this year and the
judges described the book as 'A fabulous mix of Irish music and magic, The
New Policeman is an enchanting story of a fiddle-playing fifteen-year-old, a
family secret and a lost flute. Kate Thompson's engaging and amusing writing
style keeps you turning page after page until its wonderful conclusion.'
The other four successful authors who will now contest for the Whitbread
Book of the Year are:
* Ali Smith who, after missing out on the Man Booker and Orange Prizes,
finally triumphs with her first full-length novel, The Accidental, in the
Novel Award category
* University of East Anglia graduate, Tash Aw for The Harmony Silk Factory,
who wins the First Novel Award
* Hilary Spurling claims the Biography Award with the second part of her
masterful biography of Matisse, Matisse the Master, a work which took her 15
years to complete
* Christopher Logue with the fifth and penultimate instalment of his
celebrated account of the Iliad, Cold Calls, in the Poetry category
The five Whitbread Book Award winners, each of whom will receive £5,000,
were selected from 476 entries, the highest total ever received in one year.
The five books are now eligible for the ultimate prize - the 2005 Whitbread
Book of the Year.
The winner will be announced at The Brewery in central
24th January 2006
Children's Laureate Michael Morpurgo MBE.
Once again, members of the public can vote via the Whitbread Book Awards
website - www.whitbread-bookawards.co.uk - for which of the five books they
would select as Whitbread Book of the Year. Everyone who votes will be
entered into a free prize draw to win a set of the five category winners. A
chart showing the most hotly-tipped book according to the public vote will
also be available on the website.
Since the introduction of the Whitbread Book of the Year award in 1985, it
has been won seven times by a novel, three times by a first novel, four
times by a biography, five times by a collection of poetry and just once by
a children's book.
The panel, chaired by the author and former Children's Laureate Michael
Morpurgo MBE, will comprise ITN journalist and newscaster Alastair Stewart;
actress Joanna David and her daughter actress Emilia Fox; and five writers
representing the five category judging panels - Philippa Gregory (Novel),
Linda Newbery (Children's Book Award), Ciaran Carson (Poetry), Margaret
Drabble (Biography) and Arabella Weir (First Novel). The final judges will
meet on
Whitbread Book of the Year which will be announced at a ceremony later that
evening.
Sally, dyslexia, and the Nestlé Children's Book Prize
Severely dyslexic, she was undiagnosed as a child, was dismissed as
uneducable, sent to a school for maladjusted children, and only learned to
read at age fourteen. That's Sally Gardner, winner of the 2005 Nestle
Children's Book Prize for her book I, Coriander. The award was given last
December 14, at the British Library in
audience of some of the 4,500 schoolchildren who served as judges for this
year.
I, Coriander is Sally's first book consisting of words alone. It's a fantasy
tale of murder, magic and romance set in 17th century
gold medal for the best book in the nine to eleven years category. "I
honestly never thought it would be possible to write because of my
dyslexia," says Sally. Happily, she discovered her talent for illustration
and storytelling, and has in fact been published as such. Her other books
include A Book of Princesses: Five Favorite Princess Stories, and The Fairy
Tale Catalog: Everything You Need to Make a Fairy Tale.
The Nestle Children's Book Prize, formerly known as the Nestle Smarties Book
Prize, is now in its 21st year. This year some 55,000 schoolchildren in
1,865 classes took part in the Prize, which celebrates the nation's best
children's books as voted for by children themselves. The Nestle Children's
Book Prize has helped launch the careers of many of
writers including JK Rowling, Jacqueline Wilson and Dick King-Smith. It is
administered by Booktrust, an independent charity which promotes books and
reading. Further information can be found at
http://www.booktrusted.co.uk/nestle/
Information provided courtesy of SCBWI
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SEEKING
I was wondering how long other authors have had to wait to hear back from
Penguin about "Chomps" submissions? Of course I realise everything's slowed
down because of the Christmas break, but I've been waiting, waiting waiting
... AR
Can anyone advise: Do publishers seek the opinions of kids before they
publish books for them,...or is it just a decision by "big" kids?
CT
Seeking a publisher
A children's book of mine Megan and the e-bike has recently been published
in
Language, so there is potential for an enormous circulation. (It's a pity
the royalties aren't quite as good!) The Chinese publisher has now given me
permission to use the concept elsewhere.
The story starts in rural
The concept for the book is simple: Megan (a 9 year old) wants to travel the
world but only has a bicycle. Her cousin Ben, a whiz with computer and
electronic recycling, turns it into an "e-bike" for instant travel. Each
chapter takes them to another country, just getting back in time for tea,
before their parents find out.
The book is accompanied by the story on CD, sound effects and an original
song "I'm going to ride my bike all round the world" which have all been
professionally recorded.
If any publisher is interested, I'd be glad to provide a more detailed
proposal.
Contact: jean_bunton@hotmail.com.
