Elsie, our dear little cottage, is inching closer to winning her beauty sash. But not without a few tears. Mainly mine. The question remains, will Elsie greet Christmas with a New Look or will we just have to embrace her, shabby chic, and all? Pictorial progress report: I had no idea how much sash…
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If your writing was a breakfast cereal, what would it be? No, seriously! Stick with me here! If you likened your writing (or your story) to a breakfast cereal, you might have some astonishing insights. You might even discover a fun and effective way to self-edit or rewrite. Step back from your work and try…
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Someone recently asked, what’s the big deal about a shortlist? What’s the big deal? A shortlist groups together the best! It acknowledges the most accomplished of a long and always healthy collection of entries. It’s also how we make competitions like the Scribbles Creative Writing Awards, manageable — both for the judges and for the competitors. Imagine if we only…
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Originally posted on girl and duck:
Universalities. Those little pearls of wisdom… In literature, universalities are statements that apply to everyone or to the human condition. Sometimes they’re accurate, insightful and give readers, young and old, a lovely ah-ha moment. Sometimes they’re grossly inaccurate. Famous universalities in literature include: It is a truth universally acknowledged, that a…
I’ve been thinking about teaching. I think about it a lot. You see, I’ve been gathering notes for another tutorial to add to the girl & duck Institute. This one’s about voice. Voice is one of my FAVOURITE topics. It should be every author’s favourite topic. Well. Top five at least. By the way… Do…
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Okay. So. I’m writing this while someone drills the outside walls of the studio. Not sure what they’re doing. It’s like there’s a giant dentist outside trying to break in. A painting just fell off the wall, knocked a cup of tea flying and tipped over a Peace Lily. Aside from that, it’s business as…
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Hello, dear reader. Do you remember the Ponds Institute? Here at girl and duck HQ, I desperately wanted to call our new school, The Pond Institute. In loving memory, of course. And so I could justify a lab coat. But. I didn’t want to get sued. So, we have opened the girl and duck…
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In the last Q and Q Friday video, we talked about writing picture books via the illustrations. In other words, an alternative way to write a PB is to start with the pictures. Lots of creators, especially illustrators, work this way. Pictures first. Words second. Sweeeeet. So. That’s what I’m doing here. I’m pulling some…
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Lights! Camera! Book Week! I LOVE dressing my characters. I have to know what they’re wearing, in order to get a true sense of them. Over the years, loads of readers (and their parents) have sent me their Book Week, Truly Tan pics. But there’s plenty more inspiration in my books. Here’s my own little…
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A while back I wrote about the Three Ps of Creative Writing: Patience, Perseverance and Passion. You can read that post here. I still believe in the three Ps. But I get bored quickly. And I like finding new ways to motivate myself (and others). Because creative writing is hard. Always and forever. Lately, I’ve…
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