Ten-Minute Blog Break - 13th January

In the wake of the shocking Paris attacks, this week's column should probably be renamed "The Ten-Minute Freedom of Speech Break". Be warned though, this is one debate that's going to take a lot longer than ten minutes to reach a resolution.

Those looking for books to help them, and their children, understand the world in the wake of this week's events should check out the excellent list by Sita Brahmachari on the Guardian Children's Books site, which includes SCBWI writers such as Miriam Halahmy and Sam Osman.

One of the authors at The Edge uses their weekly blog slot to mount a robust response to the recent violence, arguing for the continued importance of unfettered freedom of speech.

K.M. Lockwood takes a more cautious (but no less thoughtful) approach in her blog post, and focuses on the risk of polarisation in the debate on freedom of expression.

Sarah McIntyre blogged her own detailed reaction to the Charlie Hebdo killings, and voiced her hopes that the events in Paris could ultimately lead to more people around the world taking up cartooning/comics to tell their stories. Commendably, Sarah then wrote a second, even longer post called I Want to Make Cartoons & Comics But I Have No Idea Where to Start, which is full of useful advice on how to make that happen.

As for me, I deliberately haven't weighed in on the subject up till now. But I will say that I identified most strongly with that Joe Sacco comic that Sarah includes in her first blog post - free speech is all very well, but what do we want to achieve with that freedom?

OK, time to leave the weighty topics for something lighter. And what could be lighter than snow? Catherine Friess has a list of snowy picture books to cuddle around while dodging the winter weather outside.

Larisa Villar Hauser has decided to stop juggling and just "be". It all sounds very zen, but it's really a way to cope with being a writer, publisher, translator, mother etc. without going completely mad!

Finally, Liz Flanagan has an interview with someone who "popped over for a cup of tea." That doesn't sound very exciting, until you realise that Liz has Melvin Burgess in her living room! In an entertaining blog post, Melvin talks about the current state of YA and shares some tips on writing for teenagers.

Nick.

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

On his blog, Nick is thinking about flashbacks, and their use as a narrative device: Flashback to the Future.

Ten-Minute Blog Break - 6th January

Welcome to the future! According to Back to the Future II, people in 2015 should be riding on hoverboards or driving flying cars. Sadly, this doesn't yet seem to have come to pass, but at least someone invented the blog post!

Christmas came late for Chitra Soundar, who definitely wins this week's prize for perseverance. Seven years after first writing a picture book about Anasi (the West African spider-spirit) and a mere two years after she first submitted it to OUP Pakistan, they finally accepted it for publication! Such are The Perks of Patience.

Alistair Lane has set himself a target for the year - writing 12 stories in 12 months. But he doesn't want to do it alone, and he's set up a Facebook group to encourage other writers to join him. Read Alistair's blog post to find out all about his new collective.

Space on the Bookshelf are trying something a little different this week, with their first 3D review of a self-published book. SCBWI author Amanda Hatter is the lucky recipient, and her novel Callum Fox and the Mousehole Ghost is clearly one of those books that gives self-publishing a good name!

Is it a bird? Is it a horse? No, it's a Dartmoor Pegasus! Enjoy Sarah McIntyre and Philip Reeve's latest burst of adorable whimsy, as it unfolds post-by-post on Sarah's blog.

I'm sure we all managed to leave plenty of used wrapping paper and empty chocolate boxes behind in 2014, but sadly, library closures seem harder to shake off. Nicola Morgan has written an impassioned post about the fight to save Falkirk School Library Service, with a deadline to leave feedback for the council by the end of this week.

Whenever I've tried to write a review of my year, I generally can't remember more than the last couple of months. Dee Kirkby was smarter than me - she's been recording all the very nicest bits of 2014 as they happened, and gives us a quick rundown on her blog.

Nick.

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

Nick has delved into his archives for the third year running, and found some wonderful lost lunacy for your reading pleasure. Check out The Museum of Me - The Lost Years.

Ten-Minute Blog Break - 16th December

It's been one of those days - I broke my tooth during breakfast, and everything that followed had to be fitted around dentistry! But fear not, because I managed to squeeze the Blog Break in, and good job too, because there are some great posts this week!

On the SCBWI-BI Facebook group, I've already flagged up Anne-Marie Perks's prominent (but strangely uncredited) appearance on the BBC News site with her wordless picture book illustrations. Over at Big Little Tales, Anne-Marie shares more background on the project and artwork from the forthcoming companion volume.

