A Dent In My Reading Stash

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Hello!

I've had a truly lovely school holiday break. I had every intention of consistently pausing, reclining somewhere soft, and reading until my eyes crossed ... and I'm pleased to report this actually happened! I know! Of course, reading never happens as much I'd like--but then, is it ever possible to read as much as we'd like? The answer to that question is [Pokemon] No.

I even let the house go (so, today--a massive cleaning spree; even the windows) and just did things that made me smile. I went to galleries and sipped great coffee with my husband, shopped with my girl, cooked and pottered with my boy, caught up with friends, walked in nature, watched period drama and Disney movies, caught up on documentaries and some comedy, and clocked up three or four certificates on Lynda (currently studying graphic design and upping my Adobe Illustrator skills).

However. As is always the way, 'work' crept in (even as I dashed and skipped and curled under a blanket to avoid it), so I also worked with my publisher and graphic designer to send Australia Illustrated to print (another sneak peek image at the bottom of this post), signed my very first illustration contract for an exciting National Library book (will reveal more eventually, but all hush hush for now), heard exciting news about some of my books, including an overseas translation for Smile Cry!) and worked on some internal images for one of my ingusan fiction WIPs.

Of course, none of these things proved at all pesky! But they did get in the way of my reading marathon. Ahem. Nevertheless, here is what I managed to pass my eyes over these past three weeks. I got through a hefty chunk of these two--amazing to the power of a billion times 40!

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I also got some old and new classic works though my eyeballs and into my heart:

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I also made a larger dent in these (have been struggling a little with both for some time--not sure why, just am; these things happen sometimes ... but they're both worth persisting with):

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And I also managed (it's really not a stretch, trust me) to devour some sensational children's books--about three times this amount, in truth, but these are my faves:

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I hope you and the kids had a sunshiny, book-ridden winter holiday period and have a productive and fulfilling catch-up time ahead. To set myself firmly back in work mode, here is another illustration peek at Australia Illustrated (out November). Have a fabulous week!

Tx

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Book Week 2016 Highlights

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I've just hung up my book bag after a full and sensational Book Week here in Canberra. It's such an enriching, fulfilling week of talks, presentations, book readings and conversations with the very people we create books for (and their highly supportive teachers and librarians!).

Each year, it never fails to astound me how dedicated schools are to one of our most mendasar human needs--literacy. And with literacy, of course, comes creativity, understanding, empathy, intelligence (both emotional and mental) and ... very best of all ... pure enjoyment. See my posts Encouraging Children to Read for Pleasure importantnutrientsspot/search?q=" target="_blank">Part I and importantnutrientsspot/search?q=" target="_blank">Part II.

This year, the majority of my sessions were an interactive presentation called I Love Books. The kids learned about the vast and varied types (learning word: genres) of kids' books, sasaran markets and all about book creators, and who is actually involved in the book creation process (including them!). They also learned about drafts and editing and illustrator roughs (another learning word).

The presentation is designed to get the children talking, giggling, sharing and laughing--and we had so much fun, my mouth is actually hurting from smiling!

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Of course, costumes and book parades were in full swing all over Canberra, and it's one of my favourite parts of Book Week because it gets the kids so completely involved and enthused. Yes, there were plenty of Cats in their Hats, and Lost Wallies, superheroes and princesses, but each year, things get more and more imaginative and I so enjoyed meeting all manner of interesting characters, including a tornado! Perhaps from the Wizard of Oz?

Who doesn't love a good dress-up!?

I also love how much school staff get into the swing of things. One school even featured a line-up of Mr and Ms Men characters for their staff.

Another school had an Australia! Story Country theme (the CBCA's theme for Book Week 2016) and it was absolutely brilliant. Without being able to rely on costumebox, the resulting creations were the stuff of imagination--there was everything from Green Sheep and Alexander Bunyips through to Andy and Jill from the Treehouse series, below.

Some of my absolute favourites were the proliferation of gumnut babies--the costumes were the most darling things ever. I so wish I could show you photographs. And probably my favouritist of all, was the Book Fairy (at the top of this post) whose mum created these divine wings folded from the pages of a book, complete with book cover and Scrabble letter spine.

Genius!

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permission granted for this pic of Jill and Andy

On the Wednesday evening, the CBCA ACT Branch hosted the annual Children's Seminar (big thanks to Turner School for hosting--Jo and Norma!) where local authors chatted in rounds with groups of school kids, followed by a delicious afternoon tea and Happy Birthday cake for 70 years of the Children's Book Council of Australia.

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CBCA Children's Seminar
L-R: Stephanie Owen Reeder, Tania McCartney, Pauline Deeves, Harry Laing,
Craig Cormick, Jordan Morris

We then held a panel and laughed our way through a series of Q&A. Too much fun.

This was followed by dinner at a local restaurant where I got to hold Stephanie Owen Reeder's CBCA winning medal (it's gold! it's heavy! it's beautiful!) for the Eve Pownall Award (for bookshopa.gov.au/book/lennie-the-legend-solo-to-sydney-by-pony.do" target="_blank">Lennie the Legend). We're so proud of our local gal.

Thank you to the CBCA for keeping Book Week so strong in our communities, and thanks to the book-loving librarians, teachers, executives and kids for the most wonderful week. I am tired but all-full-up with happy. And thank you to all the parents out there who so enthusiastically make books and reading a big part of their kids' lives. Believe me, every time I spend time with these fresh, bright, intelligent, creative school kids, your commitment shows.

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Beijing Tai Tai Turns Chinese

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I loved living in China (2005 - 2009). Absolutely loved it. It changed my life--and the life of my family--in ways too numerous to mention. I think the world would be a very different and far more peaceful place if we, each and every one, had the chance to live in a country that's hugely different from our own. One that stretches and opens our hearts and minds. One that takes us out of our comfort zone and teaches are that we are all, indeed, one race. The human race.

Could you imagine? Yes, the world would be a very different place.

I really miss China and would love to go back and see how much it's changed since 2009. I miss the people, the food, the quirks, the smells, the ceremony. I miss the sweetest and tiniest things, like the call of the nut and seed sellers as they peddle their 3-wheeler carts through the streets. The eye-boggling beauty of the flower and fruit markets. The ceremony of tea.

