creative writing | creative life
A few years ago (well into my career as a Children's Author and, um, Creative Writing Guru) I googled the term, How to Write a Picture Book. The results were kind of hilarious. And depressingly useless. Basically, I got articles such as: How to Write A Picture Book: Five Easy Steps or How to Write …
Oh dear reader. I'm tired. So I'm blogging. Why do I always want to blog when I'm tired? It's perverse, right? (Global comment. Expect more typos and grammatical faux pas than usual.) It's raining. Steady, soaking, let's-pretend-it's-winter rain. Somewhere it's a Cup Day. Melbourne? Bendigo? Kyneton? Moscow? Dunno. There are so many cups and so …
What I've Been Doing by Jen Storer Researching and writing The main character in my new middle grade novel is from 'old money'. She lives in a rambling country mansion. Indeed she does. So I went to Buda in Castlemaine and had a poke around. Got the 'old money vibe'. Fantasised. Pretended. Reminisced. (I have …
Last month in a Scribbles live call, we were discussing structure in storytelling. People often trip when it comes to structure (ahem). We tend to overthink it. We make it way more complex, more intimidating, than it needs to be. Sure, looking at story pyramids and narrative arcs and structural triangles and, erm, Jen Storer …
Cottage Diaries September 2, dear reader, and here in Australia it is day two of spring! Sprrrrrrriiiiiing! Peachy peach. A baby last year. Now look at her! Tangelos in a pot on the front verandah. Not only that, it's also warm, sunny and windy in Rrrregional Victoria and what's more it's a good drying day. …
Continue reading "Fairies, Flowers, Cottage Diaries and Character Creation"
My Lockdown Letterbox. Or, what to do when there's nothin' to do. Pimp your letterbox!
Never forget how important freedom is to children. As a kidlit author you must consider this every time you write.
Years ago when I had my much loved, rather topsy turvy blog, Baxter Street, I would occasionally write about what I'd bought while out and about. The segment was called Shopping With Mother and was inspired by my Ladybird reader of the same name.Meantime, in a recent g&d Live Call we were chatting about the Artist Date. This is a …
How successful authors handle rejection.
Exploring the mystery of creativity.