Last week, we had a wonderful story of perseverance rewarded (from Kathy Evans). This week, it's the turn of my fellow Undiscovered Voices 2010 winner Abbie Rushton. Ever wonder what it's like to have that meeting with a publisher? Read Abbie's post and find out all about it.

There's a great process-related post on Sarah McIntyre's blog this week. Responding to a query from an MA illustration student, Sarah tells us all about her sketchbooks and how important they are to her creative process.

Claire O'Brien also has some great advice for picture book illustrators, focusing on internet video training courses. In her blog post, Claire highlights some courses on a variety of sites that she's found engrossing.

Have you got a difficult teenager (or adult) who you want to buy a book for this Christmas? Nicola Morgan has gone straight to the source for her book recommendations, asking the teens of Larbert High School for their must-reads.

We're all about advice this week, and Candy Gourlay is happy to contribute. She's just made her first virtual author visit using Google Hangouts, and her blog post provides a guide as to how easily you can use the same technology.

Nick.

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

Ten-Minute Blog Break - 9th December

After resisting Christmas for exactly one week, reality has descended on the Blog Break in a shower of tinsel. So enjoy some festively-themed posts dotted amongst the usual weekly round-up of our SCBWI bloggers.

What could be a better Christmas present than a contract for your debut novel? If you went anywhere near Facebook over the weekend, you were probably unable to avoid the wave of joy (and dare I say it, relief) because Kathy Evans has finally, finally got a book deal. It seemed for a long time that there was indeed no justice in the universe, but Kathy and her agent soldiered on and placed her YA novel More of Me with Usborne. Here's Kathy telling us all about it.

Sarah McIntyre has gone all out on the book-themed free merchandise this Christmas. If you feel like knitting your own Jampire, or sending a special Jampires card, then this post has all the details. If, on the other hand, you prefer a Cakes in Space theme to your mailings, then listen up, because Hark the Herald Poglites Sing.

Layn Marlow is hosting a very special conversation on her blog, as she chats with an imaginary squirrel. While this might normally be grounds for prescribing stronger medication, Layn's illustrated blog post turns out to be a rather sweet treat!

At Catherine Friess's house, the advent calendar is a major undertaking. Read Catherine's blog to see how the first week of Snowy and Christmas’s book advent calendar turned out (and it's nice to see SCBWI-BI author Alice Hemming's picture book making an appearance on December 5th).

Writing a book often requires a large number of drafts, and it seems that artwork is no different. David Thorpe's blog post showcases a fascinating time lapse video that demonstrates how many passes his cover artist needed to render the atmospheric artwork for his latest novel Stormteller.

Finally, a worthwhile cause that's also very local to me is highlighted in Robin Stevens's post for Space on the Bookshelf. The Oxford Blackwell's Giving Tree is a fantastic way to donate a book to a disadvantaged child who otherwise would not receive one, and this year you can donate online as well!

Nick.

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

Ten-Minute Blog Break - 11th November

How's NaNoWriMo treating you? You may think that writing a novel in a month is tough, but how about producing a whole comic in 24 hours (without sleep) like Sarah McIntyre did a couple of weeks ago?

I missed Sarah's blog when she first posted it, but it's well worth catching up on - there's tons of creative process, illustration technique and varying levels of sleep-deprivation into the bargain. Even better, you can read her whole comic Scribble here.

Something else that I missed in the wake of the conference was National Dyslexia Awareness week. Thankfully, Space on the Bookshelf had that all wrapped up with a series of Dyslexia-friendly book reviews. The series concludes with a review of Ransom Publishing's Star Struck books, which just happen to be co-authored by super SCBWI volunteer Anita Loughrey. Anita even gets her very own interview on the site.

Talking of the SCBWI conference, a brace of bloggers have crafted their thoughts on the weekend. Kate Peridot found that exhilaration (and not exhaustion) overwhelmed her, as she dreamed of being up on that Saturday Book Launch stage. Sarah Broadley has already blogged about the conference once, but comes back for a second bite of the cherry to detail her session with Melvin Burgess. And Loretta Schauer pays tribute to Outstanding Contribution Award winner Anne Marie Perks, then shares a wonderful picture of Nick Butterworth's Halloween party "friend" (by the way, was it just me, or was there a touch of Harry Hill in Nick's delightful keynote speech?)

