Meet the Author: Katrina McKelvey

My special guest this week is Katrina McKelvey, a children’s author, former primary school teacher, wife, and mother to two tweenagers and a cocker spaniel. She’s written many children’s picture books and educational readers including No Baths Week, Up To Something, Isla’s Family Tree (April, 2020), and Chasing Rainbows (August, 2020). She’s highly involved in CBCA, SCBWI, literary conferences and festivals, and loves visiting schools. She’s left-handed, loves tea and rollercoasters, and is addicted to mint chocolate. While in lockdown in Disney World a few years ago, she survived Hurricane Gene (category 5) by eating awful brownies. You can visit her at www.katrinamckelvey.com

Thank you for joining me, Katrina, and congratulations on the release of your picture book, Isla’s Family Tree, which is a beautiful introduction to the concept of family trees and how they grow for young readers. Let’s find out a little about you and your writing…

What’s the best aspect of your creative life? Flexible use of my time. And I get to make stuff up! I love being creative whether it’s with words, technology, or helping finalise a picture book file just before it goes to print.

—the worst? Waiting to hear back from publishers about submissions. And then getting a ‘no’ when you had a gut feeling it would be a ‘yes’.

Where do you draw the inspiration for your picture books? Everywhere, including observing and listening to my children, and taking in the small things in life. Ideas are all around. We just need to stop and open our eyes, ears, hearts, and minds.

How has your own childhood influenced you as a children’s books author? I was a reluctant reader as a child. I still am. And books weren’t all around me when I was a child, and reading wasn’t modeled by my parents. So, I made sure my children have shelves full of them. We visit libraries and literary events regularly, and I was heavily involved in helping them learn how to read and write. Still am actually. I also try to take them to events where they can meet their literary idols. I remember taking my son to meet Andy Griffiths at the Sydney Writers Festival when he was younger. Great memories!

How do you approach a new picture book project? Walk us through your creative process. Once you have an idea, what’s the next step?

• Idea comes first – and it usually comes when I’m busy so I type it in the Notes app on my phone.
• Then I let the idea rumble in my head for days, sometimes weeks – letting it go to crazy places.
• Next, I write a story plan and try and work out the complication, and what my character’s goal is and what is motivating them.
• Then I might open a new, secret Pinterest board and start pulling together images and illustrations of what my character looks like.
• Some research (facts and market research) may come in next – depends on the story.
• Then I write a first draft.
• Then a second.
• Then a third.
• When I’m happy (and I’m usually very excited by this stage) I’ll start putting my manuscript through my writing groups. I’m now a member of three groups (Hunter Writers Centre, Writing NSW, SCBWI online). In between I’ll do a rewrite before submitting to the next one.
• When I feel I can’t do anymore with it, I get it professionally edited.
• After this, of course there’s another rewrite.
• During the rewrites, I usually make a dummy book (for no one else but myself) and I check on page turns. My daughter usually sits in front of me on the floor and gives me feedback.
• Once I feel I can’t do any more, I’ll start submitting it to publishers.

What are you working on at the moment? A new picture book about a girl, a dog, a book, and a treehouse. And I’m planning a JF series – very early chapter books.

How much time do you spend on creating each picture book? It varies but sometimes years! Usually nothing less than two years.

What do you hope readers will take away from your stories? I hope everyone takes away something different. I also hope they connect in some way – either by relating to the character, or relating to the journey. And if my books fuel conversation either in the family, or in the classroom, that’s a bonus. And I adore seeing craft and other activities being completed as a result of my stories.

Is there any area of writing that you still find challenging? Yes. Word count – I always write too many words and don’t always use simple sentences. I’m getting better at controlling passive voice too. And aren’t we all working on improving the technique, ‘show, don’t tell’.

What was your toughest obstacle to becoming published? Believing in myself. I learnt quickly no one will until you do. And then I understood writing is emotional but publishing is a business.

What would you be doing if you weren’t writing children’s books? I’d probably be back in the classroom teaching upper primary school children, specialising in gifted education.

What would you do differently if you were starting out now as an author? I’d spend more time on the craft of writing before submitting. I’d also get all my manuscripts professionally edited before sending them to a publisher.

What do you wish you’d been told before you set out to become a picture book creator?