So, it's a real honour to have Beijing Tai Tai translated for the Chinese market (thank you, Exisle Publishing and Shanghai Joint Publishing Company and Big Apple Agency, Malaysia!

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It's quite surreal to see my text in Simplified Chinese, not to mention the interesting (but very Chinese-market-savvy) cover and the even more interesting occasional internal images!

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I'm not too sure what this mixture of reto line-drawings have to do with Tai Tai, but I love them all the same--they're so kitsch!

And now to see what the Chinese market thinks of the book...

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Ask Tania: Picture Book Structure--Circular, Narrative, Characters, Rhyming--Help!

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Dear Tania,

I've started writing children's stories and am dreaming up some picture books. I've been reading a lot about typical book structures (set-up, incident, events, climax, result, resolution) and I've found reference to other structures sometimes used (circular, concept, cumulative, mirror, parallel and reversal). How strictly should an author keep to these structures? Do you write with this in mind or do you just write? 

On characters, must the main character always have an obstacle to overcome for the story to be successful?

I'm also interested in your thoughts on rhyming books, as I know (particularly emerging) authors are advised against it - and yet, so many picture books still seem to use rhyme and meter.

Paula

Hi Paula,

First thing I have to say is how great it is that you're reading up on book structure and the associated elements that make a story wonderful, particularly picture books. When we were running the kids-bookreview/" target="_blank">Kids' Book Review Unpublished Manuscript Award, so many of the entries suffered from a lack of understanding of story structure, so even when the writing itself was good, the story was little more than an 'account' or a set of descriptions. So understanding story structure is a fine way to embark on your picture book writing journey.

Let's explore your questions--I'll break them down into parts:

Story Structures

The many and varied story styles can be learned about online, as you have already done. Understanding these structures will definitely help you write better stories.

The three most commonly used picture book structures would be:

• linear arc (a classic structure, where we have a beginning, middle and ending, with resolve)

• circular (where the story starts and ends in the same place) 

• episodic (where we present a line-up of concepts or happenings or scenes; the 'concept book'--alphabet books, colours, numbers, etc--falls into this category)

Linear arc is probably the most common of all--it involves setting up a place and character and then taking the story to a peak (often via the rollercoastering of conflict and resolution), followed by a solution, intimation of solution, or some kind of 'outcome', which can also be sad, surprising or negative (ie: not always a happy or fully 'resolved' ending).

I tend to use this structure the most because it's so page-turning, and is a pleasure to write. Having your character, or the storyline, experience shifts and turns and plot twists and challenges, is an engaging technique that not only has your reader championing the characters, but makes them WANT to know what happens next. Books like this are 'repeat reads', and are key to book/author success (sales rely on repeat reads and subsequent word-of-mouth recommendation!).

So yes, stories like this do need characters to overcome things, but more on that shortly.

How strictly should authors stick to structures? Well, like anything in life, learn all the rules, then break them! A general understanding of how story structure works is priceless, and everyone should learn it. Once you learn and grasp it, you tend to write intuitively to a certain style, which you'll get better at doing over time.

For me, I tend to just write the story, once I've set what kind of structure I want it to be (after all these years, this is not a conscious thing). But I also stretch things a little as I go, so the story oftentimes doesn't end up classically adhering to that structure. It might employ two or even three structures.

With Smile Cry, for example, the main structure ended up being episodic because a) it's for very young kids, who respond so well to a series of presented ideas, and b) the subject matter intended to show the varying ways we could smile or cry. A series of independent scenes would best showcase these varying ways, and it worked very well. 

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If this book had been written as a narrative, the emotion-exploration would have been far too subtle, and would have become lost within the storyline  (for very young kids, anyway). I wanted kids to be able to point at a page and relate to that ONE singular scene, and kids most certainly do that with this book. Then they eagerly anticipate the next scene.

So, the episodic style really worked for Smile Cry, but I didn't stop there. I mixed things up by creating a flip-book concept, where two opposing (mirror) stories meet in the middle. I also created a kind of resolve (resolves are most noted in a classic arc structure) where the two stories meet in the middle. This centre spread brings the two opposing themes together in a way that melds and shows kids there's no black and white.

For Tottie and Dot, the overarching premise was consequence. So the very best way to achieve this was with a linear arc, though in this case, there is little rollercoasting (ie: obstacles don't keep appearing to make the story go up and down, faster and slower) but rather an incremental build that reaches a really dramatic climax, before collapsing on itself. This works for stories that need to reach the climax right at the end (in this case, two pages before the end).

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So, as you can see, even the classic structure can be manipulated to suit story content and purpose.

My suggestion for you, as a new writer, would be to write your story. Write it as a stream of consciousness and then let it sit a while. Once you've let it marinate, go back to it and read it over. What kind of structure is it? Does it have a beginning, middle and ending? Is it circular? Episodic? Once you know what kind of structure it sits in, you can then work on honing the story to ensure it achieves an attractive balance that will enchant the reader.

Story vs Account

This is a good way to understand whether or not your story is achieving its intended purpose--entertaining, enlightening, enchanting or educating the reader (or a blend of all). I call these the Four Es.

A story about a bear who gets up in the morning, makes breakfast, goes shopping, meets a friend for lunch, hangs out the washing, feeds the chooks, reads a book, makes dinner and goes to bed is NOT a story. It's an account. Many, many, many stories are just an account.

A story DOES something to the reader. It makes them feel, smile, cry, understand, learn. Even episodic books that DO simply line-up concepts, have to have a hook or an intention that entertains and delights, even if it's just stunning artwork. Clever, well-thought-out books are the books that do well.

It also takes them on a JOURNEY--whether literal or figurative.

Essentially, in your story, something has to HAPPEN. Something has to occur as a result of something else. There has to be a message or meaning or some kind of delight or even horror. Again, the best way to describe this, is that your story should make the reader FEEL something. I'm not going to feel anything reading about that bear. I want something to HAPPEN.

The Ending

Another huge part of a great story's structure is the ending. For me, the ending is EVERYTHING. It's that delectable mint at the end of the meal--that moment of pure satisfaction. No greater let-down to read a fabulous book and find yourself looking for more pages because the ending fell so flat or felt unresolved. Someone going to bed at night and going to sleep is not an ending (unless it's absolutely central to the narrative and resolves the narrative).

