Lovers of Squish Rabbit will be pleased to know that he now comes in a board book, the perfect size for a Christmas stocking.  So he’ll also fit in your handbag or backpack to be read anywhere, anytime.

AWARDS

Squish Rabbit was shortlisted for the CBCA Crichton Award for New Illustrators in 2012.

The same year it was also awarded a CBCA Early Childhood Notable Book.

ABOUT SQUISH

Squish Rabbit is a little rabbit with a BIG problem…he doesn’t have a friend.

Simply told, this book is so insightful. It delves right into the heart and mind of a small child, making up a pretend friend because he doesn’t have a real one.

Then he meets a squirrel who invites him to play, but can Squish save his new friend from danger?

Squish has a very large heart but nobody can see it, because they don’t look at him, seem to notice he’s there. As small children, how often do we feel unnoticed and afraid in the big wide world?

Although Squish is a rabbit, his feelings, emotions and fears are very genuinely those of a small child.

Squish thought no one was watching so he threw a tantrum.

This response is so childlike yet even when he is scowling and throwing himself on the ground, just like a small child, Squish manages to look cute.

The authenticity of Squish’s dilemma and the way he handles it makes the story all the more poignant.

Katherine Battersby, creator of Squish Rabbit

Squish Rabbit is written and illustrated by Kath Battersby who has clearly captured her characters feelings of being alone and small in a big world. Even as adults, we still experience these feelings and this is probably one of the reasons this book will appeal to adults as well.

She has an obsession with textures and she has brought this to the story, using all sorts of materials to provide the layered illustrations in the book. Here use of this method is combined with clean lines and bright colours to provide an original and striking look for Squish Rabbit.

The words and pictures work in perfect harmony in this book. So much is left unsaid in the text and told in the pictures.

The illustrations are deceptively simple, yet they convey so much. The text is sparse with not a word out of place, not a word wasted.

Squish Rabbit is written and illustrated by Katherine Battersby and published in Australia by UQP.

The Squish Rabbit Board Book has been released by popular demand.  Teachers’ notes are available:  www.uqp.com.au

Lovers of Squish Rabbit will be pleased to know that he now comes in a board book, the perfect size for a Christmas stocking.  So he’ll also fit in your handbag or backpack to be read anywhere, anytime.

AWARDS

Squish Rabbit was shortlisted for the CBCA Crichton Award for New Illustrators in 2012.

The same year it was also awarded a CBCA Early Childhood Notable Book.

ABOUT SQUISH

Squish Rabbit is a little rabbit with a BIG problem…he doesn’t have a friend.

Simply told, this book is so insightful. It delves right into the heart and mind of a small child, making up a pretend friend because he doesn’t have a real one.

Then he meets a squirrel who invites him to play, but can Squish save his new friend from danger?

Squish has a very large heart but nobody can see it, because they don’t look at him, seem to notice he’s there. As small children, how often do we feel unnoticed and afraid in the big wide world?

Although Squish is a rabbit, his feelings, emotions and fears are very genuinely those of a small child.

Squish thought no one was watching so he threw a tantrum.

This response is so childlike yet even when he is scowling and throwing himself on the ground, just like a small child, Squish manages to look cute.

The authenticity of Squish’s dilemma and the way he handles it makes the story all the more poignant.

Katherine Battersby, creator of Squish Rabbit

Squish Rabbit is written and illustrated by Kath Battersby who has clearly captured her characters feelings of being alone and small in a big world. Even as adults, we still experience these feelings and this is probably one of the reasons this book will appeal to adults as well.

She has an obsession with textures and she has brought this to the story, using all sorts of materials to provide the layered illustrations in the book. Here use of this method is combined with clean lines and bright colours to provide an original and striking look for Squish Rabbit.

The words and pictures work in perfect harmony in this book. So much is left unsaid in the text and told in the pictures.

The illustrations are deceptively simple, yet they convey so much. The text is sparse with not a word out of place, not a word wasted.

Squish Rabbit is written and illustrated by Katherine Battersby and published in Australia by UQP.

The Squish Rabbit Board Book has been released by popular demand.  Teachers’ notes are available:  www.uqp.com.au

I don’t normally talk about writing products on this blog. In fact, I don’t think I EVER have before, but I found the PlotWriMo Revise Your Novel in a Month videos so helpful that I wanted to spread the word.

Jill Corcoran

The videos have been produced by US Literary Agent, Jill Corcoran and the Plot Whisperer, Martha Alderson. They have put together the PlotWriMo program to help authors get their book published and to learn how to revise their own novels to make their manuscripts shine.

I found the PlotWriMo videos are also great for when you’re starting on a new project and trying to work out what will happen in your story and why.

There are eight videos in the PlotWriMo series, and you can work through them at your own pace, in a month or longer if you need to.

I used the videos to revise two of my novels – a young adult thriller, Submerged and a middle grade survival story called Game On.

I always do a lot of work on my characters so I feel I know them quite well when I’m writing my story.

What the PlotWriMo videos did for me though was to bring my characters into sharp focus so that the reader could understand why the protagonist was taking the journey.  They helped me to identify my characters greatest goal – the one that was bigger than themselves – and the flaw that was stopping them from achieving it.

Through the use of Energetic Markers (described fully in the videos), I identified the most important scenes and honed in on them. I identified the lowest point in the story for my character – when their flaw has brought them to their knees – when they have to acknowledge their responsibility for what has happened in the story.  This is an important point in a story that I don’t think I had identified before – it’s the point where the character acknowledges who they are, and that they will need to change in order to achieve their goals.

Martha

Martha Alderson’s plot planner helped me to identify and develop this vital scene in my stories.

MY FAVOURITE TIPS FROM THE PlotWriMo VIDEOS

1. You need to keep putting your characters under pressure and see how they behave
2. You need to have an understanding for all your main characters of their flaws, strengths, loves, hates and fears – these are what will drive their motivations and what happens in the story.
3. In the last quarter of your book, your character has to make a conscious decision to change and do things differently, and this will be what makes them successful in reaching their goal.
4. Characters should be introduced into your story in order of importance – but not too many at the start – don’t overwhelm your readers with information.
5. Each quarter in your story needs a big turning point and by the end, your character has to be able to do something that they weren’t able to do for their entire story.
6. By the end of your story, your character has to have made a major transformation from who they were when the story started.
7. A scene needs to work on seven levels (you’ll find out more about this in the videos).

There are so many more great tips in the videos about things like cause and effect, where to start and end your story, strengthening voice and adding back story, just to name a few.

Watch video 1 for free here.

Here’s How the Video Series Work

Each video includes an in-depth look at the specific elements promised and how to consider these essential story principles as you write, revise, rewrite, sell your story. Writing assignment(s) guide you with step-by-step instruction.

Whether you decide to watch all the videos in a row and then go back and do the exercises or jump right in to the 1^st video’s exercise, work at your own pace and take more or less time on the step-by-step exercises. The series are designed to fit into even the busiest of schedules. Sign-in and watch video lectures, complete homework assignments, and ask questions in a public forum on a timetable that fits your needs.

As well as the Novel Writing Videos, Martha and Jill also offer a series of videos for picture book writers and a number of other services to writers. You can find out more by joining their A Path to Publishing Facebook Group.

WIN!!!

Comment on this post, and enter Jill and Martha’s competition to win a FREE observation spot in an upcoming OFFICE HOURS workshop (a $45 value).

A PATH TO PUBLISHING BLOG TOUR

Find out more about Jill and Martha and how they can help your writing by following their blog tour. Here’s where it’s stopping:

I don’t normally talk about writing products on this blog. In fact, I don’t think I EVER have before, but I found the PlotWriMo Revise Your Novel in a Month videos so helpful that I wanted to spread the word.

Jill Corcoran

The videos have been produced by US Literary Agent, Jill Corcoran and the Plot Whisperer, Martha Alderson. They have put together the PlotWriMo program to help authors get their book published and to learn how to revise their own novels to make their manuscripts shine.

I found the PlotWriMo videos are also great for when you’re starting on a new project and trying to work out what will happen in your story and why.

There are eight videos in the PlotWriMo series, and you can work through them at your own pace, in a month or longer if you need to.

I used the videos to revise two of my novels – a young adult thriller, Submerged and a middle grade survival story called Game On.

I always do a lot of work on my characters so I feel I know them quite well when I’m writing my story.

What the PlotWriMo videos did for me though was to bring my characters into sharp focus so that the reader could understand why the protagonist was taking the journey.  They helped me to identify my characters greatest goal – the one that was bigger than themselves – and the flaw that was stopping them from achieving it.

Through the use of Energetic Markers (described fully in the videos), I identified the most important scenes and honed in on them. I identified the lowest point in the story for my character – when their flaw has brought them to their knees – when they have to acknowledge their responsibility for what has happened in the story.  This is an important point in a story that I don’t think I had identified before – it’s the point where the character acknowledges who they are, and that they will need to change in order to achieve their goals.

Martha

Martha Alderson’s plot planner helped me to identify and develop this vital scene in my stories.