• Writing picture books for children is a specialised craft.
• The industry has many ups and downs so be ready to navigate the array of emotions along the way.
• Look at rejections as a good thing. They let you know you’re not there yet but keep to going.

What’s the best advice you were ever given?

• Be grateful.
• And you need the 6 P’s:

Patience

Practice

Perseverance

Persistence

Passion

Positivity

What’s your top tip for aspiring authors? I have five:

• Make connections inside the industry. Start with local libraries and bookshop owners. Then find your local authors and illustrators. Join organisations such as SCBWI and CBCA. Subscribe to industry newsletters such as PIO and Buzz Words. Subscribe to publisher newsletters. Join a writing group and get your work critiqued by peers.
• Educate yourself. Do courses and workshops via your state’s writing centre, the AWC or ASA.
• Attend literary festivals. Volunteer and help out as well as attend sessions. If available, have a manuscript assessment.
• Become a member of online groups such as Creative Kids Tales, The Duck Pond, and Just Write For Kids.
• Follow Australian publishers and inspirational authors and illustrators on social media.

Now for a little light relief – If you were going to be stuck in a stalled lift for several hours who would you choose to share the experience with you and why? Oliver Jeffers – he is so clever, a family man, and has an amazing, caring mind. Stephen Michael King – I want to talk to him about his writing style. Andy Griffiths – he’s always so busy and has thousands of people lining up to see him so no one ever gets to just chat to him. Commissioning editor of my favourite publishing house (I’ll keep that anonymous) – I want to get into their head and find out what makes them sit up when considering publishing manuscripts.

Isla’s Family Tree

Written by Katrina McKelvey, Illustrated by Prue Pittock

Isla’s family is changing and she’s not happy!

It’s time for Isla to explore her family tree so that she can see how all families change and grow over time.

The perfect book for anyone looking to find a way to introduce new family members or show children how they belong in their own family.

Buy the book here.

 

 

 

Meet the Author: Julie Murphy

Julie’s top tip for aspiring authors: The big three: reading, writing and persistence.

Julie Murphy is an Australian-based author who strives to promote the value of animals and the environment to children. She has written almost 20 children’s books for Trade and Education markets. She also writes articles, short stories and poetry. Find out more on her web site www.juliemurphybooks  and catch up on Twitter https://twitter.com/juliekidsbooks?lang=en

AUTHOR INSIGHT

Why do you write? Because writing is fun! Getting that spark of an idea, researching it to find out if it’s interesting enough to sustain a whole book, brainstorming to find a “hook” that will direct me to the best style to use and, finally, writing it (with many revisions along the way)…what’s not to love?

What would you be doing if you weren’t a writer? I am already doing something else as well as being a writer. I spend part of my time as a Program Leader who runs education programs with kinder and school groups at an urban farm. That’s a fun job, and I think it’s important too as many kids wouldn’t otherwise get the chance to spend time with farm animals or a farm.

What was your toughest obstacle to becoming published? It is hard to choose because there are some very tough obstacles! One that immediately springs to mind is being picked from the slush pile because it’s a snail-paced process and there’s a degree of luck in being discovered by the right person at the right time. Another major obstacle is myself. When that inner critic gets a bit too noisy, I have to tell it to pipe down.

How involved have you been in the development of your books? It varies. My earliest books were work-for-hire, which essentially means I wrote on specific topics and to specific guidelines provided by the publisher (or packager). That work offered no extra involvement. Now, when I write nonfiction picture books that stem from my own ideas and research, I often get to provide feedback to the illustrator with respect to scientific accuracy, and the publisher often asks my preference as to the cover design (from three possibilities, for example).

What’s the best aspect of your writing life? The lifestyle is great: thinking up ideas while walking the dog, brainstorming while staring out the window, and I love that it keeps me open to possibilities with a child-like enthusiasm (much of the time).

The worst? So much is good, but the worst may be that it is generally undervalued as a profession by the wider community. Unless you are a “big name” and make a lot of money from it – which very few authors do – I feel that many people treat my work as a hobby.

What would you do differently if you were starting out now as a writer? That is a tricky question! Hmmm. If I could control it, I would change my attitude a little. I’d tell myself to be more patient, and more confident in my abilities.

