Writer Interview

My first interview as a writer can be found at Indie_Women_Writers on Instagram.

It was fun to talk to Diana Lyndhurst about my writing process and my latest fiction project.

The writing community has been a nurturing place for me and it’s great to be able to share little milestones along the way and to also be able to form new friendships with women writers.

When we talk about out writing we also get a chance to pause and reflect on past achievements which often get swept under the rug when we focus on new work.

 

 

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Hey ladies! Today I'd like to introduce you to Maggie @m_and_k_bookshelf She's a children's author who is currently working on a retelling of classic fairy tales. As always, it would be great if you could head on over to her account and say hi! #womenwriterswednesday, #womenwriters, #writerssociety, #womensupportingwomen, #writers, #writing, #amwritingfiction, #writinganovel, #authorsofinstagram,

A post shared by Indie Women Writers (@indie_women_writers) on Jun 9, 2020 at 3:18pm PDT

An extract from ‘Once Upon a Blood Moon’

‘Once Upon a Blood Moon’ is a Middle Grade novel which blends and re-imagines four timeless fairy tales in one story for a modern and diverse audience. 

The manuscript has four narrators: Hansel, Gretel, Little Red Riding Hood (Roux) and Jack (Jack and The Bean Stalk). My aim was to make these well-known and loved characters more than one-dimensional figures and to give them a voice that young readers can empathize with. I also combined their individual adventures into one collaborative adventure.

As a Blood Moon descends on the village of our protagonists, it brings witches who are hungry for children. Hansel and Gretel mourn their mother and begrudgingly welcome a new and mysterious stepmother who has wicked plans for them. Roux must rescue her ill grandmother and former witch-huntress. Jack is on a mission to prove that he is more than a poor boy with low vision. The four characters are instrumental in defeating the coven of witches and freeing their village from the witches’ curse.

Some of the themes that the story tackles include: grief, friendship, bravery and overcoming adversity. It is aimed at young boys and girls aged 10-13 and it was inspired by similarly re-imagined novels like Neil Gaiman’s ‘The Sleeper and the Spindle’ and ‘Red and Blue’ by Jolie Dubriel.

 

Chapter II Hansel

The bells tolled from the tower in the village square. The clanging of brass woke me and I knew it only signified alarm. Those bells never rang for happy news.

“Time to go,” Father said and tried to banish the worry which was printed on his face. I knew it was about the witches, why else would the whole village need to assemble?

“You look shabby,” Gretel scoffed and tried to fix my shirt collar.  Her boots were polished and her dress was blanched and clean. My breeches were covered in grass stains.

“Don’t make a fuss, I am fine.” I pulled away and buried my hands in my pockets. I hated it when she fussed over me and tried to make me look presentable.

“We will be surrounded by the whole village, it’s wise to look our best.”

“Is our appearance that important at a time like this?”

“You are right, it’s silly. It’s what Mother would have wanted though,” Gretel sighed and ran her fingers through her hair to loosen any knots. Father boarded the shutters and made sure the cottage was tightly locked.

“Come children, time to go,” Father led us out, his face lined with worry. He looked thinner than ever, his back was hunched and his cheeks were unshaved. If Mother was with us, she would have known the right things to say. But it’s best not to think of the past, Father doesn’t like to see us in tears and as the elder twin I should lead by example and not cry.

Crows squawked in the trees around us. Their cries were ugly and unnerving. Shed autumn leaves rustled under our feet as we followed the familiar cobbled path that led us to the village square. At times like this it would have been better if our home was in the village not on the forest’s outskirts.

Doors slammed from surrounding homes and everyone emerged with the same solemn and scared face. People looked up at the sky looking for a hint of the Blood Moon and the trouble it would bring. Mothers wrapped their arms around their children and walked to the assembled crowd with urgency, as if the congregation could promise safety.

“See children, the whole village has come together to receive counsel and learn how to stay safe during the night time,” Father ruffled our hair as if trying to fill us with hope.

As we edged our way to the assembly, the mayor was ready to begin his address. He stood on a raised platform but he wasn’t alone. The village bailiff and priest were by his side. Dungeon keys rattled around the bailiff’s belt as he stomped around the platform with his heavy boots. I imagined the dreary and forbidding confines of the village dungeons. Who was unfortunate enough to dwell there?

“We shall commence,” the mayor cleared his throat. “We all know why we are gathered here. We must brace ourselves for the Blood Moon and what is brings with it. Our calculations advise us that this Blood Moon will last a fortnight,” he said and gasps spread through the crowd.

“Yes, it is twice as long as the last one, we must be vigilant and protect the children, they are our most vulnerable…” the bailiff shouted.

