creative writing | creative life
Rambling writer alert! Read at your own peril... I have very little to offer you on this Thursday afternoon, dear reader, and yet I still feel compelled to pick up a pen and scratch a few lines. Perhaps I should write in my journal and keep my muddled thoughts private. But. I am sitting here …
Exploring the mystery of creativity.
Because nothing of value was coming through she had to wait until autumn to blog again. Jen Storer (aka Ellen Wildwood because that's my Magical name) I was looking for a quote to kick-off this post, dear reader. But after flicking through my journals for AT LEAST FIVE MINUTES, I suddenly thought, fuck it. Why …
I was talking to my spiritual counsellor the other night. She's in the UK. We meet via Skype. We talk fast. There's always a lot to say. I'm in transition. Have been for a few years. Slowly but surely, I'm moving from one stage of life, love and passions, into a new stage of life, …
Continue reading "How archetypal energy is helping me transition into my ‘new’ self"
I rarely if ever have guest bloggers. Why? Because I can't be stuffed. It all sounds like way too much verk. And you know how I like to keep verk to a minimum. But last week Geek Duck came to me and said, 'I want to write a blog post, do you mind?' 'Go right …
Continue reading "Geek Duck’s Top Ten Tips for Partners of KidLit Creators"
Hello! I like writing blog posts at Christmas. No one expects much. Do they? Writing: I finally finished Truly Tan: Baffled! (book seven) and delivered it to my publisher on time (working right up until December 15, the day it was due). Phew! Next year I'll be waaaay more organised. Ahem. Finalising: We signed off …
Is there a hierarchy in the children's book industry? Hell yeah! If you're just entering this dog-eat-dog world, think of it like a school. A large, grey bugger with tall fences and lots of asphalt. The picture book creators are kept inside, in a rarefied, humidity-controlled, tastefully decorated sanctuary. Busy finger painting. Will speak to fairies. No one else. The …
Continue reading "Behold! The children’s book industry. Here’s how it works"
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). …
Writers love words. Not just for what they do—create entire universes. They love them as individuals. Most writers (and editors) will blush with delight when handed a dictionary. They enjoy nothing more than ‘word talk’. Who likes pernickety, lilting, lumber, moot? Moot is a queer word. Queer is a great word that's taken on a …
It’s only subjective! They don’t know everything! You have to stick to your guns! Over the years I've been privy to conversations wherein authors discuss/ argue/ wail about their editors. Likewise, I'm often asked by aspiring  authors and illustrators, ‘What should I do when my editor makes suggestions and I don’t agree with them?’ Sometimes …