The Questions Kids Ask #2

I usually begin my author talks with a quick discussion about where authors get their ideas from. I've found if I wave a few books from the Captain Underpants series right from the start - I have immediate credibility. Especially as I know the names of all the titles. Then I talk about my own ideas, where they came from and how I turned them into a story.

This is my all time favourite end-of-talk question.

A Year 5 boy put up his hand and asked: "Do you get headaches?" I was surprised because I do. I get terrible migraines. "Yes. How did you know?" I asked. "It's so crowded with ideas inside your head, your brain must be stretched really tight," he said.

Then his friend spoke up. "That's why she writes books. To empty out her head so it stops hurting."

And in a way they are both correct. There are lost of times when I feel if I don't write it down my head will explode.

[PS Word of warning - never type 'exploding head' into a Google images search late at night. What you see will keep you awake for hours. And it's not public domain so you can't use it anyway!]

Storytelling Maths: One book = One series

"What if you had to write another Samurai Kids book and you couldn't think of anything?" a Year 6 boy asked. "Oh that could never happen," I said.

Or could it?

I've always had a safety net to protect me from worrying about this. Samurai Kids White Crane began with just one sentence: "My name is Niya Moto and I'm the only one-legged samurai kid in Japan." Another one soon followed. "Famous for falling flat on my face in the dirt." And for a long time that's all I had. That and the increasing desire to tell Niya's story - his friends, his teacher, his school and his adventures. I always figured if a book could come from a sentence than surely a series could come from one book.

Because White Crane was a stand-alone story (originally titled Samurai Kids) there were no hooks in place for future stories. But I did have a rich cast to work with - six very different characters each with their own idiosyncrasies and spirit guide - and their eccentric but much loved teacher. I had the action and adventure of samurai and ninja. I had swords, shuriken stars, and a quiver full of arrows.

And then I discovered an accidental hook after all. In White Crane Niya thought Sensei might be a Tengu - a mountain goblin priest with supernatural abilities. Was he? And if he was, what did he do? A human becomes a Tengu as a result of some terrible deed. Now I had a problem - I never intended to answer this question. In fact I didn't even know the answer. But if there were more books, it was obviously the key to many things. I do know the answer now but I can't tell you or I would have to give you a Wakizashi dagger and a seppuku mat and well... if you know the rest - it's rather painful and messy. So you are better off not knowing.

In Samurai Kids: Owl Ninja the kids travelled across Japan and learn ninja skills. They faced the Dragon Master once again. The final chapter saw them standing on the shore, a greater journey about to begin. From here, the series started to tell itself. The geography of the journey dictated the next stop, the location dictated the martial arts skills that the Kids would learn and Sensei's history created obligations and risks.

When the Kids went to China in Samurai Kids: Shaolin Tiger, history put them in a time and place when the Hwang Ho River was due to flood Kaifeng, the Shaolin Temple was under threat from the Imperial army (and would soon be destroyed), the Mongols were threatening to invade and the Manchu were on the horizon. How could I not find a story there? Especially when Qing-Shen walked in. Tall dark and dangerous, Sensei's Chinese ex-student had a vendetta to carry out.

I didn't intend it to happen but although each book is told by Niya, the plot revolves around a different Kid. Probably because they are all equally good friends. Each step the Kids take into another book, the story writing process is no different. Samurai Kids: Monkey Fist is set further north, in The Forbidden City of Beijing. Like a good reporter I follow Sensei and the Kids around and write what I see. And what Niya and Sensei tell me to. Right now I'm writing Samurai Kids:Fire Lizard and we're in Korea.

Just for Fun

Ever wanted a ninja to slash your name on a wall? You can find a ninja text generator here

SANDY WRITES - Time to Write

So often I hear: I want to write so much. I've got a story to tell but I don't have the time yet.

I understand. I truly do. But as I carefully explain, there never will be time unless you make it. Stay up half an hour later every night. Stuff ten minutes of ideas into a notebook while you are sitting at the bus stop. Time to write isn't born. It's made.

I don't know how often I convince anyone but I think I did once. We were having a conversation mid-panel-break and when the break was over, she picked up her bag, thanked me and said goodbye. 'Aren't you going to stay for the other half of the panel discussion,' I asked. 'No,' she said, smiling. 'I'm going home to write. Making time starts now.' I wish I knew her name becuase I suspect it might be on the front of a book one day soon.