As a writer, I've always been inspired by contemporary people and their stories. Yet, I know that some people are drawn to places and legends to drive their imagination, which seems to be the case for David Thorpe. In an evocative blog post for Awfully Big Blog Adventure, David talks about the inspirations for his new YA novel Stormteller (which also manages to have a contemporary theme).

Finally, not content with blogging on this site just yesterday, Natascha Biebow also wrote a piece for Picture Book Den. Following up her post on breakout picture book premises, Natascha delights in picture book plot twists that zing!

Nick.

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

Nick's most recent blog is all about the reasons Why You Should Support Stew Magazine, as they launch their Kickstarter campaign.

Ten-Minute Blog Break - 28th October

Attribution is an interesting subject in publishing. The writer is often credited as the sole creative force, but what about all the editors and designers behind the scenes? And what if the book is illustrated as well?

Attribution certainly became a big issue for Sarah McIntyre, when her book Oliver and the Seawigs was nominated for the Carnegie Medal, but only her co-creator Philip Reeve was listed for the award. You don’t need me to tell you that Sarah did not take that lying down, as her crusade to change the submission rules proves!

I know I featured the fight against Liverpool City Council’s plan to close eleven of its libraries last week, but:
A) You can never make enough fuss about library closures
B) I was much taken by Paula Rawsthorne’s letter to Mayor Joe Anderson, which argues the case for public libraries both from the heart and the head.

To live your creative life fully is to accept a constant process of evolution. To that end, I’m very much enjoying watching Maureen Lynas (who I once saw as primarily a writer) spreading her artistic wings. Her Klimt-inspired Red Riding Hood is a lovely image.

Marie Basting is getting in touch with her inner small person this week, in a bid to perfect her voice and point of view. Prepare to tie a towel around your neck as a makeshift superhero cape when you dive into her blog post.

Finally, a couple of SCBWI bloggers are focusing on the importance of reading to improve your writing. K.M. Lockwood provides her own take on the Kathleen Hale story about stalking book reviewers (which appeared in the Guardian recently). As a writer and a reviewer, K.M. gives a very positive perspective on the perks of being a reader. Elsewhere, I found myself nodding in agreement with Vanessa Harbour, as she complains about some writers of children’s fiction, who somehow think it’s appropriate to claim that they don’t read other children’s books. Not big and definitely not clever!

Nick.

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A SCBWI member since 2009, Nick Cross is an Undiscovered Voices winner who currently writes children's short fiction for Stew Magazine (September issue out now).

Nick's most recent blog post takes a look back at a year of Stew Magazine stories and teases out the common threads that bind them. What's the Story?

Ten-Minute Blog Break - 16th September

I'm sure I wasn't the only one buoyed up by Jan's super-positive editorial at the weekend. And there certainly is plenty of good stuff out there if you know where to look, as this week's Blog Break once again proves.

Every writer is looking for the golden ticket, an idea which is just so compelling that it will motivate them to do their best work and crack the market wide open. But how can you identify a breakout premise for a picture book? Natascha Biebow has plenty of advice at Picture Book Den.

My drawing of Pilbeam the robot from Cakes in Space

I was at Sarah McIntyre and Philip Reeve's book launch for Cakes in Space on Saturday, and I can confirm that a very good time was had by all. Amongst the treats on offer were drawing lessons, a new song and interactive video comedy involving sporks(!) But fear not if you couldn't make it, because Sarah has written a blog post with tons of photos from the event.



There's a fantastic interview with Sam Zuppardi on the Scottish Book Trust website this week. I especially liked the anecdote about his childhood biblical confusion!

Candy Gourlay is exploring diaries this week, discussing how they can be used for personal reflection, as creative fodder and as an exercise for author visits. She shares some great tips for keeping a diary, and lets us have a peek at the diaries the kids made in response.

Finally, I found a lot of food for thought this week in Marie Basting's blog post all about embracing the dark side of her creative personality. It set me wondering as to why it is that we become compelled to write certain stories, even when we're trying to do something quite different. That led me to my own post a few days later, all about a character that I just can't stop writing about.

Nick.

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A SCBWI member since 2009, Nick Cross is an Undiscovered Voices winner who currently writes children's short fiction for Stew Magazine (September issue out now).

