creative writing | creative life
A writing coach recently asked me why I don't mentor people one-on-one. Okay. So in the past five years, thousands of authors and illustrators have come through girl&duck. Whether they've joined the Scribbles Academy, hung out in the Duck Pond, completed one of my online 'capsule courses', read my blog or simply watched my videos …
News flash Some people think I'm arrogant. They think, where does she get off, dishin' out all this advice about creative writing? She doesn't know everything. Shocking, I know. But it's probably true.  There is a slim chance I don't know everything. Not every little thing But I can tell you when it comes to creative writing there's not much …
Okay. I'm in badass mode. Advice to aspiring authors, 101:Â Read, read, read! Over and over, that's what I hear published authors hollering. They say read voraciously, read widely, read like your life depends on it. Great advice. Fantastic advice. Up to a point. If you're an aspiring author, I would add, please, please, please, don't …
Continue reading "Want to be a writer? Six reasons you should stop reading"
1 They write as if their work is being marked. It's hard to lose that inner student, the kid who's shit scared of getting it wrong. But you're not that kid anymore. You can write whatever the hell you want. In any shape or form. People don't know what to do with this freedom. It …
Continue reading "Seven common mistakes aspiring authors make"
It was a dark and stormy night. Your story starts… now! Authors, all levels of experience and skill, often drag their feet (or their pen) at the start of a story. Sometimes they’re trying to say too much, trying to give the reader too much detail up front. Watch out for this! Other times, the author …
I used to have a studio at a Melbourne arts precinct. Funnily enough, mine was Studio 54. That might ring a bell for some of you. Doesn't  matter. The fact is, my studio was a hub. People were always dropping by for a chat or a grizzle or a giggle. Most of them were other artists and writers. …
Continue reading "The secret all good writers use (and no one talks about)"
Early this year I was interviewed by a rather pompous character called, Bookworm. It was for a Channel 9 kids TV show. I'll let you know when it screens... At one point during the interview, Bookworm said, 'I hear you collect words.' I said, 'Who told you that?!' Bookworm was taken aback (and that's saying something). …
A while back, I wrote a blog post. You know why? Because IÂ had a nice photo of bulbs in pots. You know. Flowers and stuff. Here it is. Pretty, hey? I thought, how can IÂ write a blog post around this image? Â I love this image. I want to use this image! I must, I must, …