December 7th - Katherine Lynas

#W8PAdvent

See the whole image and the growing Advent calendar here.

katherinelynas.com

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Ten-Minute Blog Break - 20th May

What do video games, viruses and vampires have in common (well, apart from the obvious alliteration)?

They all make an appearance on the Blog Break this week!


My prediction that the Writing Process Blog Tour would die off when it ran out of writers to consume has been proved wrong. Like a fiendishly clever virus, it has mutated and this week's victims are all writer/illustrators. Katherine Lynas talks about her work with the funeverse, before handing over to Sam Zuppardi, who has some interesting advice on how to manage and grow ideas. Paul Morton then picks up the baton - giving us a sneak peek at couple of picture books he's working on - and hands it on to current Words & Pictures featured artist Jamie Stevenson. Anyone who is only an illustrator is advised to turn off their internet connection right now, before the blog tour can mutate further. You have been warned!

I really liked the discussion guide that Candy Gourlay has built for readers of Shine. I found her questions on the book thought-provoking, and tried not to be too annoyed that her novel seemed so thematically complex and cleverly constructed. I'm thinking of starting a petition requesting that Candy gives us other children's writers a chance, by making her next book very generic and full of dumb action scenes *

This week, we find out why Lorraine Gregory hasn't blogged for ages - she's been playing too many video games. Oh wait, that's not the reason - it's because her "brain has been exploding" from all the intensive help she's been getting on her manuscript from those nice people at the Golden Egg Academy. Find out from Lorraine why getting better as a writer is a lot like leveling up in a video game.

Thirty years ago, I was still drawing misshapen pictures of Dennis the Menace. John Shelley, on the other hand, was creating beautiful pen and ink illustrations for the novel A Canoe in the Mist by Elsie Locke. His blog post all about the book is like opening a treasure trove and I was entranced by John's drawings and the story behind their creation.

Nick.

* Not really. Well, unless she really wants to. Mind you, that version of Shine with the vampires did sound pretty cool...

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A SCBWI member since 2009, Nick Cross is a former Undiscovered Voices winner who currently writes children's short fiction for Stew Magazine, the May issue of which is out now!

Ten-Minute Blog Break - 6th May

As I write this, it's Bank Holiday Monday, the sun is shining, and yet here I am inside, ironing shirts for the week ahead while simultaneously typing on a laptop (no, really I am). Oh, how we must suffer for our art!


Sue Hyams has some home truths for us this week, specifically 5 Truths We Must Face Up To When Writing A Novel. She kicks off with "The story doesn't write itself" and it turns out this applies to the Blog Break too (makes mental note to investigate automated RSS web doohickeys and robot ironing boards before next week).

Paula Harrison celebrated an amazing achievement last week - the publication of the twelfth and final Rescue Princesses book. Somehow, she also found time for a bit of blogging, writing a post for Girls Heart Books. It will surprise no-one to discover that the prolific Paula has a brain full to bursting of book ideas and other "mum stuff", but she also manages to give some great tips on how to point your brain in the direction of the right story when you sit down to work.

Anyone who remembers John Shelley's amazing interactive world map from last year is in for another treat! This time, John has been commissioned by the Japanese Mainichi Newspaper to produce a map focusing on Japan, and it's packed with all the humorous detail we've come to expect from this meticulous illustrator.

I feel a little remiss in not giving much attention to The funeverse in this column. Still, that doesn't seem to have harmed the poets' output of funny verse, nor the parade of guest artists who have generously offered their artwork as the creative seed for those poems. Loretta Schauer is the guest illustrator for May, and so far Katherine Lynas and George Kirk have married their verse to her illustrations (viewers of a sensitive disposition should be warned that George's post contains shameless overacting).

Are we about to see a whole new side of double Crystal Kite winner Candy Gourlay? Well, it seems she's taking a course in creating graphic novels and drawing her own diary in the form of a comic, so maybe...

Nick.

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A SCBWI member since 2009, Nick Cross is a former Undiscovered Voices winner who currently writes children's short fiction for Stew Magazine.

Nick's life as an author is filled with ups and downs, so he made a graph of them! Ride The Roller Coaster of Writerly Emotion.