I too struggle to find the time to write. I have a family and a daytime job. More books on shelves hasn't made any extra time miraculously appear. In fact, quite the opposite. Now I also need time to speak in schools and attend festivals. I love that part but it means I have less time than ever to write.

Sometimes I rush down to my laptop before dinner and scrawl a quick pargraph from an idea I've been carrying around in my head (or notebook) all day. I read it through and delete half of it. After dinner I rush back, in between supervising homework and packing lunches. I delete those few remaining sentences and wonder why I bothered with them in the first place.

Sometimes I feel too tired to write later at night. Usually I don't get back to my office until 11pm. Maybe I'll take the day off and write some more in the morning, I think. Mum, my tooth hurts, can you make a dental appointment before school? OK. Maybe I'll write in the afternoon, I decide. Mum, can you pick me up early from soccer? OK. I'm flexible. I can do this. It's got to be the midnight hour or nothing. *sigh*

I'll be tired and sleepy but a cup of tea will help. And once the fingers are flying, the words are usually flowing. Hopefully I'll write something good. And if it doesn't work out that way, I'll just delete it tomorrow in those few moments before dinner. Sometimes I make a lot of progress and sometimes I make a little. But I always make some time to write.

First Workshop Ever

Finally getting around to blogging my first workshop experience. I was petrified. But in true Sandy-style I was determined to make it as hard as I possibly could. I signed up for video conferencing. Hey, if you're going to make a fool of yourself first time round, why restrict it to one school? Let two schools have a laugh.

Fortunately for me I had friendly library faces to work with. Mrs Mac at Thirroul Public School and my own children's librarian extroadinaire, Jane Pretty. So lots of help there to begin with. And the kids were very keen.

I sent out an SOS to my writing colleagues. And I have to do a thank you speech here because I am truly indebted to these friends for their advice, notes and shared exercises. Drum roll. Red Carpet. Janeen Brian, Sally Murphy, Sheryl Gwyther, Dee White, Claire Saxby, Lorraine Marwood, Julie Nickerson, Katherine Apel and Sally Odgers. What a name dropper I am.

I have to detour here for a moment and talk about Sally Odger's wonderful e-book (Giving our Kids) A Reason to Write. It's an absolute treasure trove of information about how children (and adults) write - from their different approaches and thought processes to how to best manage their writing strengths and weaknesses. I began by flipping through the pages for exercises I could use in my Workshops and ending up reading it from cover to cover. Thoroughly recommended and at $7 for the PDF - it's the best value for money resource you can buy!

But back to the workshops. Two out of three are complete with the follow up/evaluation still to come. They were wonderful fun. They didn't go perfectly - the video conferencing was a new experience all round - but the end result was absolutely golden. The kids enthusiastically produced heaps of writing. OK. Not all of them. There was one child who I suspect was waiting for a real author to show up. It's not quite as magical when it's mum even if you are really proud of her! Here are some sample efforts - ebooks created based on the workshop sessions.

You can visit the project at Thirroul Public School's blog.

Long Weekend Reminiscing - Henry Lawson Festival of the Arts 2008

Being a children’s author can be quite confronting. Embarrassing even. The questions some primary students ask range from jaw-dropping to ego shattering. And on other occasions they can make you feel like Master of the (Writing) Universe. I thought I’d blog about one of my MOTWU moments. I don’t want to mention the others!!!

Back in June 2008 I was guest of honour at the Henry Lawson Festival of the Arts in Grenfell. Grenfell is a tiny rural town in the central west of NSW, population 2200, the birthplace of Henry Lawson. The weekend long Festival is very prestigious. It’s the longest running arts festival in Australia and past guests of honour have included Patrick White, Di Morrissey and Thomas Keneally!

So how did I get this gig? Well, I’m not proud. I’m willing to admit I was the Guest of Honour to Be Named Later. Last Minute actually. TV actor Simon Westaway was the original choice and when he had to cancel, the rush was on to find someone arts-related who would come to Grenfell at extremely short notice. My sister, who lives on a small farm in the area, happened to mention me. Even if she wasn’t the best sister in the world this would have immediately earned her the dedication in Shaolin Tiger!‘My sister is an author,” she said. “And she visits here all the time.”

