Everything I love comes from Canada

For a while now I’ve been pondering about how funny it is that everything* I love comes from Canada, and thought I’d debate it in a very unscientific and absolutely-not-acadamic-or-rigorous-manner right here on my blog. That’s right, you’ve just stepped into a rampaging** debate!

So first, up we have the affirmative team. And well, uh, that would be me! So hello, and uh, welcome to my dropping of random thoughts.

Exhibit A***: Margaret Atwood and anything she’s every written. Note, there is no asterisk next to ‘anything’. I really do mean anything. I’m sure even her shopping list would be the marvellous and thought-provoking read! (And if you’re wondering if her videos on Masterclass are brilliant? Yes. Yes, they are.)

Exhibit B: Kaitlin Johnson - Oh my gosh the gorgeous artwork from this gorgeous person is just divine. While I don’t own a piece of her artworky goodness for my walls just yet, I am super-happy to be sporting a dress and leggings made from fabric with her designs and that will keep me going for now! (I think…)

Exhibit C: Alvvays - jangle pop, fun video clips, and tunes that will get stuck in your head (in a good way). Only three words to add to that. Give.Me.More!

Exhibit D: Workin’ Moms - Want an honest, gritty, very funny look at life with kids, juggling family, work, and all that palaver? Then this show is it! It’s quite a bit over-the-top at times but at the heart of each scene is something very real that you can relate to.

Exhibit E: Anne with an E… So up front, I am a long-time Anne of Green Gables fan, so odds were that I was going to like this (though I do still have the 1980s versions of Anne, Marilla, Matthew, and Gilbert Blythe curled up in my heart).

This remake really makes the story its own - it’s not just another version with different actors and improved production quality - it explores so many more layers of the life of Anne Shirley. We find out more about her trauma background, her friendships aside from her beloved kindred spirit Diana Barry, and how she despite everything she has gone through she’s developed that sunny world view that we’ve come to know and love. It also lays open issues related to gender, race, social class, and sexuality, and tells diverse stories of people in 19th century Canada that weren’t covered in the books or previous productions.

The acting is superb and the cinematography and score beyond stunning. (My only complaint is that it wasn’t renewed for another season so we could have some closure on some of the storylines.) Anyone else have a trip to Prince Edward Island on their bucket list?

And the negative team? Well there’s no one here to argue that all the things I love aren’t from Canada, so there are no arguments for the negative which is totally fine, as I wouldn’t be able to say that everything I love is from Canada and that would ruin the whole title of my post.

There we go, very convincing wasn’t it?

Case closed.

GP x

* Okay so I exaggerated a bit here. Doesn’t everyone? ;)

** Rampaging. Okay, I’ll admit maybe it didn’t live up to this descriptor in the end. But it got your attention, didn’t it?

** Yes, I know I wasn’t presenting this case in court and referring to evidence, but I just thought the word ‘exhibit’ gave things a kind of gravitas… well, that and I couldn’t think of another word!

Last Minute Book Week Panic in Lockdown? Here are 18 Quick and Easy Dress Up Ideas to Keep it Low-Key and Stress-Free (plus a bonus 27 from last year!)

With many of us are in lockdown at home at the moment, and popping down to the shops not what it used to be and putting together a book week costume may fall into the too-hard basket. The good news is that there are plenty of no-fuss and stress-free options.

A look through the dress up box and craft cupboard and a bit of imagination will go a long way and may be just what you need to celebrate our favourite book characters and their creators… without the need for a sewing machine or a glue gun! Now that’s worth celebrating!

Happy Book Week, everyone!

GP x

BOOK LIST:

JUST ONE BEE | Written by Margrete Lamond and Anthony Bertini | Illustrated by Christoper Nielson | Published by Dirt Lane Press.

ARABELLA AND THE MAGIC PENCIL | Written by Stephanie Ward | Illustrated by Shaney Stone | Published by EK Books.

BUSY BEAKS | Written and Illustrated by Sarah Allen | Published by Affirm Press.

YOUR BIRTHDAY WAS THE BEST | Written by Maggie Hutchings | Illustrated by Felicita Sala | Published by Affirm Press.

THE BARK BOOK | Written by Victoria Mackinlay | Illustrated by Beth Harvey | Published by Harper Collins Children’s Publishing.

QUARK’S ACADEMY | Written by Catherine Pelosi | Illustrated by Kirby Armstrong | Published by Hachette.

BEAR IN SPACE | Written by Deborah Abela | Illustrated by Marjorie Crosby-Fairall | Published by Walker Books Australia. 

RAIN SHAKER | Written by Elizabeth Mary Cummings | Illustrated by Cheri Hughes | Published by Big Sky Publishing.

RODNEY LOSES IT | Written by Michael Gerard Bauer | Illustrated by Chrissie Krebs | Published by Scholastic Australia.

A TRIP TO THE HOSPITAL | Written and Illustrated by Freda Chiu| | Published by Allen and Unwin.

SECRETS OF A SCHOOLYARD MILLIONAIRE | Written by Nat Amoore | Illustrated by James Lancett | Published by Penguin Random House.

LUCY’S BOOK | Written by Natalie Jane Prior | Illustrated by Cheryl Orsini | Published by Hachette.

THE VERY HUNGRY CATERPILLAR | Written and Illustrated by Eric Carle.

THE LION WHO CAME TO STAY | Written by Victoria Mackinlay | Illustrated by Ronojoy Ghosh | Published by Scholastic Australia.

YELLOW, YELLOW Written by Frank Asch | Illustrated by Mark Alan Stamaty | Published by Drawn and Quarterly.

EDIE’S EXPERIMENTS | Written by Charlotte Barkla | Illustrated by Sandy Flett | Published by Penguin Random House.

WALKING YOUR HUMAN | Written by Liz Ledden | Illustrated by Gabriella Petruso | Published by Larrikin House.

POWER OF POSITIVE PRANKING | Written by Nat Amoore | Illustrated by James Lancett | Published by Penguin Random House.

And here are a bonus 27 dress up ideas from last year…

A Long Overdue Catch Up!

Oh dear, I fear it has been way too long in-between blog posts. Can we just put it down to the chaos caused by the global pandemic?

I hope that you are all staying safe and well and weathering the ups and downs of the various lockdowns across the country at the moment.

Here’s a little snapshot of what I’ve been up to in this current lockdown when not juggling the demands of the kids at home (best feedback so far is that I would make a great maths teacher… who knew!) and new household routines.

I’m reading… Flock

This new release anthology of short stories by First Nations authors curated by Ellen van Neerven masterfully covers broad ground in both genre and theme, showcasing the diversity of talent of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander writers.

There’s political exile in a near-future dystopian fiction, a spellbinding rodeo championship showcasing the strength of women, ponderings on the origins of Waltzing Maltilda between two men from different backgrounds and generations, a heartbreaking tale of child removal set in a beautiful landscape of red dust and native flowers, and a bittersweet story of survival with undercurrents of grief and loss and a focus on the resourcefulness and resilience of a mother in 1967.

Each story transports you to a particular place, time, and situation and allows us insight into experience, culture, and knowledge. The writing is exquisite, powerful, and compelling… I totally recommend it!

I’m listening to… the Pieces of Britney podcast

I wasn’t really in the demographic to be a Britney fan growing up so I didn’t know a lot about her other than what made headlines. I have however been intrigued about the conservatorship that she has been subject to for the past 13 years and so when this BBC4 podcast popped up as trending on iTunes, I thought I’d give it a listen.