Ten-Minute Blog Break - 3rd September

This is Nick back from holiday (many thanks to Celia J. Anderson for her inspired deputising on the Blog Break last week). I always love it when a theme emerges from the SCBWI blogs, and (appropriately) this week is all about the benefits of taking a creative break.

Bryony Pearce has been switching her brain off on holiday, but paradoxically finding that it stokes her creative inspiration. Interestingly, Lorraine Gregory is seeing almost exactly the same effect - her hectic rundown of her summer holiday activities makes me feel tired, but she's now raring to get back to her latest book. Finally, Trish Phillips tried to take time off from her dog illustrations by going for a walk on the beach, only to find inspiration running around and wagging its tail!

Katherine Lynas blogs on the funeverse about what to do when a creative break isn't self-imposed, but caused by a complete lack of ideas. Katherine's post is full of fun suggestions for how to get those creative juices flowing again. Anyone up for writing a poem about pineapples, gorillas and golf?

I would have loved to go to the Demention bloggers' Edinburgh Festival events, but will have to make do with the next best thing, which is Teri Terry's report on their two sold-out appearances. SCBWI authors as dystopian superstars - who knew?

Nick.

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Nick Cross is a children's writer, blogger and all-round techno-ninja. In 2010 he was a winner of Undiscovered Voices with his zombie comedy Back from the Dead.

If you haven't tried it already, check out Nick's latest creation, The Amazing Rejectomatic.

Network News Central North

By Liz Miller 

 

Here in Central North we are a welcoming group of published and pre-published writers and illustrators of everything from picture books to YA. We hold regular writing workshops, occasional author talks and annual publisher events alongside our thriving monthly critique meetings at the Museum of Lincolnshire Life. Most of our group are Lincolnshire based but the Nottinghamshire contingent is growing and we’re always trying to think of new ways of reaching our members in East Riding and South Yorkshire.

Writing, critique and support are priorities but in recent months many of our members have also been seen bowling, climbing, power walking, running, cycling, fencing and working out with Davina. What is driving them to these extreme fitness challenges?

Well if you’ve been to Lincoln you’ll know all about the vertiginous incline in the middle - Steep Hill.

So when our very own Addy Farmer told us she was putting together a fantastic selection of events as part of the forthcoming Lincoln Inspired Festival of Literature, Performance and Art, we knew we had to do some serious training.The following SCBWI led events take place over the weekend of 11th and 12th May . . . betwixt the top and bottom of this hill.

We warned you it was steep!

On Saturday 11^th May, Addy will run The Craft and the Graft and the Road to Being Published at Lincoln Drill Hall, offering one- to- one slots for children’s writers.  Book in early and you’ll have time to stroll leisurely up to the Museum of Lincolnshire Life for Museum Curator and SCBWI member, Debbie Holt’s Inspiration Through Artefacts session. Book in late and we suggest you pack your running shoes because you won’t want to miss it – we know, we’ve done it before! Come and handle objects from the museum’s educational boxes, hear some of their stories and be inspired to write your own.

We're going on an artefact hunt.

Walking shoes on (or something faster if you need food as well) and then it’s back to the Drill Hall to hear Emily Thomas, publisher with the fabulous HOT Key Books, talk about the children’s book industry and how she finds and nurtures talent.

Now you can don your leisure shoes as you have time to wander, shop, be a tourist, relax, eat, sleep, fence, bowl, whatever. Just remember to come back on Sunday morning, 12th May and join Katherine Lynas (temporarily poached from the North East, shhh don’t tell them!) Katherine will be leading a Scrawlcrawl from the Drill Hall. Pens, paper and drawing equipment advisable; bowling balls and epees optional. Sturdy leisure shoes should be fine – it is Sunday after all.

If you’ve been inspired to join us for these events, further details and booking information can be found here. 

If you’ve been inspired to come and join us at one of our monthly meetings we’d love to see you.

SCBWI Central North

Or if you’d like help in setting up something more local to your part of Central North we can support you to do that. Email Addy Farmer and Gill Hutchison at centralnorthATbritishscbwiDOTorg

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Liz Miller writes picture books and joined SCBWI in 2010. She has a penchant for volunteering which has led to her being joint moderator of the SCBWI e-critique group PictureBook Too, co-founder of the Early Readers e-critique group and a reading volunteer in local schools. She knows she should sit on her hands when volunteering opportunities arise but life would be less varied and she can’t write with her nose.