So there I was, pretending to be a famous person of literary note. Crowning the beauty queens. Cutting the ribbon. Keynote speaker at the dinner. Presenting trophies and medallions. Conducting TV interviews. Chatting with the writers from Underbelly who were accepting a scriptwriting award.Grenfell opened its heart to welcome me. I think the townspeople were sort of proud that I had a local connection. I might not have been the ilk of the previous guests yet I was an honorary ‘one of their own.”

But my really big moment was absolutely huge. It’s one of the highlights of my writing career. I was sitting on the official dais (trying to look official and literary!) watching the street parade. Around the corner came a local primary school all dressed up as my Samurai Kids. Banging gongs and waving swords and banners. They marched down the main street and when they reached the dais their teacher yelled “Stop”. “Yes Sensei,” they responded.Then they turned to face me and bowed, Japanese style.

I stood and bowed too. And I bawled my eyes out. To be honest, I bawled my eyes out again writing this. It’s still such a vivid and emotional memory.There are many times when I am asked why I don’t write proper books. Books for adults or older readers. Well one day I might write those too but in writing for kids, I am totally fulfilled. I do write proper books. The people who ask that question don’t understand the craft of writing for children. And they certainly don’t understand how wonderful young readers can make their authors feel. It’s real magic.

[First published Persnickety Snark March 2009]

The Questions Kids Ask #1

No questions are off limits during my school visits. Question time is my favourite part of any session. So often, in answering a question, I learn something about myself and my writing process. Often it's something I already knew - I just didn't give it enough thought before.

Question #1: If you could go back into any one of your books, what one thing would you change?

This is a particularly pertinent question for me. My first five books were released in an 18 month time frame. It was a quick, steep learning curve.

I would change the names of the Samurai Kids. All of them, except Yoshi.

When I first decided to write their story, I received a lot of confused feedback about the names. Too many. Too exotic. No kid will ever remember them all. So I compromised. I chose names that sounded familiar and were easily pronounced. However with the exception of Yoshi, whose name I found in a Nintendo game, none of the names are (to my knowledge) traditional Japanese names.

Sensei Ki-yaga was originally called Ki-Yoda - nothing Japanese about either of those. But the latter was deemed a little close to another wise master who was rather deft with a sword and unusual terms of phrase. (And yes, I am a huge Star Wars fan!)

When I began to do school visits and festivals - I found out that my readers had no trouble with the character names. Adults might not be able to remember six Japanese names but kids could have remembered fifty six. I have learned my lesson. Since then all my character names have been culturally correct. In Polar Boy many of the names have meanings that gave clues about the role or traits of the particular character.

In Samurai Kids only the horse, Uma, has a name with meaning. It means - horse! I couldn't think of any other name. With the Kids I didn't want to tie their names to their spirit guides. But even then I made a mistake. A young reader from NZ who had lived in Japan wrote to tell me I had spelled Nezume's name wrong - Nezumi the Rat. Eeek! (no pun intended). I must have somehow retained the sound of the name in my head - and liked it. I then obliviously attached it to the boy whose spirit guide was The Long-Tailed Rat.

I still try to find names which are easy to say aloud. My next book, Jaguar Warrior (March 2010) is set at the end of the Aztec Empire. It was a time when names were wonderfully complex combinations of z, x p and t. But my characters are simply called Atl (water) and Citlali (moon), known as Lali. More recently I have been researching Korean words and names...

Master Chef - 14th Century Inuit Style

I often talk to upper primary school sudents about the minimalist environment of the 14th century Inuit peoples of Baffin Island who lived above the Arctic Circle. The setting for Polar Boy. So much of what we take for granted - from our lifestyle to the words and images we use to describe things - just doesn't exist there. No trees, no metal, no cotton and little colour. Very little fire.

Seal oil or beluga whale oil were the options for light, warmth and cooking. Oil was burned in a Qulliq, soapstone lamp/stove. The soapstone was carved to form a rounded shape, with a depression at the top to hold the fuel. Warmed up soapstone could be used to heat up water and boil meat.