I wasn’t prepared for was how compelling her story is, of how she went from humble beginnings to child star and then megastar, and then having the right to make basic life decisions taken away from her, and how gender and power have played a role in how she has been treated since she first appeared on TV as a 10 year old. (If you look up the Starsearch clip, be prepared to be both absolutely in awe at her powerhouse voice at this young age, but also absolutely disgusted at the post-performance questioning by the 70 year old male host.)

Thanks to noise-cancelling headphones and some repetitive computer work that needed doing late at night, I binged the whole series in two days!

I’m reviewing… new release picture books

Oh my gosh, I have received the most fabulous books to review in the past month or so! There have been books to make you laugh, ponder, smile, think, and gasp at the beauty of it all. And I’m so excited that three of the books featured are by two of my critique group buddies, Amelia McInernery with Who Fed Zed? and Victoria Mackinlay with The Lion Who Came to Stay and The Bark Book. It is a special experience seeing the drafts of these manuscripts and how they are honed to the point where they are contracted to be published and then by some magical spell, appear on the bookshelves!

Click here to see my reviews on Instagram @mypicturebookheart

I’m working on… exciting creative projects

My freelance work has been keeping me busy and I have a print article coming out in a magazine I totally adore later in the year along with several online articles. I have really enjoyed the process of researching and interviewing experts for these pieces and can’t wait to see them published.

I’m also buzzing with excitement about the launch of a sparkling new website that I have had the absolute joy of putting together from start to finish - from copywriting, content creation, email marketing campaigns, custom illustrations, and interviews with team members, to the website design and layout and even an online store! I can’t wait to share more details of all of this with you!

I also need to post about the anthology of writing for children that I worked on with the lovely people at CBCA NSW - Eastern Suburbs Sub-branch and the fabulous launch that was held at the NSW State Library. Keep your eye out for this post coming soon!

Hope the sun is shining where you are or you have a cosy place inside to weather this worldwide storm. Stay safe everyone!

GP x

November Round-up

Hey everyone, well it’s been a little while since I posted. First we had the bushfires and then a worldwide pandemic. It’s definitely been one of the challenging years and thank goodness for good books, podcasts, and binge-worthy series to get us through. Here’s what I’ve been up to…

I’m watching… The Queen’s Gambit.

I’ve been absolutely absorbed by the storyline, the brilliant acting, the retro stylings of the set and costume design, and yes, even the insights into the world of professional chess tournaments. The characters are compelling, complex, and beautifully nuanced, and don’t fall into stereotypes or neat categories. Totally recommend watching this one!

(And yes, I couldn’t help but do an illustration of the main character, Beth Harmon.)

I’m listening to… The Girl & Duck podcast.

Jen Storer is an acclaimed children’s book writer and chief inspirationalist at Girl & Duck. Jen is also gorgeously real, wonderfully candid, and generous with sharing what she has learnt through working in the publishing industry over many years. I have learnt so much from the online content Jen has shared over the past few years, including through the Scribbles Academy, and I am so excited that Jen has added a podcast to her wonderful list of offerings.

I’m reading… Future Girl.

As soon as I picked it up, I knew this book would be like no other. Future Girl is a coming-of-age story set in near-future Melbourne, a time of food shortage, fuel shortage, and a government with a concerning amount of control. It’s also a story of family, friendship, first love, and explores themes of self-actualisation, acceptance, and diversity.

Created by Deaf writer and artist, Asphyxia, and presented in an art journal format, Future Girl is a wonderfully immersive and captivating read. (Keep an eye out for my upcoming review on Instagram @mychapterbookheart)

I’m thinking about… Self-care and decluttering.

Oh my gosh, what a year! I’ve been working really hard on my goals and think I need to wind down my creative pursuits soon so I can focus on wellbeing before the silly season starts! I’m thinking that decluttering our messy, chaotic house, along with reading, swimming, and walking is just what is needed.

Until next time,

GP x

50 Fun and Easy Last-minute Ideas for Book Week Dress-up

I know, I get it. There are so many special days at school that require extra effort. Project days, dress-up days, fundraising days.

And then there’s Book Week. Argh! Is it really Book Week again already?

Maybe you’re thinking, ‘Why can’t I just send them in a superhero costume or their favourite movie character?’ Well you could, but…

Book Week is a big deal for book creators - writers, illustrators, book designers, editors, publishers and all the other people who work behind the scenes to get a book from an idea to a tangible item on a shelf. It’s the one week where they are in the spotlight and acknowledged for what they offer us with their work. Book Week is also super important for writers and illustrators in terms of promotion, sales, and an income stream from school visits which is crucial to making some sort of a living in this field. People who create books don’t do it for the money. (There isn’t much to be had!) Writers, illustrators, editors and publishers continue doing what they do because they love it. (This totally doesn’t justify the low wages, but that’s a whole other post!)

This year has been a particularly tough one, with in-person events at libraries and book shops unable to be held due to the global pandemic and associated restrictions. Authors and illustrators have had to embrace technology like never before and pivot like a ballerina who’s had too much coffee to reach readers through online events and activities.

Maybe you’re wondering, ‘What’s so special about children’s books anyway, and why do we need a week to celebrate them?’

Books provide children with a crucial (and safe) avenue for escapism. This is not limited to fantasy or adventure, but any story that gives them the chance to step outside their current world. They can see what’s going on for someone else, and this is also important in building empathy for others and their experience. Children’s books also provide a diverse range of characters for kids to relate to and feel seen and heard, and this plays a role in children seeing themselves as valued and capable. Having books in the home and reading for pleasure has also been found to be a strong factor in positive educational outcomes for children.

So now let’s go back to where you come in… That time your child dressed up as a character from their well-worn, know-off-by-heart-can-read-with-their-eyes-closed book? A writer’s eyes sparkled. An illustrator’s heart bloomed. And a publisher’s brain buzzed. They saw their book had connected with a reader in a meaningful way.

Even though the rescheduled Book Week is just around the corner, and we’re in the terrible last-minute panic zone, there is no need to reach for the nearest superhero outfit in desperation. I’ve put together a terrific collection of 50 fun and easy Book Week costume with last-minute low-cost parameters in mind.

To start things off, I set myself a challenge of seeing how many costumes I could put together just with things from the dress up box and every day items and this is what I came up with:

I also reached out to friends to pick their brains and was impressed with the variety of ideas from parents and kids’ authors. Thank you to authors Nat Amoore, Charlotte Barkla, Amelia McInerney, Shelly Unwin, Liz Ledden, and Vikki Conley (lion dress-up image is from @allthemumery which is a magical IG page), along with Amie and Kat for sharing their ideas and photos.

If ready-to-roll dress-up costumes are more your thing, I also took a peek online at Spotlight and was impressed to find these no-fuss costumes of well-known book characters along with other characters that could fit with a few different books.

Last but not least, the wonderful Matt Cosgrove has put together some free Dharma the Llama printables on his website for a quick and easy last-minute option that just requires printing and colouring in.

Whatever you choose to do - whether it’s raid the dress up box, craft it up, or buy a ready made costume - you are playing an important role in celebrating the magic and wonder of children’s books.

Happy Book Week, everyone!