Nick's most recent blog post (mentioned above) traces The Evolution of Max.

Ten-Minute Blog Break - 12th August

After a quiet last week at the offices of my day job, there's been a sudden return of people from holiday. I hope the same is true of you SCBWI folks and you're all out there raring to read another Blog Break!

Sarah McIntyre contributes this week's must read blog post, fearlessly taking on the furore around the new Penguin Modern Classics cover for Roald Dahl's Charlie and the Chocolate Factory. As well as showcasing some great parodies of the cover art by Philip Reeve, Candy Gourlay and others, Sarah engages thoughtfully and rationally with the issue, without making a knee-jerk reaction.

What is it that makes writers feel so bad about not writing? Sue Hyams contributes a somewhat guilty list entitled Ten Things That Are NOT Writing My Novel (but they're not far off). Strangely, Sue fails to mention writing blog posts in the list, which perhaps brings the total to eleven!

Fans of A Boy and a Bear in a Boat and Good Dog, Bad Dog will want to check out Space on the Bookshelf's interview with their writer/illustrator Dave Shelton.

It sometimes seems as though self-published authors are just hanging around in the wings, waiting for a traditional publisher to pick up their novel and drive them to fame. So I found Julie Day's defence of her independence a refreshing perspective.

Finally, if you're not returning from holiday, but (like Dave Cousins) about to leave, you'll be wondering about suitable reading material. There's a teensy bit of self-interest for me in promoting Dave's post on summer reading, as I wrote one of the recommendations. But there are also lots of other kidlit people offering their advice on great books to take to the beach this year.

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 most recent blog post is a guide to writing flash fiction, to celebrate the latest issue of Stew!

Ten-Minute Blog Break - 5th August

A big thanks to Philippa for holding the fort so expertly last week.
I'm just back from holiday and still catching up on stuff, but I've prioritised the two most important activities - booking my place at the November Conference and writing this!

The SCBWI Picture Book Retreat seems to have triggered a massive burst of creativity, inspiring three very different blog posts. Sue Eves gives some nifty advice on making mini books and talks about her adventures with colour. Candy Gourlay finds that time spent with illustrators gives her sudden insight into her writing. And Sarah Broadley? Well, she's written a poem all about the weekend.

Space on the Bookshelf are moving away from traditional books this summer, to focus on some alternative routes to literacy. Their WOW! series promises to celebrate children’s comics, magazines and graphic novels.

Katie Dale is also taking a sideways look at her bookshelf, trying not to judge a book by its cover. There are many wonderful stories out there, which you might never spot if you went by their blurb or their position in the book store. Why not take up Katie's challenge to go Discovering Diamonds?

The ever-busy Sam Zuppardi has contributed an illustrated story to a new music-themed anthology comic called Radio On from indie publisher The Analogue Press. Sam shares a page of his story on his blog, and you can get your own copy of the comic by contributing to the publisher's Kickstarter campaign.

Sarah McIntyre has (of course) written loads of blog posts while I've been away! I particularly liked this one about the American inspirations for her Oliver and the Seawigs drawings, and these very silly unicorns inspired by her Summer Reading Challenge.

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 most recent blog post is a guide to writing flash fiction, to celebrate the latest issue of Stew!

Ten-Minute Blog Break - 15th July

Some weeks, compiling the Blog Break is hard - usually because there are too few good blog posts or too many. It's definitely a case of the latter this week, so apologies go to anyone I've missed out for reasons of space!

Who do we write for? And why? A couple of our bloggers come at this issue from different directions this week. On The Edge, Sara Grant is reliving her teenage years (with a shudder) and analysing why she writes teen fiction. K.M. Lockwood, meanwhile, finds herself trying desperately to follow an agent's advice to write for the child-of-now, when she really wants to write for the child-of-then (herself).

Space on the Bookshelf have rustled up a rather spiffing 3D review of Robin Stevens's 1930s boarding school mystery Murder Most Unladylike. Robin is a SCBWI member herself, and answers questions in an interview, while her editor Natalie Doherty gets a grilling of her own. There's also a review of the novel by both an adult and a nine-year-old reviewer. Top hole!

I'm very glad this week that we get to see the long-awaited results of Candy Gourlay's graphic novel course. Candy's sharing a terrific comic strip with us, an alternately funny and dramatic rendition of the revolution that brought her and her husband together!

