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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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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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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This ducky is stuffed. She won’t create nothin’ this winter. But this doesn’t have to be you! If you’ve been thinking of joining Scribbles, now’s the time, pop tart! Starting today, Sunday June 10, we’re having a super duper, once only, Scribbles Winter Warm-up Sale. Save big bucks, make new friends AND put some sparkle…
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Excuses not to write or create. We’ve all got truckloads. Snoresville. Don’t waste mental and emotional energy trying to push through or fight with your excuses. Don’t try to rationalise them, either. Don’t take them out, hold them to light, polish and stroke them. And don’t try tossing out your everyday life in the name…
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Melbourne, Australia. May 2018 Weather? Yeah, right. Big weekend for the children’s book industry. Kid Lit Vic. Scribbles Masterclass. Book launches (Jess Racklyeft, Lucinda Gifford). I cooked roast lamb. Himself cooked parsnip soup. As I said, BIG. Following the ruckus, there have been heaps of posts and comments and ruminations flying around the Duck…
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Blog time. Go, Jen, go. K. The hunt is over! We bought a cottage in the country! OMG! This Easter we got ten substandard Easter Eggs and a 1930s cottage with two big trees, a wasp nest and a headless statue. Exhibit A: We move in winter. Lots of time to declutter — the house,…
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