But oil was usually in short supply. The latter always elicits a groan when the kids realise this means food was often eaten raw. But then we talk about the harshness of the climate, the ever present threat of starvation and what we might do to survive. Frozen meat, called quaq, is easy to eat since the ice crystals in the meat and blood assists in the chewing process. Meat eaten this way provides a kind of "rush", producing extra body heat.

For the recipe minded - who do have access to heat, vegetables and a seal to stew:

Ingredients
· 2 lbs seal meat, with fat, cut into small pieces (4 cups)
· 6 potatoes chopped
· 3 carrots chopped
· 1 onion chopped
· 1/3 cup tomato sauce or soy sauce

Directions
1. In a saucepan over medium-high heat, cook the oil out of a few fatty pieces of seal.
2. Add meat and onion. Cook, stirring, until meat is browned.
3. Add carrots and potatoes. Add water to cover, bring to a boil, then reduce heat to simmer.
4. Cook about 35 minutes, or until vegetables are tender. Stir in sauce if desired.

Click here to view Arctic related teaching resources prepared to facilitate reading Polar Boy but suitable for generic use.

Literacy Lava Issue 2 Now Available

The best thing about the Internet - blogging, twittering and face booking - is the new friends I make who share my common interest in children's literature. Next best is the new information I learn. And here is something that combines the best of both - the Book Chook (alias Sue Stephenson), editor of Literacy Lava Magazine. To take the words 'out of the chook's mouth' (so to speak *grin*):


Literacy Lava is a free pdf ezine for parents, offering tips on ways to incorporate reading, writing and communicating into family life.

In the second edition of Literacy Lava, you’ll find ideas: for motivating reluctant readers, for literacy on the go, for developing the imagination muscle, for linking math and literacy, for having a pirate party and a book picnic, for rhymes, games, activities and more!
Brought to you by bloggers and writers who are passionate about children's literature and literacy, Literacy Lava 2 is erupting with no- or low-cost activities parents can do with their kids.

So, if you think you'd like a little lava to read with your java... If the price tag FREE appeals to you...

Download Literacy Lava Edition 2 here.

I like Literacy Lava so much I contributed to the second issue. You'll find my article BRRR… Learning to Read Isn’t Always Cool on p8.

Peter Sculthorpe and Me

I don't know Peter Sculthorpe. In fact I had never heard of him before last Saturday when I was reading the (Sydney) Good Weekend article about his life. He's Australia's most famous composer, an MBE, OBE, AO, holder of four honorary doctorates, one of Australia's 45 icons and a Living Treasure. On top of all that he's really interesting and a great storyteller too.

Part way through the article I found the paragraph that rocked me - and I plagiarise *grin*: "His process of composition has never changed. He draws a series of boxes, like a brainstorming diagram on a whiteboard, and puts a musical idea in each. Then, as he puts it, 'I connect up the boxes'." Fireworks and lightbulbs exploded in my brain. I was so excited. This is how I write! Exactly how I write! I have long struggled against my inability to plot. I feel like I should. I feel like it would improve my writing and I try hard to do it. But I can't. i work like Peter. I write out the chapter headings. And I put an idea in each box. Then I link them up. One thing I have learned though is to blend the linking by using big blurry lines so that my story does not feel episodic in nature.

Intrinsically I have always known there is a strong relationship between writing words and writing music. But sometimes I have to be hit over the head with it too. And that reminds me of another time it happened. For my twelfth birthday I asked for The Complete Works of Shakespeare. I still have those beautiful red volumes. It wasn't that I was particularly smart (although the kids say I am a bit nerdy but that's OK as it's sort of cool at the moment) - in fact I didn't really understand the Shakespeare much. I just loved the sound the words made when I read them aloud. And when the words made snippets of images I could understand, the sound was glorious. I struggled to explain this to others until last year my husband and I were listening to a shared favourite song of many years. "I love those lyrics," I said. "Oh, what's it about?" he asked. "I never listen to the words." Right then I was reminded of how words are sometimes beautiful music first and meaning second.

One last snippet of wisdom from Peter. He was speaking about how he didn't mind bad reviews and quoted his favourite which was about one of his piano concertos: 'It would be best played at night, at a piano bar ... preferably after all the people have left.' I couldn't help but imagine the equivalent book review: 'It would be best read in bed at night, in the dark, preferably after you have gone to sleep.'

Now I am going to seek out some of Peter's music.