MY FAVOURITE TIPS FROM THE PlotWriMo VIDEOS

1. You need to keep putting your characters under pressure and see how they behave
2. You need to have an understanding for all your main characters of their flaws, strengths, loves, hates and fears – these are what will drive their motivations and what happens in the story.
3. In the last quarter of your book, your character has to make a conscious decision to change and do things differently, and this will be what makes them successful in reaching their goal.
4. Characters should be introduced into your story in order of importance – but not too many at the start – don’t overwhelm your readers with information.
5. Each quarter in your story needs a big turning point and by the end, your character has to be able to do something that they weren’t able to do for their entire story.
6. By the end of your story, your character has to have made a major transformation from who they were when the story started.
7. A scene needs to work on seven levels (you’ll find out more about this in the videos).

There are so many more great tips in the videos about things like cause and effect, where to start and end your story, strengthening voice and adding back story, just to name a few.

Watch video 1 for free here.

Here’s How the Video Series Work

Each video includes an in-depth look at the specific elements promised and how to consider these essential story principles as you write, revise, rewrite, sell your story. Writing assignment(s) guide you with step-by-step instruction.

Whether you decide to watch all the videos in a row and then go back and do the exercises or jump right in to the 1^st video’s exercise, work at your own pace and take more or less time on the step-by-step exercises. The series are designed to fit into even the busiest of schedules. Sign-in and watch video lectures, complete homework assignments, and ask questions in a public forum on a timetable that fits your needs.

As well as the Novel Writing Videos, Martha and Jill also offer a series of videos for picture book writers and a number of other services to writers. You can find out more by joining their A Path to Publishing Facebook Group.

WIN!!!

Comment on this post, and enter Jill and Martha’s competition to win a FREE observation spot in an upcoming OFFICE HOURS workshop (a $45 value).

A PATH TO PUBLISHING BLOG TOUR

Find out more about Jill and Martha and how they can help your writing by following their blog tour. Here’s where it’s stopping:

Judith Rossell is the author-illustrator of  Withering-By-Sea, a truly beautiful book set in Victorian times and presented in hardback with stunning illustrations and a royal blue ribbon bookmark.

It was part of hotly contested auction in the US, and sold in a lucrative two-book deal to Simon and Schuster America.

Jude is the author of 11 books and illustrator of 80 more, and a colleague and friend, and I’m thrilled to welcome her to my blog to share her writing and illustrating tips, and more about her new book.

 Jude’s Tips

1. It’s going to be difficult. That’s ok. Keep going.
2. Ignore that voice in your head that tells you it’s too hard, or that you’re not good enough, or that you should be scrubbing out the shower instead. Whatever it’s saying, it’s not helping. But at the same time, be tough on yourself, and always look for ways to make your writing better. Keep going.
3. If you’re mainly an illustrator, avoid writing scenes only because you want to illustrate them. The characters and the story should always come first! Also, I’ve found that making little drawings of characters and scenes along the way is helpful and inspiring. And keep going!
4. Sometimes you’ll find you want to completely rewrite whole sections of your story, and you’re resisting because it took so long to write in the first place. Remember: if in doubt, chuck it out. Probably. And keep going.
5. When you finally get to the end, you’ll want to send it off straight away. If you can make yourself wait for a few weeks (or a bit longer) and come back to the story, you’ll find heaps of things you want to change. And this will make your story better.

ABOUT WITHERING-BY-SEA

Withering-By-Sea is a beautifully illustrated junior novel that lovers of intrigue and adventure will not be able to put down.

Eleven-year-old Stella Montgomery leads a miserable existence with her three awful aunts, Aunt Condolence, Aunt Temperance and Aunt Deliverance, living at the damp and dull Hotel Majestic.

But things become far from dull when Stella witnesses a murder.

This sets in motion an adventure more terrifying and more wonderful than she could ever have hoped for.

What’s in the bottle that Mr Filbert hid before he was killed and why does the Professor want it so badly?

Will he find out that Stella now has it, and come after her?

Of course he will, and that’s where the action for Stella really starts.

There’s so much to love about Withering-by-Sea apart from the great tension and fast paced action.

Stella is a very likeable character. Readers will have sympathy for her circumstances, but will also admire the courage with which she tackles her unexpected adventure, and the fact that witnessing the murder and prior events, have put her life in danger.

She is a smart and very level-headed young woman who struggles to cope with her aunts’ attitude that ‘children should be seen and not heard.’

Withering-by-Sea is a dreary coastal town, but this story is far from dreary. The town provides a perfect setting for intrigue, adventure and betrayal.

Set in Victorian times, this book is full of atmosphere, enhanced by author/illustrator Jude Rossell’s gorgeously detailed pictures.

There are so many great characters for readers to connect with apart from Stella. There’s feisty Gert who is captured along with Stella, the evil Professor, and clever Mr Capelli and his singing cats.

Withering-by-Sea is an historical adventure with a hint of magic. There’s also gentle humour, and authentic and endearing relationships between Stella and Gert, and Stella and Mr Capelli and his cats.

I’d love to see these characters featured in future Stella Montgomery intrigues.

Withering-by-Sea is a book of substance – it’s entertaining and hard to put down but there is also some complex exploration of relationships, and the vulnerability of children and their openness to things that adults often close their minds to.

While this mystery comes to a satisfactory conclusion, the reader is left with unanswered questions that will make them want to pick up the next Stella Montgomery book. For instance, who was Stella’s mother and what really happened to her, and how did Stella end up living with the dreadful aunts? Stella also has a special ability that she must have inherited from someone.

I can’t wait to read what Stella does next.

It’s easy to see why Withering-by-Sea was so sought after when it went to auction in the US.

It is published in Australia by ABC Books, an imprint of HarperCollins.

Judith Rossell is represented by Jill Corcoran Literary Agent. You can find out more about Jude and her works here.

Judith Rossell is the author-illustrator of  Withering-By-Sea, a truly beautiful book set in Victorian times and presented in hardback with stunning illustrations and a royal blue ribbon bookmark.

It was part of hotly contested auction in the US, and sold in a lucrative two-book deal to Simon and Schuster America.

Jude is the author of 11 books and illustrator of 80 more, and a colleague and friend, and I’m thrilled to welcome her to my blog to share her writing and illustrating tips, and more about her new book.

 Jude’s Tips

1. It’s going to be difficult. That’s ok. Keep going.
2. Ignore that voice in your head that tells you it’s too hard, or that you’re not good enough, or that you should be scrubbing out the shower instead. Whatever it’s saying, it’s not helping. But at the same time, be tough on yourself, and always look for ways to make your writing better. Keep going.
3. If you’re mainly an illustrator, avoid writing scenes only because you want to illustrate them. The characters and the story should always come first! Also, I’ve found that making little drawings of characters and scenes along the way is helpful and inspiring. And keep going!
4. Sometimes you’ll find you want to completely rewrite whole sections of your story, and you’re resisting because it took so long to write in the first place. Remember: if in doubt, chuck it out. Probably. And keep going.
5. When you finally get to the end, you’ll want to send it off straight away. If you can make yourself wait for a few weeks (or a bit longer) and come back to the story, you’ll find heaps of things you want to change. And this will make your story better.

ABOUT WITHERING-BY-SEA

Withering-By-Sea is a beautifully illustrated junior novel that lovers of intrigue and adventure will not be able to put down.

Eleven-year-old Stella Montgomery leads a miserable existence with her three awful aunts, Aunt Condolence, Aunt Temperance and Aunt Deliverance, living at the damp and dull Hotel Majestic.

But things become far from dull when Stella witnesses a murder.

This sets in motion an adventure more terrifying and more wonderful than she could ever have hoped for.

What’s in the bottle that Mr Filbert hid before he was killed and why does the Professor want it so badly?

Will he find out that Stella now has it, and come after her?

Of course he will, and that’s where the action for Stella really starts.

There’s so much to love about Withering-by-Sea apart from the great tension and fast paced action.

Stella is a very likeable character. Readers will have sympathy for her circumstances, but will also admire the courage with which she tackles her unexpected adventure, and the fact that witnessing the murder and prior events, have put her life in danger.

She is a smart and very level-headed young woman who struggles to cope with her aunts’ attitude that ‘children should be seen and not heard.’

Withering-by-Sea is a dreary coastal town, but this story is far from dreary. The town provides a perfect setting for intrigue, adventure and betrayal.

Set in Victorian times, this book is full of atmosphere, enhanced by author/illustrator Jude Rossell’s gorgeously detailed pictures.

There are so many great characters for readers to connect with apart from Stella. There’s feisty Gert who is captured along with Stella, the evil Professor, and clever Mr Capelli and his singing cats.

Withering-by-Sea is an historical adventure with a hint of magic. There’s also gentle humour, and authentic and endearing relationships between Stella and Gert, and Stella and Mr Capelli and his cats.

I’d love to see these characters featured in future Stella Montgomery intrigues.

Withering-by-Sea is a book of substance – it’s entertaining and hard to put down but there is also some complex exploration of relationships, and the vulnerability of children and their openness to things that adults often close their minds to.

While this mystery comes to a satisfactory conclusion, the reader is left with unanswered questions that will make them want to pick up the next Stella Montgomery book. For instance, who was Stella’s mother and what really happened to her, and how did Stella end up living with the dreadful aunts? Stella also has a special ability that she must have inherited from someone.

I can’t wait to read what Stella does next.