I missed YALC (the UK's first YA Literary Conference) at the weekend, but luckily Sarah McIntyre was there with her camera. Check out her unbelievable costume and unbelievable schmoozing!

Nick.

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Nick Cross doesn't think he can come up with a biography this week that's anywhere near as exciting as last time, so isn't going to try.

Ten-Minute Blog Break - 8th July

There will be those amongst you who thought that Sarah McIntyre couldn't possibly top the insane headgear that she wore to launch Oliver and the Seawigs (a six-foot pink confection with a sailing ship on the top). You were wrong.

For the press launch of Seawigs follow-up Cakes in Space, Sarah sports a... well, I'll let you read the blog and find out. I particularly love the transformation that Sarah has wrought on Philip Reeve, who was such a quiet, reserved man when I first met him a few years ago, but is now wearing blue lipstick and dressing like 1970s David Bowie!

There's more good news with another SCBWI book launch, this time for Cliff McNish's Going Home. In fact, it's a double SCBWI success, because Trish Phillips has illustrated the book and blogs about the launch over at Big Little Tales.

K.M. Lockwood starts her latest blog post in something of a quandary. Should she be honest about a subject that's troubling her, or keep quiet for fear of making a bad impression? Fortunately for us, she plumps for the former and reveals her struggles with an unexpected problem - receiving praise for her work.

Sarah Broadley is doing some hands-on research this week, at her local children's library. But after being thrown out by the librarians(!), she returns home to share her own list of top 5 favourite picture books.

Finally, Dave Cousins is reliving his days of being in a rock band by taking his latest book on tour. Charlie Merrick's Misfits is all about football, and Dave's school audiences have a lot of fun with felt-tips making some dream football kit designs.

Nick.

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Nick Cross is a children's writer, ex-zombie and part-time superhero who was born with an intense phobia of Twiglets. Twice voted President of the Universe, Nick has been married on no less than twelve occasions and is a black belt in ju-jukebox (the ancient martial art of compiling playlists). A formidable sportsman, Nick was runner-up at the 2014 world tiddlywinks championship (he also holds the world record for wrapping sellotape around a small child). Nick's other hobbies include embroidery, chainsaw juggling, writing environmentally-sound haikus for Porridge Magazine and telling lies.

Ten-Minute Blog Break - 24th June

I spent most of Saturday running the second-hand book stall at our school fete. It probably won't surprise you that parents constantly go gaga for the books they read as kids, while their children actually want the recent books with cool covers!

Another unsurprising fact is that the prolific Sarah McIntyre has yet another awesome project on the go. This time, it's her contribution to Moose Kid Comics, a high-quality all ages free webcomic that aims to increase the breadth of UK comic publishing. The site was a little slow when I tried it, but hopefully that's down to all the kids reading it!

You may have heard that there's some sort of football thing going on in Brazil? Dave Cousins wisely starts his latest blog post for The Edge by acknowledging: "I like football, but I appreciate it’s not for everyone." You said it Dave, but I enjoyed this post about using sports books to improve literacy despite myself. Dave's list of his top football 11 books for the Guardian is also worth a look.

The timing of this post (after the Carnegie Medal announcement) could have made Space on the Bookshelf's final Carnegie shortlist discussion somewhat moot. But it's a lively read and worth dipping into, especially if the selection of Kevin Brooks' The Bunker Diary proves controversial...

The web is a wonderful tool for making connections across geographical and ideological space, which is demonstrated by John Shelley's excellent interview for The Iranian Research Quarterly of Children and Youth Literature. John's interview is full of great thoughts on the dynamic between writing and illustration, and the importance of strong editorial input.

Finally, Sarah Broadley gives a great report on SCBWI South East Scotland's recent event on Voice and Point of View. The gathering was also an opportunity to celebrate Christina Banach's recent publication and the exhausting achievement that was Sheila Averbuch’s story written with the pupils at Pencaitland Primary School (here are some photos of the latter's launch).

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 most recent blog post is a fairy tale on the "dangers" of fairy tales: The Improbable Prince.

Ten-Minute Blog Break - 3rd June

Katrina Charman was complaining recently about how much time she spends reading the Blog Break when she should be writing. Sorry, Katrina - perhaps you should look away now as this week's installment is chock-full of procrastination opportunities!