Schrödinger's Caterpillar

Here’s a little something I wrote a few months ago…

Sorry I don’t have an illustration of a caterpillar - so here is one of a child dressed as a caterpillar!

We found a caterpillar in the kitchen. It had left a trail of holes through the leaves of some flowers I had placed in a jar. My daughter was upset about something at the time so I used the excitement of finding this caterpillar to try to cheer her up. And it worked! The caterpillar was given a name and placed carefully into the bug catcher. The caterpillar was very still. A little too still. Maybe it was unwell?

We showered it with love, leaves and drops of water. We watched. We waited. After eating all those leaves, maybe it would build a cocoon and turn into a butterfly?

We kept watching to see if it moved. We wanted some reassurance that it alive. And then we saw it. A little wiggle here, a roll over there! Were we about to witness a beautiful transformation? We kept a close eye on its body. There were some changes happening. Each end looked more green, more vivid perhaps. The yellowy brown middle section appeared to be coming off. But the caterpillar remained concerningly still.

And then I realised, we were either watching it transform into its new life or watching it leave this one permanently. It was like we were watching some weird kind of experiment, like Schrödinger's*, except this one involved not a cat, but a caterpillar, and not a metal box, but an clear plastic bug catcher.

I felt I was losing hope, but maintaining it at the same time. It really was in a state of life and death at the same time and it would be, until one of these options reached its finality and we realised which process had been taking place.

But it wasn’t quantum physics we were observing. Maybe it was magical thinking. Maybe it was the thinking of someone who has been working from home while caring for two small children 24 hours a day for the past eight weeks. Maybe it was a reflection of how I felt about the coronavirus. We had flattened the curve but there was talk of a possible second and third wave. I wondered if the worst was over or if there was more still yet to come.

And so I went back to watching and looking and studying the minute details of this gorgeous creature. Have you ever noticed how delicate the legs of a caterpillar are? I hadn’t until this point. As the hours passed, I became more and more sure the caterpillar was dying. I was worried how upset my daughter would be. She becomes so attached to animals. I thought of the snails in the tub months ago that she carefully fed veggie scraps and then they albeit extremely slowly, wandered off. The slowest getaway ever, but they did it. The ants. The grasshopper in the bug catcher. The grasshopper that escaped the bug catcher, and the intense sadness that followed. The excitement when I caught a replacement grasshopper, and the awe when she solemnly agreed to keep this one for a short time and then let go.

It’s all loving and letting go.

Loving and letting go.

Loving.

Letting go.

GP x

(This is not at all a scientific explanation of the Schrödinger's cat experiment. You’ll need to look somewhere else for that!)

10 for 10: My Pledge to Planet Earth

Artwork and messages created by kids visiting the Powerhouse Museum in Sydney (February 2020)

I’ve been thinking about this for a little while now and was about to let the idea slide.  That was until the other night. We had a new picture book to read at bedtime, the wonderfully warm and deliciously clever, Jelly Boy.

My kids were enthralled by this gorgeous book, even the younger one who can be a bit of an Eeyore at times declaring his lack of enthusiasm for things he has not yet tried. But curled up in my lap, he was quickly besotted with Jelly Boy, the plastic bag mistaken for a boy jellyfish by a girl jellyfish with hilarious results.  While the story is humorous and fun, there is also an underlying environmental message about the damage that plastics are doing in the oceans. 

My daughter was keen for me to read the information at the back of the book about the environmental impact of plastic. As we read through it, I could see that she now really understood why I’m often drawing attention to our use of plastic and needing to make better decisions about our use of plastics.  She then quickly started listing the ways that we responsibly dispose of plastic, such recycling bins and how we also drop off our scrunchable plastics to the Redcycle bins, and as she did this, I could see her feel more at ease as she knew we were doing things to address the problem. It’s true, we are doing things to help address this issue.  We do them every day, every week.  But I know we can do more. And I know we can do better.  So now I am taking that idea that sprang into my mind earlier this year and I’m actually going to put it into action.

There are ten months* remaining of this year, so I am pledging to do ten new things or ten things in a more committed way to help Planet Earth.

I am doing this for the planet that gives us light, air, water, warmth. I am doing this for the planet that enables us to stay alive. I am doing this for the planet of which there is only one.  I am doing this for my children who are naturally curious and helpful, and who this planet is as much theirs as ours.  And selfishly, I am doing this for me, because I need to know I can do better. 

My goal is to complete my pledge by the end of 2020 and that by then, new or better habits will be in place.   Averaged out, it’s just one new habit or issue addressed per month. I reckon I can do that!

Here’s my list, which I am posting here for accountability, and also in case you have any suggestions for things I can add.

My 10 for 10 for Planet Earth:

1. Use soapberries instead of laundry liquid. They’re also called wash nuts or soap nuts. I’ve used soapberries a few times over the years, but find myself drifting back to laundry liquid just because it’s readily available in the supermarket. Soapberries clean clothes really well and do not have plastic packaging as they are a natural product that comes in a reusable fabric bag. And when you have finished using the soapberries shells for 4-5 wash loads, you just pop them in the compost!

2. Continue to save scrunchable plastics for the Redcycle recycling bins, and batteries and computer cartridges for recycling drop-off points. I’m including this one as although I’m in a pretty good routine with a tub under the kitchen sink just for clean scrunchable plastic, I’ve got to admit that there’s a few times every now and then when the tub is overflowing so I put the scrunchable plastic in the regular bin. I promise I’m going to do better!

3. Make tougher decisions regarding plastic toys. I feel like this is one we’ve been chipping away at with the kids but need to become more firm on, considering factors such as longevity of the product and the estimated longevity of their interest in the toy, and options for re-use. Oh yes, this one is going to be tough!

4. Be more prepared for when I’m on the go by making sure I always have the mesh fruit & vege bags, the reusable fabric shopping bags, and taking it further to include taking my own containers for when we get takeaway sushi etc, and making sure I have reusable straws, chopsticks, cutlery etc on hand to avoid needing disposable plastic cutlery (even if it can be reused).

5. Continue to collect water from the shower before the water warms up, so it can be used to water the garden. I’ve been doing this for a few months now due to the water restrictions in place due to the low dam levels. Even though water restrictions have just been downgraded following the recent deluge, I’m still going to keep up this habit. It’s water that would go straight down the drain and it also means the plants are much more likely to get watered!

6. Write letters to companies/organisations when recycling facilities are not provided, such as shopping centres, schools etc. I find it amazing that it is still common to be out somewhere and have only a general rubbish bin available.

7. And on the flip side, providing positive feedback to places that provide fantastic recycling options. There are some shopping centres now that have separate bins for general waste, recycling, compostable and there is even a sink to rinse out things containers before putting them in the recycling. Some also have central drop-off points for recycling batteries, cartridges, plastic bags etc.

8. Research superannuation schemes to find out the best options in terms of where the money is invested and make choices based on investment in renewable energy sources.

9. Along the same lines, research energy providers to find out best options for supporting sustainable energy.

10. Making more food from scratch to avoid packaging. This is going to take a little more planning and preparation but the end product will be worth it, I’m sure!

Let me know if there’s anything you can suggest I add to this list, and let me know if you’ve got a list of your own!

 (* I started writing this post on 1 March!)

Smoke and Mirrors

Image Credit: Meredith Costain (2019)

Photo is of the Sydney Harbour Bridge and surrounding buildings on the city side and the North Sydney side of the bridge. There is a thick veil of smoke in the air, a greyish orange-is haze.