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REPLIES TO SEEKING
There is no copyright on ideas Kathryn, so even if the story has the same
theme or similar characters, no-one will be able to prosecute you for
copyright infringement. However, if your ms is too similar to an already
successful book, it may stop publishers wanting to buy it. I've had this
problem myself - 'beautifully written, but quite similar to so and so' -
great praise, but,at the same time, devastating if it happens with every
submission of the ms. I suggest you show it to a children's librarian at
your local library and ask them if they think it's derivative. Then send it
out anyway - JK Rowling had lots of Tolkien and classical homages in the
Harry Potter series and no-one seemed to mind that. Good luck.
In response to the person looking for Australian short story collections for
11-15-year-olds, it might be useful to check out the Ginnenderra Press
website.
www.ginninderrapress.com.au
They run comps and compile collections of stories suitable for
10-12-year-olds, based on different themes - and I'm not just mentioning
this because my first and only publication was through one of these
competitions.
Pete Carnavas
To the person looking for anthologies of short stories for children aged
11-15 y.o. Random House have several collections, including 30 Australian
Stories for Children and 30 Australian Ghost Stories for Children. There is
also Margo Lanagan's highly acclaimed and award-winning collection of short
stories titled Black Juice.
To Kathryn, who thinks she subconsciously copied something she's read - it's
easily done! I've read several of my ideas in stories written by other
people, and prefer to think of it as the idea being 'out there' and ready
for picking (what Rupert Sheldrake, a Cambridge academic, calls 'morphic
resonance') rather than deliberate plagiarism. And I know (once it's been
pointed out to me) that I've also unconsciously absorbed ideas from the
ether or other sources, that subsequently transform themselves into stories.
Certainly I would never knowingly steal an idea. But the bottom line, as I
understand it, is that there is no legal copyright on ideas. In your case,
unless you already know the source of the idea behind your picture book,
you're going to spend an awful lot of time looking for it! Finally, and more
important, unless an idea is deliberately copied it will generally become a
quite different story once the author's imagination comes into play.
Felicity Pulman
RE: I am looking for Australian short story collections/anthologies for
children aged 11 - 15 years. I am searching in the normal retail and
publisher channels, but if you know of any titles, perhaps out of print,
that contain some of your favourites, I'd be interested to hear.
Ginninderra Press publishes lovely little books of ten stories from their
annual competition, aimed at 8 - 12 year olds, different theme each year,
and they'd satisfy the younger end of 11 -15 years. I've been published in
two, and I believe back copies are available at reduced prices. They're
always a great read! Details on www.ginninderrapress.com.au
Dita Petersen
I'm bleary-eyed from reading the last few issues of PIO all in one go.
Someone asked 'How many books did others write before being published?' In
my case, I started in the smallest way imaginable. Thirty years ago, I
began sending pars in to magazines like New Idea, Woman's Day, Women's
Weekly, and Family Circle. All these magazines have changed greatly since
those days and people live such busy lives today that no one bothers much
with the 'pars' pages which were once so popular. After a few acceptances I
worked out what sorts of topics were most likely to be accepted and soon
began receiving cheques in the mail. Then I tried sending in short stories
to the same magazines, also with some success. Writing children's stories
soon became my passion and I entered a story in a competition. Although I
didn't win a prize, about six months later I received a phone call from an
editor at Macmillan who had read the entries. Would I mind if they made my
story into a book? Like Pamela Rushby, who said in PIO that she was asked a
similar question, I tried valiantly to keep the excitement from my voice.
The story was 1000 words and I had to lengthen it to 2000, but that was no
trouble. Not long after, I sent a 3000 word short story to Rigby. They
phoned and asked if I could turn it into a 20,000 word novel. Hence book
number two. So, I had two books published before I really set out to write
a book at all, although I had had several short stories published. I learnt
two valuable lessons from this humble beginning. 1 - Know what the publisher
is likely to want (be it a magazine or book publisher), and 2 - Keep your
writing short and simple. These were skills I had to learn for myself
because there were no useful newsletters or easily accessible writing
classes available, or if there were, I didn't know about them. I think the
same requirements still apply to today's writing for children - know your
market and don't load your work with unnecessary words. Are there any other
stories out there about first publications? .Mappy
Yes Kathryn I wrote a story called There's a Lion at the bottom of my garden
and have an idea that I have read a story by that name. Does anyone know?
Dorothy
RE: I am looking for Australian short story collections/anthologies for
children aged 11 - 15 years. I am searching in the normal retail and
publisher channels, but if you know of any titles, perhaps out of print,
that contain some of your favourites, I'd be interested to hear.