Ipswich Festival of Children's Literature

Woodlands of Marburg is impressive and atmospheric and that was before I heard the ghost stories and saw Simon Higgins' photograph of the strange shape on the landing. The ghostly sighting was confirmed by Donna Rawlins and a host of others. Storytellers in their element, they had a great story to tell.

As a relatively new author, and a total newcomer to literature festivals (this was my first) I found the Ipswich Festival of Children's Literature heaps of fun. I can't imagine all festivals run as smoothly though. Jenny Stubbs and her team of volunteers do a wonderful, wonderful job of juggling all the balls, books, kids and presenters.

The highlight for me was of course, the sessions with kids. Kids are imanginative, inspiring and irrespressible. They wear me out and reinvigorate me. Another highlight for me was the opportunity to talk with authors and illustrators I admire. It's always a trap to drop names but here is just a snapshot of those I caught up with - Anita Bell, Anne James, Brian Falkner, Jan Ormerod (Water Witcher was a favourite of #2 son), Janeen Brian (Whare does Thursday Go was a favourite of #1 son), Justin D'Arth, Marc Mcbride (Deltora Quest illustrations are everywhere in our house!), Mark Carthew, Anna Ciddor, Ann Haddon, Simon Higgins, Ann James, Donna Rawlins, Simon French, Pat Flynn, Liz Flynn, Tony Davis, Elise Hurst and Terry Denton (no-one draws fish like Terry).

John and Douglas, from The Book Garden bookshop,who were on-site for the duration, are a testament to the value of expert children's literature advice.

I was only there for three days but already I am crossing my fingers that I might be invited back another year.

What's in a Name?

I'm not very good at titles. I think it is easier to write a book rather than think of a title. I'm sure it's some sort of literary law of diminishing words and exponentially increasing level of difficulty. It fits. It's as hard to write a picture book as it is to write a novel (and a lot fewer words in a picture book) so by extension it's impossible to write a title (hardly any words in there).


Mexica Runner, which I named over a year ago when I finished it, has had a name change. The word Mexica caused confusion with Mexico. I couldn't bring myself to change it to Mexico (so unright) or Aztec. The latter might seem the obvious solution but Aztec was a word historians (reasonably recently) invented to describe the Mexica peoples. And as I have gone to great lengths to keep my novels as historically accurate as possible, it didn't seem right to throw all that away on the front cover. I brainstormed a list of possibles and the now the votes are. The new title is Jaguar Warrior. I like it. I like it a lot. I can't wait to see the cover. I am imagining a golden-eyed jaguar.


I am currently working on Samurai Kids Book 5 and I had a tentative title surprisingly early in the process: Lizard Breath. I gave it a trial whirl on Facebook. Not good. It sounds like a playground insult, Christine Bongers told me. Now Christine is a wizard with words (her debut novel Dust is proof enough for me) so I listened and I took my title for a walk in the park. Not good again. Everyone agreed with Christine. Tentative next new title: Fire Lizard. What do you think?

Simon Higgins Launches Monkey Fist

My blog has been sadly, badly neglected of late. I have been been having too much fun! Blame it on the Book Week whirl and the wonderful Ipswich Festival of Children's Literature. These past weeks have reinforced to me why I write for kids and have inspired me to continue writing and reaching out to our young readers, writers, story-tellers and story-listeners.

So where to begin? Backwards has always been a direction that has worked well for me. So tonight I am revisiting the launch of Monkey Fist by author and extroadinary person all round - Simon Higgins. Simon is a master oral story teller, an expert on many things Japanese and a Taikai practitioner. I had to confess - in person, how embarrassing - that I hadn't read any of his books based in Japan - even though I own them all - because I know I am going to love them (I had a peek) and am just a little worried a line might sneak across from one of his books without me knowing it. Call me a wimp but I once wrote a song and stole a whole line from Jummy Buffet without realising. I am actually very strong - and not a wimp! - because it is taking all the willpower I have not to get started on the Moonshadow series.

The launch began with Simon transporting the assembled group from the lawns of historic Woodlands of Marburg to a tori gate in Japan. We watched spellbound as Simon performed a sword ceremony in honour of Monkey Fist. The sword hissed as it slithered from the scabbard. And around me I hear whispered oohs and aahs.