When I stepped out from my house the other morning, I was shocked by the thick veil of smoke in the air. While we’ve had terrible air quality in Sydney for the past couple of months, we hadn’t had a day this bad in weeks. I looked at my kids. Should they be wearing masks? Should we even be outside? And as I was wondering this, a faded memory of pollution and face masks came back to me.

It was some time in the early 1990s and I was in the first year or two of high school and I’d been asked to participate in the Excellence Expo. Teams of high school students were invited to a nearby university to present projects they had been developing. My group decided to take a look at imagined futures and we put together two videos acting out two different versions of what the future may hold. I don't recall much about the first scenario other than that the family was happy, healthy and that the world seemed fine. The other scenario though, I recall more vividly. The air quality was so bad that the children had to stay indoors, and if anyone went outside they needed to wear a mask to protect themselves from the pollution. And here we are almost 30 years later facing the reality of the dystopian future that my friends and I had imagined all those years ago but not actually believing would ever actually happen.

The bushfire crisis in Australia at present is heartbreaking. New bushfires are popping up every day as alerted by the ping on my phone from the Fires Near Me app. Bushfires are joining together with other bushfires to create mega-blazes. Whole communities are being terrorised by flames of a such an enormous size that I don’t think we can comprehend their impact if we aren't there to see them. Hundreds of houses being lost. A heart-wrenching, rising death toll. Images of children fleeing in boats, or waiting to be rescued. Sacred Aboriginal sites have been destroyed. The loss of native plants and animals on a devastating scale. A staggering amount of animals, birds, reptiles and insects has been estimated to have been killed. Ecologists from the University of Sydney have estimated that one billion animals have lost their lives due to the bushfires across Australia and that figure does not include insect, bat, and frog populations.

While all could feel lost, it somehow isn’t. There is the rising of something very powerful. Everyday people are stepping forward with what they can offer. Help at the firefront fighting the flames, defending homes, helping each other to safety. The kind of help that leaves the helpers blackened with ash and with bodies that as exhausted as a body can be. But around them are more helpers, making sure the firefighters have a decent meal and cool drinks. And those not in directly affected areas are findings ways that they can help, too. Donating goods for Food Banks to fill the gaps in communities where the local supermarket shelves are bare, money is limited, and online transactions not possible. Making donations to firefighting services, wildlife rescue services, and the charities who are there to help people get through the worst.

Authors have held auctions of anything they can offer - signed books, memorabilia, manuscript assessments, advance copies of new titles yet to hit the shelves. Wildlife carers are taking care of the sick and injured animals hurt by the flames, smoke or destruction of their habitat and food and water sources. People are donating unused new or expired first aid supplies for the animals. Nifty crafters are sewing or knitting pouches and other items for injured animals to help in their recovery. Community groups are doing big cook-ups to provide hot, home-cooked meals to nourish and nurture. People are putting together bags of books and stationery for children who have lost their school and all their education supplies. Tegan Weber started the #gowithemptyeskies movement to encourage spending in fire affected areas once the fires have stopped and the communities are ready to welcome visitors. The idea is that you don’t take much with you to maximise the support for the region that you visit - buying food and drinks and filling up with petrol. Turia Pitt and Grace McBridge have also encouraged us to #spendwiththem to support businesses affected by the bushfires to help minimise the loss of income caused by the bushfires with businesses able to keep open already receiving substantial increases in online orders to help keep them afloat. Support is also coming in from overseas, with groups in India sewing wraps for the injured wildlife, and Canadians bringing supplies of bat wraps, hanging pouches and first aid supplies. Australian comedian Celeste Barbour started a fundraiser for the Rural Fire Service in NSW that massively eclipsed her original target of 30,000 dollars, reaching a phenomenal 51 million dollars requiring a decision to be made for the money to be split nationwide across the rural fire services.

We are also turning to the experts to tell them that we are ready to listen. That we should have listened more before, but now we get it. We should have listened more to the former fire chiefs from around the country with decades upon decades of experience and expertise in this area, who noted new trends in bushfires and that we needed a new plan to prevent and manage bushfires. We should have listened to Indigenous elders and experts in land management, who have intricate knowledge of the land including native plant species and how best to perform backburning procedures. We should have welcomed the knowledge of the traditional owners of this land, who kept the land thriving for a seemingly infinite period of time before colonisation, who passed information from one to another from generation to generation, and who can teach us so much about the importance of our connection to the land.

Small acts are joining together in a big wave of support. While there is so much heartache right now, there is also so much love, care, and respect is being expressed. While we are experiencing the worst in Australia right now, there are also thousands of people stepping up to do their best.

Emergency information:

Rural Fire Service Emergency Information

Just a few ways to support the bushfire relief efforts:

Rural Fire Service (RFS) in NSW

Country Fire Authority (CFA) in Victoria

Rural Fire Service (RFS) Queensland

Red Cross

Animal Rescue Collective

Links to some feelgood stories showing some of the good that is happening:

These women traveled 4 hrs with 5 trucks of supplies to cook food for 150 tired Australian firefighters

Amid the ruins of the NSW bushfires, this pharmacist is keeping his doors open

Tourists are welcome in fire-affected areas, when the time is right

GP x

My Podcast Heart

Full disclosure, I am part-luddite and have only somewhat recently opened my arms to the wonderful world of podcasts. Now that I have, I’ve got to say I’m pretty smitten! I love the flexibility that this medium allows - I can listen on the go and it doesn’t require my whole attention so I can multitask. I can be doing laundry or dinner prep, driving, or scoffing lunch and I can be at least thinking about writing even if I can’t be doing any actual writing. To say thank you for making mundane tasks much more bearable, I thought I’d share my five favourite podcasts and the reasons I love them.

1. One More Page

You know how kids want just one more page of their bedtime story? Well, that’s pretty much how I feel when I listen to this podcast. Hosts Kate, Liz and Nat never fail to entertain with book reviews, competitions, interviews, and insightful snippets into the world of children’s books.

The start of each episode contains tidbits from the hosts to help us to get to know each of them such as their favourite books from childhood, or how and when they get their best writing ideas. Each episode is then based on a theme - from fantasy and adventure to food and comedy, and the hosts aren’t afraid to incorporate some dramatic techniques to liven up the airwaves.

With a target audience of writers, illustrators, teachers, librarians, school students, and parents, this podcast was a finalist in the Best Newcomer category at the Australian Podcast Awards in 2018, and is now well into its second year. My only complaint about this podcast is that it comes out fortnightly on a Wednesday, which makes the ‘other Wednesday’ a bit of a downer!

Bonus points: One thing I particularly love about this podcast is that kids are involved in the making of episodes, and this has included some stellar interviews by their talented young offsiders.

2. So You Want To Be A Writer

This one has been my go-to podcast for learning more about the world of writing and getting published. As soon as I listened to an episode, I made it my mission to catch up the back catalogue, and since then I haven’t missed an episode. Hosts Valerie Khoo, CEO of the Australian Writers’ Centre and Allison Tait, AKA author A. L Tait have now put to air an impressive 296 episodes!

This podcast is informative, entertaining, and an absolute wealth of knowledge when it comes to fiction, non-fiction, freelance feature writing, and content writing. With regular segments such as the Writer in Residence interview and Val’s Word of the Week, you’ll quickly feel part of the community and make tuning into ‘Al and Val’ part of your weekly routine.