I can't keep up with Sarah McIntyre; even reading her blog makes me feel exhausted! Her trip to the Hay Festival seems to have packed in enough stuff to turn anyone into a gibbering wreck - random radio appearances, ukelele playing, outrageous schmoozing, frantic live drawing - the list goes on. Sarah is clearly powered by some superhuman energy source, as she's also blogged this week about her recent visit to the 26 Characters exhibition at Oxford's Story Museum and joined in with the Writing Process Blog Tour. Somebody stop her!

Three other SCBWI writers join Sarah for the now traditional fortnightly round-up of the Writing Process Blog Tour. Sue Eves recounts the breathless tale of her writing adventures at last year's SCBWI retreat (I vividly remember her excitement). Anita Loughrey repeatedly states that she is "not in a particular hurry" yet seems to be extremely busy. Finally, fiction and non-fiction author Alex Woolf outs himself as a "writing geek" and gives some terrific advice on writing horror.

Katriona Chapman (not to be confused with Katrina Charman!) is blogging on Big Little Tales and as always her post is a treat, full of detail and with copious examples of the illustrators who inspire her work. This week, Katriona takes on the seemingly massive task of documenting her holiday in a serialised comic, adapting her style in clever ways to make the task a little simpler.

The Carnegie Prize is trundling our way again, and the Space on the Bookshelf team are taking on the challenge of shadowing the shortlist. Sally Poyton is first up with a review of All the Truth That’s in Me by Julie Berry and there are plenty more reviews to come.

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, the May/June issue of which is out now!

Ten-Minute Blog Break - 13th May

I was a little worried this week that no-one would have written blogs, due to the two different writing retreats over the weekend (one of which I was at). But luckily, our SCBWI bloggers haven't deserted the internet entirely!


Birthdays can be a time not just of celebration, but also ambivalence (I know this feeling because I have one myself later this week). Nick Cook's Cloud Riders had its book birthday last week, and he perfectly expressed his mixed emotions on his blog. When you've worked on a book for seven years, publication can feel like your child is leaving home.

I'm always pleased to discover new SCBWI member blogs, so it was a treat when Liz Flanagan sent me a link to hers. Liz is both a published writer and a coach, so her artfully composed posts range from this inspiring look at an outdoor children's storytelling event (which is full of neat activity ideas) to a post on dealing with a creative knockback.

Anne-Marie Perks has been filling her time between projects by taking an online course in Visual Storytelling. Despite (or possibly because) she was the only student, Anne-Marie gained a huge amount from the course and shares it with us in a detailed blog post.

Finally, if you'd wondered why England was feeling a bit quiet recently, it's because Sarah McIntyre was out of the country! Sarah took her large collection of hats and terribly understated clothes (ahem) on a tour of schools in Spain, and you can read about her experiences on her blog.

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, the May issue of which is out now!

Ten-Minute Blog Break - 22nd April

Hello Scoobies, I hope Easter brought you lots of chocolate/non-fattening alternatives. My thanks go to Nicky Schmidt for holding the fort last week, though my being away was (of course) all part of a secret plan to feature on the Blog Break myself!

The ever-prolific Sarah McIntyre has a very practical post about picture book layouts this week, using the roughs from her own There's a Shark in the Bath to illustrate the process. And if that's whetted your appetite, you can find a whole lot more advice in our Words and Pictures Picture Book Basics series.

By coincidence, Sarah's Verne and Lettuce is one of the graphic novel recommendations for those unfamiliar with the form, which Katriona Chapman lists at Big Little Tales. Those new to comics may also find the free booklet Raising a Reader helpful, as it explains all about how to navigate those tricky panels and word balloons.

Katie Dale is investigating the Patron of Reading scheme over at The Edge. After finding out all the positive things that Patrons do for their assigned schools, Katie quite fancies becoming one herself (as do I now I've read the article!)

Something that I definitely won't be eligible for is the WoMentoring Project, which asks professional literary women to help up-and-coming female writers. But K.M. Lockwood has volunteered, as she tells us on her blog.

Finally, the piece of writing that resonated most strongly with me this week was Robert Muchamore's article for the Guardian. His description of a horrifying descent into depression, insomnia and psychosis mirrored my own (slightly milder) experience from a few years back. Staying awake for four days might sound rock and roll, but trust me, it's no fun at all!