He was a very hard act to follow. So I kept it simple and if you want to know what I said I rather like the way Belinda Jeffrey described my (very short) speech on her web site here (She's a very talented writer and I recommend you read her excellent debut YA novel Brown Skin Blue).

BLOG TOUR - Alphabet Soup

I often talk to kids about the team behind the book - so much more than just the author - the editors, the graphic designers, the illustrator, sales and marketing and on it goes. So I am particularly pleased to be hosting Alphabet Soup editor Rebecca Newman as she talks about the people behind the magazine.

Alphabet Soup is an Australian magazine for children aged 6 to 12 who love reading and creative writing. I personally recommend this wonderful magazine but you don't have to take my word for it *grin* A free sample of the magazine (issue 1) can be downloaded here.

Who’s on the team behind Alphabet Soup?
or ‘I would be crazy to try this on my own – who else can I talk into it?’

The first issue of Alphabet Soup was published in spring 2008. Although I run the magazine as a small business, it needs more than just an editor and publisher, so – despite what many people think – I can’t take all the credit for what you see in the magazine! (For starters, I can’t draw to save my life, so at the very least I need an illustrator!)

If you don’t count me, (or the official Team Alphabet Soup – my husband and children), the very first person to join the team was our production manager, Katie Lennerts. Katie is a mentor, software magician, and eagle-eyed proofreader. She’s invaluable to have around, especially when I’ve been staring at the same pages for three days straight and I can’t tell the difference between a comma and a colon anymore!

Then there’s Greg Mitchell, who joined the team as our first illustrator. Some years earlier I had been in meetings that Greg was also attending – and watched him as he (not so secretly) drew quick cartoons about the topics being discussed. It sure made a meeting more entertaining! I always remembered those quirky sketches, and contacted him about whether he’d consider illustrating the magazine. He works as an education consultant and is kept very busy, but luckily he said yes!

Greg was very encouraging about the magazine’s concept from the beginning (back when it was going to be called Runcible Spoon). While we were tossing around magazine ideas, he sat in my dining room and sketched cartoons of my 1 year old as she zoomed in and out of the furniture! Since the very first issue I have been grabbed by children and grown-ups who wanted to say how much they love his illustrations.

After the first few issues, when we were feeling more settled, our second illustrator, Annette Flexman, joined us. Annette is an art teacher, she was already a fan of Alphabet Soup and slotted in very easily. The spring 2009 issue is our first with the two illustrators, and we love the combination of their styles!

Also joining the team (as of this issue) is the Book Chook. She fields children’s questions about writing, and answers them in her column of writing tips for kids. (If you have a child with a question about writing, they can send an email to bookchook@alphabetsoup.net.au.)

Next there’s our well-utilised IT guru, Ryan, who helped to set up the website, and continues to help with website-related issues and online payments. He always remains cheerful and helpful, no matter how silly my questions are. (Perhaps he rolls his eyes on the inside, he’s a very patient IT guru!)

When we’re judging the kids’ writing competitions, I have the assistance of an education consultant. She and I love reading through a big pile of entries for each issue. We are constantly amazed at the stories and poems kids send in.

And I thought I should conclude by acknowledging our printer, because PK Print in Hamilton Hill really do a fabulous job with the magazine. They are always friendly and patient and that makes the last step of each issue much less stressful.

So there you have it – the team behind Alphabet Soup. I couldn’t do it without them!

*****

Thank you Rebecca. And if anyone missed the previous tour stops - just go backwards from here!

1 September Dale Harcombe (Write and Read With Dale) What led Rebecca Newman to start Alphabet Soup magazine?

2 September Sally Murphy (Sally Murphy's Writing for Children Blog) What goes into ‘whipping up’ an issue of the magazine?

3 September Claire Saxby (Let's Have Words) Promotion and Alphabet Soup

4 September Mabel Kaplan (Tales I Tell) Submissions, and selecting material

5 September Dee White (Teachers Writing Helper) Alphabet Soup in the classroom: benefits for teachers

6 September Robyn Opie (Writing Children's Books) ‘First birthday’ giveaway. Win a set of the first four issues!

7 September Sandy Fussell You are here! Who’s on the team behind Alphabet Soup magazine?

Cooking Up A Picture Book

Picture Book Recipe

1 Take one sheep, one goat and a creaking gate. Allow idea to seep over night (Over month. Over year. Required period may vary)
2 Mix until ingredients firmly combined
3 Spread until 32 pages are lightly covered.
4 Sprinkle liberally with brightly coloured illustrations
5 Picture book is ready for consumption

If only it was that easy to put a picture book concept together.