Bonus points: For content related to the world of children’s books, check out the spin-off podcast, Magic and Mayhem: Discover the secrets to creating magnificent books for kids and teens.

3. The Happy Book

Whenever I’ve seen the incredible author-illustrator-editor-creator Tania McCartney at events I always wished I had more time to learn more from her, so when she announced she was starting a podcast I was over the moon, circling the stars, and basically just hooning around the universe! There is a phenomenal range of topics covered in this podcast such as writing, illustrating, promotion, presenting, personal wellbeing, along with the business side of making a career in the children’s book industry.

Tania’s interviews with authors and illustrators flow so beautifully, they are so easy to listen to, and it feels like an absolute treat being privy to the insights that are shared during the conversations. The advice is always spot on coming from Tania’s talented guests and her own decades of experience in the industry. In less than six months, Tania has released two series of this wonderful podcast (that’s 20 episodes!) alongside her demanding writing and illustrating schedule, so I’m hoping that Tania will share some more tips on productivity in coming episodes!

Bonus points: I love that Tania adds another level to each episode by talking about what she and her guests are eating and drinking!

4. Middle Grade Mavens

When it comes to writing for children I’ve got to wonder if middle grade books are like the Jan Brady of the book world, the forgotten middle child wedged in-between the gorgeousness of picture books with their succinctly told stories and charming illustrations, and the dazzle of young adult novels tackling the big issues with the promise of big screen possibilities. With hosts Julie Grasso and Pamela Ueckerman doing an impressive amount of reading and reviewing to give middle-grade writing the time and space to shine, it’s clear I needn’t worry so much about middle-child/middle-grade angst! Featuring an impressive line-up of middle-grade authors for interview and with an ever-growing following, this newcomer podcast world is perfect for anyone wanting to learn more about the world of writing middle-grade fiction.

5. Grownups Read Things They Wrote As Kids

While this isn’t strictly a writing podcast, I love this one for the way it captures voice, a key aspect of writing across all genres and formats. Episodes are comprised of live recordings of adults on stage reading relics from their childhood - from journal entries and creative writing, to letters and songs. The written words featured span from as far back as the 1960s to more recent times and each reading is a beautiful capture of a particular person in a particular place and time.

Episodes of this podcast are recorded in venues across Canada (with a few recorded at the Woodford Folk Festival in Australia) and provide insight into universal issues that face children, along with issues that are completely unique to the person. Producers Dan and Jenna Meisner, have set up this format so beautifully so that past writing is celebrated for what it is, rather than being seen as something that should be banished to the past.

Bonus points: Some readings are followed by short reflections or comments from the reader and other people involved in the story.

Random Round-up

It’s been a little while since I’ve popped in to say hi here, so thought get around to finally posting this little round-up post which has been sitting here in draft form for a while now! Here’s a little snapshot of what I’ve been up to…

I’ve just binge-watched… The Heights on ABC iView. Drawcards were Marcus Graham and that one of the co-creators/producers is an old bookseller work buddy of mine. But once I started watching the show I was hooked on the characters and wanting to know more about them. I’m now feeling a little regretful that I was so greedy and I now have to wait until July for new episodes!

I'm reading... Big Magic by Elizabeth Gilbert. I can see why this is on a lot of must-read lists for creative types. It’s a stellar read for anyone wanting to take a crack at a creative life.

I’m taking photos of… really random things… cranky looking tomatoes, spaghetti twirling itself into a heart shape, faces in the chipped away parts of a brick wall…

I'm grateful for... being able to update some of our appliances. We’ve just got a new fridge (I think the old one was 15 years old!) and we have a clothes dryer after not having one more over a year (but surviving surprisingly well even in winter!)

I've been busy with...  parties! It’s party season and I’ve been doing a lot of baking for birthday celebrations and school events. The oven has been running hot!

The 26th of January

Last year on Australia Day,  I was talking to my daughter about our plans for the day and we started to talk about Australia Day itself.  We chatted about how lucky we are to live in Australia and that this country is something to celebrate.

Knowing that she was somewhat aware of our history of colonisation and that she had an interest in Aboriginal history and culture, I mentioned that there has been talk about changing the date of Australia Day.

She wasn't too impressed with this idea as she thought it was going to change our particular plans for the day, so I thought of an analogy that may help her be more understanding and empathic.

I thought of her Paw Patrol toys which she loves so much - all the vehicles and different dog characters.  "Imagine if a child came to our house," I began, thinking on my feet and not really sure how this was going to play out.  "And they took away all of your Paw Patrol toys.  I see her eyes widen, horrified at even the thought of this. I continue, “Then later on someone says, ‘Hey, let's have a day to celebrate how much we love Paw Patrol!’  And of all the dates to choose for the celebration, they choose the same date as the day that child came to your house and stole all your Paw Patrol toys."  My daughter does not look impressed.

"Of course, you still love Paw Patrol, and you want to celebrate how great Paw Patrol is, but it doesn't feel right to celebrate it on a day that is sad day for you.  We could choose another day, right?"

"Yep," she says, appearing to understand this moral conundrum.

So why don't we change the date? And why am I sharing this clunky explanation I provided to my then four-year old with a year ago? Well, because it helped me to get to the core of my beliefs. And I believe this is a national conversation that we should be having right now. I just wasn’t quite sure how to put it all in words a year ago.

And it seems like the best and most respectful place to start is to listen to Indigenous voices. Tammy Solonec, a Nigena woman who is an Indigenous Rights Manager at Amnesty International says:

“Like other Australians, I enjoy a public holiday and like to celebrate. But as an Aboriginal person, 26 January is a painful and alienating day. It marks the start of the colonisation and the suffering of our people— it is no celebration for us. Let’s respect the survival and resilience of our Indigenous peoples and change the date so we can all celebrate Australia Day together.” (Source: www.amnesty.org.au)

For more from Tammy Solonec, please click the link here to one of her articles at Amnesty International.

And as it turns out, 26 January hasn’t always been the chosen day for our national celebration anyway.

(For more on this, please take a look at this article by Chloe Sargent on SBS.)

So maybe change need not be that scary after all?

The Word on the Street

Forget about new year’s resolutions, it seems the thing to do these days is to choose a word to set your intentions for the new year about to unfold.

I first embraced this approach at the start of last year and my word back then was ‘balance’. It seemed a good idea at the time - with a demanding day job, busy and boisterous kids, a hectic household, plus my creative projects bubbling away in the background, it seemed I would have to find a way to balance all of these things. My daughter also started her first year of school and this brought along with it a whole range of emotions and an endless list of things to remember to do. Balancing turned to juggling, and pretty soon it was more just keeping the balls from hitting the floor! So this year, I’ve decided on a new word that I think will have a little more longevity.

For 2019, my word will be ‘prioritise’. I figure there is always going to be an never-ending to-do list and while striving for balance seemed noble, perhaps a better approach for me right now is to prioritise rather than balance. That means really thinking about what I commit to in all parts of my world, and how they play out day-to-day, and also at critical time points. And perhaps balance will be a nice by-product?! Here’s hoping anyway!

Hope the new year brings you all the wonderful things!