An ending needs to in some way resolve the story or at least link to the plot line and theme in a way that is delightful, surprising, unexpected, hilarious, shocking, healing, circular--SOMETHING, other than just nothing. Most emerging author picture books I read have no ending at all, let alone a good one.

Think of a wonderful way to end your stories, hopefully with something that surprises or delights or elicits a realisation of some kind, and you'll write very good stories indeed. Remember--a great ending stands between your book and a repeat read.

A Word on Didactic Books

No one likes a book that hammers them over the head with morals. Kids particularly dislike them, even those too young to know what's really happening. Never talk down to your reader or dumb things down, no matter how young the intended readership. If you simply must teach kids a 'lesson' with your story, do it with intense subtlety, cleverness and humour. The lesson should not be in the least bit obvious. 

Word Count

In general, a picture book should not exceed 500 words ... unless it's for slightly older readers, it's a book designed to specifically impart information, or unless the writer has honed that text down to its purest essence and the result is an absolute and unadulterated pleasure to read, from go to woah. There are some high text picture books (for younger readers) that work beautifully, simply because they are a joy to read, the story gallops along, and there are no superfluous words.

To be safe, especially when starting out, make your text as minimal as possible. They say each word in a picture book must earn its place. A general rule is to not say anything the pictures can show, especially in regard to description. For example, do not describe a character's outfit unless it's a central plot point that you need to make super obvious. And never put anything extraneous in a story (read: enpedia/wiki/Chekhov%27s_gun" target="_blank">Chekov's Gun).

Nutshell: keep things succinct and cut any extraneous text (which is most text, in my opinion!).

Characters Overcoming Things

We don't need to have our main character falling over obstacle after obstacle after obstacle until they are a wrung-out wreck, before miraculously rising at the end. The variety of ways we can 'challenge' our characters can be a lot more subtle, and can appear in multitude ways.

In Peas in a Pod, the girls simply try to overcome their sameness. They want to be different. They don't need to go over mountain and dale over thousands of miles, snow, rain and tornado, to get there--they just make a stand, and assert their individuality.

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Try not to get caught up in how much conflict or resolution you need to add to your story. It's a broad brushstroke of a technique that can be achieved in many and varied ways, but yes, you DO need your characters to be championed by your reader. Kids need to *FEEL something for them, relate to them in some way, and want them to succeed against all odds. That's what carries the most entrancing stories--that essence of survival against storms, prejudice, even just an aversion to broccoli. Readers want your character to triumph, so this obstacle thing IS a fine tool in storytelling, but know that it can be done in clever and almost imperceptible ways.

*Of course, there are some characters kids WON'T feel for--the baddie, for example--but what they will do is feel something ABOUT that character. The more conflict and obstacles you give all of your characters (good or bad), the more well-rounded and real they will be--and the greater emotional response you'll elicit from your reader.

The Dreaded Rhyme

One thing that's struck me over the years, especially where emerging writers are concerned, is their insistence on penning text in rhyme. Perhaps it's a hark back to their own childhood when rhyme was so prevalent, or their adoration for the likes of Dr Seuss and Lynley Dodd and other (yet few!) truly brilliant rhyming creators.

The fact is this: very, very few people write rhyme well. A lack of understanding when it comes to 'meter' is often to blame, but also the rearranging of sentences and the cramming of unbalanced words to effect end-of-line rhyme. Another big issue is the misuse of syllable stress--featuring the word apple, for example, but expecting it to be read as AppLE rather than as APPle, where its natural syllable stress lies.

Remember, rhyming text is not about end-word rhyme. It's about so very much more.

Jackie Hosking has a wonderful facebook/Jackie-Hoskings-Rhyming-Ms-Editing-Service-116219738446045/?fref=nf" target="_blank">Rhyming MS Editing Service that new writers can look into. You can also learn a lot about this online, and by--of course--reading your text out loud. You should also have someone else read it out loud. It's easy to read our own words in an effective rhythm because we have penned them, and know where the stressors lie, but when someone else reads the text for the first time, you may be surprised how frequently they stumble over the words and rhythm. You do NOT want your reader stumbling over words and rhythm.

Another option is to let your text marinate for a month. When you go back to it, you'll find a multitude of issues to fix.

As Jen Storer says in one of her fabulous girlandduck/videos/" target="_blank">Girl and Duck Q+Q Friday videos, publishers don't hate rhyming texts. They just hate BAD rhyming texts! And so do readers. She also mentions a really great point--that rhyming text is very difficult to extend into overseas markets, where translations can falter. So, publishers may also avoid it for this reason.

So, I strongly suggest writing your first picture book attempts in prose. Picture books are hard to write--why exponentially add to the difficulty by choosing rhyme? Practice in prose first, and then study and hone rhyme for later books. 

I must say, I absolutely adore good rhyming works, but I've been writing professionally for almost 30 years and I've only just recently penned my first rhyming book.

Don't be Boring

Some may disagree, but I find most super traditional stories (in terms of content) a little boring. I love unconventional works--works that sit outside the square--and more and more publishers are loving these, too (they're often the award-winners). Think outside the square. Surprise your reader. Do something different.

In Summary!

Essentially, you want readers to feel something when they read your books. And I don't mean in a schmaltzy way. I think a lot of writers believe they need to write sentimental or schmaltzy themes to make readers feel something, but this isn't true. We feel more than just sadness. Our emotions are vast and varied, and we shouldn't underestimate the power of more subtle emotions, even in kids ... those emotions well beyond happy sad angry surprised. 

Writing books about confusion or isolation or trepidation or boredom or contentment or creative satisfaction or thirst or other nuanced topics, can be some of the most successful stories of all.

Writing picture books for the first time can be absolutely overwhelming. An understanding that they are difficult to write is vital, as is the understanding that you WILL get better over time, and--like anything--the more you write, the better you'll get at both the content and structure.

Wishing you the best on your picture book journey!

Tania

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Ask Tania: What's The Best Way To Work Towards Becoming A Full-Time Author?