What do you wish you’d been told before you set out to become an author? That authors don’t just write. They also need to know about promotion, accounting, research, law, networking and more.

What’s the best writing advice you were ever given? You are in it for the long haul.

How important is social media to you as an author? Quite important now. I don’t think it sells many books, but it lets you know about some submission opportunities, and brings you in contact with a wonderful community of fantastic, creative people who know all about the pros, cons and solitary nature of the writer’s life.

Do you experience ‘writer’s block’ and if so, how do you overcome it? Sort of. I have no shortage of ideas for future books: I have a spreadsheet full of them! But I do get stuck on works-in-progress from time to time. I most commonly get stuck on finding that “hook” that makes a book attractive to readers by being distinctively different from other books on that topic. What do I do about it? I try out different styles: text types, points of view, humorous or poetic. If I’m still stuck after that, I make the painful decision to put that work aside for a while and work on something else. I always have simultaneous works in progress, even though I tend to focus on one at a time. Sometimes when I go back to it, it still doesn’t work; sometimes the break gives me time to discover a way to make it work. An author in my genre who I particularly respect, Melissa Stewart, recently shared that it took her ten years to find the right hook for one of her manuscripts!

How do you deal with rejection? These days it doesn’t usually bother me very much. I have learnt that it’s not always about the manuscript: often it’s just not right for that publisher at that time. If I think the rejected manuscript needs revision, I’ll do that before sending it out again. If I think revision is not needed, I’ll send it off to other targeted publishers. I like to know I have “irons in the fire”. I also keep working on other work.

In three words, how would you describe your writing? Fun and informative.

What do you hope readers will take away from your stories? A love of reading and the natural world. I enjoy incorporating word play into my books, and always make sure they work as read-alouds. With degrees in zoology, and having worked as a zookeeper for ten years, my interests in animals and nature shine through in my writing. If my books help readers to increase their love and respect for nature, I’ll be very happy.

What do you read for enjoyment? Favourite books/authors? I read picture books, children’s fiction, YA and occasionally books for adults. I particularly like well-written fantasy stories. My favourite books include The Scorpio Races (Maggie Stiefvater), Blood Song (Anthony Ryan), Down by the Cool of the Pool (Tony Mitton & Guy Parker-Rees), and the writing of Margaret Wild, Jackie French, Glenda Millard, Dickens and JRR Tolkien.

If you had the chance to spend an hour with any writer of your choice, living or dead, who would it be and what would you most like them to tell you about living a writing life? I would like JK Rowling (Harry Potter books) to talk about how she managed to develop such a rich story over so many years. I am especially awestruck each time I discover little clues planted two or three books before they become relevant.

I’VE GOT A TAIL! Terrific Tails of the Animal World (Ill. Hannah Tolson, Amicus Ink, Feb 2020)

Starring a viper whose tail looks like a spider, animals from around the world describe how their tails help them survive. Covering adaptations to desert, ocean, forest, and arctic habitats, this narrative nonfiction picture book highlights the diversity of the animal world. It’s the third book in the I’ve Got… series by Murphy and Tolson.

Sales links: Booktopia – https://www.booktopia.com.au/odd-bods-julie-murphy/book/9781541585027.html

Fishpond – https://www.fishpond.com.au/Books/Ive-Got-Tail-Julie-Murphy-Hannah-Tolson-Illustrated-by/9781681525013

 

 

 

 

 

 

Meet the Author: Melissa Fagan

Melissa Fagan is a writer and editor
based in Brisbane, where she also
teaches and lectures in creative
writing courses at the University of
Queensland and QUT. Her fiction
and nonfiction has been published in Overland, Kill Your
Darlings, Meanjin, QWeekend and others. At various times throughout her life (but mostly pre-21st century)
she has worked as a receptionist, data entry clerk, call
centre operator, market research telephonist and editorial
assistant. She has also taught swimming and horse-riding,
and led tours through South East Asia, In 2018 she started
a practice-led PhD in travel writing with Curtin University
and the University of Aberdeen.

Visit Melissa’s website to find out more: http://melissafagan.com/

AUTHOR INSIGHT

Why do you write? The only reason I can write is because I stopped asking myself this a long time ago … even thinking about it gives me the heebie jeebies. Having said that, if I don’t write for a period of time, I soon realise that something is missing, so that’s a definite motivation.