Well... I wrote one. :-)
Life, death and detention, George Ivanoff www.georgeivanoff.com.au Margaret
Hamilton Books, 1999, ISBN 876289 25
Cheers, George
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NEW PUBLICATIONS
A smaller format of Rosemary for Remembrance, Book 1 of my new medieval
crime series, The Janna Mysteries, has been published by Random House and is
now on sale. Book 2, Rue for Repentance, will be available from
mid-February. Felicity Pulman
Happy New Year to all, good writing and good luck. And thanks, Jackie, for
keeping us all in touch. FP Same to you Felicity - thanks!
http://felicitypulman.novelcity.com
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SPECIAL EVENTS
SOCIETY OF CHILDREN'S BOOK WRITERS AND ILLUSTRATORS INTERNATIONAL CONFERENCE
Friday 17- 20th February 2006
Sydney, Australia
Pack your swimsuits and sun cream and smiles. Sydney is the host city for
the next scbwi international writer's and illustrators conference.
Join our wonderful line-up of speakers including:
. Susan Sherman, Art Director from Charlesbridge, Boston USA
. Hazel Edwards, author of international best seller 'Hippopotamus on the
Roof Eating Cake'
. Wendy Orr, award winning author working with a Hollywood producer on the
script of her 'Nim's Island'
. Jen McVeity, Chair of the SCBWI Board
. Shona Martyn, Publishing Director of HarperCollins Australia.
Our fast moving professional panels include:-
. Publishing panel with speakers from Random House, HarperCollins, Penguin
and Scholastic
. Marketing sessions
. Group critiques of folios
. Individual portfolio critiques by Susan Sherman and manuscript critiques
by an Australian editor (optional cost)
Of course, all these stars will almost be outshone by the SCBWI members
attending - most of our Australian members are multi-published and
multi-talented.
The venue is the beautiful boutique Hughenden Hotel.
www.hughendenhotel.com.au
The food is fantastic - Quaife's Restaurant in the hotel has won
international awards. Sir Victor will even play on the baby grand for
evening entertainment.
On hand will be your friendly hosts and SCBWI representatives - authors Jen
McVeity, Christopher Cheng, Susanne Gervay and illustrator Frane Lessac.
So come and meet fellow authors and illustrators, mingle with people from
other countries and be energized and inspired.
Full program AND booking forms are on the SCBWI Australia website:
www.scbwi.ampl.com.au
Download the program now.
NOTE: There are only 6 places left to stay at the hotel. Download the
booking form and fax it to The Hughenden as soon as possible.
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MARKET OPPORTUNITIES
If any of you write for children, which includes young adult books, you
might be interested in submitting an article for publication in "The Blue
Review," the BOOST children's writers monthly e-zine (a paying market).
These are the themes for this year:
Jan 2006 - Writing MG Novels
Feb 2006 - Writing Mysteries
Mar 2006 - Writing YA Novels
Apr 2006 - How to Interview
May 2006 - Writing Early Readers and Short Stories
June 2006 - Creating a Website
July 2006 - Which Rights?
Aug 2006 - Editing Your Manuscript
Sept 2006 - Writing Contests
More details are at http://www.boost4writers.com/newsletterguidelines.html
If anyone has any questions, feel free to write to me. I'd be happy to hear
from you.
All the best,
Jill Ronsley
Senior Editor www.boost4writers.com
Book Design and Typesetting
Editing and Writing Services
www.suneditwrite.com
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COMPETITIONS/AWARDS
This was in the News section of the Copyright Agency Newsletter
It may be of interest to some PIO readers.
In this section we report on some of the projects and events CAL supports
through the Research and Development Cultural Fund (the Cultural Fund). For
more information on the Fund, visit CAL's website at
www.copyrightcom.au/information.htm
CAL offers support for Professional Development
CAL is introducing a new Professional Development Fund to offer support for
Australian creators wanting to improve their skills and expertise.
The Professional Development Fund will offer a maximum of $5,000 to each
successful applicant, to support professional development through attendance
at a Conference, Writers' Festival, Summer School or Course, within
Australia or overseas.
This project will directly support the individual writer, editor, publisher
or small organisation wanting to broaden their knowledge base or career/,
CAL Chair, Brian Johns said.
"We hope the knowledge and skills gained will add to Australia's cultural
diversity."
This funding will be taken from a pool of $50,000 set aside from the
Cultural Fund.
Allocations will be competitive and in two separate rounds. The application
deadline for the first round is Friday 17 February 2006, for events
beginning after 1 June 2006.
A selection panel will consider applications and make recommendations to the
CAL Board. The 2006 selection panel will be chaired by CAL's Cultural Fund
Coordinator, Susan Haves, and comprise:
. Jose Borghino - editor of the online magazine New Matilda, Lecturer on
Literary Journalism at the Media and Communications Department of Sydney
University;
. Christopher Cyrill - author, academic and fiction editor of Heat magazine;
and
. Irene Stevens - arts administrator, NSW Ministry of the Arts and formerly
of the Australia Council.
For more information on how to apply contact Susan Hayes on telephone 02
9394 7600.