Planetary Rubbish

I've recently been thinking a lot about the impact of our consumer society on our poor planet, and what we can do about it.  I've been trying to make more and more changes to reduce the waste that is generated by our household, and also striving to be more responsible about how we dispose of waste.

It seems that we are more aware today than ever before of the long-term impact of today's rubbish and there is a definite movement towards being more proactive when it comes to tackling this issue.  But I can't help but wonder how we got here.  Was it that our generation inherited the 80's and 90's mindset of consumerism and we're now at the age where our eyes are open to what this means for the planet and we're trying to turn it all around?

Well that was my thinking at least until I sat down with my daughter the other evening to do her homework. Her home reader for that week was ‘What Happens to Rubbish’ and it was all about what happens to rubbish after we dispose of it and it highlighted the incredible length of time it takes for common items to break down*.  Aluminium such as soft drink cans can take up to 500 years, glass bottles and jars up to 1000 years, and plastic bottles and foam cups as long as millions of years. That's right millions. And it turns out this information isn't new.  The reader was published in 1999!  So all of this has been common knowledge for at least 20 years yet we are still not consistently recycling aluminium and glass, and we are still using items such as foam cups that cannot be recycled and take millions of year to break down.  That's right.  Millions.  

I feel I'm at risk of getting ranty, so I'm just going to leave you with a little sketch that I did of planet earth the other night, along with a song that has been stuck in my head since I read the phrase "around the sun" the other day.  It's a song from my childhood that was probably popular/unpopular around the time I had black school shoes with a tree and the word 'environment' embroidered on them. (Weird, but true!)  Feel free to mute the song of course if it's not your thing or if you have legitimate concerns it may become an ear worm.  (The risk is real!)

*What Happens To Rubbish? (1999), Costain, M., Macmillan Education Australia.

When Sleep Calls...

Live life to the fullest!  Cherish every moment!

Lean in, reach out, give back....

Well, what happens when you just need to lie down?

When you realise you're like a tired kid who just needs a cuddle and to be tucked into bed?

I'm usually up late writing, editing, illustrating, pitching, posting photos, or managing to-do lists, house stuff or school-related things.

 But last night I decided I was having a night off.  I was just plain old tired.

And I had to listen to my body telling me to slow down.

It was time to take a break.  Put tools down.  Clock off.

And so I gave in.  I surrendered to this call*

And it was just what I needed.

Sure the to-do list was there, projects were unfinished, sure the house was a mess, but I felt rested.

(*I didn't actually make it to my bed at this point.  I fell asleep in my child's bed after bedtime stories.  But it still counts, right?)

On the Circuit: Kid Lit Vic 2018

Melbourne-bound with Victoria Mckinlay

Next in my catch-up series of what I've been up to in recent months, is a little write-up of the Kid Lit Vic Conference that was held at the gorgeous Melbourne Town Hall building in May.  Boasting an impressive line-up of authors, illustrators, and publishers, this conference is one of the leading events on the calendar for children's writers and illustrators in Australia.

The opening address by Leigh Hobbs had just the right balance of candour, encouragement and humour, and was the perfect way to kick off KidLitVic 2018.

It is hard to imagine that there was a time that his work wasn't published but Hobbs revealed the struggle of his early years in the children's book industry.  I was spellbound as he shared an anecdote that detailing exactly the toll that rejections had taken on him, with Hobbs having to stop the car one driving on a highway one day as he felt physically sick.  But Hobbs didn't give up, and that was the powerful message he delivered to the room of aspiring, emerging and established creatives in the room.

The winning combination, he said, is talent, luck, and perseverance.  And Hobbs is certainly proof of what can happen when these three things align. After his first book was published by Penguin, Hobbs has gone from strength to strength, with 17 books with that publisher, and highs such as Mr Chicken goes to Paris now being sold at the Louvre, Horrible Harriet brought the stage, and Hobbs named Australian Children's Laureate for the 2016/2017 term.

Hobbs explained that a driving factor in the path to success is more than just wanting to keep creating characters and stories, but the fact that you actually "can't not do it".  The address finished on a motivating note, with Hobbs speaking of the desire to create being like a pilot light and that we need to "nourish, protect and keep that light burning bright".

Hanging out with Amelia McInerney, Liz Ledden, and Nat Amoore.

Donna Rawlins' workshops came highly recommended in the lead-up to the festival and I've got to say, the intel was spot on.

The 'Directions in Art Direction' workshop was filled to the brim with enthusiastic, talented illustrators who were absorbing as much information as they could in the workshop.  Rawlins' has an absolute wealth of knowledge on illustration and art direction having been in the book industry for over 38 years as an illustrator, writer, editor, and art director, having founded Scholastic's trade publishing list, working at Walker Books Australia for the past 10 years, and also teaching illustration at the Centre for Continued Education at the University of Sydney.

A key concept to keep in mind when it comes to illustrating children's books, suggested Rawlins, is that it is "more than just picture-making, it is storytelling."  The workshop explored the toolkit that Rawlins suggests illustrators keep on hand to be able to be able to add subtext to the story, continually improve their work, and push through blocks and difficult periods.   Speaking with honesty, warmth and humour, Rawlins provided helpful guidance and encouragement, perfect to guide me on the right path as a fledgling illustrator.

With presentations, workshops, panel discussions, publisher consultations, and an Illustrator Showcase, there is something for everyone at KidLitVic.   I had such a fantastic time meeting publishers, soaking up all the knowledge on offer, and catching up with writer/illustrator friends from all around the country.   I left feeling very inspired and motivated to continue on my journey in the children's book industry and can't wait to see what the future brings.

GP x 

The surprising aspect of my personality that the Creative world has revealed...

If I had to describe myself a year ago, 'risk-taking' would not have made the list.

I would have said that I'm more of a planning, cautious type.  But I've learnt that in this field of work that opportunities are there to be taken, even if you don't feel entirely ready.  I've found myself signing up for things, feeling initially excited, then incredibly nervous, and these are perfect conditions for the rise of the ever-lurking inner critic.  While sometimes this would lead me to feeling like I couldn't do it, I soon realised that I needed to see the opportunity for what it is, and when I need to reach out to others for the crucial information and guidance to make the most it.  And with deadlines looming, I've found I've then achieved so much more than I would have otherwise.  I think of it a being a bit like that mad clean-up you do before someone comes over to your house.

So here I am putting my hand up,  reaching out, doing the work, and seeing what happens.  You may wonder, do I regret any of these nerve-wracking experiences?  Not at all.  They are pushing me to extend my skills, to connect with new people, and to show my work. So here's to taking some risks... well, calculated risks at least!

Where have I been? First stop: Creative Kids Tales Festival

Illustration by me!

So I've been a little quiet here of late but it's all been for a good reason. I have been out there on the road (or in the air) attending writing events around the country.

Oh yeah, and I had pneumonia.  But let's focus on the writing!

Here's a little recap of the first of the events I attended, the Creative Kids Tales Festival held in Sydney in March, and organised by absolute dynamo Georgie Donaghey in an incredibly short space of time and offering a fantastic line-up of presenters.

Susanne Gervay was her usual energetic ball of passion, inspiration, and humour and opened the day by looking at the art of writing about difficult topics across different genres and for various age groups. Standout messages included the importance of knowing that "the very first thing you have to be, is brave," and that there is no need to shy away from difficult topics but that you need to know how they are done. The key to doing this, suggested Susanne, is achieving a balance between light and dark so that that the reader doesn't feel "the heavy hand of the topic" but instead feel the "hand of hope".  Susanne suggested a gentle approach, recommending, "throw them seeds. Kids will take the story where they need to."  Wise words from a wise writer.