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 most recent blog post was about creative ambition - should you always Reach for the Sky?

Ten-Minute Blog Break - 25th February

Numbers seem to be a big theme in the world of SCBWI blogging this week, whether it's:
1) how many books you've sold
2) how many you've read, or
3) how much better it is to have three things in a list!


Katie Dale blogs at The Edge this week, with an honest (if slightly depressing) look at author finances. Clearly explaining concepts such as advances and royalties, Katie breaks down the language of publishing deals and even tells you how many copies J.K. Rowling and Stephanie Meyer had to sell before they broke even. Writing is by no means a guaranteed money-spinner and Katie's inevitable conclusion is Don't Give Up The Day Job.

Lists are everywhere at the moment, as Buzzfeed-esque articles threaten to make the Internet collapse (or maybe that's just how they make me feel!) But here's a list that provides a nice break from "10 GIFs of Puppet Characters That Look Like Michael Gove", as K.M. Lockwood takes on The Hundred Book Challenge, listing the 100 books that made her the author she is today.

There was nowhere else I could put this next post than as the third item in the Blog Break. SCBWI-BI Regional Adviser and picture book supremo Natascha Biebow is telling us all about The Wonderful Rule of Three and its myriad uses in storytelling.

It's always nice to discover someone new, and I was very pleased to stumble upon Zoe Boyd Clack's blog this week. Zoe's post Capturing The Castle takes an engrossing look at the importance of setting in children's books, and gives examples of Middle Grade and Young Adult books with a superlative sense of place.

Finally, regular readers will know that I got shanghaied by a sea monkey last year and am more than a teensy bit excited by the forthcoming Sarah McIntyre and Philip Reeve book. Well, it got even better this week when I discovered that the book is about two of my favourite things - cakes and space! Read Sarah's blog post as she introduces some new characters from Cakes in Space, and talks about the unusual inspiration for their look.

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 and currently writes short fiction for Stew Magazine, an event that was recently celebrated on this site.

Ten-Minute Blog Break - 4th February

I'm sure you've been on tenterhooks since last week, wondering what happened to that enormous boil on Maureen Lynas's bum? Well, you can either find out here or you can read on for some blog posts that don't sound like an episode of Embarrassing Bodies...

Amanda Lillywhite hasn't blogged for ages, so it's great to see her joining in Hourly Comic Day with a comic strip all about her life on the 1st February 2014. As a special bonus, Sarah McIntyre also contributes her own graphical slice of life.

Mark Jones is someone else I haven't featured for a while, but his latest post about Resketch Books caught my eye. These are a terrific idea, sketchbooks made from paper that has been recycled simply by turning it over! So you get all kinds of random text and architectural diagrams on different grades of paper, interspersed with blank spaces for you to dream up your own ideas. As someone who suffers greatly from the tyranny of the blank page, I strongly approve.

Space on the Bookshelf have found space for Karen Ball this week, who undergoes a rigorous Q&A from Nicki Thornton all about the Book Bound Retreat that Karen and others are running in May. If you're really serious about getting your book published and you think you've got the writing craft part sorted out, this initiative could be for you.

We hear a lot about the benefits of SCBWI writing critique groups, but what about drawing critique? Shana Nieberg-Suschitzky posts at Big Little Tales with a fascinating example of before and after picture book drawings that have been improved by group feedback. And she even receives further useful feedback in the comments for her blog post. That's SCBWI in action, people!

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 and currently writes short fiction for Stew Magazine, an event that was recently celebrated on this site.

Ten-Minute Blog Break - 28th January

Oh, the agony of choice!

I had far too many good blog posts to choose from this week, so do excuse me if I missed you out - your time will come, I'm sure.



There's nothing I like better than a bit of call and response, where one post sparks off another writer to blog on the same issue. Nicky Schmidt's post on her voice-related epiphany was the catalyst this week, generating many comments and inspiring Maureen Lynas to relate The Boil on the Bum Incident in response. And how can you go wrong with a title like that?

Candy Gourlay continues her mission to take over the Blog Break, posting twice on different sites this week. But I'm wise to your tricks, Gourlay! Out of the two posts, the most useful is a nifty guide on Notes from the Slushpile, where Candy brings her journalistic background to bear on the world of social media.

Fans of wormholes, whirlpools and other things that swirl will love Nick Cook's cover reveal for his forthcoming Cloud Riders. It's bold and beautiful!

