Tristan Bancks | Australian Children's Author | Children's Books

Michael Gerard Bauer, Author: The Writer's Studio

2012-02-13T21:56:00.002+11:00

There are several very interesting things you should know about Michael Gerard Bauer.

1. He is not only a highly respected author, he's also a very nice man.

2. His books for kids and teens have been translated into Dutch, German, Italian, French, Korean, Norwegian, Czechoslovakian and Hebrew.

3. He is a grown man (with a beard) and still plays with Batman, Buzz Lightyear and Homer Simpson toys.

There are, of course, other interesting things about Mr Bauer. A number of those are revealed in the following interview and pictures in which he invites us inside his creative spaces.

Where did you write your latest book? How important to you is the space in which you write?
I wrote my latest book Ishmael and the Hoops of Steel at home alternating between a study we have upstairs (image above) and a small computer nook downstairs (image below). For me the important thing about the space in which I write is that it needs to be quiet, away from people and free from distractions. I can't even write with music. I tend to do all my writing when I’m at home. Rarely, if ever, do I write in places like hotel rooms or cafes or libraries or planes or while trekking through the Siberian tundra. Although I’d like to because it sounds rather romantic.

Do you transform your space in any way for each book? Do you 'get into character' at all?
Transform my writing space? Absolutely! I push all the rubbish and food scraps into the bin so I can see the keyboard. Sometimes I go the whole hog and don’t stop till I can see the entire desk top as well! As for getting into character, I don’t dress up at all if that’s what you mean. But I do try to get into my characters’ minds so I can see the world from their perspective. And I often read dialogue out loud so I guess sometimes I act out the characters as well.

How has the place that you write evolved or changed since you first began writing novels?
We moved house a few years back, so my first book The Running Man and next couple were written at our previous home. Back there we had a fabulous large study area with desk space and shelves all built in by my wife’s father Ben (image above). You can see by the photo that if you want to be a writer you need a bare desk to work on, with no distractions around you. There was also a small room upstairs that the previous owners used as a nursery. It looked over the backyard. I wrote most of my novel Dinosaur Knights there (image at top). So no, the writing spaces haven’t really ‘evolved’ much, they’ve just changed out of necessity. I’m hoping one day that my writing spacewill evolve however - into a cabin overlooking the mountains around Maleny would be nice!

Do you keep regular writing hours? If not, when do you write?
I’ve tried to become more regular. (I’m talking about my writing here, ok?) But it’s tricky sometimes balancing school visits, talks and Festivals with time for writing. If I’m in the middle of a project my writing time does becomes more consistent and organised. I mostly write in the morning and through to the afternoon, but not often at night. I watch too many Reality TV programs!

Ishmael and the Hoops of Steel by Michael Gerard Bauer

Do you have a morning ritual? Roald Dahl was said to sharpen pencils. What settles your mind for writing?
You mean besides rolling out of bed, groaning and listening to my joints cracking? Well apart from that, the one thing I really find helpful for my writing is an early morning walk. Depending on the season I like to get up at around 6 am and go for an hour’s walk. Walking helps me sort things out in my mind. I see things more clearly when I walk and it’s when I often come up with story ideas and plot developments. For example the novel Just A Dog started because the name ‘Mr Mosely’ came to me while I was walking. I don’t know where that name came from, but I thought, “That would be a cool name for a dog.” Up until that point I had no intention of writing a dog story. After a walk, a shower and breakfast I feel primed to attack some writing. Another ritual used to be cups of coffee, but now I’ve given up coffee altogether. There's no guarantee my will power will hold when the weather gets colder.

In coming weeks children's / YA authors Christine Harris, Nicki Greenberg, Jack Heath, Paul Collins, Sherryl Clark, Chris Morphew and others will be in The Writer's Studio.

Ursula Dubosarsky, Children's Author - The Writer's Studio

2012-02-09T15:22:00.000+11:00

Ursula Dubosarsky has won zillions of awards and honours for her books over the past twenty years. She is the author of a diverse range of fiction and non-fiction from The Word Spy to The Red Shoe to The Terrible Plop. For budding wordsmiths The Word Spy Activity Book illustrated by Tohby Riddle will hit stores in April. Right here and now you can take a look inside Ursula's writing space and her simple, unadorned approach to getting down to the business of putting words on the page.

Where did you write your latest book?
It’s a terrible thing but I honestly can’t remember. I suppose I wrote it sitting at my desk in my daughter’s old bedroom but I really don’t have a memory of where I wrote it, but it must have been there. It’s just that I can’t picture myself doing it.