What would you be doing if you weren’t a writer? For most writers, myself included, being a writer entails doing lots of other things that may be only loosely connected to writing; so as well as writing (books) I also write professionally, and edit, and teach writing. If I wasn’t a writer who also did those things then I couldn’t be a writer. If I weren’t a writer at all I would be a wandering mystic. Or maybe a small business owner. Or both. And I’d probably still write a little bit.

What was your toughest obstacle to becoming published? My own impatience/lack of resilience. A few people may have a dream run from the outset, but for most of us it can be a long, hard slog. You’ve got to have self belief and humility in equal measure; it took me a long time to grow into that.

How involved have you been in the development of your book? Do you have input into the cover and illustrations? What Will Be Worn is my first book and I was very involved in its development. I submitted it to my publisher more or less fully-formed. The editing process was intensive at the line level, but even then I had a lot of say in which changes I would take on. I also had a lot of input into the cover, which is an amalgam of old illustrations from McWhirters catalogues. Fortunately my publisher and I were in basic agreement about which illustrations might work from the outset. There were a few sticking points throughout the process, but we got there in the end and I couldn’t be happier with the end result.

What’s the best aspect of your writing life? Freedom and flexibility.

—the worst? As a result of the above, you have to be your own task master. I wouldn’t choose to have it any other way but deadlines are essential to getting things done, even self-imposed ones.

What would you do differently if you were starting out now as a writer? One way to answer this would be to say nothing, because I am the writer I am now because of the pathway I have taken. But that pathway might have been shorter if I’d made a more concerted effort to finish things – that’s why writing courses are good, not because they teach you how to write but because the structure forces you to create finished works.

What do you wish you’d been told before you set out to become an author? I don’t know if there’s anything that anyone could have told me that I would have listened to, not when I was younger anyway. If anything, it would be that life experience, which includes alternative careers, is really beneficial for a writer. I sometimes held back from opportunities, or didn’t follow them through, or only pursued them half-heartedly because I thought they were taking me away from my ‘true path’ of being a writer. But pursuing opportunities, professional and otherwise, that don’t seem to have anything to do with writing, can actually be a really good thing for a writer.

What’s the best advice you were ever given? I’ve had a Rod Jones quote (from a 2003 interview with Jane Sullivan) pinned above my desk for the past 15 years. It’s about the importance of getting lost while you’re writing, that it’s part of the process and you shouldn’t fight it. While you need willpower to keep going, especially when you are lost, the breakthroughs come “not through will or ego or intellect, but through intuition, the accidental glimpses that come when you’re relaxed”. I’ve always found this to be true – ideas come to me in the shower, mid-conversation, in the middle of the night, while cycling or swimming or doing yoga – but it’s easy to forget this when you’re feeling frustrated.

What’s your top tip for aspiring authors? Read a lot and read widely.

How important is social media to you as an author? It’s not very important – at least it hasn’t been to date.

Do you experience ‘writer’s block’ and if so, how do you overcome it? I think I used to, or at least I used to feel as though I did. I don’t think it’s a case that I’m less prone to writer’s block now than I once was, but I think my expectations have changed as I’ve become more attuned to my own rhythms. Some days I might struggle to write a good sentence; other days (rare days) I might get into a groove and write 3,000 words. Potentially the fact that I haven’t tried to write fiction in a while makes a difference. In memoir and creative nonfiction, the words are just as important, but you’re not trying to make stuff up; the challenge is often more in finding a shape for what’s already there.

How do you deal with rejection? Not well! Who does? A couple of years ago, I received a rejection email on Easter Thursday while waiting in line to buy beer tickets at a festival. I tried not to look at it, but the first line came up on my phone … so it was impossible. My mood tanked. I tried to fight it, to no avail. So I gave myself 24 hours to mope, then put it behind me. It wasn’t quite that simple – in reality it stung for months – but I think giving myself a contained period in which to really feel like shit helped a lot.

In three words, how would you describe your writing? You tell me.

If you had the chance to spend an hour with any writer of your choice, living or dead, who would it be and what would you most like them to tell you about living a writing life? This is a trick question isn’t it? What could Jane Austen or Virginia Woolf or Marguerite Duras or Jeanette Winterson tell me in person that their words couldn’t?