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Dear Tania,
What's the best way to work towards becoming a full-time author?
Cathy

Hi Cathy,

I could write 1000 paragraphs on this! And even then, it would be part-way subjective and would fail to cover all the intricacies and variations and far-reaching tentacles.

Some of us need to work full-time jobs, some of us work part-time, and some of us have the luxury of all the time in the world. Some of us have small kids, older kids, grownup kids, no kids. Some of us are in marriages, some not, some in supportive relationships, some not. Some of us have self-belief and some of us don't. Each author's life situation and journey is unique, and so very many variables contribute to the acquisition (or not) of a full-time writing career.

I could also regale you with the myriad things you 'should' be doing, but honestly? ... other than the fact that each person has a unique life situation that must be navigated around, authorship is changing. Our online world is changing. The way we read books is changing. The way we write and publish is changing. And it's all changing so fast, I reckon by the time you read this, my 'advice' would be redundant.

So, I'm going to go back to brass tacks. I'm going to hand pluck the 'little things' that I've learned in almost 30 years in the writing industry (first magazines, then adult non-fiction, then children's). I reckon if you can resonate with the following stream of consciousness, you stand a good chance of securing full-time authorship.

Bolded entries are especially important. At the end of these points, I'm going to cover Self-Belief and The Flow--also especially important!

Here we go ...

• great work sells; time spent honing your craft is never, ever wasted
• practice, practice, practice--invest in your skills endlessly
• never stop learning
• know your market inside out; live in bookstores whether in person or online; watch what's being published, get to know publisher lists and the work of other creators
• read read read, especially in the genre you want to write in
• write what you love and what calls to you, even if the market doesn't agree
• if you need to work at a full time job, write in your spare time, on weekends and holidays--pass up TV and socialising and all manner of deflections, to dedicate to your craft; this can be tough, but like anything in life, the sacrifices you make for writing are clearly indicative of how much do you want it
• over time, find ways to downscale the full time work you do in terms of hours--then fill those hours with your writing and earning from your writing; over time, if you play it right and dedicate yourself, your writing hours will outweigh the full time work; if your current job would deem this impossible, look for other work
• if you have small children, things will be tougher, of course, but they do grow up eventually; a famous author once told me that I shouldn't even think about being able to achieve an impactful 'career' until my kids were not only older, but had actually left home; so know that one day, you'll have your time (and in the meantime, dedicate what time you can)
• always be curious, and always stretch yourself
• think outside the square and try something new
• learn the formula for storytelling and plot structure, then break all the rules 
• avoid formulaic writing like the plague--surprise your reader
• avoid prescriptive, expositional, predictable, over-written text; write intuitively and don't try to sound like a great writer; rather--BE one
• use your own voice, not someone else's
• avoid overly familiar, typical themes, especially in regard to picture books; if you simply must write about fairies and trucks, do it in an unexpected way
• avoid didactic writing; if you must include messaging, make it barely perceptible, especially in picture books
• never write for publishers or for perceived market gaps; YOU dictate what the market needs (with your fabulous new idea)
• stop asking for critiques of your work; the more others dissect and opine, the faster your work loses authenticity, honesty and clarity; too many cooks DO spoil the broth
• believe in yourself; have faith in your own intuition
• if you do receive criticism, never take it personally, NEVER react badly to it, take what works (or doesn't), let go and move on
• if you get a bad review or an assassination on your character, walk away, let it go, do not respond
• a great idea is far more evocative to an editor or publisher than a perfectly-polished (over-worked) manuscript 
• unique work, with a unique voice is highly sought after
• luck does have a something to do with full-time authorship--but perhaps more than luck--rather being in the right place at the right time; put yourself in situations that increase this 'luck' (you'll find suggestions in this post!)
• always, ALWAYS respond to people in a timely manner--by phone, email, in person; don't leave anyone waiting, even those you perceive 'unimportant'
• always, ALWAYS treat people with respect
• always, ALWAYS thank 
• never look down on, dismiss or judge anyone regarding their work, presence or 'status' in the industry--not only is it mean, you never know who will be whom in five years' time
• ergo, never burn bridges
• excellence all the way--from your beautiful email signature to your carefully proofread manuscript submission
• think twice before gossiping about or deriding colleagues; it's mean and our industry is small
• kindness! generosity! maybe fairydust to some, but you better believe it works
• the vast majority of authors (and illustrators) are smart, intuitive, generous and kind people--get to know them
• give back
• support and uplift your colleagues
• don't look sideways at what anyone else is doing and what they're achieving--put your head down and focus on your own journey
• don't be threatened by anyone else's success--feel genuine happiness for others, even if you don't particularly like their work--there is always enough room in this industry for everyone. Never blow out someone else's candle, because it won't make yours brighter.
• real relationships are everything--get to know people--you may well develop working relationships and opportunities, sure, but you may also make dear lifelong friends and share in immensely rewarding connections and support
• check in on your friends and colleagues--this is a lonely profession--even the high-fliers and those who appear supremely confident, falter sometimes
• never shout about yourself; don't bombard people with sales pitches
• for every promotional post you do, post three that are informative, educational, fun, personal or promoting someone else
• have a solid web presence--a website at the very least; it doesn't have to be fancy, just have one
• don't fret about social networking; have a Facebook page and/or Twitter/Instagram/Pinterest, etc, account and post when you want to!
• be easy to work with and never be demanding
• commit to a writing schedule
• learn ways to streamline your life and kybosh procrastination
• if you are working full-time elsewhere, write at night, on weekends and during holidays--ask yourself, how much do you want this?
• enter competitions and apply for grants
• attend festivals and conferences--they are life-changing and will shuttle your career trajectory into the stratosphere when compared with staying home; meeting publishers personally really does up your chances of becoming known/having work looked at faster/receiving contracts
• get industry involved; this is my TOP TIP and it's huge (and totally underestimated by newbies); do something for your industry; judge awards, support fledglings, volunteer for organisations or festivals, review books for websites, involved yourself with CBCA or SCBWI or ACLA or other children's lit organisations; I frequently volunteer, and founded kids-bookreview/" target="_blank">Kids' Book Review and the facebook/groups/illo52weeks/" target="_blank">52-Week Illustration Challenge, but you don't have to invest an enormous amount of time and energy--just do SOMETHING!
• if you don't know something, ask others (or google it!)
• try not to use too many exclamation points!!! 
• expect nothing while you expect big things
• BE PATIENT--gaining any kind of industry recognition can take at least three years (if you're active in the industry!)--and most authors wait at least 10 years before making a solid impact with their books
• realise now that much of an author's income doesn't come from books--it comes from events, talks, presentations, school visits and other writing gigs; much of mine comes from ELR/PLR payments, copyright payments, presentations and events; also know that over time, your wage will increase as you have more books on the market and earn more ELR/PLR, copyright and reprint payments
• support other creators--attend book launches and writerly/literary events
• be self-effacing; be willing to look objectively at your work and see where you can do better (we are always improving!)
• tenacity and hard work is as vital as talent, oftentimes more so (there are plenty of supremely talented creators who will never publish because they give up or expect things to be handed to them)
• understand this: you simply must put in the hard yards; this career is HARD WORK ... thank goodness it's so much fun
  