“It’s the sweetness of their blood that lures them here, it has been the way for centuries,” Father Bastian interrupted. He wiped spittle from his mouth and furrowed his brow.

“He is the oldest man in the village, how many Blood Moons has he seen?” Gretel asked me. I looked at Father Bastian, our source of wisdom, his skin was leathery and his hands quivered.

“A longer Blood Moon doubles the danger. Many covens will come in these parts and conduct their sorcery with the Head Witch. They will fly across the sky on their broomsticks and cackle during the darkest hours. Seven years ago, the village lost fifteen children, we cannot let this happen again,” the mayor explained.

“We all know the danger, but what can we do? How can we stay safe?” a worried voice rose from the crowd, echoing all our fears. The bailiff stepped forward and offered his advice, rumour had it he had captured live witches in the past.

“Their wicked powers are at their height during the night time. During the day they are weaker and often they are forced to wear a disguise and resemble any one of us. Be wary of strangers and stay indoors during the night. Hang hagstones around your home and stable to repel them. Keep your doors and windows tightly sealed and don’t let any light escape from your home, it will only draw them in.” The bailiff spoke in a strident way and I wanted to believe that if we did the right things, we could be safe. But I didn’t want to be stuck indoors for an entire fortnight,

“If they are in disguise, they’ll wear charms which help them change their appearance,” Father Bastian interrupted again but no one seemed to be paying attention to him.

“But to ease your minds, we’ve put together a hefty sum from your taxes and hired a witch-hunter,” the bailiff smiled and pointed to a man in the front of the crowd. I could not see him, but the crowd erupted in cheers as he climbed the platform. Even Father clapped his hands with excitement as the man climbed the platform and waved like he was everyone’s saviour. I elbowed my way through the crowd so I could get a better look at the witch-hunter.

“I want to come too,” Gretel said and I pulled her along.

The witch-hunter had wolf’s skin draped across his chest. He removed his broad-breamed hat and bowed in front of the crowd like a circus performer.

“Damen und Herren, my name is Septimus the most-renowned Witch Hunter. I have travelled a long way to be here and help you in your hour of need. Nothing about the coven scares me. They will be exterminated like rats; I have done this many times before in Ingolstadt and Hannover and Bonn!” he said and a roar of cheer erupted. “I have slain witches in Bremen and Stuttgart and Dortmund!”

“Look at his face, it’s covered in scars and some of them still look fresh,” Gretel said. He smiled and had the crowd under his spell. Even Gretel’s eyes widened and her cheeks flushed.

“Even you are enchanted by him,” I elbowed her and she tried to suppress a smile. Was I the only one who worried that he might be a charlatan and fraud? How could one man go against a whole coven or bloodthirsty witches?

The witch-hunter presented his crossbow, it was oversized and made of many metal fragments. It wasn’t like the crossbows the villagers used to hunt deer or boar. It looked heavy in his hand but the crowd murmured their approval.

“This contraption is made solely for killing witches. The arrows are quick as the wind and shoot out one after the other. They will be ambushed and vanquished,” the witch-hunter said and more applause thundered. People started to smile, ease returning to their minds and hearts. Perhaps it would be different this year, perhaps children would not be taken from our village.

A cold wind whistled through the crowd and the crowd dispersed. People returned to their homes, ready to hang their hagstones against the witches. I surveyed the village homes, huddled together, battered by age. They looked like warm and safe dwellings, with lots of noise and shared walls. It was lonesome to live outside of the village. Were we more vulnerable than the rest of the village?

“He seemed like a mighty fellow, didn’t he?” Father said as he led us home.

“I’ve never seen a crossbow like that,” I said.

“We will be safe, do not worry,” Father said, but Gretel and I looked at each other, questioning our Father’s optimism.

A Year of Picture Books

Since becoming a mother to Oliver last September, my house has been filled with beautiful picture books. We’ve bought them, borrowed them from the library or received them as gifts. Oliver has been surrounded by books since he was a newborn and I try to read to him most days, although he loves  chewing book corners more than listening. Being a writer and teacher, it made sense that I signed him up for the 2019 Victorian Premier’s Reading Challenge. With a little help, Oliver read forty books from March to September. A year of reading picture books has given me a new appreciation for the art of writing and illustrating a picture book. Oliver got to read a mixture of classics and new releases, as well as books by international and local authors.

Having read forty books with Oliver, I wanted to share some of our favourites and encourage you to buy them, borrow them or give them to young readers for birthdays, Christmas or any other occasion.