2006 Nairda Lyne Award
Closing March 31
A short story up to 1000 words suitable for children aged 8 -12 years. Open
to all writers resident in Australia. Prize is $100 and winner's name is
engraved on a plaque in the Launceston Library.
Conditions:
Stories must be unpublished and must not have won a monetary prize in any
other competition.
Stories must be typed, double spaced on one side only of A4 paper with pages
numbered and stapled in top left hand corner.
Title only on manuscript. Entrant's name and contact details and title of
work to appear on a separate sheet.
There is a $5 fee per story. Please make cheques/money orders payable to FAW
Tasmania.
Entries close March 31, 2006. Work must be postmarked by this date to be
eligible for judging.
Results will be announced at the FAW Tasmania meeting on May 12, 2006 at
which the prize winning entry may be read. Prize winners not present will be
notified by mail.
Judge's decision is final and no correspondence will be entered into.
Address entries to:
Nairda Lyne Award,
FAW Tasmania
PO Box 234
North Hobart Tas 7002
Please keep a copy of your work as entries will not be returned.
The closing date for the 2006 Environment Award for Children's Literature is
31 January 2006.
Does your publisher know about the Wilderness Society Environment Award for
Children's Literature?
Invitations are sent to publishers each year, but it is possible that not
all publishers have received the award criteria and invitation to submit.
Here are the Environment Award criteria and details for submission.
Entry Criteria:
The Environment Award is open to fiction and non-fiction in the following
categories:
picture books, young readers and adolescent readers.
Books must be published in Australia in the 2005 calendar year.
Closing date: 31 January 2006
Judging Criteria:
Entries should encourage a caring attitude towards the natural environment
and/or promote an awareness of environmental issues.
Fiction entries should tell a captivating story.
Non-fiction should present information accurately and attractively.
Promotion of Award Winners:
Award winning and short-listed books will be sold and promoted in Wilderness
Shops around Australia.
Award Presentation:
Winning entries will be announced on World Environment Day < 5 June 2006.
An award certificate and a bronze platypus trophy will be presented to
winners at a publicity event.
Nominations:
To nominate books please send four copies with a contact name and address
to:
Environment Award Convener, Susanna van Essen, 121 Summerleas Road, Fern
Tree, Tasmania, 7054.
AWARDS from around Australia for Children's and Young Adult Literature.
There are many, many awards presented in the field of Children's Literature.
Some are for popularity of titles among readers, some are given by experts
for a genre or for a particular theme, some are for recognition of an
individual's contribution. This list is an attempt to track the plethora of
awards presented in Australia.
Aurealis Award
Australian Christian Book of the Year Awards
BILBY Awards
Children's Book of the Year Awards
Children's Peace Literature Prize
COOL Award
Crichton Award for Illustration
CROW / KANGA Award
CYBER Award
Davitt Award (Sisters in Crime)
Dromkeen Medal
Ena Noël IBBY Award
Environment Award for Children's Literature
Euphemia (Pheme) Tanner Award
Family Award
KOALA Award
KROC Award
The Nan Chauncy Award
New South Wales Premier's Literary Awards - children's and young adult
sections
Pixie O'Harris Award
Queensland Premier's Literary Awards - children's section
South Australian Festival Awards for Literature - Children's Section
Victorian Premier's Literary Award - Young Adult Fiction
WAYRBA Award - Western Australia Young Readers' Book Awards
Western Australian Premier's Book Award - Children's Section
YABBA Award - Young Australians' Best Books Award
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WRITING COURSES/WORKSHOPS
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NEW WORK STYLE SKILLS
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HAVE YOUR SAY
FROM AUTHOR Edel Wignell
1) Most Australian publishers are on holidays for two or three weeks in
January, so it's a good idea not to try to contact them. US and UK
publishers usually take no more than a week at this time of the year. Their
long holidays come in summer - usually August.
2) Beware! If you are interested in sending a ms to Tauhini Productions for
their new series of fiction with detialed curriculum science content (or to
any education publisher, for that matter) you may like to ask what kind of
contract they send.
Does the contract allow you to license your work for a certain period, to
retain copyright, to receive an advance on royalties plus royalties over the
life of the work?
OR
Are you expected to assign all rights, thus losing copyright? Does your ms
become the 'absolute property' of the company, to be re-written without an
opportunity for you to see page proofs? Will you be paid a once-only minimal
fee, thus denying you the opportunity to receive ongoing royalties, PLR and
ELR?
Finding out before it's too late means that you can decide whether to write
and be treated as a professional creator (scenario 1) or whether to be
exploited (scenario 2).
'Before it's too late'? If your ms is produced before a contract is sent,
it's too late. It has happened, so beware!
FROM AUTHOR Deborah Abela
I would like to thank Steven Herrick for pointing out Susan Wyndham's
article in the SMH on Saturday 31/12/05 in the Undercover section. She
basically spelt out that when buying presents: "Finding children's books
that were sophisticated yet distinctly Australian was tough."
