Ten-Minute Blog Break - 28th May

It's been fun, fun, fun in the sun (sun, sun) this bank holiday weekend, so let's keep the vibe going here on the Blog Break with a super SCBWI humour special!


One of the most fascinating things about writing humour is how personal it is. For his blog at the Funeverse, writer and illustrator Alex Craggs discusses his approach to making with the funny - "I try to create something that makes me laugh, because out there in the world somewhere there are (probably) people who share my sense of humour." Alex also gives some practical tips for how to spin the ordinary into the extraordinarily silly by asking lots of "what if" questions to increase the absurdity. Plus, he has a drawing of a woman with noodles for hair!

Wendy Meddour has managed to sneak her way onto the Guardian Children's blog for a second time, with a great post listing her top tips for writing funny fiction. Again, we see an emphasis on taking everyday life and giving it a twist, and it seems that Wendy's childhood gave her plenty of material! In case you missed it, you can also check out her earlier Guardian post, a video showing how she and her daughter Mina work together to create the illustrations in their latest book.

Finally, Dougal Trump author Jackie Marchant gives an interview over at Notes from the Slushpile where she talks about the secret of being funny. Apparently, it's to not be funny. Yes, I was confused too, until Jackie elaborates that she doesn't know if something she's written is funny until she gives it to someone else to read. In fact, this paradoxical inability to see the funny side seems to allow Jackie to get further into character, and bring the humour out naturally without forcing in a bunch of jokes.

So there you have it, three funny writers with three very different ways of writing humour. Perhaps you have another way again of approaching funny writing? Do leave a comment and tell us all about it!

Nick.

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Nick Cross is a children's writer, blogger and all-round digital guru. In 2010 he was a winner of Undiscovered Voices with his zombie comedy Back from the Dead.
Read Nick's latest blog post, in which he considers the pleasures and the pitfalls of using Writing as Therapy.

SCBWI Celebrates TWO Branford Boase Shortlisters, Double Deals and Exhibitions Large and Small.

The Branford Boase Award is a unique prize dedicated to rewarding excellence for first time novelists AND their editors. So I’m doubly delighted that SCBWI members Wendy Meddour and Lydia Syson have been shortlisted alongside their editors - both of whom have also given their time and talent to the SCBWI British Isles Annual Conference. There’s another double celebration for John Shelley and if you’re in Somerset, Mike Brownlow has good news!


London member Lydia Syson and her editor, Sarah Odedina of Hot Key Books, have been shortlisted for the Branford Boase Award 2013  with A World Between Us.  I wondered how they felt about their nomination and about working with each other:

Lydia Syson
@lydiasyson

 Lydia: 'When Sarah took me on I felt as if I'd been blessed with the fairy godmother of editors - I still can't believe my luck! Her passionate support for her authors carries through to everybody in the Hot Key team, so you feel as though you've joined a family rather than a publishing house. What I value most is the way she identifies and nurtures what makes each author unique. She helps you discover who you are as a writer, and then have the confidence to be that writer.'

 Sarah : ‘ It is an honour to work with talented authors. Authors whose stories transport readers, introduce them to other lives and other places and allow the reader to reflect on their own. Editors really are only as good as the authors they work with and working with Lydia has reinforced that belief for me. In A World Between Us the reader is held in Lydia's very safe hands as we enjoy a passionate and wonderful story about friendship, love and political passions set against the drama of the Spanish civil war. It is a sophisticated novel with immediate appeal, and Lydia makes that sophistication look easy. To be short-listed for this years Brandford Boase Award beside Lydia is something to be really proud of.’

 Lydia has also been shortlisted for the WeRead Book Award - I think 2013 is going to be a great year for her!

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Wendy Meddour
@wendymeddour

 I only posted about Wendy Meddour’s new book two minutes ago and here she is again celebrating A Hen in the Wardrobe reaching the Branford Boase shortlist - top work Wendy! Wendy worked with Janetta Otter-Barry of Francis Lincoln and it seems like an award winning match.

 Wendy said, ‘Janetta was the perfect editor for my 'cross-cultural' debut: A Hen in the Wardrobe. She loved the story and gave me the freedom to write what I wanted, but also, the comforting knowledge that I knew she wouldn't let me go wrong. In other words, I trusted her completely. Only skilled editors can make you feel like that and I've been very lucky to work with her.’

Janetta is also thrilled to be on the Branford Boase shortlist, ‘ It’s the first time I’ve ever been on it – I believe this award plays a vital role in encouraging the development of talented new authors like Wendy at a critical time in their writing careers. I loved A Hen in the Wardrobe on the first reading (it made me laugh and cry!) - and I hope that my editing has helped to bring out the wonderful humour and characterisation that make the novel so special. Wendy has been a joy to work with – responsive to editing suggestions, but with a clear vision for her book.

 I wish all four of them the very best when the award is given, I’m  glad I don’t have to make the decision!