It’s easy to see why Withering-by-Sea was so sought after when it went to auction in the US.

It is published in Australia by ABC Books, an imprint of HarperCollins.

Judith Rossell is represented by Jill Corcoran Literary Agent. You can find out more about Jude and her works here.

Writing is such an individual thing. We all write in different ways, find inspiration in different places, follow a different writer’s journey.

For the past few years, I’ve spent my November immersed in NaNoWriMo (National Novel Writing Month), but this year I decided it wasn’t for me.

There’s a lot going on at home with kids finishing their last year of high school etc, and to be honest, I decided I didn’t want the extra pressure of being stressed about daily word count deadlines.

But most of all, the reason I decided not to do NaNoWriMo is because I don’t want to be checking in daily word counts or reporting on my progress, I don’t want to be distracted by how many words I’m writing (or not writing), I just want to write.

NaNo is great for people who struggle to find time to write. It’s great for people who need incentive, who need to find ways to fit writing into their busy schedules, who want to be spurred on.

But the truth is, that writing is as much as part of my life as having breakfast or cleaning my teeth – it’s something I’m compelled to do every day. It’s something I want to do.

My first year of NaNo was a blast. I joined an international Facebook group, and no matter what time of the day or night I was writing, there was always somebody to chat to, to encourage, to be encouraged by.

But for me, the pressure of producing 50,000 words in a month took something away from the joy of writing and to be honest, produced mediocre results.

I recently attended a fabulous writing workshop with Arnold Zable, and something he said, really resonated with me, “Don’t be in a hurry.” Pressure works well for some writers, but I write best at my own pace, when I can take my time to inhabit my characters, and to immerse myself in their worlds.

It’s still only early November and already I’ve changed my mind a few times about my November project – and that’s okay – I’m still writing. The advantage of working outside NaNo is that I don’t have to report it to anyone. I can just go on my merry way and write.

A manuscript assessor must be someone who ‘gets’ your book.

So far I’ve produced the first draft of a Chapter book of more than 5,500 words. I was going to work on a new adult novel, but After Troy, my sequel to Letters to Leonardo is drawing me back.

I am a big fan of NaNoWriMo. I know it produces wonderful results for some people and the camaraderie amongst writers at this time is amazing. But this year, I’m going with my heart, going it alone and loving it.

If you’re doing NaNoWriMo I hope it’s working for you. If you’re not, then I hope you’re inspired by your writing and enjoying the journey.

We’d love to hear your NaNo experiences. In the comments section below, feel free to post your views on NaNo and how it’s working or not working for you, or whether you’re like me and have decided not to join the thousands of writers worldwide who are chasing that big word count this month.

Happy writing:)

Dee

Writing is such an individual thing. We all write in different ways, find inspiration in different places, follow a different writer’s journey.

For the past few years, I’ve spent my November immersed in NaNoWriMo (National Novel Writing Month), but this year I decided it wasn’t for me.

There’s a lot going on at home with kids finishing their last year of high school etc, and to be honest, I decided I didn’t want the extra pressure of being stressed about daily word count deadlines.

But most of all, the reason I decided not to do NaNoWriMo is because I don’t want to be checking in daily word counts or reporting on my progress, I don’t want to be distracted by how many words I’m writing (or not writing), I just want to write.

NaNo is great for people who struggle to find time to write. It’s great for people who need incentive, who need to find ways to fit writing into their busy schedules, who want to be spurred on.

But the truth is, that writing is as much as part of my life as having breakfast or cleaning my teeth – it’s something I’m compelled to do every day. It’s something I want to do.

My first year of NaNo was a blast. I joined an international Facebook group, and no matter what time of the day or night I was writing, there was always somebody to chat to, to encourage, to be encouraged by.

But for me, the pressure of producing 50,000 words in a month took something away from the joy of writing and to be honest, produced mediocre results.

I recently attended a fabulous writing workshop with Arnold Zable, and something he said, really resonated with me, “Don’t be in a hurry.” Pressure works well for some writers, but I write best at my own pace, when I can take my time to inhabit my characters, and to immerse myself in their worlds.

It’s still only early November and already I’ve changed my mind a few times about my November project – and that’s okay – I’m still writing. The advantage of working outside NaNo is that I don’t have to report it to anyone. I can just go on my merry way and write.

A manuscript assessor must be someone who ‘gets’ your book.

So far I’ve produced the first draft of a Chapter book of more than 5,500 words. I was going to work on a new adult novel, but After Troy, my sequel to Letters to Leonardo is drawing me back.

I am a big fan of NaNoWriMo. I know it produces wonderful results for some people and the camaraderie amongst writers at this time is amazing. But this year, I’m going with my heart, going it alone and loving it.

If you’re doing NaNoWriMo I hope it’s working for you. If you’re not, then I hope you’re inspired by your writing and enjoying the journey.

We’d love to hear your NaNo experiences. In the comments section below, feel free to post your views on NaNo and how it’s working or not working for you, or whether you’re like me and have decided not to join the thousands of writers worldwide who are chasing that big word count this month.

Happy writing:)

Dee

Today I’m pleased to welcome bestselling author, Rebecca James who has written her latest novel from multiple viewpoints, and is talking about it here on DeeScribe Writing.

Rebecca is the author of Beautiful Malice, Sweet Damage and her most recent work, Cooper Bartholomew is Dead.

REBECCA’S INSPIRATION FOR COOPER BARTHOLOMEW IS DEAD

I guess in an immediate and simple sense I wanted to write about the death of a genuinely nice and well-loved boy. But I also wanted to write about family secrets and troubled friendships and love and betrayal and jealousy and resentment and fear. All these strong human emotions. I love thinking about them and I love writing about them.

WRITING IN MULTIPLE VIEWPOINTS

I decided to write in four different voices when I started thinking how a single event or situation can be seen so many different ways depending on who is doing the looking. We all ‘see’ things from the narrow prism of our own experience, our own prejudices and desires and emotions. It’s almost as though everything that happens around us becomes part of our own story.

As I started writing Cooper Bartholomew Is Dead I realised that this was not only Cooper’s story, it was also Sebastian’s story, and Claire’s and Libby’s too. It made sense to let them each have a voice.

Unfortunately, though, I don’t know that I have any concise or clever tips on how to do this.  Writing is hard! I would definitely say, though, that it helps to try and inhabit each character as much as you can while writing — it’s all a matter of empathy!

From a more mechanical point of view it will make the different voices more distinct if they use different vocabulary, sentence length, slang, things like that.

COOPER BARTHOLOMEW IS DEAD REVIEWED

Cooper Bartholomew is Dead is a fast-paced read that’s full of great characterisation, tension and surprises.

Killing one of your main characters on the first page is always risky, but Rebecca James manages to connect the reader with Cooper and use his death to make us want to know how he died.

Cooper is a very likeable guy who sadly has just found the girl of his dreams before his unfortunate demise. She’s the one who refuses to believe that his death was suicide.

Libby is the other main point of view character in Cooper Bartholomew is Dead. She believes that just because Cooper was found at the foot of a cliff, that doesn’t mean he took his own life. And why would he? He has Libby, a job he loves, plans for a future business and good friends.

But when she delves into the circumstances surrounding Cooper’s death, Libby discovers secrets about him and his past that shake her beliefs, and make her realise there’s a lot she didn’t know about him.

Cooper Bartholomew is Dead is told from four points of view. There are the main characters, Cooper and Libby, and secondary characters, Claire and Sebastian.

The author cleverly distinguishes between them by writing the main characters in first person present tense, and the secondary characters are in third person past tense.

The story also moves between the present and the past showing the events that happened up to Cooper’s death and the fall out from it.

The characters in this book are beautifully crafted with flaws, fears and qualities that make them multidimensional and as readers, we care about every single one of them.

This is a gripping story of love, betrayal, friendships and family. The story centres around a group of late teens so it could be read as YA or new adult.

The dialogue, interaction and dilemmas are authentic and engrossing.

The author of Beautiful Malice and Sweet Damage, Rebecca James shows us once again that she is a master at combining complex plotting and intriguing characters to produce a compelling read.

Cooper Bartholomew is Dead is published by Allen & Unwin and is priced at $19.99 RRP. It is recommended for readers aged 16+.

Today I’m pleased to welcome bestselling author, Rebecca James who has written her latest novel from multiple viewpoints, and is talking about it here on DeeScribe Writing.

Rebecca is the author of Beautiful Malice, Sweet Damage and her most recent work, Cooper Bartholomew is Dead.

REBECCA’S INSPIRATION FOR COOPER BARTHOLOMEW IS DEAD

I guess in an immediate and simple sense I wanted to write about the death of a genuinely nice and well-loved boy. But I also wanted to write about family secrets and troubled friendships and love and betrayal and jealousy and resentment and fear. All these strong human emotions. I love thinking about them and I love writing about them.

WRITING IN MULTIPLE VIEWPOINTS

I decided to write in four different voices when I started thinking how a single event or situation can be seen so many different ways depending on who is doing the looking. We all ‘see’ things from the narrow prism of our own experience, our own prejudices and desires and emotions. It’s almost as though everything that happens around us becomes part of our own story.