How important to you is the space in which you write?
Looks like from my last answer – not very! Lack of interruption is the main thing for me – a couple of hours alone, that sort of thing. Even an hour will do. I don’t write for very long each day.

Do you transform your space in any way for each book?
No. It’s all in the head I guess. I haven’t really thought about it. Sometimes I might put up a picture on the wall, but not really, that’s just me trying to think of something to say. (!)

Do you 'get into character' at all?

Again, not really. Just being alone and thinking. Like daydreaming. Once I start it just seems to happen. It’s the most enjoyable part of it all, I think, being inside the character.

How has the place that you write evolved or changed since you first began writing novels?
Well since my daughter moved out of home I’ve had a room for a kind of “study”. Before that I wrote in the bedroom or the living room. Or in the local library or the park. Not cafes, though, they don’t appeal to me, don’t know why. Maybe I think people will look at me. (!) I wrote my book “Abyssinia” at the very top of the house – I remember that. There were all these awful big black birds on the telephone wire outside looking at me with their beady eyes. I don’t like being watched while I’m writing…

Do you keep regular writing hours? If not, when do you write?
Yes, I can answer that question – I’m a morning writer. I like the feeling of getting it over and done with. Like doing yoga or something (not that I’ve ever done yoga.)

Do you have a morning ritual? Roald Dahl was said to sharpen pencils. What settles your mind for writing?
No, not really. I mean I have to drink coffee when I wake up, but that has nothing to do with writing, that’s just an addiction. For me it’s just a matter of the solitude and a chair and the laptop.

I loved reading Ursula's responses. In coming weeks authors Michael Gerard Bauer, Christine Harris, Tania McCartney and graphic novelist Nicki Greenberg will be in The Writer's Studio. Hope y'all check in for a nosy around their writing spaces.

Children's & YA Writer Steven Herrick : The Writer's Studio

2012-02-01T13:36:00.001+11:00

Steven Herrick wanted to be a professional footballer. Instead, he became a poet. The two careers aren't usually interchangeable but there is much about Steven Herrick that is surprising and interesting. He has been making a living as a poet for more than fifteen years with his poetry collections, picture books and verse novels for children. He also visits more than 200 schools annually, getting kids excited about poetry and stories. Here we look inside Steven's creative space and he shares a personal story of how his mother kick-started his career.

Where did you write your latest book? How important to you is the space in which you write?
When I was eighteen, I told my Mum I wanted to be a writer. The next day, she went out and bought me a desk and a chair from a second-hand furniture store - a chair that swivelled and had a back that tilted when you leaned on it. A professional's chair. The desk was painted black and had six legs and three drawers. It was big and sturdy and could take the weight of all the books I was going to write.
Thirty-five years on, I still write all my books at that desk. Mum died a few years ago. I like writing at her desk. It brings us closer.

So, the first draft of Black Painted Fingernails was written at this desk. However, a large chunk of the final draft was written while staying at a kiwi-fruit farm in Portugal. The characters of the parents in this book were heavily influenced by being so far away from my two sons.

Steven Herrick's writing studio.

Do you transform your space in any way for each book? Do you 'get into character' at all?
My first sixteen books were written at Mum's desk in our living room, so I had to wait until my family weren't around to write. Now I have a studio, I just close the door and devote my time to my characters. I like having my sofa next to my desk, if I want to take a break. And my bicycle is beside the door, always ready for a quick getaway if I'm stumped for ideas! My characters live with me wherever I go, so the physical space matters less than how content I am with the writing.

How has the place that you write evolved or changed since you first began writing?
The studio used to be my son, Joe's bedroom. But, when he moved away for Uni, I quickly claimed it! As for my desk... for my 40th birthday, my wife paid a craftsman to remove the black paint from it. He did a fine job, exposing the timber below, polishing it until glowed a golden honey colour. Mum was very pleased when she saw how beautiful it was, under all that paint. She had shown good taste, all those years ago. After twenty years of use, the chair was so rusty and creaky and worn, it was a danger. Mum insisted on buying me a new one. While she was at it, she bought Joe one as well. Just in case.

Do you keep regular writing hours? If not, when do you write?
I usually write in the morning, up until lunch. Then I eat and go for a bike ride. I may edit in the afternoon, if I'm in the mood. I usually write the first draft of my books between November and February, when I'm less likely to be visiting schools for talks and performances.

Do you have a morning ritual? Roald Dahl was said to sharpen pencils. What settles your mind for writing?
No ritual as such, although the mid-morning coffee is nice on the back deck.

Thanks Steven. An honour to have you share your space in The Writer's Studio.