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 There’s good news for John Shelley too. John, who illustrated The Stone Giant - Michelangelo's David

John Shelley
@Godfox

and How He Came To Be   sold the Japanese rights to Komine Shoten for this US picture book due to be published by Charlesbridge in the US next February 2014.
 ‘ This is tremendous news for me,’ John said, ‘as it will be the first time I'll have a book out in both English and Japanese editions - until now I've had books in Japanese (but no English edition) or books in English (but no Japanese edition), so I'm dead chuffed that finally, after over 40 books, I'll have an illustration 'presence' in both languages at the same time.'
   In addition, from this September-November there will be the first major exhibition of Michelangelo's work in Japan.  In an unprecedented agreement , the Japanese co-edition will actually be published in August or September this year, months ahead of the 'official' First US edition.Clearly timed to co-inside with the Michelangelo exhibition,  John's book it to be vigorously promoted as "the" children's book on the artist. At an exhibition on such an enormous scale, that is great news indeed !

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Mike Brownlow
@mikebrownlow1

And talking of exhibitions, Mike Brownlow is showing his work in picture books at the Bruton Museum in Somerset – it runs until the end of May and there will definitely be Robots.  What a week for our amazing SCBWI'ers - HUGE congratulations to you all.

 Now I need a cup of tea and a sit down while I daydream about awards – one day…one day….

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Kathy Evans is Celebrations Editor for Words & Pictures. She is South East Network Coordinator with Mariam Vossough and is represented by Sophie Hicks at Ed Victor.

Hip Hip Hooray for a Winner, a Wonderful Deal and a Write Now Longlisting!

Andrew Weale
@andrewweale

Congratulations  Andrew Weale, Clare Furniss and Martin Stewart! This week I go undercover to bring you the Underpants of Shame - happily, none of this week's featured  celebrants  are actually wearing this hideous garment. In fact I hereby award them  the Giant SCBWI Hat of Wonder!

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Andrew Weale is the author of five picture books. These include the ultra scary pop up Spooky

Hazy undercover shot of
 Underpants of Shame....

Spooky House that has just won the 2013 Red House Children’s Book Award. His counting book, A Quiet Day in the Jungle, has also been shortlisted for the 2013 Sheffield Award. As well as writing, Andrew is a professional actor and singer and has worked with star names such as Alec Guinness and Kevin Spacey. He is now a lecturer on children's writing at Winchester University and gives popular visits to many schools and festivals around the country. At the Imagine Festival this year, he did a highly successful event with star illustrator Ben Cort to promote Nora. Grown ups and children were warned to join in the fun, or suffer the eternal humiliation of The Underpants of Shame. Happily, Andrew need not wear them himself and neither shall Clare Furniss.

Clare Furniss
@ClareFurniss

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 The Year of the Rat, a YA novel by debut SCBWI author Clare Furniss, will be published by Simon and Schuster in the UK and the US after they won an eight way auction for the title. It's been quite a month for Clare as she only got her agent, Catherine Clarke of Felicity Bryan Associates (who she first met at a SCBWI agents party), four weeks before the two-book deal was made! 

Clare's success is especially heartwarming as, along with Rebecca Colby , Clare was the recipient of British SCBWI's Margaret  Carey conference last year. Both writers went on to get agents and book deals very soon after. The Year of the Rat will be out in the UK in 2014, and will also be published by Hanser in Germany and Bompiani in Italy. Clare studied at Cambridge and worked for several years in political media relations. She now lives in a very untidy house in Bath with her husband and three small children and is completing an MA in Writing for Young People at Bath Spa University. Sharing the Hat of Wonder with Clare and Andrew is Martin Stewart.

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Martin Stewart’s novel, The Marionette, has been longlisted for Pan MacMillan’s Write Now

Martin Stewart
@isleofbrona

Prize! The Marionette’s protagonist, Fin dreams  he meets his terminally ill grandfather as a young boy. As his granda’s health worsens in the waking world, the boy in his dreams starts telling him stories; and something is happening to the broken, rotting, marionette… Yikes! 
Martin lives in Glasgow. After fuelling his love of writing on the University of Strathclyde’s MLitt course he- much to his surprise- found himself teaching English. He loves writing about family and horror; building stories with the bones of folklore and a modern voice.

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Finally a big HOORAH to SCBWI members Wendy Meddour and Lydia Syson who, with their clearly wonderful editors,  have both made the Branford Boase shortlist .  I'm thrilled that two of the seven shortlisted authors are SCBWI members.
Take care of that Hat you fabulous people, I think we might be needing it again! ( You can keep the Underpants Andrew, we won't be needing those...)

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Kathy Evans is Celebrations Editor for Words & Pictures. She is South East Network Coordinator with Mariam Vossough and is represented by Sophie Hicks at Ed Victor.

Hoorah for Marchant and Meddour and Their Unusual Partners

@JMarchantAuthor

This week we celebrate two new books from a pair of unusual writing partnerships and discover how they hooked their agents.
Jackie Marchant and  Dougal Trump launch  I'm Dougal Trump...Where's My Tarantula?  and Wendy Meddour and Mina May prepare the way for Wendy Quill is a Crododile's Bottom in May. 