As I started writing Cooper Bartholomew Is Dead I realised that this was not only Cooper’s story, it was also Sebastian’s story, and Claire’s and Libby’s too. It made sense to let them each have a voice.

Unfortunately, though, I don’t know that I have any concise or clever tips on how to do this.  Writing is hard! I would definitely say, though, that it helps to try and inhabit each character as much as you can while writing — it’s all a matter of empathy!

From a more mechanical point of view it will make the different voices more distinct if they use different vocabulary, sentence length, slang, things like that.

COOPER BARTHOLOMEW IS DEAD REVIEWED

Cooper Bartholomew is Dead is a fast-paced read that’s full of great characterisation, tension and surprises.

Killing one of your main characters on the first page is always risky, but Rebecca James manages to connect the reader with Cooper and use his death to make us want to know how he died.

Cooper is a very likeable guy who sadly has just found the girl of his dreams before his unfortunate demise. She’s the one who refuses to believe that his death was suicide.

Libby is the other main point of view character in Cooper Bartholomew is Dead. She believes that just because Cooper was found at the foot of a cliff, that doesn’t mean he took his own life. And why would he? He has Libby, a job he loves, plans for a future business and good friends.

But when she delves into the circumstances surrounding Cooper’s death, Libby discovers secrets about him and his past that shake her beliefs, and make her realise there’s a lot she didn’t know about him.

Cooper Bartholomew is Dead is told from four points of view. There are the main characters, Cooper and Libby, and secondary characters, Claire and Sebastian.

The author cleverly distinguishes between them by writing the main characters in first person present tense, and the secondary characters are in third person past tense.

The story also moves between the present and the past showing the events that happened up to Cooper’s death and the fall out from it.

The characters in this book are beautifully crafted with flaws, fears and qualities that make them multidimensional and as readers, we care about every single one of them.

This is a gripping story of love, betrayal, friendships and family. The story centres around a group of late teens so it could be read as YA or new adult.

The dialogue, interaction and dilemmas are authentic and engrossing.

The author of Beautiful Malice and Sweet Damage, Rebecca James shows us once again that she is a master at combining complex plotting and intriguing characters to produce a compelling read.

Cooper Bartholomew is Dead is published by Allen & Unwin and is priced at $19.99 RRP. It is recommended for readers aged 16+.

Today I’m pleased to welcome fellow Australian author and dear writerly friend, Angela Sunde. She has been on a very interesting journey with her latest book, Snap Magic, and she’s going to share a little of the magic here at DeeScribe Writing.

Angela Sunde is the author of the light-hearted fantasy novels Snap Magic, and Pond Magic (an Aussie Chomp – Penguin Australia.) Awarded a May Gibbs Children’s Literature Trust Fellowship in 2013, Angela represents the Gold Coast as a committee member of the Queensland branch of The Society of Children’s Book Writers and Illustrators and is the editor of the Redlands City Council’s ‘Junior Redlitzer Anthology 2014.’ Formerly an award-winning language and literacy teacher, she is also a children’s writing judge and offers workshops at libraries and schools. www.angelasunde.com

Angela Sunde’s own tweenhood experiences were the inspiration for Snap Magic’s cringeworthy laugh-out-loud moments. ‘Writing Snap Magic took me right back to being twelve years old. It’s like I never grew up. I just wish I could reassure Lily that it’ll all be okay in the end.’

ANGELA SHARES THE MAGIC

Hello Dee!

Thank you so much for hosting me on your blog today. I’m very chuffed to be here. Coming up with five writing tips has made me reflect on my own methods during the planning stages of my writing.

When I wrote my new release, Snap Magic (the sequel to my Aussie Chomp, Pond Magic), I had no intention of independently publishing it. I had a firm invitation to submit from my publisher and had sent it to them just days before I received an email to tell me the Aussie Chomps list was closed. I read the email on my phone then immediately did a face plant on the couch. Ha ha!

Snap Magic, therefore, was written as an Aussie Chomp to the exacting specifications of that series. The approach I took when writing it is outlined below:

Five Writing Tips on Writing a Sequel:

1. Look carefully at your first book. Why was it initially accepted for publication? What are its strengths? How do the characters interact with one another? Which narrative voice did you use? What was the tone of your story? This will give you a foundation on which to build a new plot.
2. Consider the length of your sequel. It should match the first book in pacing, story arc and sub plot (if any). Refer to your previous notes and re-read your first book to ‘get in the zone.’
3. Stick to a similar number of characters in the sequel. Let some go, while introducing new ones. Your main character should grow and change in a fresh way; he or she cannot undergo the same character development as in the previous story. Be consistent with character traits and quirks across both books.
4. Follow a similar writing routine as you did for the first story. If mind mapping or free writing worked well the first time, it most likely will again. For Pond Magic I had worked out ten scenes and written summaries for each. I did the same with Snap Magic, allowing for flexibility.
5. If you’re not completely sure the idea you have for the sequel will work, then don’t write it. Go and work on another project. A better idea may pop up later.

Thank you so much! I enjoyed visiting your blog today and I look forward to chatting with your readers.

Thanks for visiting us, Angela and sharing your great tips. Lovely to have you and Lily visiting DeeScribe Writing:)

SNAP MAGIC REVIEW

Unwanted facial hair and bra shopping with a mother who has no idea of what’s cool in lingerie is a tween’s worst nightmare.

So the reader knows right from the start that they are going to be in for an exciting ride with Angela Sunde’s new chapter book, Snap Magic.

The book features Lily Padd who was introduced to readers in the popular Pond Magic published in Penguin’s Chomps series.

As if having a grandma bra and sprouting hair aren’t bad enough, the awful Ellen Middleton is threatening to tell the whole school about Lily’s problems, including the cute new boy.

It gets worse. Lily’s plans to shine at the Halloween dance have been thwarted when her father gives her gown to the six-year-old twins to play dressups.

Angela Sunde really knows how to raise the stakes and put her characters in seemingly impossible situations.

But Lily is a girl of strong character and she’s not going to let this series of events bring her down. Mrs Swan next door knows magic, perhaps she can help. Unfortunately, her magic doesn’t always quite work out, so Lily has to decide whether seeking her help is worth the risk.

As well as being full of tension and excitement, there’s also fabulous humour in this book, and the situations and characters are very authentic.

There are many cringe worthy moments where the reader is kept on tenterhooks wondering how Lily will escape ultimate embarrassment.

Snap Magic has everything. Humour, action, magic, secrets, bullies, friendship and even pumpkin soup.

The beautiful illustrations are also by Angela Sunde.

Lily is an endearing, not quite perfect character and readers aged 9 to 12 will be able to form a strong connection with her.

Snap Magic includes themes of trust, bullying, fears, embarrassing parents, puberty onset, and that actions have consequences.

ISBN 978-0-9925753-0-4 (pbk) and ISBN 978-0-9925753-1-1 (ebook) Snap Magic can be purchased through Fishpond. Find out more about this book and how it was created by visiting these other great blogs.

Snap Magic Blog Tour Dates

October:

Monday 13. Kids Book Review

http://www.kids-bookreview.com

Tuesday 14. Sheryl Gwyther

http://sherylgwyther.wordpress.com

Wednesday 15. Robyn Opie

http://www.robynopie.blogspot.com.au

Karen Tyrrell

http://www.karentyrrell.com

Thursday 16. Alison Reynolds

http://www.alisonreynolds.com.au

Friday 17. Chris Bell – From Hook to Book

 http://christinemareebell.wordpress.com

Saturday 18. Boomerang Books Blog

http://blog.boomerangbooks.com.au

Dimity Powell

http://dimswritestuff.blogspot.com.au/

Sunday 18. Sandy Fussell / The Reading Stack

http://sandyfussell.blogspot.com.au

http://thereadingstack.blogspot.com.au

Monday 20. Aussiereviews

http://aussiereviews.com

Tuesday 21. Dee White

http://deescribewriting.wordpress.com

Wednesday 22. Angela Sunde’s Blog Tour Wrap Up

http://angelasunde.blogspot.com.au

November – to follow

Robyn Opie

http://www.robynopie.blogspot.com.au

Today I’m pleased to welcome fellow Australian author and dear writerly friend, Angela Sunde. She has been on a very interesting journey with her latest book, Snap Magic, and she’s going to share a little of the magic here at DeeScribe Writing.

Angela Sunde is the author of the light-hearted fantasy novels Snap Magic, and Pond Magic (an Aussie Chomp – Penguin Australia.) Awarded a May Gibbs Children’s Literature Trust Fellowship in 2013, Angela represents the Gold Coast as a committee member of the Queensland branch of The Society of Children’s Book Writers and Illustrators and is the editor of the Redlands City Council’s ‘Junior Redlitzer Anthology 2014.’ Formerly an award-winning language and literacy teacher, she is also a children’s writing judge and offers workshops at libraries and schools. www.angelasunde.com

Angela Sunde’s own tweenhood experiences were the inspiration for Snap Magic’s cringeworthy laugh-out-loud moments. ‘Writing Snap Magic took me right back to being twelve years old. It’s like I never grew up. I just wish I could reassure Lily that it’ll all be okay in the end.’

ANGELA SHARES THE MAGIC

Hello Dee!

Thank you so much for hosting me on your blog today. I’m very chuffed to be here. Coming up with five writing tips has made me reflect on my own methods during the planning stages of my writing.

