creative writing | creative life
Sometimes we refer to people as ‘real characters’. How weird. Is this uniquely Australian? Is it an Australianism? ‘Oh, my great aunt was a real character!’ Either way, it’s nearly always a term of endearment. There are loads of characters in my daily circle. The old bloke who wears a duster coat, drives a 1950s …
Generally speaking, tweenies are kids in the 8 -12 age group. But in the world of children's books, the category is tighter. Somewhere along the line, astute marketing execs identified a subset. These are kids aged about 10 -12, and their needs and interests are complex, often contradictory. As most parents will tell you, a couple of …
Continue reading "Chick lit for tweenies. Ten tips to get you started"
I run a business. It's called girl & duck. It feels weird to call it a business. I didn't know you could love a business. But I do. I adore it. I'm obsessed with it. When I'm creating stuff for girl & duck, I'm in my genius zone. (Have you read that book? The one …
Continue reading "How I started an online business. And accidentally created a thriving community"
Okay. I'm in badass mode. Advice to aspiring authors, 101: 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"
I remember reading one time, that the difference between secondary characters and minor characters is that minor characters don't speak. Sometimes they don't even have names. This definition confused me. All my stories have minor characters who speak. Sometimes they have quite a lot to say. Does that make them secondary characters? Is that how they …
Continue reading "Here’s why minor characters are important"
One of my favourite moofies from the 1980s was Heartburn with Meryl Streep and Jack Nicholson. I’m not sure why I loved it so. I’ve always been gaga for Streep. Also, she wore some snazzy (1980s) outfits in that film. Good beads. Capacious shoulder-bags. New York boho actress/writer/intellectual look. That was a look, right? And …
Continue reading "How to stay happy, productive and vaguely sane in the publishing industry"
People are always asking me, Jen, how do I make my writing shine? Jen, what will make my manuscript pop? Jen, what’s the one, single, best, top of the charts, CRACKERJACK thing that will make my stories sparkle? Weeeeell… Maybe it’s voice. Maybe it’s character. Maybe it’s originality, verve, heart. The list is like …
Does your writing sometimes feel a bit, erm, pedestrian? The following post will give you some fresh ideas, help you shove more energy into your stories. Dear Diary Will letters, notes, doodles or lists add interest to my stories? Yours sincerely Inventive Author These days kids have words and images coming at them from all …
Continue reading "Oi! Here’s an easy way to liven up your stories"
Warning: This post is a rant. If you don’t like rants, click off. That’s what I said. Click. Off. Don’t write and say, ‘I hate rants, Jen, and now I’m offended.’ Just go find some knitting tips and leave me to vent. Okay. I rant. But I don’t tell lies. No. I. Don’t. So occasionally …
The following is a transcript from an early Q and Q Friday (Questions and Quacks). You can read the transcript or you can scroll down and watch the video. Yay! If you subscribe to girl and duck you'll receive a Q and Q video like this one, every Friday. Straight to your inbox. Free! Dear …