Perhaps Ms Wyndham didn't have much time to properly peruse the bulging
shelves of very, very fine Australian Children's books. If you haven't
already done so, I'd urge you to write to Ms Wyndham and perhaps suggest to
her a few titles she could choose from next time she goes shopping. I have
and it was quite a list!
swyndham@smh.com.au
HAVE YOUR SAY
SHORT STORY COLLECTIONS
I'll admit my bias in recommending the short story collections for 12-15
year olds published by the Australian Association for the Teaching of
English: I have stories in three of the collections and worked for AATE
for many years. The authors all respond to the challenge of crafting real
short stories - not the 'slice of life' sort or extracts from novels. The
final choices are made by teachers who know what young people are
interested in; the stories are meant to be a good read, the catalyst for
discussion and models to inspire young writers.
Check out the website: www.aate.org.au or email sales@aate.org.au
Elizabeth Hutchins
FROM AUTHOR Ruth Starke
Thanks to Steven Herrick for alerting us to the para from the SMH's lit
editor, Susan Wyndham. At his urging, I have just emailed the following and
encourage others to do likewise (particularly in view of the rumour that
children's book reviewing in Australian Book Review may be/is under threat).
"Happy new year, Ms Wyndham.
Re your 'undercover' note in Spectrum on 31/12: how hard can it be to find
Australian children's books that are 'sophisticated yet distinctly
Australian'? Good book shops are full of them, and have enthusiastic and
knowledgeable staff to help you. (They might have warned you that Andy
Griffiths's titles, fun though they might be, are hardly 'sophisticated'!).
If you need further guidance, there is the annual list of Notable Books
published by the Children's Book Council. Here's some 2005 titles for
Younger Readers which fit your criteria and that you might have considered :
Farm Kid by Sherryl Clark (Puffin)
Kalparna's Dream by Judith Clarke (A&U)
Tom Appleby Convict Boy by Jackie French (A&R)
The Long Walk by Kerry Greenwood (HH)
A Horse Called Elvis by John Heffernan (Scholastic)
The Ballad of Cauldron Bay by Elizabeth Honey (A&U)
Tiff and the Trout by David Metzenthen (Puffin)
Billy Mack's War by James Roy
I could also include my own title, Orphans of the Queen (Lothian), which has
been shortlisted for the NSW and Queensland Premier's Awards.
There are so many talented authors writing for young people in this country,
it's difficult to take your complaint seriously. Would you experience the
same difficulty in choosing 'sophisticated yet distinctly Australian' adult
novels, I wonder - or perhaps it's just that you have a better knowledge of
this genre. In any case, I wish you some wider reading in 2006.
Kind regards
Dr. Ruth Starke
HAVE YOUR SAY
I received an email through my website from a woman who'd read a short story
of mine, called "Cancelling Christmas", in a 1992 copy of The Australian
Women's Weekly (so I assumed she'd visited the dentist recently ...) She
kindly alerted me to the fact that my story was "exactly the same" as the
script of the movie "Christmas with the Kranks" and asked if I'd written the
script. (I wish ...) Interested, I checked up on the movie and found that
the screenplay was by Chris Columbus, from a novel by John Grisham. What
illustrious company to be in! I'm not accusing John Grisham for a minute -
even supposing he had access to 1992 Women's Weeklies - but it just goes to
show that there's no such thing as a new story. Has anyone else had a
similar experience?
Pam Rushby, writer
HAVE YOUR SAY
After attending a poetry workshop:
I have long thought about the teaching of the simpler poetic forms (like the
cinquaine and the haiku, for example) presented as though emulating the form
were sufficient to achieve a poem. I am distressed that in poetry workshops
for all comers, we might be conveying the idea that arranging words into a
particular form achieves poetry. The poignant perception, the rivetting
idea, the piercing experience, the fertile concept, is what gives rise to
the poem. For me, the gestation period begins after that. It involves an
intense differentiation of the cells of the poem. The right form becomes
apparant as the poem develops and begins to take a life of its own on the
page, still interacting with the poet who is serving its development, until
it is completely its own being: out in the world, able to interact with
other people, to communicate itself without the support of its progenitor.
Well, I dunno! a poem's a deep thing; I just dress it in the clothes that
suit its personality, I reckon. So I start by getting to know what it wants
to say to me.
It's not so rare to find people who think that prose in short lines becomes
poetry.
We must avoid implying, especially to children, that the format is the
message. I can't help feeling that first and foremost the embryonic poet
needs to pay attention to his or her own "wow" moments, and has to be shown
that these are the good seeds for growing poems.
I remember with gratitude and relief reading in a PIO last year June
Factor's comments on the children's poems she had had to judge. Her
substance was to the effect that many of the poems were collections of words
arranged in somewhat rhyming lines. That the children had perhaps not
experienced much good poetry.