When I wrote my new release, Snap Magic (the sequel to my Aussie Chomp, Pond Magic), I had no intention of independently publishing it. I had a firm invitation to submit from my publisher and had sent it to them just days before I received an email to tell me the Aussie Chomps list was closed. I read the email on my phone then immediately did a face plant on the couch. Ha ha!

Snap Magic, therefore, was written as an Aussie Chomp to the exacting specifications of that series. The approach I took when writing it is outlined below:

Five Writing Tips on Writing a Sequel:

1. Look carefully at your first book. Why was it initially accepted for publication? What are its strengths? How do the characters interact with one another? Which narrative voice did you use? What was the tone of your story? This will give you a foundation on which to build a new plot.
2. Consider the length of your sequel. It should match the first book in pacing, story arc and sub plot (if any). Refer to your previous notes and re-read your first book to ‘get in the zone.’
3. Stick to a similar number of characters in the sequel. Let some go, while introducing new ones. Your main character should grow and change in a fresh way; he or she cannot undergo the same character development as in the previous story. Be consistent with character traits and quirks across both books.
4. Follow a similar writing routine as you did for the first story. If mind mapping or free writing worked well the first time, it most likely will again. For Pond Magic I had worked out ten scenes and written summaries for each. I did the same with Snap Magic, allowing for flexibility.
5. If you’re not completely sure the idea you have for the sequel will work, then don’t write it. Go and work on another project. A better idea may pop up later.

Thank you so much! I enjoyed visiting your blog today and I look forward to chatting with your readers.

Thanks for visiting us, Angela and sharing your great tips. Lovely to have you and Lily visiting DeeScribe Writing:)

SNAP MAGIC REVIEW

Unwanted facial hair and bra shopping with a mother who has no idea of what’s cool in lingerie is a tween’s worst nightmare.

So the reader knows right from the start that they are going to be in for an exciting ride with Angela Sunde’s new chapter book, Snap Magic.

The book features Lily Padd who was introduced to readers in the popular Pond Magic published in Penguin’s Chomps series.

As if having a grandma bra and sprouting hair aren’t bad enough, the awful Ellen Middleton is threatening to tell the whole school about Lily’s problems, including the cute new boy.

It gets worse. Lily’s plans to shine at the Halloween dance have been thwarted when her father gives her gown to the six-year-old twins to play dressups.

Angela Sunde really knows how to raise the stakes and put her characters in seemingly impossible situations.

But Lily is a girl of strong character and she’s not going to let this series of events bring her down. Mrs Swan next door knows magic, perhaps she can help. Unfortunately, her magic doesn’t always quite work out, so Lily has to decide whether seeking her help is worth the risk.

As well as being full of tension and excitement, there’s also fabulous humour in this book, and the situations and characters are very authentic.

There are many cringe worthy moments where the reader is kept on tenterhooks wondering how Lily will escape ultimate embarrassment.

Snap Magic has everything. Humour, action, magic, secrets, bullies, friendship and even pumpkin soup.

The beautiful illustrations are also by Angela Sunde.

Lily is an endearing, not quite perfect character and readers aged 9 to 12 will be able to form a strong connection with her.

Snap Magic includes themes of trust, bullying, fears, embarrassing parents, puberty onset, and that actions have consequences.

ISBN 978-0-9925753-0-4 (pbk) and ISBN 978-0-9925753-1-1 (ebook) Snap Magic can be purchased through Fishpond. Find out more about this book and how it was created by visiting these other great blogs.

Snap Magic Blog Tour Dates

October:

Monday 13. Kids Book Review

http://www.kids-bookreview.com

Tuesday 14. Sheryl Gwyther

http://sherylgwyther.wordpress.com

Wednesday 15. Robyn Opie

http://www.robynopie.blogspot.com.au

Karen Tyrrell

http://www.karentyrrell.com

Thursday 16. Alison Reynolds

http://www.alisonreynolds.com.au

Friday 17. Chris Bell – From Hook to Book

 http://christinemareebell.wordpress.com

Saturday 18. Boomerang Books Blog

http://blog.boomerangbooks.com.au

Dimity Powell

http://dimswritestuff.blogspot.com.au/

Sunday 18. Sandy Fussell / The Reading Stack

http://sandyfussell.blogspot.com.au

http://thereadingstack.blogspot.com.au

Monday 20. Aussiereviews

http://aussiereviews.com

Tuesday 21. Dee White

https://deescribewriting.wordpress.com

Wednesday 22. Angela Sunde’s Blog Tour Wrap Up

http://angelasunde.blogspot.com.au

November – to follow

Robyn Opie

http://www.robynopie.blogspot.com.au

There are so many things that endeared me to Trudie Trewin’s latest picture book, Calpepper’s Place.

There’s Calpepper’s name, the fact that he’s a camel, and then there’s the gorgeous scenic backdrop for his story.

But two of the things I love most about this story are the lyrical language and the way the words are perfectly complemented by Donna Gynell’s vivid illustrations.

“Calpepper had lived in the desert for all of his memories”.

This line is typical of the book’s powerful text and the illustration that goes with it will provide plenty for the reader to enjoy. It depicts Calpepper surrounded by snapshots from his life. A small desert creature gazes up at him in wonder.

We follow Calpepper as he goes ‘scrush, scrush, scrush through the hot desert sand.” We follow him on a new adventure to far away exciting places to find one that’s better than where he comes from.

As Calpepper waves goodbye from a bus crowded with all kinds of Australian creatures seeking adventure, the reader knows that this is going to be a big journey.

The text rollicks along and the accompanying illustrations take the reader through various terrains and locations as Calpepper searches for that perfect place.

If you want to know whether he finds it or not, you’ll have to read the book.

There is so much to enjoy and discuss with the lively text and illustrations in Calpepper’s place.

I can imagine this being a book that kids asked to have read to them over and over again. And with each reading, they will find new things to enjoy in both the text and the illustrations

Calpepper’s Place is a beautiful book about finding your place in the world. It is published by Windy Hollow Books.

Teacher’s notes are available here.

There are so many things that endeared me to Trudie Trewin’s latest picture book, Calpepper’s Place.

There’s Calpepper’s name, the fact that he’s a camel, and then there’s the gorgeous scenic backdrop for his story.

But two of the things I love most about this story are the lyrical language and the way the words are perfectly complemented by Donna Gynell’s vivid illustrations.

“Calpepper had lived in the desert for all of his memories”.

This line is typical of the book’s powerful text and the illustration that goes with it will provide plenty for the reader to enjoy. It depicts Calpepper surrounded by snapshots from his life. A small desert creature gazes up at him in wonder.

We follow Calpepper as he goes ‘scrush, scrush, scrush through the hot desert sand.” We follow him on a new adventure to far away exciting places to find one that’s better than where he comes from.

As Calpepper waves goodbye from a bus crowded with all kinds of Australian creatures seeking adventure, the reader knows that this is going to be a big journey.

The text rollicks along and the accompanying illustrations take the reader through various terrains and locations as Calpepper searches for that perfect place.

If you want to know whether he finds it or not, you’ll have to read the book.

There is so much to enjoy and discuss with the lively text and illustrations in Calpepper’s place.

I can imagine this being a book that kids asked to have read to them over and over again. And with each reading, they will find new things to enjoy in both the text and the illustrations

Calpepper’s Place is a beautiful book about finding your place in the world. It is published by Windy Hollow Books.

Teacher’s notes are available here.

From young adult author, Nikki Buick, comes Sandy Feet, a raw and engaging coming-of-age story about the highs and lows of adolescence as well as the consequences of family tragedy.

Teenager, Hunter did not vote for the family road trip. He can’t think of anything worse than being stuck in the car with his mum, his stepdad, his little sister and his new half brother.

His Mum thinks it will bring them closer together, but when Hunter discovers that he has been deceived about what really happened to his real Dad, the opposite happens.

Although things come to a head and the truth spills out, it’s what needs to happen before family relationships can be healed and they can move on from Hunter’s horrific car accident and his mother’s attempt at taking her own life.

Hunter is a very believable and likeable teen going through more than just coming of age issues.

He is a complex and well rounded character with authentic teen traits and flaws.

The road trip takes the reader up through northern Queensland, allowing them to experience a beautiful but dangerous part of the world.

The scenery is beautifully described and I love author Nikki Buick’s laconic humour.

“I didn’t like the ocean. It was always too cold, even in summer. It fizzed up my nose like a soluble aspirin and it dumped me like a sumo-wrestling girlfriend”.

On the road trip, Hunter learns truths not just about his family, but about himself.

A teenager’s difficulty in accepting his blended family is handled with sensitivity and realism. Hunter isn’t a bad guy, he just doesn’t see why he should accept his mother’s new husband as his Dad. Hunter already has a Dad – it’s just that he’s not allowed to see him.

For Nikki Buick, the themes of blended families, absent fathers, mental illness, disability and self-discovery came from her years of study and work in the area of Family Dispute Resolution, listening to and counselling young people through issues they struggled to navigate on their own.