Wai Chim spoke of writing from the "germ of a truth" and referred to her recently published book Freedom Swimmer, the tale of two boys who set out to swim from China to Hong Kong in search of a better life which was inspired by a true story. The author of the Chook Chook series and Shaozen shared her process of researching events and then writing with a focus on the human experience within these events.

The room was provided with a snippet of hope when the CBCA Notable author revealed that her break into publication came through the slush pile at University of Queensland Press. Wai Chim offer further inspiration by detailing how her second book came about after she spoke at a conference, and that events like the CKT festival were important as "you never know who will be there".

Tristan Bancks popped into the festival via Skype and had the room entertained talking about about his processes for writing and marketing his books.

Tristan revealed insights into his writing process and discussed his commitment to writing morning pages every day and advised of the need to protect writing time. The author of the Tom Weekly series and recent release The Fall also spoke of the importance of tapping into your skill set beyond writing, which may include experience in presenting, marketing, or teaching.  Tristan discussed the need to connect with readers such as through book trailers and having activity downloads available online. We were also providing with insights into his typical year, with seven months usually allocated to writing, four months to touring, and one month set aside for holiday time.

Sue Whiting encouraged tackling difficult topics in children's writing, stating that when writers take on the risk of writing about these topics, that publishers may too.

Sue offered this advice from the unique position of having written 65 books across the trade, education and novelty markets (including eight novels and seven picture books) and also having been at the helm of Walker Books as a publisher for a decade. Sue gave examples of difficult topics handled well such as: Pearl Versus the World in which the grandmother has Alzheimer's disease, The Book Thief which features death as narrator, A Single Stone which addresses the gender and power for middle-grade readers, and A Monster Calls which is a book about love, loss and hope.

Sarah Davis spoke of her work as an illustrator using traditional mediums such as paint and pencil, along with 3D models and digital illustration.

Sarah generously shared insights into her illustration process, such using reference photos.  She also recommended that writers "leave room for the illustrator to breathe and tell their own story". After sharing her skill across various artistic mediums, Sarah amazed the room by responding to a question from the audience about her art training by revealing that she was self-taught, largely through googling the techniques that she wished to master.

While I feel a little sheepish about it taking a while for me to write up this event, I have realised that one advantage of this is that I can see  just how much of the information I have taken on board, and how it has shaped where I am right now.

I felt encouraged to continue to write about difficult topics and I have continued to pursue an interest in writing for middle-grade readers, and I have also been motivated to continue to work on my illustration skills having heard that a fabulous illustrator such as Sarah Davis is self-taught.

I can't finish this write-up without mentioning that my gorgeous writing buddy Victoria Mackinlay signed her first book contract as a result of meeting with a publisher at the festival. I absolutely can't wait to see her wonderful story come to life.

With all of this fabulousness coming out of the festival, I am definitely looking forward to the next one! 

GP x

Jack of All Trades... Master of None?

I was recently asked about my greatest fear in pursing my creative dreams.  I'm not sure of the answer I gave at the time, but the one that is in my head right now, is that I've feared that I'd be a 'jack of all trades, master of none'.

You see, my creative ambitions don't fall neatly into one category.  I like to write.  I like to paint.  And I like to take photos. I've primarily been focused on picture book writing, but I've also been dabbling in freelance writing, middle-grade fiction, and I have some scribbles that make up the beginning of a novel.  On top of this, I am learning how to paint, having not pursued it much since high school.  I'm also getting the hang of using my SLR in manual mode, a skill that also been dormant since my high school days of black and white photography.  (Digital SLR cameras weren't available back then, so it was a necessary skill in those days!)

So how did it all begin?  After my first child was born, I felt such a shake up in my thinking about what I could do with my spare time.  Yes, you can laugh at that bit.  Having a baby doesn't leave a whole lot of spare time, but it does at least give you thinking space about what you could do with spare time, if and when you manage to grab a few minutes. All those hours spent feeding through the night, or walking through the streets with the pram had led to something creative brewing. The problem was that I didn't really know exactly what to do with it.

I did some terrible writing.  Some awful artwork.  And took some pretty average photos with my SLR in automatic mode.  Then I completed a picture book writing course and I learnt about the conventions of the picture book and gained some insight into the workings of the publishing industry. All the stuff I needed to know if things were going to go anywhere, but I wasn't yet developing many story ideas.  I tried to get into painting with watercolour but I found it intensely frustrating that I couldn't produce the images that were in my head.  I packed it all away to focus on our house renovations and then it was time to go back to my day job.

A year later my second child was born and life became much busier than before. Things thankfully settled down and again I had some time to think about how I could funnel my creativity somewhere rewarding and purposeful. With two children now, it was even harder to find time to myself.  Even though my older child wasn't having a regular day sleep at home anymore, I was so thankful that both children would each have a car sleep after lunch each day.  I would park under a tree, and take out a notebook and scribble down all the things in my head that I felt I had to record somehow - observations, feelings, ideas that I thought I could use in a future novel.  I thought these scribblings were just my way of capturing ideas so I wouldn't forget them.  I then did some reading on the process of writing fiction and turns out this is not an unheard of way of beginning a novel.   So there you go, I was actually starting another project and intuitively I sort of knew what I was doing.  And I stuck at it.  And before too long, these scribblings were forming part of a broader narrative.  

Around this time I also had some ideas for a parenting book and jotted down chapter ideas and had a chat with people who may like to collaborate.  I tried watercolour again, and produced some illustrations that I didn't actually hate.  I continued to work on my picture book manuscripts.  And then came the biggest turning point, I started attended events for children's writers and illustrators. I went to festivals and gatherings.  I joined a critique group.  I made connections.  I put together a website.  I channelled my ideas from the parenting book into pitches for freelance articles.  I agreed to be part of an illustration exhibition (and immediately felt ill at the prospect of this endeavour but pushed on anyway).  I was gaining some momentum, and then yes, you guessed it, time to go back to my day job.

But this time it was different. With all of these wanderings through different creative territories, something had started to take shape, something that wouldn't just go away as easily as before.  Maybe it was the strength of having made at least some progress across a few domains.   I'd refined some picture book manuscripts to a point where they were ready for submission to publishers, I'd participated in the illustration exhibition (and made some wonderful connections), I was blogging regularly, and I even had a freelance article published online.  And I'd made friends in the writing/illustrating world to help keep me inspired, motivated, and who really understood this new world that I was in. Things were on a roll and I was keen to get work done whenever I could… early morning starts before the rest of the house woke, late at night when the rest of the house was already sleeping, and during the day in any pockets of time that came my way. Thankfully, my youngest was having mammoth day sleeps which gave my productivity a massive boost.

And the thing that was such a relief to me throughout all of this, was the realisation that each of creative endeavours had somehow complemented the others.  It hadn't been just a trade-off with my time, with one skill suffering because I was spending time on another.  They all worked together.  Illustrating characters from my manuscripts brought them to life and helped me to understand more about them than I could have ever imagined.  Blogging helped me to write even when I didn't feel inspired but because of a self-imposed deadline, a very handy skill to have when you're seeking freelance work or just wanting to push on with your creative writing.  Persevering with watercolour helped me to be more fluid with my movements and more confident and resolute with my decisions. Trying a new medium such as goauche taught me to be experimental, and helped me to achieve a closer approximation of the images in my head that I had been trying to bring to the page.  Photography helped me to capture a moment or a feeling with more speed than writing or illustrating could, and getting the knack of manual mode took the quality up a notch or two.  And the photos provided original photographic content for my website.  