Poetry has a soul. Many personalities, but always something more than that.
By reading, and dwelling in good poems, we develop that Je Ne Sais Quoi that
experiences the poetic.
I am a poet who notices what form adds to meaning in poems, but am not
sufficiently well-versed in poetic forms to use them confidently myself, so
I free-form it with fussy attention- to consonnance between the experience
and the voicing. All tutelage is good for me. So thanks, Edel Wignell, for
your clear informative article on the tetractys.
(Rebecca Maxwell)
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ARTICLES
Start Your Writing Career Today
by Robyn Opie
So you want to write a children's book. Great! Writing for children is a
wonderful hobby or occupation (as in my case).
But where does one start? What does one need to do to become a children's
author? How did I become a published children's author?
Actually, I decided that I wanted to be a writer before I decided that I
wanted to write children's books. The first thing I did after realising that
I wanted to be a writer was join our local writers' centre. Then I joined a
romance writers' group. Writing romance seemed like a good idea at the time.
At a meeting of the romance writers' group I met several writers who were
also writing children's books.
I hadn't read a children's book in quite a few years. And I hadn't
considered writing for children. But the prospect interested me, so off I
went to my local library. A visit to my library can take me a good hour (or
more) as I study the shelves for books published in the past year or two.
While at the library, I also looked for non-fiction books about writing
children's books. I've read every book on writing for children that I could
find in the libraries around my city. I'm a member of a lot of different
libraries. It's a joke with me that I collect libraries like some people
collect stamps.
Next, I investigated a number of courses about writing children's books. I
settled on an eight week course run by a local college. It covered
everything I needed to know about writing for children (well, almost
everything) at a very reasonable rate. Later, I completed a picture book
course run by an adult education facility.
I call all of this reading and studying my apprenticeship. A writer has to
learn how to write a book just as a pilot has to learn how to fly a plane.
After all this learning and writing I was ready to send my work to a
manuscript assessment agency, other writers or my local writers' centre to
gain feedback on my writing. I needed to know what I was doing wrong, as
well as what I was doing right. This critical assessment of my work was part
of my education.
It's through the writers' groups I belong to that I learnt about the
publishing opportunities which lead to most of my books. Therefore I'm a big
fan of networking.
I'm also a big fan of knowledge and practice, as my main publisher said to
me in his first email: "you've obviously done this before". Another
publisher recently noted in an email to me: "someone who understands a lot
about picture book structure".
So, to reiterate, my advice is:
a) Join writers' groups. Local and/or online writers' groups. By joining
writers' groups you hope to network, learn about the publishing world,
obtain feedback on your work and make friends with similar interests.
b) Read a lot of recent children's books. Take notice of what you like and
what seems to work. Study the writing. You're reading for research first,
pleasure second.
When I visit the local library I look for recent releases. It's important to
keep up with the market and what's being published. If you're writing a book
about a comet hurtling towards Earth and a book with a similar storyline has
been published in the last year, your story is unlikely to be published, no
matter how good it is.
c) Read a lot of books about writing for children. Articles from websites
are also a great idea. For more articles about writing for children please
visit my articles page http//children.fictionfactor.con/articles.html It can
help to read books about writing in general. But children's books are a
specialised field. For example, you need to know the different types of
children's books for the various age groups - the word lengths, language,
style etc.
d) Write the type of children's books you enjoy the most. Write every day if
possible. Practice makes you a better writer. Practice/repetition is how we
learn and master tasks.
e) Take courses on writing for children. There are many available on the
Internet. I'm about to run an e-course about Writing for Children through
this website and my own personal website http://www.robynopie.com Or you
might prefer a correspondence course or a writing course conducted by a
local college. Please email me if you'd like to receive information on my
Writing for Children e-course. My email address can be found at
http://www.fictionfactor.com/contact.html
I should point out that the writing for children course I did, many years
ago, involved weekly writing assignments. I wrote a picture book, easy
reader, early chapter book and sections of longer novels, which were all
marked by my tutor. Two of my first six published titles were written during
this course.
f) Have your manuscripts assessed by a reputable manuscript assessment
service. Due to the volume of submissions publishers receive and the quality
of some of these submissions, many publishers are now requesting a
manuscript assessment accompany every submission.
g) Write down your dreams and goals. Look at them every day. Break them down
into small steps if necessary. Your writing activities should move you
towards your writing dreams and goals.
h) Enter competitions. Write articles and short stories. Seek ways of
filling your writer's cv with publishing credits.
Now you're on your way. From this point on, the secret to becoming a
children's author is persistence. I've read and heard quotes from many
authors who claim that the secret to their success is persistence. They
never gave up!
© Copyright Robyn Opie. All Rights Reserved.