• a hole-in-one IS possible; but how many times are you willing to hit the ball?
• believe in yourself
• have I said 'believe in yourself'?

Self-Belief
Self-belief is a curious thing. It's like the tide--it ebbs and flows, and this affects all of us, no matter where we are in our writing career. Any writer's biggest hurdle is self-belief. It's not publishers or editors or the market. It's how we feel about our own work, and how much we believe in it. (And I'm talking truly madly deeply--in our heart. Our brains can tell us they believe in us all they want. It has to come from the heart.)

Having self-belief doesn't mean we stand on chairs and shout. We can be quiet and have self-belief. We can be shy and have self-belief. But the bottom line is--if we don't believe in ourselves and our voice and our stories, publishers won't, and readers won't.

If we want to make authorship a full-time career, we need to believe in ourselves enough to commit the considerable time and energy required to write full-time. We need to trust, despite the inherent solitude and rejection authors suffer, that our investment will pay off. And we have to MAKE that investment--in ourselves and in our work, always bettering ourselves and our words. Growing, moving, changing. Listening to what calls us ... and honouring that call.

We need to trust that we can still be standing after many years of 'getting nowhere', and that we will not (nay, CANnot) give up. Tenacity is as vital as talent in this industry, and although it's tempting (and normal!) to have moments of 'why am I doing this? will I ever get anywhere?!', we must move through them if writing is our true calling. And get back to writing.

Elizabeth Gilbert once spoke of a very talented writer friend who gave up on his authorship journey because he was tired of getting nowhere. She described him as supremely talented, and she remember being shocked and desperate that he would give up 'so easily', but the fact was this: it didn't mean enough to him. He actually told her that. Writing didn't mean enough to him to continue to suffer the slings and arrows of rejection, editing, and idle waiting. So he moved onto other things, and he did so happily.

Indeed, perhaps some of us think we want to write (it IS fun!) but maybe it's not our truest passion or calling. We get this idea in our heads that it will be a certain way and when it proves otherwise, we might become disillusioned and question our direction. And that's okay. We can move on.

But, if like me, writing is like oxygen to you--you can't live without it--then embrace it, claim it and give it every ounce of self-belief you have. This kind of courage and passion is like a magnet for your full-time authorship desire. It's powerful stuff.

The Flow
On a similar note to Self-Belief, above, I really do believe that we need to do what makes our heart sing, yes, but also what fully absorbs us. When we become lost in our work, that's when we know we're on the right path and have stepped into life's flow. Things come easily, things just sort of 'work out'--the obstacles slide on by, synchronicity is rife, and little miracles pop up with sign posts saying 'this way', 'enter this!' and 'meet such-and-such--she's looking for someone like you'.

When obstacles begin flourishing, when things become fraught, difficult, agonising, unbalanced, or just feel 'off', you've stepped out of the flow, and are, mayhaps, not doing what's right for you. You're standing on the riverbank and the water is rushing past and you're feeling that desperate ache in your chest that you're getting nowhere and are somehow missing out/something is not right. It's like you're pining for something and don't even know what it is. (A friend recently made a big realisation in this vein and has made some huge decisions about her future career, which may lie completely outside the kids' market--so utterly inspirational! and brave!)

But when you step back into the river and relax and go with it, you notice the river is running more gently and more smoothly than it appeared on that riverbank. And you are floating along nicely and you are passing wonderful opportunities and people and they're jumping into the river to float alongside you and you just feel GOOD. You float around obstacles and don't even need to look sideways. Your eyes are on the river--the journey. And you're soaking wet, you're so absorbed.

That's being in the flow.

Finding yourself out of the flow doesn't have to mean your writing career is over. It can simply mean you need to change genre. I've lost count of the times a friend or someone I'm mentoring realises the book they've written is sitting in the wrong genre '... whaaaa? It's a picture book, not a chapter book!' or vice versa. A friend recently made an enormous realisation that her future didn't lie in children's picture books. She was meant to write adult romance. And voila--she's just signed a huge deal with a major publisher of women's romance novels!

Perhaps you just need to change your direction or style or skillset. A couple of years ago, I made the realisation that I really wanted (needed!) to illustrate as well as write. I hadn't picked up a paint brush since my early 20s (I was a prolific illustrator back then) and had no idea where to restart. But restart, I did (via the facebook/groups/illo52weeks/" target="_blank">52-Week Illustration Challenge) and my first self-illustrated book, Australia Illustrated, is out November 2016. I've also just signed a contract to illustrate a major children's compilation.

If you had told me I'd be doing this even two years ago, I would never have believed you. But I couldn't be happier, more excited or more absorbed by this new, unexpected (deliciously pined-for) turn of events--and all because I just went with the flow. I went with what called me at the time.

Who knows, in six months I might be embarking on another direction--so long as I sit in that river and follow the flow. Who wants to sit on the river bank and watch it all go by? Not me.

So, Cathy, jump in that river. Your full-time authorship awaits.

Tania

ALSO... see my other Ask Tania topics...

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And check out my Fantastical Flying Creator for priceless tips and exercises on flying high in this jam-packed creative world. Click the poster below for more.

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Ask Tania: Non-Fiction Picture Books--Where Do I Start When Submitting To Publishers?