BOOK BYTE

What Will be Worn

Melissa Fagan

Sometimes it seems the most invaluable stories can be
found in the unlikeliest of corners.

For all who know Brisbane, McWhirters, a once celebrated
department store in Fortitude Valley, is an icon. For Melissa
Fagan it is also the starting point for this remarkable
exploration of her mother and grandmother’s lives, and a
poignant reminder of the ways in which retail stores and
fashion have connected women’s lives across decades.
Behind the dusty shop counters of an Art Deco treasure,
Fagan discovers both what has been lost and continues to
shine. Ultimately this tender exploration of self and family,
so exquisitely written, speaks of the ways in which life so
often surprises us and of how the legacies of others can
truly enrich our own relationships and lives.

What Will be Worn is available from your local independent bookshop and  Booktopia.

Meet the Author: Marina J

Marina J’s top tip for aspiring authors: Write lots.  I’ve been writing a regular blog since 2008, and when I look back at them I smile, mostly in shock, because I write so differently now. Also I don’t write in different coloured paragraphs anymore, which I slightly miss.

Marina J teaches women one of the most important skills of all: How to get your fabulous back after upset with him, with her, or with life in general – because your happiness is everything. A relationship expert, best selling author and speaker, she has helped thousands of women around the world live the life they always knew they were meant to be in. She loves to write regularly as a contributor to magazines, newspapers and websites and has been known to do the odd interview on TV and radio. She is married to the love of her life and lives with their daughter by the beach near Sydney. She can be found at www.marinaj.net

AUTHOR INSIGHT

Why do you write? To reach you, sitting like you are right now, wondering how you’re going to get “there”, because I know how determined you are to get “there” and so that’s why I write. Because I want you “there” already too! And I know how to get you there.

What would you be doing if you weren’t a writer? What I’m doing right now – which is helping women turn their power on and get their fabulous BACK after upset with him, with her or with life in general – because life can get a bit bumpy along the way. I coach women around the world and have been for more than a decade.

What was your toughest obstacle to becoming published? Finding a decent publisher. Nine days after we launched I walked away from my publisher via a fabulous lawyer.  I wouldn’t be the author of Turn Yourself On if I didn’t stand up for myself. It’s so important to have good people surrounding your book and unfortunately in the beginning, I didn’t.

What’s the best aspect of your writing life? I actually don’t like being a writer (see below!)

—the worst? Being stuck in a room by myself writing!  Now I’m lovely, don’t get me wrong – but I’m more of a speaker actually. So I’ve written my book as if I’m sitting next to you, which helps me feel that I’m in the room with you when I write, so I don’t get too forlorn.

What would you do differently if you were starting out now as a writer? I’d self publish right off the bat.  Unless I found a publisher brave enough to keep the energy and tone of my book so as not to make yet another homogenous book (it happens more than you realise) and, who would and could, allot me good PR.

What do you wish you’d been told before you set out to become an author? That I didn’t need a publisher; I reached #1 on the Amazon best seller list in the UK and USA without them.

What’s the best advice you were ever given? That when you first write something down, sometimes it will be ‘bang on’. Other times, it just doesn’t quite hit the mark. Know then that it’s simply a draft and for most of what you write it will go through several drafts (or many!) as you hone your message. This stops you from beating yourself up and lets the real you come out and play. My film director friend told me this is normal for every script he writes or has seen and as such took a huge weight off my shoulders.

BOOK BYTE

Whether you’re down in the dumps after a relationship break up, feeling insecure with where you are in life, or just craving a drastic change, it can be difficult to put the wheels in motion.
Turn Yourself On is a practical guide to turning your life around.
A #1 Amazon best-seller in just three hours, Turn Yourself On is the ultimate guide to getting your happiness mojo back after upset with him, her, or just life in general. In the book Marina J shows readers how to:

• turn on your confidence, sensuality & self-love
• stop self-sabotaging your own success
• heal the deep hurt caused by relationship breakdowns
• get better at asking for (and getting) what you want
• feel secure with yourself, and learn to put you first
• become the positive change you need

Filled with relatable examples, practical tools and techniques, Turn Yourself On is an empowering read to help you live with greater happiness. This is your best friend and handbook for life.