Dougal Trump literally dropped into Jackie Marchant’s life – at least a bin liner full of his stuff did -  when his mother  threw it out of the window  as Jackie walked by. The bag split open to reveal, amongst other things, four old plaster casts, a deflated dog-chewed football, several notes from friends and family written on homework sheets that should have been handed in, a threatening note about a creature in the shed and the start of the last will and testament of Dougal Trump.

Dougal Trump: Life in a Bin Liner

Officially that's how Jackie met Dougal Trump.  Unofficially, there's another story. Jackie's son asked her about writing a will, which led to Jackie standing  knee deep in the mess of his bedroom, tempted to throw the lot out of the window and wondering what he’d leave to whom in the  will he was thinking about. Jackie wrote 500 words of the will, called her character Dougal Trump, entered a competition and forgot all about him, until she was at the Annual Writers Conference in Winchester. Jackie was very surprised to  come second in the competition she'd forgotten all about. 

Approached by an editor Jackie was asked how much children’s writing she’d done.
‘Er . . . ' she said, '500 words.’

She was persuaded to write the rest, did so and sent it to Alice Williams at David Highams Agency. Alice took Jackie on, she says:

Jackie’s wonderfully inventive plotting and Dougal’s fresh, funny voice stood out immediately. Who would have thought there’d be such comic potential in writing a will!

But there was still a lot of work to be done before the book was taken on by a publisher, and more work before it was ready for publication. I've been in a critique group with Jackie for a long time and it's fascinating how much the book has grown  from draft to published copy - a  real testament to everyone who worked on the book. It's positively alive.

'I’m Dougal Trump . . . Where’s my Tarantula?’ was published on Thursday, 25th April by Macmillan Coincidentally, Wendy Meddour and Mina May appeared on Radio 4's Woman's Hour on the very same day discussing their new venture.

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@WendyMeddour

Mother and daughter Wendy Meddour and Mina May were already very much together before they became writer and illustrator for Wendy Quill.

They're both a bit Wendy Quill - they have the same sense of humour, love being slightly silly and are EXTREMELY close - but Mina May is 'artistic'. In other words, she works when and how she likes. If Flamenco dancing in the kitchen or practising her backwards crabs seem more urgent to her than illustrating, then the illustrations simply wait. But they've never missed a deadline and when the illustrations flow, they flow! Fortunately, Mina May draws to relax. And she likes 'relaxing'. So illustrating never has to wait long.

Wendy and Mina's working partnership began when  Mina May was three. Principally Chief Stapler, Wendy also wrote down the words as Mina May dictated them. 

Mina May was funny. Her words made me laugh. A lot. Without her, I doubt I'd have become a children's writer. 

When Mina May  was about seven, Wendy got the confidence to write some of her own words and draw some of her own pictures. Wendy's agent Penny Holroyde  didn’t hesitate about taking her on. 

Penny says...

"Wendy's approach letter was exemplary, she had been recommended by one of my authors, and her writing immediately stood out for being warm, and funny and perfectly pitched to the age group. She also told me she was committed to this career path. Then when I met her I was hooked. Here was a clearly accomplished and intelligent woman but she also had an ingenuous manner about her that was irresistible. She has such a brilliantly funny and self-deprecating narrative style when she speaks and such an elephantine memory for events of her childhood that I thought she absolutely couldn’t fail to make it as a writer for children. She talked about putting some of these childhood memories into a piece of very young fiction and as soon as I saw it, I knew she had nailed it – managed to convey her personality to the page in a truly effortless way. I was hooked again."

Wendy  was supposed to illustrate Wendy Quill.  The book actually went to auction with Wendy as the named author/illustrator. Then Mina passed Wendy some character sketches she'd done on the family iPad. With a pang, Wendy realised they were vastly better than hers.  What would her agent think?

Here's Penny again...

"I was excited to submit Wendy Quill is a Crocodile’s Bottom and was on the verge of doing so when Wendy sent an email with an attachment that were her daughter’s illustrations. Mina was 10. Not only that, but that she really did want me to submit them with the text – she wanted me to submit them as a mother and daughter team. I’d be lying if I said that wasn’t a bit of a heart sinker. It’s a little bit tantamount to saying your mum loved it plus everyone knows that publishers don’t want to be dictated to about illustration style. So it was with some trepidation that I clicked on that PDF.  However there, writ large, stood Wendy Quill Wheezy Bird. And Miss Pinch. And the Girly Gang getting scared by Kevin. And, of course, Wendy Quill as a crocodile’s bottom. Again I was hooked.
I made the submission and within the hour Jasmine Richards from OUP was on the phone…."

Oxford University Press wooed them with hand-written felt tip scrolls, a hilarious puppet video of a crocodile, some home made cookies and an AMAZING  offer for a series. How could they resist? 

Ah I love a happy ending - hoorah for unusual partnerships: passersby and untidy boys; mothers and daughters;  crocodiles and bottoms !

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Kathy Evans is Celebrations Editor for Words & Pictures. She is South East Network Coordinator with Mariam Vossough and is represented by Sophie Hicks at Ed Victor.