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Dear Tania, 
My question is about approaching publishers with non-fiction picture books. I'm aware how to submit fiction picture books, but is there a difference with non-fiction? If I was interested in writing a book about a person in history, should I go full throttle, researching meticulously, honing my text and sending off a fully-polished manuscript, knowing that all that research could be of no use if the ms is rejected?
Emma

Hi, Emma,

A girl after my own heart--I adore non-fiction PBs! And I most particularly love books on people from history. I'm busting to know who you want to research; might have to ask you privately (sorry readers!).

But to your question. The very first thing you need to tell yourself when it comes to dedicating the endless hours to researching and penning a non-fiction book is this:


Not a single minute nor single word will be wasted. 

Even if the book is never published, every moment you put into that work is a precious and vital part of your author journey. It's what will make you qualified to write--and good at writing--this type of book. You have to tell yourself this, Em, otherwise writing in this genre will send you stark raving mad from the perceived grief at 'losing' that time and effort and resulting words.

It's never easy to create something, especially something lengthy (as is often the way with this genre) without guarantee of publication, but it is the reality for most writers. No author wants to write a word that becomes lost, but we don't need to grieve lost words that never make it to print. They really are invaluable feathers to our bow. They're not a sacrifice. They're an addition to our skillset.

And also remember that words don't have a time limit. Many an author (me included) has had older work published years down the track--with a bit of honing and updating. As market needs and trends shift and change, one book idea presented in 2023 may receive a more positive reception than it did in 2016.

As you progress with your career and have first books published, you'll be in a better position to have work commissioned and approved before creation, so things will change.

This happened with This is Captain Cook and the National Library of Australia. We discussed the concept for the book and I received contract before commencing. This is because I'm a house author, so the same thing happened for importantnutrientsspot/search?q=11/how-to-write-a-non-fiction-query-letter/" target="_blank">article on writing non-fiction query letters.

Look at publishers who have an established series of books in the style you are thinking of. You could always approach them to offer your idea, if it would fit well with the current series.

There's no harm in trying! You never know your luck. Just ask!

The other thing I would do--and I strongly recommend this to all emerging authors--is get industry involved. Network. Make friendships. Go to festivals and conferences and publisher events, and MEET publishers face-to-face. Get to know them. By doing this, you could eventually enjoy marvellous opportunities, like being able to sub directly to a commissioning editor, without having to go through the usual processes. This will up your chances of being contracted prior to commencement of your work.

Also know that you're not alone. As I've recently begun illustrating books, I have several on the go with no contract, and have no way of knowing if they'll ever be contracted. Just because I'm with several publishers doesn't mean they'll take on these books, and some of them don't even publish this type. So I'm in the same boat as you when it comes to finding a home for them--and knowing that I may not ever find that home.

But I simply must create them. If I don't, I'll burst! And I have to reconcile myself to the possibility that all this work may be for nought but skillset enhancement.

You're not alone.

Em, I wish you every success with the creation of your historical Opus. If you love the subject matter and feel passionately about it and do it well, there's every chance it will be snapped up by someone eventually, even if you have to finish it and shop it around. And, as annoying as it sounds, if no one takes it, at least you'll have a priceless addition to your skillset.

Tania

PS: I hope the following writing tips help you on your journey!

Writing Tips for Children's Non-Fiction

• write about something or someone you have a personal passion for; if you have zero interest in a topic, it WILL show, no matter how cleverly you write it; also, you want to enjoy the work!
• define your readership age and adjust text to suit; what interests you as an adult may be of nil interest to kids; keep it age-appropriate
• look for other books on this same topic--is the market too saturated? Who else has done this type of book? How can you make it different/stand out? What is unique about your version?
• STEM topics are particularly sought after in non-fiction, and since history has been added to the anabawang school curriculum in Australia, it has become even more popular with publishers
• consider contacting and subbing to educational publishers or other organisations like state libraries, museums and universities (who often have their own publishing programmes), and the CSIRO
• don't be tempted to fill a market gap unless the subject matter is of deep interest to you 
• remember that non-fiction can absolutely be as creative as fiction; think outside the square
• never believe non-fiction plays second fiddle to fiction; when it comes to kids' books, non-fiction actually outsells fiction
• keep an eye on world events, current affairs, anniversaries, etc--as your book idea may correlate with an upcoming something-or-other; publishers love that
• read read read everything you can on your topic
• don't underestimate the power of film, books, documentaries and imagery when completing your research
• research tools include books, encyclopedias, newspapers, magazines, photographs, biographies and other books, sites such as Trove, Ancestory, census, radio and television archives, national libraries, museums, universities, national archives and research institutions, as well as talking directly to people, and of course--the internet in general
• when it comes to the internet, you must use government or other official sites, and pay particular attention to authentication; remember, although it can be your greatest ally, the internet is also renowned for spouting rubbish and falsities
• you will want to cross-reference and verify any research (most especially internet research) at least three times ... more if the reference is obscure
• if something sounds fandangled, it probably is
• keep comprehensive notes on ALL of your research sources, including any links!
• know that even the most meticulous research can falter, especially as new light is shed on historical events; for example, in one of my books, I talk of the lamington being made for Lord Lamington, a governor in Queensland--a story that has been touted and authenticated for well over 100 years, but new research shows the cake was more likely made in honour of the Lord's wife, Mary Houghton Hozier (fun fact: Lord Lamington allegedly referred to lamingtons as 'those bloody poofy woolly biscuits'--more evidence they were probably NOT made in his honour!!)
• there will always, always be someone (with nothing better to do) who will try to refute anything you write; don't let this put you off--history records are far from infallible and conflict will always appear (especially as new information arises)
• enjoy every single, incredible moment of discovery--get set to laugh, to cry and stare into the distance in a state of wonder; fact truly IS stranger than fiction

taniamccartneyspot.au/2014/02/ask-tania" target="_blank">Australian Kids Through the Years and other books.

importantnutrientsspot/search?q=11/how-to-write-a-non-fiction-query-letter/" target="_blank">article on writing non-fiction query letters.

Look at publishers who have an established series of books in the style you are thinking of. You could always approach them to offer your idea, if it would fit well with the current series.