Sales site: https://marinaj.net/shop/books/turn-yourself-on/

Meet the Author: JR Poulter

JR’s top tip for aspiring authors: Read what you write aloud to yourself or to another person whose opinion you respect and who respects you.  You’ll pick up breaks in flow, narrative gaps or inconsistencies better, and see more clearly where to build on or delete, character development  points, mood builders, scene setters etc that way more effectively.

Muza Ulasowski and JR Poulter with a selection of Word Wings picture books.

JR Poulter once worked in a circus. This definitely qualifies her to write for children! She has been published in Australia, UK and USA, having more than 30 children’s and education books with mainstream publishers, has won major awards, including Children’s Choice, New Zealand, as well as digital editions in UK, Europe and USA. More books are due for release shortly. J.R. loves teaching children the fun to be had with words whether in poetry or prose and doing  dramatised book readings.  She created a picture book in collaboration with Craig Smith, for an enthusiastic, participatory  audience for the Lockyer Festival. She writes novels [including YA], award-winning literary poetry, short stories  and creates photography and artwork under JR McRae. Her greatest adventure, under both writing names, consists of global collaborations with more than 50 illustrators, book designers and translators across 22 countries.

Websites: http://www.jenniferrpoulter.weebly.com/

Facebook:  https://www.facebook.com/WordWingsPublishing

AUTHOR INSIGHT

Why do you write? It’s a lifelong habit – too late to break now, besides I wouldn’t know what to do with myself if I didn’t. The girl can’t help it! Poetry and prose have always fascinated me. I read anything I could get my hands on. If there were no books, I read the dictionary!

What would you be doing if you weren’t a writer? Mmmmm – a full-time artist/photographer perhaps; maybe an actress, jeweller, sculptor – something creative.

What was your toughest obstacle to becoming published? The cost of posting off manuscripts when we had a literal handful of kids to feed, clothe etc etc.  This dates me…. I started writing in the days before  publishers would let you email submissions!

What’s the best aspect of your writing life? The joy of putting pen to paper or fingers to keyboard and seeing what emerges – I love discovering the tale as it happens, discovering what’s next for this character, this situation… and collaborating, I love collaborating with illustrators and book designers because this adds another whole world of creativity to a plain text – it adds a universe to it!

An illustrator takes a hold of your story and they see the story’s universe. If the story family is sitting at the kitchen table, the illustrator will be the unseen guest, wandering round the kitchen, looking out the back window to see what’s there – paddock, distant mountains, back alley, neighbour’s fence – they’ll amble upstairs and look out the bedroom window to see what’s up the street; they’ll go downstairs and explore the yard, get to know the pets etc etc etc

—the worst? The editing, the databases to be filled in, the whole marketing and promo thing…

What would you do differently if you were starting out now as a writer? I’m not sure … if you have the time and money, you can hobnob at all the international conferences, launches and social goings on but then that robs you of the essential ‘stand and stare’ precursor to writing time doesn’t it.

What do you wish you’d been told before you set out to become an author? I can’t say I ever set out to be an author, it was as unavoidable as growing up is inevitable. Writing from as early as I can remember, I didn’t have family support. Their focus was on sport. My mother didn’t like what I wrote but her discouraging comments didn’t work. It had the opposite effect, so I’m kind of glad I had that ‘reverse’ motivation!

What to beware of: The fine print!

What’s the best advice you were ever given? Write, write, write then write some more – never let a day slip by without writing!

ABOUT WORD WINGS PUBLISHING

Word Wings Publishing consists of the creative energies of more than 50 amazingly talented folk in more than 20 countries doing what they do best – creating beautiful illustrated books! Word Wings believes words are the wings that give imagination flight, that allow us to soar into the realms where dreams become possibilities, and possibilities become realities. This, essentially, is education – the opening of eyes to see and seize opportunities. Words entertain, liberate and educate and images give to words vivid visual impetus. As head of Word Wings, J.R. brings years of experience as a senior educator, reviewer, librarian and associate lecturer in English expression. She writes all the teacher notes and activity sheets to accompany the books.

Publishing website: under construction  www.wordwings.wix.com/publishing

Shop: http://www.lulu.com/spotlight/wordwings