Today I am excited to be part of Claire Saxby's Blog Tour for her latest release, Sheep, Goat and the Creaking Gate. It’s a book where the first interview question asks itself:-

1 Where did the title come from?
I played around with a few titles, and individual names for the characters, but they were determined to be called ‘Sheep’ and ‘Goat’. The creaking gate was there probably before the characters even arrived. I liked the notion of Sheep and Goat living side-by-side until they realised there was a world beyond their paddock…and it had a gate. When it came to devising the title, the two characters and the gate insisted on being there! What could I do?

2 How long did it take before you felt the text was ready to be submitted to an editor?
Ooh, that’s a ‘how long is a piece of string’ kinda thing. It’s impossible to quantify. I do know that I had to write a draft, tweak, then rest the manuscript several times before it was ready. Even then, I put it aside for a few weeks to make sure. It was months and months. This story had two prior outings, (one in The School Mag and on an online story site) before it was accepted as a picture book. I reworked it after each outing. Because it’s now a picture book - as I originally envisaged it – I had to change its form again and reduce description before submitting it. It was probably about 6-7 years from first draft to release.

3 Did the idea or the text change very much during the editorial process?
The idea was unchanged, but the text was shortened after acceptance, clearing out unnecessary words. I probably cut about 1/5 of the text I think. And the story is better for it.

4 How well do the pictures in the book match the pictures in your head?
I have no pictures in my head, only voices and actions. I can hear the story and the characters interacting but I have no idea what they look like! None at all. I’m looking out through their eyes and unless it’s relevant to the plot, I don’t think about their appearance. To me it doesn’t matter. So it’s always a great surprise to see the illustrator’s images.

5 Did you have any input into the illustration process?
Judith Rossell talked to me about the style she was going to use with Sheep, Goat. She saw them as cartoon-y and that fit well with the text. She also spoke about some of the other techniques she might use in bringing the story to life. There are little hole punch holes from a botany text littering the grass and the food trough and gate also feature bits from the text. There are also small leaves and bits on the grassy bits. So I was aware of what she was going to do, but I didn’t really have any input beyond being a sounding board. I saw roughs and a colour spread, then the artwork, then the proofs. At proof stage, both Jude and I had suggestions for tweaking the presentation.

6 Who was the first person (other than yourself) to hear the book read aloud?
I was doing a series of workshops at a Melbourne school and took along the proofs, just in case I had time after the workshops. I did. I enlisted a student to help me hold the proofs as I read, because it’s tricky to turn the pages and keep track! It was well-received and they were thrilled to be seeing the book before its release.

7 How important are picture books to you as an author and a reader?
I love picture books! I have a large and growing collection made up of books from my childhood, books my sons used to read and new books. I visit the local kinder every fortnight and read to the children. I take a mixture of old and new books in a variety of styles and always have an interested and attentive audience. One recent favourite of mine (One Dragon’s Dream by Peter Pavey, Walker Books) is a re-release of a title first published in 1978. Picture books are a wonderful entrance point to the magic of words, to literacy, but also to the world.

To find out more about Claire, the sheep, the gate, the creaking gate and her other books visit her website or her blog Lets Have Words

CELEBRATING WITH FRIENDS - Sally Murphy Wins 2009 IBBY (Children's Book)

My writer friends are doing wonderful things lately and I have decided it's time I did something to help them celebrate. So tonight I'm throwing a party. **polite clapping** The Guest of Honour is Sally Murphy and we're celebrating the announcement of Pearl Verses the World as Independent Booksellers Children's Book of the Year 2009 **thunderous applause**

First a reading.

There are three people at my house

And that's the way it should stay

Forever

Me

My mum

And my granny.

If you take one away

We won't be whole

Any more

Like a shoe without a lace

Or a flower with no petals.

It takes three

To make our family

Never one or two.

And for our meal let's sit with Sally and have swordfish steaks (because they sound exotic), strawberry cheesecake (because I like it) and a semillion (very expensive of course). This is a literary dinner brought to you by the letter S - for Sally and Sensational and Spectacular.