There's no harm in trying! You never know your luck. Just ask!

The other thing I would do--and I strongly recommend this to all emerging authors--is get industry involved. Network. Make friendships. Go to festivals and conferences and publisher events, and MEET publishers face-to-face. Get to know them. By doing this, you could eventually enjoy marvellous opportunities, like being able to sub directly to a commissioning editor, without having to go through the usual processes. This will up your chances of being contracted prior to commencement of your work.

Also know that you're not alone. As I've recently begun illustrating books, I have several on the go with no contract, and have no way of knowing if they'll ever be contracted. Just because I'm with several publishers doesn't mean they'll take on these books, and some of them don't even publish this type. So I'm in the same boat as you when it comes to finding a home for them--and knowing that I may not ever find that home.

But I simply must create them. If I don't, I'll burst! And I have to reconcile myself to the possibility that all this work may be for nought but skillset enhancement.

You're not alone.

Em, I wish you every success with the creation of your historical Opus. If you love the subject matter and feel passionately about it and do it well, there's every chance it will be snapped up by someone eventually, even if you have to finish it and shop it around. And, as annoying as it sounds, if no one takes it, at least you'll have a priceless addition to your skillset.

Tania

PS: I hope the following writing tips help you on your journey!

Writing Tips for Children's Non-Fiction

• write about something or someone you have a personal passion for; if you have zero interest in a topic, it WILL show, no matter how cleverly you write it; also, you want to enjoy the work!
• define your readership age and adjust text to suit; what interests you as an adult may be of nil interest to kids; keep it age-appropriate
• look for other books on this same topic--is the market too saturated? Who else has done this type of book? How can you make it different/stand out? What is unique about your version?
• STEM topics are particularly sought after in non-fiction, and since history has been added to the anabawang school curriculum in Australia, it has become even more popular with publishers
• consider contacting and subbing to educational publishers or other organisations like state libraries, museums and universities (who often have their own publishing programmes), and the CSIRO
• don't be tempted to fill a market gap unless the subject matter is of deep interest to you 
• remember that non-fiction can absolutely be as creative as fiction; think outside the square
• never believe non-fiction plays second fiddle to fiction; when it comes to kids' books, non-fiction actually outsells fiction
• keep an eye on world events, current affairs, anniversaries, etc--as your book idea may correlate with an upcoming something-or-other; publishers love that
• read read read everything you can on your topic
• don't underestimate the power of film, books, documentaries and imagery when completing your research
• research tools include books, encyclopedias, newspapers, magazines, photographs, biographies and other books, sites such as Trove, Ancestory, census, radio and television archives, national libraries, museums, universities, national archives and research institutions, as well as talking directly to people, and of course--the internet in general
• when it comes to the internet, you must use government or other official sites, and pay particular attention to authentication; remember, although it can be your greatest ally, the internet is also renowned for spouting rubbish and falsities
• you will want to cross-reference and verify any research (most especially internet research) at least three times ... more if the reference is obscure
• if something sounds fandangled, it probably is
• keep comprehensive notes on ALL of your research sources, including any links!
• know that even the most meticulous research can falter, especially as new light is shed on historical events; for example, in one of my books, I talk of the lamington being made for Lord Lamington, a governor in Queensland--a story that has been touted and authenticated for well over 100 years, but new research shows the cake was more likely made in honour of the Lord's wife, Mary Houghton Hozier (fun fact: Lord Lamington allegedly referred to lamingtons as 'those bloody poofy woolly biscuits'--more evidence they were probably NOT made in his honour!!)
• there will always, always be someone (with nothing better to do) who will try to refute anything you write; don't let this put you off--history records are far from infallible and conflict will always appear (especially as new information arises)
• enjoy every single, incredible moment of discovery--get set to laugh, to cry and stare into the distance in a state of wonder; fact truly IS stranger than fiction

taniamccartneyspot.au/2014/02/ask-tania" target="_blank">Australian Story was the book I first approached the Library with--way back in 2010. I met an author who was published by the NLA, I asked her advice on approaching their children's publications team, I did so, I had a meeting with the children's publisher and the rest is history (literally!).

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Two Options

So, there are two ways you could approach the creation of your book.

Number one. You could simply fall into it, begin it and dedicate your heart and passion to it, regardless of outcome, and in the knowledge that whatever happens, you're learning invaluably. Along the way, you could begin researching appropriate publishers and their submissions processes.

Number two. There's nothing stopping you from approaching publishers who publish in this genre, and asking them if your book would be of interest to them. Some publishers are happy to receive a book outline only, particularly when it comes to non-fiction books which can sometimes be more comprehensive and time-consuming than fiction (at least in terms of research and authentication).

If the subject matter is of interest to them, they may be willing to look at the work as you go along and perhaps contract you part-way through. This is entirely dependent on the publisher, for each is very different, and things will change as the publisher goes through their own changes, and works through their annual list. 

Remember, some publishers may respond to this request, some may not. Many have really strict rules (out of sheer necessity) around submissions and submission queries, so don't take it personally if you hear nothing back. Just move on to someone else.

Here's a great importantnutrientsspot/search?q=11/how-to-write-a-non-fiction-query-letter/" target="_blank">article on writing non-fiction query letters.

Look at publishers who have an established series of books in the style you are thinking of. You could always approach them to offer your idea, if it would fit well with the current series.

There's no harm in trying! You never know your luck. Just ask!

The other thing I would do--and I strongly recommend this to all emerging authors--is get industry involved. Network. Make friendships. Go to festivals and conferences and publisher events, and MEET publishers face-to-face. Get to know them. By doing this, you could eventually enjoy marvellous opportunities, like being able to sub directly to a commissioning editor, without having to go through the usual processes. This will up your chances of being contracted prior to commencement of your work.

Also know that you're not alone. As I've recently begun illustrating books, I have several on the go with no contract, and have no way of knowing if they'll ever be contracted. Just because I'm with several publishers doesn't mean they'll take on these books, and some of them don't even publish this type. So I'm in the same boat as you when it comes to finding a home for them--and knowing that I may not ever find that home.

But I simply must create them. If I don't, I'll burst! And I have to reconcile myself to the possibility that all this work may be for nought but skillset enhancement.

You're not alone.