Robyn Opie is a children's author from South Australia. She has been writing
for ten years and has 55 published titles, with more on the way. She enjoys
visiting schools to share with the students her love of books and reading.
She is the author of the wildly popular "How to Write A GREAT Children's
Book"and the new "How to Write A GREAT Picture Book".
You can visit http://children.fictionfactor.com and
http://www.robynopie.com for more of Robyn's advice, articles, writer's
resources and free children's ebooks.
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PUBLISHER GUIDELINES
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AUTHOR/ILLUSTRATOR PROFILE
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YOUR WRITING TIPS
Onomatopoeia - the use of words to imitate real sounds.
Where would Batman be without Wham!, Bash!, KerPow!, Crunch!, to give the
monochromatic show impact?
When writing for children and young adults,writers will use onomatopoeia to
bring an immediate image to what is happening in the story without dragging
the story out with verbal descrption.
Dr Seus' books are full of onomatopoeia. One example "Mr.Brown can Moo! Can
you?" has 21 sounds, like: "Klopp Klopp" for a horse, "Sizzle sizzle" for a
sausage , "Dibble, Dibble Dopp Dopp" for rain, etc.
Lynley Dodd uses different sounds for different breeds of dogs in the book
'Hairy Maclary's Caterwaul Caper' and continues the theme through the book
with Scareface Claw' WROWWW-W-W-W-W, the anchoring sound throughout the
story.
When read aloud, these sounds really connect with children who, will often
repeat the sounds if they contunur throughtout the story. Even if they
haven't learnt to speak yet, children will often imitate the sounds around
them, e.g. the fire engine going passed, the dog barking next door, etc.
So, in writing, instead of; "He slowly drifted off to sleep like a little
baby..." could be replaced by:- "He drifted ZZZ off ZZZ to sleep
ZZZZzzzzzzz" or 'Jack cuffed Alex on the side of the head' to 'Thwack!'
"Ouch! Hey Jack! What did I do?" said Alex rubbing the side of his head.
Onomatopoeia not only give dimension to the text, but give children's
imaginations added texture.
"Hear" is an exercise for you.
Next time it rains, listen to it and write down all the sounds it makes. Use
your imagination. Then stick them in an index book under "R" for "rain",
then go on and think up some more. Before you know where you are, you'll
have a ready reference the next time you need to use an onomatopoeia. And
that way, you won't wear out the carpet thinking of how to spell that
illusive sound.
Have fun thinking them up!
Lisa Takdare
Readers interested in the items by Edel Wignell and Kathryn Apel about
tetractys and cinquain will find a format for writing them here.
http://users.mullum.com.au/jbird/YM-nut.html
They are a wonderful way to introduce children, and adults too, to writing
poetry.
Kind regards to all and a Happy New Year
I thoroughly enjoyed reading this week's PIO. What a great start to 2006. I
can see it being an awesome year for writing and illustrating. :-)
I read Sally Odgers article 'Know Your Audience' with much interest and a
sore foot! Since a small child I've been interested in words and would
choose a new word out of the dictionary and learn its meaning and then try
to use it in general conversation. Words fascinate me. So when I came to
Solipsism I reached for my dictionary and promptly dropped it on my foot!
Undaunted I searched for the meaning of this word that I might have heard
before but couldn't remember. Solipsism: n.Philosophy. the extreme form of
scepticism which denies the possibility of any knowledge other than of one's
own existence.
Then I came to Omnivorous: adj. 1.eating any type of food indiscriminately
2. taking in or assimilating everything esp.. with the mind. I knew it meant
eating anything but the second meaning was new to me.
While finding these words I came across a heap of other gems like Pyrogallol
and papaveraceous. Now I'm wondering how I can bring pongid and quidnunc
into the new children's story I'm working on. :-)
So thank you Sally for a great article and a good excuse to put my feet up
(with ice on one of them) and peruse my dictionary for some more fascinating
words...
Gail C Breese
Children's author and Illustrator
Websites and Design
breese@westnet.com.au
www.creakyg.com
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USEFUL BOOKS/WEBSITES
A list of issues that children may relate to can be found at
http://www.boost4writers.com/Kidissues.htm
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BOOK REVIEWS
The Girl From The Sea
by James Aldridge
Penguin, 2002
Reviewed by Dita Petersen
If you've ever been to the south of France, or if you'd enjoy being taken
there, and you love great writing, buy yourself (or someone else) a copy of
this lovely tale about young teenagers overcoming difficulties and loss,
understanding others, and gently growing up.
It is set in the 1950's, in Villefranche-sur-Mer, where an English boy is
sent to the home of his indomitable (and very French) Aunt Mimi to recover
from a "terrible accident". There are long held secrets, unpredictable
smugglers and hand made cloth as skilfully and beautifully woven as the
strands of the story itself.
This book had me thirsting for more of this talented, award-winning author's
work, and for the "Mediterranean emerald", the sea.