Oliver recommends:

All the Ways to be Smart by Davina Bell (Scribble)

Goodnight World by Nicola Edwards (Little Tiger Press Group)

Alpha Pups by Sophie Beer (Hardie Grant Egmont)

Horatio Squeak by Karen Foxlee (Walker Books)

You Can Never Run Out of Love by Helen Docherty (Simon and Schuster)

Bitsy by Nicki Greenberg (Affirm Press)

The Midnight Gang by Margaret Wild (Scholastic)

Jungle Jamboree by Jo Empson (Penguin Books)

Loved to Bits by Teresa Heapy (David Fickling Books)

Kindness Makes Us Strong by Sophie Beer (Penguin Random House)

Oliver by Judith Rossell (HarperCollins Publishers)

Lunch at 10 Pomegranate Street by Felicita Sala (Scribble)

 

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Maurice Saxby Creative Development Program 2018

Prior to applying for the Maurice Saxby Creative Development Program, I had been working on my Middle Grade novel, The Rat-catcher’s Apprentice for a few years. Over that time, it had undergone many edits and changes, the loss and addition of characters and many different versions of the ending. It is a story I deeply love and believe in, and after some rejection from agents and one publisher, I decided it was time to look for opportunities which would help me understand the writing and publishing industry in Australia and sharpen my skills as a writer.

Being one of the five chosen recipients for the 2018 Maurice Saxby Creative Development Program has been incredibly insightful and beneficial. It has been an enriching and unique experience for me as an emerging writer and I feel it has given me a greater direction.  I never thought that I would have the chance to visit publishing giants like Allen & Unwin and Penguin and tell them about my work or meet the legendary John Marsden. The cherry on top was having Judith Rossell, author of the Stella Montgomery Intrigue series as a mentor.

Due to my pregnancy I was unable to attend all workshops and events, but the organisers were accommodating and understanding and happy to provide me with all the information I missed out on. The fortnight was a productive and one-of-a kind experience exploring all the facets of writing, publishing and bookselling. By the end the writers and organisers felt like a little family and I developed a new confidence and enthusiasm for my manuscript.

I want to thank the CBCA, Judith Rossell, Pam Horsey, Helen Chamberlin and Suzanne Thwaites for being our staunch supporters and for all their help along the way.

 August 20^th

Meeting the fellow recipients and organisers of the MSCDP was initially a daunting experience. However, the warmth of Pam, Helen and Suzanne quickly made all the writers feel at ease and hearing about their selection process made me feel validated as a writer. Not only did these women with decades of experience in the Australian publishing and editing read my manuscript – but they liked it!

I was impressed by the diversity of the chosen recipients. Whether it was writing picture books, graphic, M.G or Y.A novels, we all shared a passion for stories which would resonate with young readers and we shared the hope of seeing them on bookshelves in our favourite bookshops. As well as writing in different genres, we were all at different stages in our writing careers, some agented, some published and self-published, or looking for an agent or publisher.

August 21^st

We visited Readings Kids and chatted to Angela about the relationship between writers and booksellers as well as publishers and booksellers. We learnt that it’s crucial for publishers to send information about new releases which will engage booksellers and make them want to buy the titles. Also, a writer’s job does not end when their book is published. Arranging bookstore visits and events for young readers can boost sales and introduce writers to new and keen readers and staff who are likely to promote them.

Readings promote local writers and initiatives like The Readings Children’s Book Prize recognises the best new Australian books written for children.

Furthermore, Angela reminded us of the importance of unique storytelling and the need to avoid following literary fads whether it is regarding a genre or book cover design.

 

 August 23^rd

Our team got to visit the gorgeous Melbourne Allen and Unwin office and got to meet publisher Erica Wagner and senior editor Susannah Chambers who got to hear about our manuscripts, which was a dream come true.

We learnt more about the roles of editors who are advocates for authors. Allen and Unwin publish 85 books annually and a quarter of them are picture books. Allen and Unwin focus on representing and building up local writers and represent a small number of overseas writers.

Similar to Readings Kids, Erica and Susannah stressed the importance of quality visuals and designs when publishing a book for young readers. Allen and Unwin taught us the importance of school visits, library visits and the need to be proactive and build an audience as an emerging author.

We learnt of the popularity of memoirs and non-fiction books and got a sneak peak at the newly released YA novel Catching Teller Crow by Ambelin and Ezekiel Kwaymullina who are a brother-sister team of Aboriginal writers who come from the Palyku people of the Pilbara region of Western Australia.

Erica and Susannah reminded us of the importance of perseverance when it comes to writing and the long road towards publishing.  Before leaving we got to browse the dozens of beautiful children’s book titles on the Allen and Unwin bookshelves, which made it hard to leave the office.