Em, I wish you every success with the creation of your historical Opus. If you love the subject matter and feel passionately about it and do it well, there's every chance it will be snapped up by someone eventually, even if you have to finish it and shop it around. And, as annoying as it sounds, if no one takes it, at least you'll have a priceless addition to your skillset.

Tania

PS: I hope the following writing tips help you on your journey!

Writing Tips for Children's Non-Fiction

• write about something or someone you have a personal passion for; if you have zero interest in a topic, it WILL show, no matter how cleverly you write it; also, you want to enjoy the work!
• define your readership age and adjust text to suit; what interests you as an adult may be of nil interest to kids; keep it age-appropriate
• look for other books on this same topic--is the market too saturated? Who else has done this type of book? How can you make it different/stand out? What is unique about your version?
• STEM topics are particularly sought after in non-fiction, and since history has been added to the anabawang school curriculum in Australia, it has become even more popular with publishers
• consider contacting and subbing to educational publishers or other organisations like state libraries, museums and universities (who often have their own publishing programmes), and the CSIRO
• don't be tempted to fill a market gap unless the subject matter is of deep interest to you 
• remember that non-fiction can absolutely be as creative as fiction; think outside the square
• never believe non-fiction plays second fiddle to fiction; when it comes to kids' books, non-fiction actually outsells fiction
• keep an eye on world events, current affairs, anniversaries, etc--as your book idea may correlate with an upcoming something-or-other; publishers love that
• read read read everything you can on your topic
• don't underestimate the power of film, books, documentaries and imagery when completing your research
• research tools include books, encyclopedias, newspapers, magazines, photographs, biographies and other books, sites such as Trove, Ancestory, census, radio and television archives, national libraries, museums, universities, national archives and research institutions, as well as talking directly to people, and of course--the internet in general
• when it comes to the internet, you must use government or other official sites, and pay particular attention to authentication; remember, although it can be your greatest ally, the internet is also renowned for spouting rubbish and falsities
• you will want to cross-reference and verify any research (most especially internet research) at least three times ... more if the reference is obscure
• if something sounds fandangled, it probably is
• keep comprehensive notes on ALL of your research sources, including any links!
• know that even the most meticulous research can falter, especially as new light is shed on historical events; for example, in one of my books, I talk of the lamington being made for Lord Lamington, a governor in Queensland--a story that has been touted and authenticated for well over 100 years, but new research shows the cake was more likely made in honour of the Lord's wife, Mary Houghton Hozier (fun fact: Lord Lamington allegedly referred to lamingtons as 'those bloody poofy woolly biscuits'--more evidence they were probably NOT made in his honour!!)
• there will always, always be someone (with nothing better to do) who will try to refute anything you write; don't let this put you off--history records are far from infallible and conflict will always appear (especially as new information arises)
• enjoy every single, incredible moment of discovery--get set to laugh, to cry and stare into the distance in a state of wonder; fact truly IS stranger than fiction

taniamccartneyspot.au/2014/02/ask-tania" target="_blank">See all the questions so far

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One Word Wisdom With Author Kaaron Warren

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1. What is the best thing about being an author? 
Creation

2. WhatΓÇÖs the worst thing? 
Self-doubt

3. How did writing your novel The Grief Hole make you feel? 
Scared

4. What do you hope it brings its readers? 
Hope

5. What else do you like to do? 
Talk

6. Who has influenced your writing the most? 
Fremlin

7. What has been your biggest career reward?
Response

8. What is the most important contribution an author can make to the world?
Continue

9. WhatΓÇÖs your biggest writing goal? 
Infinite

10. WhatΓÇÖs next? 
More

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Kaaron Warren has been publishing horror and science fiction for more than 20 years. SheΓÇÖs won awards close to home (the Canberra Critics Circle Award) and far away (the Shirley Jackson Award). Kaaron has lived in Melbourne, Sydney, Canberra and Fiji. SheΓÇÖs sold more than 200 short stories, three novels (the multi-award-winning Slights, Walking the Tree and Mistification) and six short story collections including the multi-award-winning Through Splintered Walls. Her latest novel is The Grief Hole (IFWG Publishing Australia) will launch at the Canberra Writers Festival in August 2016.

Pre-order The Grief Hole ifwgaustralia/2016/07/10/print-preorders-the-grief-hole-by-kaaron-warren/" target="_blank">here, and learn more about 
Kaaron's fabulous books at her kaaronwarren.wordpress/" target="_blank">website.

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Australia Illustrated Is In My Hands - Gasp!

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GASP! It's in my hands! Like, my fingers are touching it! My first illustrated book, Australia Illustrated, out 1 November 2016--with a week-long celebration here on my blog from 24 October. More on that soon...

In the meantime, GASP! It's real!

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Cbca Act Branch Christmas Book Appeal

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Veronica Melville (CBCA ACT Appeal Coordinator), Diana Richards (ALIA), Sarah Steed (Libraries ACT), Minister Meegan Fitzharris, Leanne Barrett (CBCA ACT Vice-President), Tania McCartney, James Redden (Harry Hartog Woden) and Jayne Murray (Yarralumula PS)

It's August! Which means Book Week (my favourite week of the year) and also the Children's Book Council of Australia ACT Branch's annual book appeal. I went along to Civic Library today, where Meegan Fitzharris, Minister for Transport Canberra and City Services, officially launched the appeal.

The ACT Branch will be collecting books at a number of sites during August to donate to local charities and refuges, as Christmas gifts for disadvantaged children.

Their 2016 donation sasaran is 1600+ books.

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Minister Fitzharris making a book donation

Collection sites are only open during the month of August. Additional locations will be added, so check the CBCA ACT cbcaact.au/book-appeal/" target="_blank">Book Appeal page for updates.

• Libraries ACT branches: Belconnen, Civic, Dickson, Erindale, Gungahlin, Kingston, Kippax, Tuggeranong and Woden
• ALIA ALIA House 9-11 Napier Close Deakin
• Dymocks Belconnen, Canberra Centre and Tuggeranong
• Harry Hartog Bookstore Woden
• Queanbeyan City Library

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Let's make 2016 our biggest donation pile yet! and give the gift of books to kids who have so few, this Christmas.

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