~~~~~~~~~
Inkheart
By Cornelia Funke
2003 Chicken House
Reviewed by Beth Montgomery
If you like a bit of fantasy then this book is where the fairy story meets
contemporary life. Young Meggie and her father Mo find themselves tangled up
in the world of book characters that have come to life and most of them are
evil. Meggie discovers why her bookbinder father never reads aloud and
unearths the secret of her mother's disappearance.
The nasty Capricorn and his henchman Basta are vivid characters, but their
complex and tortured victim Dustfinger had my sympathies. I enjoyed this
book mostly for the depth of characterisation.
This book has a cracking pace. The plot takes you swiftly to Capricorn's den
and through a number of betrayals until the unexpected conclusion sets the
characters up for the sequel.
I borrowed it from the library, so I'm not sure if it's still available but
the sequel Inkspell is on bookshelves now.
~~~~~~~~~
Gino The Genius
Written by Gary Crew
Illustrated by James Cattell.
Published by Lothian Books 2000.
Reviewed by DS.
We got lots of childrens books from the library for the school holidays. I
need to cater for a 7 year old boy, 6 year old girl and 4 year old girl and
any book that captures their various interests is, to my mind, a good one! I
like to review 'old' books because the new ones become the next best thing
so quickly. It is fun to check out ten or so stories on all sorts of topics
and find what the children enjoy. Sometimes their tastes are surprising! I
read them an old folk tale last evening about a broom who became a man and
they were captivated!
Anyway - back to Gino The Genius. This lovely story offered something to
each of my kids, though it helped that the great contrast between the earthy
sister and genius inventor brother somewhat mirrored the personalities of
the older two. The gorgeous and original illustrations by James Cattell held
the 4 year old enthralled - so much to see! The story is about the brilliant
Gino who fixes things - ten, twenty, hundreds and even millions of times
better than they were before. Washing machines, mowers...even buildings! His
sister, though, asks of him the impossible. Can you build me a small brown
seed? A shiny leaf? A long-necked tortoise? "Gino simply ignores her". As
the story moves on and his creations become more fantastic, Gino, with his
wild light bulb hair becomes more and more desperate to avoid his sister's
requests. Finally the sister asks of him the most impossible thing - she
asks him to make her "a little pink baby". By the third read the reader is
starting to notice that the parents in the book have a glow about them.
There is a hidden pram in one picture, Mum has her hand on her belly in
another and finally they reveal that they have already made that which Gino
was unable. Of course the brother and sister are overjoyed. The baby is a
wonderful mix of the Gino and his sister.
This story conveys the reality that people are different - they have
strengths and weaknesses. Creativity can indeed be brilliant in either
direction - technical and artistic. As clever a Gino is, he cannot create
something so seemingly simple as a leaf. The ilustrations are colourful and
energetic for Gino, with references to creations through history - lots to
look at! On the pages for his sister there is earthiness and calm. My
favourite page is a gorgeous spread of wild flowers. The sister's pages,
too, contain wonderful images of Australian flora and fauna, drawn carefully
by the sister and labelled in english and latin. There is plenty to
appreciate here! I would very much recommend this story, it is one for
reading and re-reading.
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INDEPENDENT CHILDREN'S BOOKSHOPS
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CRITIQUE GROUPS BULLETIN BOARD
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MILESTONES
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INSPIRATIONAL QUOTES
~Obstacles are those frightful things you see when you take your eyes off
your goal.~
-Henry Ford
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ADVERTISEMENTS
Get with the strength
The Australian Society of Authors represents anyone who writes or
illustrates for publication. If you are not yet published you can join as an
affiliate member. Benefits of membership include:
. phone and email advice on all aspects of writing, publishing and the law;
. a subsidised contract advisory service;
. three issues of Australian Author per year;
. eight issues of the ASA Newsletter per year;
. a free-call telephone line for interstate members;
. discounted publications;
. a mentorship program for emerging writers and picture book illustrators;
. a showcase for illustrators' work in the online Stylefile; and
. information sessions and seminars for writers and illustrators.
The ASA lobbies government and industry to promote writers' and illustrators'
professional interests. The Society was instrumental in establishing
Copyright Agency Limited, the Australian Copyright Council and is
campaigning for the continuation and expansion of public and educational
lending right schemes.
For more information see www.asauthors.org
email asa@authors.org
or call 02 9318 0877.
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PASS IT ON SUBMISSION GUIDELINES
Submit contributions to jacket@smartchat.net.au
Verdana, 10pt, single-line spacing (not essential but helpful)
Mark PASS IT ON SUBMISSION in the subject line
Submit within the body of the email
Give your piece a title heading: eg New Publications; Seeking; General
Information; etc.
Email addresses and contributor contact details will be withheld unless
otherwise stated
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© Jackie Hosking . All rights Reserved Worldwide.
posted by Jackie at 12:51 AM
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