 

August 24^th

Visiting the gorgeous Penguin offices was a surreal experience. We got to chat with editor Amy Thomas and publisher Lisa Riley about the 100 children’s books they publish annually.

They stressed the importance of writing diverse characters with convincing authentic voices, and cultural sensitivity.  Furthermore, they reminded us that humour in children’s books is always popular and universal.

We got a sneak preview of some of Penguin’s upcoming titles, like The Adventures of Catvinkle by Elliot Perlman.

Once again us five writers got to share a little about our own manuscripts with the Penguin team and learned the best approaches for future submissions.

 August 27^th

At the start of our second week, we visited the Brunswick offices of Scribble publishing, an imprint of Scribe Publication. They are a design-driven publishers of picture books, who represent local and international authors and illustrators. Scribble like to experiment with new formats, like board books with flaps and some Australian picture books have been translated in Korean, Italian, French and Spanish.

Editor and YA author Kate O’Donnell explained that Scribble searches for picture books which present an authentic children’s view and a philosophical view of the world from a child’s view. We were lucky enough to see proofs of some of Scribble’s titles and learn more about the printing and book making process.

We got to flip through some of their titles like, Rhyme Cordial and All the Ways to be Smart.

August 28^th

We had a coffee date with Alexanda Yatomi-Clarke, Managing Director of Berbay Publishing.  In 2017, Berbay Publishing won BOP for Best Children’s Publisher of the Year (Oceania) at the Bologna International Book Fair.

Alexandra explained that she was looking to produce books she would have liked her children to read, “clever books for clever kids”. She stated that parents have a responsibility to guide young readers and that producing a good book full of integrity is more important than sales and profit.

Berbay Books will be publishing 12 books in 2019 and Alexandra stated that there is strength in non-fiction books which are educational and make history engaging and fun, like M is for Mutiny.

One of Alexandra’s aims was to stick with her authors and work towards establishing them. Alexandra also informed us that Berbay Publishing will be expanding and consider publishing junior and YA novels in the future.

August 30^th

On our second last day we attended the Melbourne Writer’s Festival School’s Program. We got to hear literary greats Alice Pung and John Marsden talk about writing as a creative outlet and the influence Marsden’s work has had on Pung. Pung and Marsden both discussed the need to create realistic and complex characters, instead of one-dimensional “goodies and baddies”.

John Marsden explained the need to find a character’s voice before writing a novel and if he could give his younger self one piece of advice, he’d edit whatever is unnecessary.

We got to meet John Marsden after the panel and he taught us that literature should not be preachy and it should be trying to get closer to the truth, especially when portraying the turbulence of adolescence.

John was incredibly modest, approachable and eager to answer our writing-related questions.

That same afternoon we listened to Jessica Townsend, author of the hugely popular novel, Nevermoor. She was interviewed by Luca, one of the judges of the 2018 Inky Awards. Jessica revealed her long road to finishing Nevermoor and her plan to turn Nevermoor into a 9-part series, which pleased the many young readers in the audience.

That night the five writers got to meet past recipients and mentors of the Maurice Saxby Creative Development Program at Suzanne Thwaites’ home. It was encouraging and inspiring to see how the program has benefited other writers, some of whom were in the process of being published. The night felt like a catch up with an extended family.

 

August 31^st

For our last day, Helen organised a visit to the offices of literary agent Claire Forster of Curtis Brown. Visiting an agent seemed like a great way to wrap up our journey of meeting authors, booksellers, editors and publishers.

Claire talked us through the recent publications of her clients. She explained that the role of an agent is to be a neutral but helpful presence, capable of stirring competition among publishers when it comes to selling a book.

Like the publishers we met, Claire stressed the importance of a powerful hook and pitch when submitting. Furthermore, as an agent, she recommended that emerging writers looking for representation should be committed to professional development, know the market trends and demonstrate writing experience.

 Mentorship

After our visits wrapped up, I got to have a meeting with author Judith Rossell who read my novel and provided a fresh perspective and helpful feedback. Judith praised my plot and story arc and my stronger characters. She also complimented my world building and description.

At the same time, she provided me with feedback on how to make my protagonist more well-rounded and how to tie in some loose ends. Judith’s eagle-eyed observation has helped me feel new enthusiasm and have fresh ideas for my plot and characters.

Since our meeting, I have been rewriting my first few chapters and feel like I am making the appropriate changes to make my novel fit for submissions.

Paul Jennings on Writing and Life

Australia’s beloved children’s author, Paul Jennings in a beautiful and candid interview about his struggles and inspiration. He has shaped so many childhoods. A must watch interview with a humble and talented Australian gem.

 

Source – Viceland