As the mother of three teenage sons (and two younger ones), Nikki naturally drew on their collective souls in writing Sandy Feet to breathe life into the character of Hunter. ‘I sat down and wrote the story of an angst ridden teenager, dragged along on a family adventure that held no interest whatsoever for him. My sixteen-year-old son Harry could well relate to such a tale and still has nightmares!’ she comments.

Nikki now feels like Hunter has become her honorary, make-believe son and she loves him almost as much as the others!

This genuine connection to her main character comes through in Nikki’s writing, and that’s what makes Hunter’s voice so strong and authentic.

Sandy Feet is a coming of age story full of hope, and topics for interesting discussion in the classroom. It is published by UQP.

From young adult author, Nikki Buick, comes Sandy Feet, a raw and engaging coming-of-age story about the highs and lows of adolescence as well as the consequences of family tragedy.

Teenager, Hunter did not vote for the family road trip. He can’t think of anything worse than being stuck in the car with his mum, his stepdad, his little sister and his new half brother.

His Mum thinks it will bring them closer together, but when Hunter discovers that he has been deceived about what really happened to his real Dad, the opposite happens.

Although things come to a head and the truth spills out, it’s what needs to happen before family relationships can be healed and they can move on from Hunter’s horrific car accident and his mother’s attempt at taking her own life.

Hunter is a very believable and likeable teen going through more than just coming of age issues.

He is a complex and well rounded character with authentic teen traits and flaws.

The road trip takes the reader up through northern Queensland, allowing them to experience a beautiful but dangerous part of the world.

The scenery is beautifully described and I love author Nikki Buick’s laconic humour.

“I didn’t like the ocean. It was always too cold, even in summer. It fizzed up my nose like a soluble aspirin and it dumped me like a sumo-wrestling girlfriend”.

On the road trip, Hunter learns truths not just about his family, but about himself.

A teenager’s difficulty in accepting his blended family is handled with sensitivity and realism. Hunter isn’t a bad guy, he just doesn’t see why he should accept his mother’s new husband as his Dad. Hunter already has a Dad – it’s just that he’s not allowed to see him.

For Nikki Buick, the themes of blended families, absent fathers, mental illness, disability and self-discovery came from her years of study and work in the area of Family Dispute Resolution, listening to and counselling young people through issues they struggled to navigate on their own.

As the mother of three teenage sons (and two younger ones), Nikki naturally drew on their collective souls in writing Sandy Feet to breathe life into the character of Hunter. ‘I sat down and wrote the story of an angst ridden teenager, dragged along on a family adventure that held no interest whatsoever for him. My sixteen-year-old son Harry could well relate to such a tale and still has nightmares!’ she comments.

Nikki now feels like Hunter has become her honorary, make-believe son and she loves him almost as much as the others!

This genuine connection to her main character comes through in Nikki’s writing, and that’s what makes Hunter’s voice so strong and authentic.

Sandy Feet is a coming of age story full of hope, and topics for interesting discussion in the classroom. It is published by UQP.

I have been revising my middle grade novel, Game On, about a boy and his sister who become stranded in the Australian wilderness.

Jack the main character is a techno head who can’t survive without his wifi or his favourite video game, Crocodile Run.

But he has no choice when a family holiday goes disastrously wrong and Jack and his sister end up stranded in the Australian wilderness, and all Jack has are skills learned in a virtual reality to help them survive real world challenges.

To help with my revision process, I’m using A Path to Publishing‘s, Revise Your Novel in a Month videos  produced by Jill Corcoran literary agent and Martha Alderson, the Plot Whisperer. There are eight videos in the series, and you rent them for 12 months for $75 USD. I can highly recommend them.  They cover everything from character, to plot, to energy in the story, to detailed line edits.

DEVELOPING YOUR CHARACTER ARC

This is the first in a series of posts where I’m going to talk about how they helped me with the revision process.

In my head, I knew how my character had changed. He started the book as an unfit city kid who only entered the real world when forced to, and whose biggest physical challenge was lifting pizza to his lips and wrestling virtual crocodiles. By the end of the book, he was skinning kangaroos and fending off real crocs.

So clearly, the physical arc was there. It wasn’t until I started revising using the videos that I realised I hadn’t paid enough attention to Jack’s internal arc. How would fighting for his life in the wilderness mentally and emotionally change a wisecracking 13 year-old boy?

For my character, it results in a deeper connection to his environment, a deeper understanding of consequences, and a deeper love for his family, particularly his little sister who is his companion on his real life survival quest.

I found that I’d shown a big change in my character by the end of the novel. It was kind of easy because circumstances necessitated certain actions so Jack had to be a certain way in order to survive.

What was missing from my story was the transition. I needed to go back and put markers in my story – to look at the physical events that brought about his change and made sure they reflected the mental and emotional journey as well. I needed to show that he hadn’t suddenly gone from being one kind of person to another – that his character had evolved due to circumstances and to his own self-knowledge.

So these are the things I asked myself about to Jack in order to strengthen his character arc in the story:

1.  When does he come to understand the part he played in ending up in the situation he’s in?
2.  How does he behave under pressure?
3.  How does this behaviour change over the course of the novel?
4.  How does his understanding of himself change over the course of the novel?
5.  How does he come to realise what he has been doing wrong?
6.  What does he decide to do differently? How does this change him as a person?
7.  At the end, what is he able to do on a mental and emotional level that he wasn’t able to do at the beginning of the story?
8.  How does this help him achieve his goal?

In my story, my character’s story goal actually changes and increases in intensity as the events unfold, so this necessitates greater change in his character.

One of the other things I realised is that the problems my character encountered needed to be a lot more due to his own actions rather than natural hazards or bad luck.

This increased the emotional stakes for him, the need for change, and a bigger character arc.

I hope this post helps you develop the character arc in your story.

If you have any tips to share or experiences with developing your character arc, feel free to share them in the comments section of this post.

Happy writing and revising:)

Dee

I have been revising my middle grade novel, Game On, about a boy and his sister who become stranded in the Australian wilderness.

Jack the main character is a techno head who can’t survive without his wifi or his favourite video game, Crocodile Run.

But he has no choice when a family holiday goes disastrously wrong and Jack and his sister end up stranded in the Australian wilderness, and all Jack has are skills learned in a virtual reality to help them survive real world challenges.

To help with my revision process, I’m using A Path to Publishing‘s, Revise Your Novel in a Month videos  produced by Jill Corcoran literary agent and Martha Alderson, the Plot Whisperer. There are eight videos in the series, and you rent them for 12 months for $75 USD. I can highly recommend them.  They cover everything from character, to plot, to energy in the story, to detailed line edits.

DEVELOPING YOUR CHARACTER ARC

This is the first in a series of posts where I’m going to talk about how they helped me with the revision process.

In my head, I knew how my character had changed. He started the book as an unfit city kid who only entered the real world when forced to, and whose biggest physical challenge was lifting pizza to his lips and wrestling virtual crocodiles. By the end of the book, he was skinning kangaroos and fending off real crocs.

So clearly, the physical arc was there. It wasn’t until I started revising using the videos that I realised I hadn’t paid enough attention to Jack’s internal arc. How would fighting for his life in the wilderness mentally and emotionally change a wisecracking 13 year-old boy?

For my character, it results in a deeper connection to his environment, a deeper understanding of consequences, and a deeper love for his family, particularly his little sister who is his companion on his real life survival quest.

I found that I’d shown a big change in my character by the end of the novel. It was kind of easy because circumstances necessitated certain actions so Jack had to be a certain way in order to survive.

What was missing from my story was the transition. I needed to go back and put markers in my story – to look at the physical events that brought about his change and made sure they reflected the mental and emotional journey as well. I needed to show that he hadn’t suddenly gone from being one kind of person to another – that his character had evolved due to circumstances and to his own self-knowledge.

So these are the things I asked myself about to Jack in order to strengthen his character arc in the story:

1.  When does he come to understand the part he played in ending up in the situation he’s in?
2.  How does he behave under pressure?
3.  How does this behaviour change over the course of the novel?
4.  How does his understanding of himself change over the course of the novel?
5.  How does he come to realise what he has been doing wrong?
6.  What does he decide to do differently? How does this change him as a person?
7.  At the end, what is he able to do on a mental and emotional level that he wasn’t able to do at the beginning of the story?
8.  How does this help him achieve his goal?

In my story, my character’s story goal actually changes and increases in intensity as the events unfold, so this necessitates greater change in his character.

One of the other things I realised is that the problems my character encountered needed to be a lot more due to his own actions rather than natural hazards or bad luck.

This increased the emotional stakes for him, the need for change, and a bigger character arc.

I hope this post helps you develop the character arc in your story.

If you have any tips to share or experiences with developing your character arc, feel free to share them in the comments section of this post.

Happy writing and revising:)

Dee

Ellie Royce has been telling stories her whole life. This resulted in some problems in her early days, notably at age five when she told her grandmother she had flown around the world on a broom.

Eventually Ellie learned to use her powers for good instead of evil and the result is a passion for writing books and sharing stories of all kinds.

Ellie is the author of two books for teens, Letterbook One – Amy’s Secret and Letterbook Two – Passion for Fashion.

Lucas and Jack is her first picture book.

Ellie lives in Northern NSW with a little dog, a big dog, a second hand cat and her human family.