Having all these things to dip into gave me choice and helped to lift my energy when working on one project had worn me down.  Sure, I still find it frustrating that I have so many projects on the go at once and very little time for any of them.  But I've learnt that with deadlines to work to, I can make the most of snippets of time. And this jack of all trades now even wakes up before the birds most mornings.

The master bit?  Well, I don't worry so much about that anymore.

Back after the break with a little post I like to call 'The Round-Up'

I'm watching... Schitt's Creek on Netflix.

It took me an episode or two to really warm to it, but I'm now hooked. Dan Levy and Catherine O'Hara are the standouts for me... Levy's facial expressions and O'Hara's comic delivery are spot on.

I'm reading... On Writing by Stephen King.

Part-memoir, part-masterclass, and totally enthralling.  I am a sponge.

I'm listening to... Alvvays.

I'm more than happy for the sweet, catchy melodies from this indie group from Toronto hang out my head for a while.  While the band has been around for a few years now, I've only recently discovered them, along with the musical genre 'jangle pop', to which they apparently belong.

PS. The band name is pronounced 'Always', just to save you a Google search ;)

I'm remembering... the divine smells from The Body Shop.  

It's all thanks to a new handwash having a similar scent to an old Body Shop favourite and taking me down memory lane to my frequent trips to The Body Shop as a teenager in the 90s!

I'm grateful for... so much

The big things (being lucky enough to be born in Australia)... the small things (the toddler having a big day sleep yesterday in amongst the ups and downs of a sleep regression).

I'm trying... to have more focus on the task at hand.

I find I'm always trying to juggle so many things at once, that instead of focusing on what I don't have time to do, I need to focus more on what I am actually doing.

I'm planning... the year ahead

I'm jumping back into my creative life after a break over the holidays, and hoping to build upon the momentum from last year. I'm reflecting on my achievements over the past year months, no matter how small.  And I'm so grateful for all the beautiful souls who are cheering me on.  I'm on the path to exactly where I want and need to be... I just need to keep moving.

GP x 

18 Tips for Aspiring Children's Writers (That I wish I'd known from the start)

1. Write whenever you are inspired.

Jot it down in a notebook, in the notes function on your phone, or on a scrap of paper.  It doesn't matter where, as long as you get it down.  And write as much as you have in your head.  Capture the feelings you have.  Don't think you'll remember it all later.  You won't.

2. Write from the heart.

Write from emotion - from the right side of your brain - the hub of creativity.  Don’t worry about what others will think. Write in a state of flow.  Your left brain can wait its turn.  The editing process is where its ability to think analytically and make decisions will come into play.

3. Discover your voice.

This can take time.  Creative writing activities can help you explore different genres and writing for various age groups. From picture books, junior fiction, to middle-grade fiction and young adult - and you can then find your niche within these. The online course, Scribbles by Jen Storer of Girl and Duck is highly recommended for encouraging your creative spirit to shine.

4. Develop your skills.

Your local writers' centre is a good place to start to develop your craft. Some centres offer online courses which provide flexibility and ease of access. There are also plenty of online courses and podcasts that can help you learn all there is to know about the art of writing for children.  The podcast by the Australian Writers' Centre, So You Want to be a Writer, is a popular one, while skillshare.com offers an endless array of online courses in the creative arts.

5. Join professional associations for children's writers.

Become a member of the Children's Book Council of Australia (CBCA) and the Society of Children's Book Writers and Illustrators (SCBWI) and get connected to your local group or chapter.  You don't need to wait until you are published to get involved.  They'll have events, critique groups and other opportunities to help you on your way.  These groups tend to have a lovely mix of aspiring, emerging and established writers and illustrators, so don't be shy!

6. Subscribe to industry newsletters.

Online newsletters such as Buzz Words and Pass it On are also a great way of getting the latest news on events that are coming up, and also the lowdown on which publishers are currently open for submissions.

7. Attend events.

Go to as many as you can.  Conferences, festivals, book launches.  KidLitVit is run annually in Melbourne and is a popular conference well-attended by publishers, as is CYA in Brisbane. There is also Writers Unleashed and Creative Kids Tales Festival held in Sydney, and lots of other events likes this all around the country that are well worth attending. You’re sure to pick up tips, make useful connections, and also make some lovely literary friends.

8. Find your people.

You need folks around you who understand the process of writing and the industry.  Surround yourself with people who understand how inspiring, fun, and uplifting it can be, but can also help you navigate the inevitable lows.

9. Be open to critique.

This will help you grow as a writer and help you refine your manuscripts.  Sometimes you can be too closely involved with the work to be able to step back and take an objective look at it.  Ways of receiving feedback on your writing are though critique groups (either in-person or online), through paid manuscript assessments, and also through paid critique sessions with publishers at conferences and festivals.

10. Filter the informal feedback.

People not in the industry may give you well-intentioned but misleading information, or may make unhelpful or even mean-spirited comments.  Learn to take on board the information that is truly helpful and let the rest slide on by.

11. Cherish your champions.

You're hopefully going to have at least a few people who truly care about your progress and who support you along the way.  Look after these lovely souls, for they are your champions.

12. Use social media wisely.

You can use social media to set up your author platform.  It is a great way to find your style, explore different avenues of creativity, and also connect with other creative types. (And yes, publishers do actually look at your website and social media!)  Don't try to do to much too soon though, you want to leave time for actual writing.  Social media can also be a black hole when it comes to procrastination. 

13. Enter writing competitions.

They offer deadlines which can be immensely valuable in pushing you to work harder than you otherwise would.   Some competitions offer feedback which can be very helpful.  If you are long-listed, short-listed, or win the competition, then you've also got something to add to your online CV to show your dedication to learning your craft.

14. Submit your work.

Once you feel your work has been edited, refined, buffed and polished, it's time to send it to a publisher.  Make a list of publishers that you feel your manuscript would fit well with, and check if they are currently open for submissions.  You can do this using information from your industry newsletters and also from the Australian Writer's Marketplace which is now online.  Look at the publisher's website for submission guidelines and follow them carefully.  

15. Have more than one manuscript on the go.

Once you've submitted to a publisher it may be up six months (or more!) before you hear back with a yay or a nay, so it's important to have more than one manuscript or project to be working on.  Due to the time and resourcing pressures that publishers face, you may not actually receive a rejection letter or email, it may just be the absence of contact that will let you know that your manuscript has not been accepted this time.

16. Keep your chin up.

If you are learning and progressing, then you are moving a step closer to publication.  If you're in the game, then you're winning, right?

17. Support other writers.

When you're buying presents for your friends and family, consider buying a book.  It's something they can enjoy, keep forever, or share with others.  And you get the joy of knowing that you have supported a writer who has worked so hard to get to the point of publication.  Festivals and conferences often have a bookshop set up so you can purchase books, and writers often do book-signings as part of this, making your gift super-special!

18.  Love what you do.

This is the long-game kind of thing.  You need to truly love it to keep at it.

Good luck!

GP x