creative writing | creative life
Since our first video in August 2016, Q and Q Friday has had almost 21,000 views. That’s a lot in a niche industry. A lot in a small country like Australia—with crap SEO. Hear me GOOGLE? Get your bloody SEO sorted! Help the little guys get seen! We’ve produced 107 videos (so far) and covered …
Continue reading "End of an Era: Why I’m Closing Q & Q Friday"
Ever since I started coaching aspiring and established authors and illustrators over at girlandduck.com, I've been saying the same thing: This is a personal development bootcamp, honey! Remember when Goldie Hawn joined the US army in Private Benjamin? She thought it would be a lark. Maybe they'd do a little stretching, some 'jogging' (remember jogging?), …
Continue reading "Writer? Illustrator? Six reasons you’re in a personal development bootcamp"
This week at girl and duck, we opened The Scribbles Academy. It's been super exciting and lots of people have jumped on board. Thank you!!!! I know you're going to love your Scribbly experience! But how did this all begin? What's the real story behind girl and duck? I wrote about this a couple of …
Continue reading "Author or Businesswoman? The Story Behind Girl and Duck"
Hello! Oh my Goddess! I was going to knock up a quick, bullet blog to get you up to speed. But. It all got too messy. Too much to say. Too much to consolidate. So. I'm devoting this post to the Scribbles Masterclass because, hey, this is what we do at girl and duck. We …
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 …
Continue reading "Creative writers: Two things you must have that I can’t give you"
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 …
In the last Q and Q Friday video, we talked about writing picture books via the illustrations. In other words, an alternative way to write a PB is to start with the pictures. Lots of creators, especially illustrators, work this way. Pictures first. Words second. Sweeeeet. So. That's what I'm doing here. I'm pulling some …
Continue reading "Book news, cottage news, garden news. All the news."
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 …
Continue reading "Let’s dress up! Book Week costumes a-plenty. Send me your pics!"
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 …
Here at HQ (aka The Palace) I’ve been thinking about narrative arcs. Story arcs. Those things what you hang a story on… Pesky, aren’t they? Exposition Rising action Climax Falling action Resolution My friend refers to stories with saggy arcs as ‘souffle stories’. They sink in the middle. Nice! Here’s my simile: Writing fiction is like skiing. The …
Continue reading "Story arcs made simple! Plus, how I wrote my first book."