ELLIE ROYCE’S WRITING TIPS

LUCAS AND JACK REVIEW

Every week Lucas’s mum visits Great Grandpop at the nursing home.

And every week, Lucas waits for her outside.

Waiting is boring! Until Lucas meets Jack.

Lucas and Jack is a sensitive story about bridging the cap between generations.

I love the way that Lucas changes during the course of the story from a boy who is bored with visiting ‘old people’ to someone who can sees them not just as ‘old’, but as people with their own feelings and stories to tell – people who were young once and did things that Lucas can relate to.

There is a strong message in this story that is passed down to the reader in a gentle and inspiring way without them feeling like they are being ‘told’ what to think or they are being talked down to.

As well as revisiting the past through Jack’s eyes, Lucas is also able to find a way to connect with his Pop on a whole new level.

I love the authenticity of the characters in this book, and the way they become even more real for the reader through Andrew McLean’s wonderful illustrations.

There is so much emotion and life in his beautiful pictures.

Lucas and Jack is a wonderful book for families to share. It would also be a great introduction to living history in the classroom.

Lucas and Jack is written by Ellie Royce, illustrated by Andrew McLean and published by Working Title Press.

Teacher’s notes are available here.

Ellie Royce has been telling stories her whole life. This resulted in some problems in her early days, notably at age five when she told her grandmother she had flown around the world on a broom.

Eventually Ellie learned to use her powers for good instead of evil and the result is a passion for writing books and sharing stories of all kinds.

Ellie is the author of two books for teens, Letterbook One – Amy’s Secret and Letterbook Two – Passion for Fashion.

Lucas and Jack is her first picture book.

Ellie lives in Northern NSW with a little dog, a big dog, a second hand cat and her human family.

ELLIE ROYCE’S WRITING TIPS

LUCAS AND JACK REVIEW

Every week Lucas’s mum visits Great Grandpop at the nursing home.

And every week, Lucas waits for her outside.

Waiting is boring! Until Lucas meets Jack.

Lucas and Jack is a sensitive story about bridging the cap between generations.

I love the way that Lucas changes during the course of the story from a boy who is bored with visiting ‘old people’ to someone who can sees them not just as ‘old’, but as people with their own feelings and stories to tell – people who were young once and did things that Lucas can relate to.

There is a strong message in this story that is passed down to the reader in a gentle and inspiring way without them feeling like they are being ‘told’ what to think or they are being talked down to.

As well as revisiting the past through Jack’s eyes, Lucas is also able to find a way to connect with his Pop on a whole new level.

I love the authenticity of the characters in this book, and the way they become even more real for the reader through Andrew McLean’s wonderful illustrations.

There is so much emotion and life in his beautiful pictures.

Lucas and Jack is a wonderful book for families to share. It would also be a great introduction to living history in the classroom.

Lucas and Jack is written by Ellie Royce, illustrated by Andrew McLean and published by Working Title Press.

Teacher’s notes are available here.

Today I’m so excited to welcome my very dear writer/illustrator and all round amazing creator friend, Tania McCartney who’s visiting to celebrate the release of Tottie and Dot, her new picture book collaboration with Tina Snerling.

Tottie and Dot is an important story about friendship and how to fix it when things go wrong.

Tottie and Dot live side by side. They drink marshmallow tea in the morning. Side-by-side. They water blooms in the afternoon garden. Side-by-side. They make speckled eggs for tea. Side-by-side. All is calm and peaceful until, one day, things change between Tottie and Dot. Who can create the prettiest, the bestest, the coolest house? And at what cost?

If you want to know more about Tottie and Dot you can read my review here.

Today, Tania is generously sharing some great tips about the collaboration process and how to make it work.

Tania’s Five Writing Tips – Author/Illustrator Collaboration

Tina Snerling and I are lucky creators. We get to work very closely together when we produce our books, and—to me—there is nothing more rewarding in the book production journey. Working in collaboration enhances any work, especially when both parties are willing to open their hearts and minds to collaborative possibility. Two minds are always better than one—and working with Tina so closely has allowed me to shift and change and grow my text, with new ideas, concepts and elements that might not have occurred had we put this book together ‘blind’.

Working collaboratively absolutely makes for a more seamless book creation, where that delicate author/illustrator dance comes together in a truly cohesive way. Here are my top tips for a rewarding collaboration:

1. Try not to be precious when you begin collaborating. Accept that the other party may have something really special to offer—some humour, a quirky addition, a plot twist, a new perspective. It’s not about who’s right or wrong—it’s about creating a new entity that takes seed in both image and text, but grows into its own creation. Allow the process to be organic. I have regularly changed text to suit Tina’s illustration ideas, and vice versa.
2. If you are the author, let go of being the ‘primary’ creator. The books I write become as much Tina’s as they are mine. The nuance and meaning her illustrations add to the text are priceless.
3. Set up a google doc spreadsheet and keep track of how the book unfolds. Tina and I put illustration notes in the columns and discuss the process as we go along. Listing the pages down the left hand side (including cover, inside cover, endpapers, half title, title, imprint, etc) really helps keep tabs on how the book is flowing, and if text needs to be moved to another page or if page imagery needs to be broken up in some way. You can also keep several versions of the spreadsheet so you can look back and see how things changed over time. Fascinating!
4. I can’t imagine things turning sour (and you rarely hear of this happening), but if they do, it’s probably due to a battle of wills. For the sake of the book, agree to put the disagreements behind you, be prepared to compromise and if things are really bad, call on your editor or publisher to make the final choices/decisions.
5. Keep communications open and strong and clear. This will minimise any drama, confusion, misinterpretation of text (rare) and—most importantly—the reworking of images, which can be immensely frustrating and time-consuming. Remember some illustrators like to storyboard, some like to create full mock ups, some create in full draft or go straight to final (exponentially easier if the illustrations are digital, like Tina’s, or the images can be manipulated digitally). If you spend time discussing imagery before it’s created, you minimise these issues. Of course, once the discussion occurs, you also need to let go of expectation and remember the illustrator may well throw out your illustration notes and—gasp!—create something better than you ever dreamed.

(Sep 2014, EK Books, $24.99, hard cover, 9781921966491)

Thanks for the tips, Tania. We look forward to seeing more wonderful books from you and Tina:)

Dee

Today I’m so excited to welcome my very dear writer/illustrator and all round amazing creator friend, Tania McCartney who’s visiting to celebrate the release of Tottie and Dot, her new picture book collaboration with Tina Snerling.

Tottie and Dot is an important story about friendship and how to fix it when things go wrong.

Tottie and Dot live side by side. They drink marshmallow tea in the morning. Side-by-side. They water blooms in the afternoon garden. Side-by-side. They make speckled eggs for tea. Side-by-side. All is calm and peaceful until, one day, things change between Tottie and Dot. Who can create the prettiest, the bestest, the coolest house? And at what cost?

If you want to know more about Tottie and Dot you can read my review here.

Today, Tania is generously sharing some great tips about the collaboration process and how to make it work.

Tania’s Five Writing Tips – Author/Illustrator Collaboration

Tina Snerling and I are lucky creators. We get to work very closely together when we produce our books, and—to me—there is nothing more rewarding in the book production journey. Working in collaboration enhances any work, especially when both parties are willing to open their hearts and minds to collaborative possibility. Two minds are always better than one—and working with Tina so closely has allowed me to shift and change and grow my text, with new ideas, concepts and elements that might not have occurred had we put this book together ‘blind’.

Working collaboratively absolutely makes for a more seamless book creation, where that delicate author/illustrator dance comes together in a truly cohesive way. Here are my top tips for a rewarding collaboration:

1. Try not to be precious when you begin collaborating. Accept that the other party may have something really special to offer—some humour, a quirky addition, a plot twist, a new perspective. It’s not about who’s right or wrong—it’s about creating a new entity that takes seed in both image and text, but grows into its own creation. Allow the process to be organic. I have regularly changed text to suit Tina’s illustration ideas, and vice versa.
2. If you are the author, let go of being the ‘primary’ creator. The books I write become as much Tina’s as they are mine. The nuance and meaning her illustrations add to the text are priceless.
3. Set up a google doc spreadsheet and keep track of how the book unfolds. Tina and I put illustration notes in the columns and discuss the process as we go along. Listing the pages down the left hand side (including cover, inside cover, endpapers, half title, title, imprint, etc) really helps keep tabs on how the book is flowing, and if text needs to be moved to another page or if page imagery needs to be broken up in some way. You can also keep several versions of the spreadsheet so you can look back and see how things changed over time. Fascinating!
4. I can’t imagine things turning sour (and you rarely hear of this happening), but if they do, it’s probably due to a battle of wills. For the sake of the book, agree to put the disagreements behind you, be prepared to compromise and if things are really bad, call on your editor or publisher to make the final choices/decisions.
5. Keep communications open and strong and clear. This will minimise any drama, confusion, misinterpretation of text (rare) and—most importantly—the reworking of images, which can be immensely frustrating and time-consuming. Remember some illustrators like to storyboard, some like to create full mock ups, some create in full draft or go straight to final (exponentially easier if the illustrations are digital, like Tina’s, or the images can be manipulated digitally). If you spend time discussing imagery before it’s created, you minimise these issues. Of course, once the discussion occurs, you also need to let go of expectation and remember the illustrator may well throw out your illustration notes and—gasp!—create something better than you ever dreamed.