Movie adaptations of books often get a bad press for dumbing down their source material, but Sally Poyton has a different point of view. As a child growing up with dyslexia, she found that book adaptations were a fantastic way to unlock the material and help her enjoy the printed work. Read all about it in her blog post.

Finally, I was very excited to get a sneak peak at the artwork from Sarah McIntyre and Philip Reeve's new book. Sarah blogged here and here about their follow-up to Oliver and the Seawigs which is set (oh still my beating heart) in space!

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 and currently writes short fiction for Stew Magazine, an event that was recently celebrated on this site.

Ten-Minute Blog Break - 14th January

It's been quite a challenge just getting to work this last week, but thankfully the floods around Oxford are now receding. I'm very happy to greet a flood of great SCBWI blog posts instead!



The Summer Reading Challenge is a terrific yearly event that aims to get kids into libraries, then incentivise them to read books. So it's great to find out that our very own Sarah McIntyre is the illustrator for this year's challenge. In an extra-special blog post, Sarah shows us the poster and reward stickers she's designed, and gives us a peek at the process she used to create the monsters that populate the Mythical Maze!

Jan stole my thunder a little by linking to KM Lockwood(AKA Philippa Francis)'s blog in her editorial the other day! But it's such a good post that it bears mentioning a second time. The Unwanted Guest is an incisive parable, full of sneering looks, judgmental voices and dubious personal hygiene.

Just before Christmas, I highlighted Jane Heinrich's idea of telling three stories with one picture. That seemed to strike a chord with quite a few people, and Jane has now launched a monthly blog challenge for others to do the same thing.

Another follow-up blog can be found over at Space on the Bookshelf. Blog Break readers with long memories will remember the article about story sacks featured last September. The book chosen for the sack was The Little White Owl by Tracey Corderoy, who coincidentally turns out to be a story sack devotee herself! This week, Sally Poyton catches up with Tracey and asks her all about it.

I appealed a few weeks ago for Candy Gourlay to stop writing great blog posts, but it seems that my pleas have fallen on deaf ears. And maybe that's the whole point, as Candy discusses why you should never let other people tell you why you shouldn't write.

Finally, I'm not sure I should post a link to Nicky Schmidt's blog, because she's written 14,700 words on her novel in a few days and it could make everyone really jealous. On the other hand, Nicky had a terrible 2013 (which seemed to be a bit of a theme last week, too) and like Kathy Evans, her writing binge has happened when she least expected it. As Nicky puts it, Mission Control, we have a manuscript!

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 and currently writes short fiction for Stew Magazine.

This week on his blog, Nick wonders what will happen now his short story has escaped Into the Wild.

Ten-Minute Blog Break - 17th December

It's the last Blog Break before Christmas! Work seems to be winding down and I'm pleased to report that all of the important presents have been bought. So that leaves me plenty of time to peruse your posts...


Sue Hyams is chucking out her novel and starting again. But this is not a moment for wailing and screaming and gnashing of teeth, because Sue is perfectly happy that this is the right decision. She gives us ten reasons why.

As much as I try to resist it, that Candy Gourlay keeps creeping into the Blog Break! Apparently, she just can't stop writing terrific blog posts (what a problem to have). Regular readers may remember Candy's October visit to Ellis Guilford school in Nottingham. Since then, the Year Seven pupils have written Candy some fascinating, heartwarming and occasionally grumpy letters, and Candy's blog post presents us with snippets as well as her replies to their questions.

Jane Heinrichs is remembering her grandfather through a photo from the 1940s. How many stories can you tell with just one photograph? she wonders, in a post which is characteristically grounded and quietly inspirational at the same time.

Heather Kilgour has found inspiration too, at a Children’s Book Fair in Montreal. Some of these illustrators certainly sparked off a few ideas for me, and Clotilde Perrin's papercuts reminded me of the work of Philippa Rice, which brought me back to the interview with her on Sarah McIntyre's blog. Two totally different styles linked by a similar approach to freeing drawings from their 2D boundaries. Help! The characters are escaping!

I'm also escaping for a couple of weeks, but I'll be back in the New Year. Have a great Christmas and keep blogging :-)

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 and currently writes short fiction for Stew Magazine.

This week on his blog, Nick meets a Sea Monkey and lives to tell the tale! Some real Funny Business.