Now I am going to make a speech. ** polite clapping and who was that who dared to groan? ** This is one I've already made in a number of places because I have long been one of Pearl Verses the World's loud friends.

Pearl Verses the World by Sally Murphy. Illustrated by Heather Potter Walker Books Australia. Paperback rrp $14.95

Reprinted courtesy of The Reading Stack

Pearl Verses the World is a wonderful introduction for children who have never encountered a verse novel before. Verse novels are ideally suited for middle to upper primary readers. The reader becomes personally involved in a stream of consciousness conversation with the main character and the story quickly becomes very real.

Pearl feels alone. She doesn’t fit in at school. ‘My class is made up of groups. I am in a group of one.’ At home, her grandmother is very ill and the close family unit of grandmother, mother and daughter is unravelling.Pearl’s teacher wants her to write poems that rhyme but Pearl hears a different rhythm. When her grandmother dies, she finally finds the words to express how she feels.

Her world has changed but she discovers a new place to belong and her group of one is slowly expanding.I read this story to my primary school son and it opened his eyes in many ways. We talked about death. About belonging. About ‘poem books’. Reading Pearl Verses the World aloud together was a rich, rewarding experience.This book is special. A beautiful story about coping with grief and loss, expertly written for younger readers. A gentle and uplifting life lesson for all ages.

Leave a comment to 'sign the guestbook' if you dropped in. And if you would like to call in on Sally at home and offer your congratulations you can find her here http://www.sallymurphy.net

CBCA BOOK WEEK 2009

While I was preparing my Book Week Resources for Polar Boy I found many great site chock full of useful information and activity ideas. These sites also contain multiple links to other sites offering various resources to support individual titles or the Safari theme.

Australian Library and Information Association (ALIA) - activity sheets, display ideas, craft, ideas for uing shorlist books in the classroom and much more

Mrs Mac's Library Site - activities and a mega list of useful links

Children's Book Council of Australia website - loads of ideas and even a loink to a Maths activity book based on shortlisted titles for Early Readers and Picture Books

Mrs B's Interactive Literacy - ideas, quizzes and fun jigsaw puzzles

And last, my own contribtuion - a Teachers Resource Kit for Polar Boy including Interactive Whiteboard Resources here

One Blog Tour End and Another Begins

My blog tour is over. I am sad, thrilled and exhausted. Also amazed. I don't where all these Samurai Kids books keep coming from but I close my eyes and think - and luckily, up pops another idea.

I want to say a huge thank you to my hosts - for their time, web space and support. Some are writers, some are storytellers and all are readers, passionate about children's books.

And now it is my great pleasure (and huge fun) to swap hats and host Claire Saxby and her brand new picture book - Sheep, Goat and the Creaking Gate. What a great title and we'll be delving into where that came from when Claire visits here on Thursday 20 August.

MONKEY FIST BLOG TOUR Day 10 - Words and Pictures

It's blog tour day 10 - the very last. Today I'm visiting Words and Pictures – Writer and artist Jeffery E Doherty will be interviewing me about writing illustrated novels – the artwork, graphics and working with an illustrator.

The complete tour schedule is here for anyone who wants to hit the rewind button and go back a day or two.

Tomorrow I am back in the office writing again, working on my bext book Mexica Runner. It's set at the end of the Aztec empire when the Spanish attack and the story opens with Atl, imprisoned in a box, waiting to be sacrificed.

MONKEY FIST BLOG TOUR Day 9 - The Book Chook

It's blog tour day 9 and I'm visiting the The Book Chook where writer, reviewer and children’s literature advocate Sue Stephenson will be interviewing me about how my children’s reading experiences have influenced my writing. The Book Chook is also the editor of Literacy Lava, a wonderful magazine focusing on childhood literacy. It's free and I recommend subscribing. I already do!


Visit the Samurai Kids website to download a one-act classroom play based on the Samurai Kids series.

Tomorrow you can find me at my last tour stop Words and Pictures – Writer and artist Jeffery E Doherty will be interviewing me about writing illustrated novels – the artwork, graphics and working with an illustrator.

The complete tour schedule is here for anyone who wants to hit the rewind button and go back a day or two.