(Sep 2014, EK Books, $24.99, hard cover, 9781921966491)

Thanks for the tips, Tania. We look forward to seeing more wonderful books from you and Tina:)

Dee

Today I’m so excited to be part of a very special event – a blog blast to celebrate the release of Tottie and Dot, Tania McCartney’s new picture book collaboration with Tina Snerling.

My review of this gorgeous book is below, but you can also hear great interviews, and do other fun things at the other fabulous blogs involved in the Tottie and Dot blog blast.  Just click on the BLOG BLAST picture above and it will take you to the blog schedule.

TOTTIE AND DOT REVIEW

Turning the pages of Tania McCartney and Tina Snerling’s new picture book, Tottie and Dot is like browsing through a candy store. It’s so vibrant and full of appealing surprises.

Tottie and Dot are two adorable little girls who live side by side in quaint little houses.

They share the same taste in many things, marshmallow tea, apricot sandwiches, and my favourite, speckled eggs. But one day, things start to change.

A competition springs up between them over who can create the prettiest house. They become more and more outrageous in their attempts to come up with grander and grander plans for their homes.

I love the way this book is symbolic of modern day consumerism – where people accumulate things not out of need but out of a desire to impress.

Tottie and Dot and their deteriorating friendship over things that don’t really matter will invite important discussions with readers at home and in the classroom.

Friendship, consumerism and the environment are all contemporary issues for children to grapple with, and they are woven into Tottie and Dot’s story in a colourful, non-confronting way.

Tania McCartney’s lyrical language makes this book a pleasure to read out loud.

Each girl’s house is shown over a series of exquisitely illustrated double-page spreads — Tottie on the left and Dot on the right. Tina Snerling’s enchanting illustrations are full of expression and telling detail.

Tottie and Dot is a delightful read that raises important themes to be discussed with teachers and parents. But it’s an appealing story in its own right.

It’s another beautiful creation from the team who brought us An Aussie Year.

Tottie and Dot is for readers aged 4-7. It is published by EK Publishing.

(Sep 2014, EK Books, $24.99, hard cover, 9781921966491)

The collaboration between writer and illustrator on this book is clearly a labour of love. Their close connection comes through in all the nuances, the perfect marriage between text and illustrations.

Tania McCartney is coming back to my blog this Tuesday to talk about the collaboration process and she has some great tips – so stay tuned.

I hope you enjoy Tottie and Dot as much as I did.

Today I’m so excited to be part of a very special event – a blog blast to celebrate the release of Tottie and Dot, Tania McCartney’s new picture book collaboration with Tina Snerling.

My review of this gorgeous book is below, but you can also hear great interviews, and do other fun things at the other fabulous blogs involved in the Tottie and Dot blog blast.  Just click on the BLOG BLAST picture above and it will take you to the blog schedule.

TOTTIE AND DOT REVIEW

Turning the pages of Tania McCartney and Tina Snerling’s new picture book, Tottie and Dot is like browsing through a candy store. It’s so vibrant and full of appealing surprises.

Tottie and Dot are two adorable little girls who live side by side in quaint little houses.

They share the same taste in many things, marshmallow tea, apricot sandwiches, and my favourite, speckled eggs. But one day, things start to change.

A competition springs up between them over who can create the prettiest house. They become more and more outrageous in their attempts to come up with grander and grander plans for their homes.

I love the way this book is symbolic of modern day consumerism – where people accumulate things not out of need but out of a desire to impress.

Tottie and Dot and their deteriorating friendship over things that don’t really matter will invite important discussions with readers at home and in the classroom.

Friendship, consumerism and the environment are all contemporary issues for children to grapple with, and they are woven into Tottie and Dot’s story in a colourful, non-confronting way.

Tania McCartney’s lyrical language makes this book a pleasure to read out loud.

Each girl’s house is shown over a series of exquisitely illustrated double-page spreads — Tottie on the left and Dot on the right. Tina Snerling’s enchanting illustrations are full of expression and telling detail.

Tottie and Dot is a delightful read that raises important themes to be discussed with teachers and parents. But it’s an appealing story in its own right.

It’s another beautiful creation from the team who brought us An Aussie Year.

Tottie and Dot is for readers aged 4-7. It is published by EK Publishing.

(Sep 2014, EK Books, $24.99, hard cover, 9781921966491)

The collaboration between writer and illustrator on this book is clearly a labour of love. Their close connection comes through in all the nuances, the perfect marriage between text and illustrations.

Tania McCartney is coming back to my blog this Tuesday to talk about the collaboration process and she has some great tips – so stay tuned.

I hope you enjoy Tottie and Dot as much as I did.

Today, I’m pleased to welcome hilarious Dave Hackett to DeeSribe Writing. Dave has generously agreed to share his comedy writing tips with us, and I’m reviewing his very funny new book for teens, The Summer of Kicks.

Dave Hackett (Cartoon Dave) is currently seen each week on Channel Eleven’s Toasted TV and Channel Seven’s It’s Academic, He has written a number of cartoon and funny books for kids, and is known for his lively humour, and he brings this to his writing in The Summer of Kicks, and to his main character, Starrphyre.

DAVE’S INSPIRATION FOR WRITING ‘THE SUMMER OF KICKS’

For a long time I’ve had a real yearning to write a comedy/romance from a teenage guy’s perspective.

Growing up, I was the only guy in a house full of girls, and I wanted to tell a story from that perspective. Like a three-year-old with an IKEA flat-pack bunk-bed and desk combo to assemble, I wanted to write a character who knows what his end game is, but has no idea how to get there. He’s surrounded by girls at home, overloaded with inside information on the female species, but getting close to anything that would resemble a potential girlfriend in the real world is going to require more than a step-by-step instruction booklet and a handful of allen keys.

DAVE’S COMEDY WRITING TIPS

1. Be Funny. Comedy really sucks if it’s serious.

2. I’ve heard it said that to write comedy, it’s a great idea to work with someone else. Find a partner – someone to bounce ideas off. Someone whose gasping-desperately-for-air-stomach-cramping-peeing-their-brand-new-jogging-pants response to your last line is evidence enough that you’re onto something witty. If nobody likes you enough to work that closely with you, at the very least, read your funny bits to anyone you can find, and gauge their response. (two year olds and cats don’t count).

3. This is a gold mine of opportunity, because (and this might surprise you) – your characters can say anything you want them to say. If you’re writing about teenagers, go and listen to actual human teenagers talking to each other (some might put a label on this activity, like ‘eavesdropping’ or ‘invasion of privacy’, but let’s just call it research). Go out into the world, sit near a bunch of them in the food court and listen to them talk. It’s hilarious.

4. Take a character or two, find a situation and ask: What’s the dumbest, most embarrassing thing that could possibly happen here? Make a list and then choose the thing that you’d least like to happen to you. And go there. And stay there. And then make it worse for them. Unbearably worse. (See, this is fun!) In your story-writing world, you are God. You’re the all-seeing, all-knowing, designer of all things (but let’s just clarify that this is just in your story-writing world. You’re not actual God. Don’t get ahead of yourself). The bottom line is, what you say goes.

5. Remember, humour doesn’t work if it’s forced or too contrived. If you’re having trouble with funny, if it’s not coming naturally to you, maybe you should be writing sanitation manuals, or a series on the joys of accounting. But if it is comedy that you really want to tackle, don’t be afraid to look close to home for your ideas. Think of all the moments in your life that were cringe-worthy at the time, that you can look back on and laugh about now, and start there.

Comedy is challenging to write, but life is comedy that writes itself.

MY REVIEW – THE SUMMER OF KICKS

Starrphyre is your average sensitive-meets-dorky 16-year-old, with a tragic hippy name thanks to his parents – live to air radio therapist mum, and a bass player dad from a one hit wonder 80s metal band.

All Starrphyre wants is one date with his dream girl, Candace McAllister. Or at least, a meaningful conversation. It seems like he might get his wish when he gets the starring role opposite her in the school musical, but things don’t quite go according to plan. Added to this are Starrphyre’s ongoing battles with his sister’s meat headed boyfriend who has become his room mate, a friendly stalker, an internet scandal and a pair of shoes that get him into a whole lot of trouble.

Starrphyre makes mistakes, but you can’t help liking him. He has a good heart and a great sense of humour, but he also has many cringe worthy moments in the story, which is one of the things that make this book so authentically teen.

In Starrphyre’s character, Dave Hacket captures all the awkwardness and vulnerability of being sixteen and embarking on first relationships.

Starrphyre’s loyalties are often torn between family and friends, between friends and friends, but you get the feeling he will make the right decisions in the end.

I also loved the secondary characters in the story from his oddball but wise mother, the sex therapist to his school mates and the people he works with in his first job.

The lives of the characters in this story are entwined in a complex mesh that brings plenty of twists and surprises to the story.

There’s plenty of action and humour to carry the reader along with Starrphyre on his journey and I also like the way female point of view characters are sensitively portrayed through the main character’s eyes.

I can see this book appealing universally to teens of both genders.

Thanks so much for visiting my blog, Dave and sharing your great tips. I hope that The Summer of Kicks finds its way onto many bookshelves:)

Dee