Harry Potter Lego Animation

2012-01-25T11:33:00.001+11:00

On the last leg of the school hol's and out of ideas? Here's a 30-second Harry Potter Lego animation that I shot in two hours with my 8-year-old boy. It's called Platform Nine and Three-Quarters. He directed and I was on camera. It's our second attempt at Lego animation. (Our first attempt is below.) We used a Canon EOS 50D camera then imported the stills into iPhoto. We accessed the photos via iMovie and edited it, adding free sounds from iMovie and www.freesound.org.

You can also use your web-cam and a free program called Frame Thief if you don't have access to a camera. Hope you create something fun. Good luck and let me know when you've uploaded your movie.

Our first attempt at Lego Stop-motion animation using a laptop web-cam and Frame Thief.

Mark Twain Quote - Inspiring

2012-01-24T13:49:00.001+11:00

I like this. It was emailed to me. Not sure of the origin (so apologies to the copyright owner but I hope we can still be friends... in the name of inspiration.)

Must think of something scary to do today. And every day.

Children's & Young Adult Author Anthony Eaton : The Writer's Studio

2012-01-12T06:57:00.000+11:00

Anthony Eaton is a multi-multi-award-winning children's and YA author as well as being an Assistant Professor in Creative Writing and Literary Studies at the University of Canberra. He has written in backpacker hostels and on Antarctic icebreakers and is just getting the hang of an office. Here, we go inside his writing space, his schedule and the tools he uses to get the stories out of his head and onto the page.

Where did you write your latest book? How important to you is the space in which you write?
My last couple of books – Daywards (the final book in my Darklands trilogy) and The Hunter (my most recent book, not yet published) were written here in my office at the University of Canberra. I'm not really overly worried about where I write, as long as it's a space where I have privacy, order, and near-to-total silence. I find that once I get into the flow of the story, I stop noticing the world around me anyway, and so my surroundings become a bit irrelevant. The downside of writing in my office at work is that people know where I am, so nowadays when I'm writing I tend to put up a polite sign on the door asking people not to knock, and I have to turn off my phone, iPad, landline, and e-mail. So that's probably the most important thing for me about my writing space – isolation! (I've also been known to wear my noise cancelling earphones when writing at work, to cancel out any random noise or conversations happening in the hallway outside).

Do you transform your space in any way for each book? Do you 'get into character' at all?
Because my writing space is also my 'regular' work space (I'm a full-time teacher at the University, which means I'm often in meetings with students and colleagues) I need to keep it pretty tidy and efficient. This means I probably don't spread out as much as I used to – in order to get things done I try to maintain a pretty strict organisational regime; little things like completely clearing my desk at the end of each day are how I manage to keep my life organised enough that I can fit in bits of writing time amidst everything else that I have on my plate. That said, when I'm working on a specific project, I usually keep the pin board above my desk free for any quick-reference visual materials that I might need. At the moment, for example, it's covered in maps of New York City and photos of Coney Island which is where the opening chapters of my next book take place.

How has the place that you write evolved or changed since you first began writing novels?
I've written my novels in all kinds of weird and bizarre places; I wrote the first draft of my first novel in a backpacker's hostel in Albany in WA and have worked in various places ever since. These have included an icebreaker halfway between Australia and Antarctica (Skyfall), a succession of Perth cafes (Nightpeople), the reading room of the National Library of Australia (Into White Silence), a guesthouse in the Glasshouse Mountains north of Brisbane (Nathan Nuttboard Hits The Beach) and, of course, in a succession of spare rooms in the various houses my wife and I have lived in. For some books I've had the whole thing mapped out on huge sheets of paper pinned around the walls of my room, with different coloured bits of string mapping the various plotlines, but nowadays I use a writing program called Scrivener which includes some pretty powerful planning and tracking tools, and so I can be a lot more portable. My office at UC is probably the most ‘stable’ writing space I've ever had access to, and so I guess I'm still in the process of evolving it to suit my writing needs.

Do you keep regular writing hours? If not, when do you write?
I do try to put aside 2 hours every morning (not including weekends) to do my writing. During this time I really shut myself off from the rest of the world, and get very tetchy if I get interrupted. Unfortunately, though, even though I always start the year fully intending to do the '2 hours per day' routine, the reality is that I generally only maintain this for a few weeks before life gets in the way and I end up putting writing on the back burner while I get other things out of the way (this happens especially during the university semesters when I'm teaching. It's one of the difficult things about juggling two jobs at the same time. Luckily, though, I love both of them!) As a result I generally end up ‘blocking out’ 3 or 4 weeks during my university breaks as writing time, and during these periods I get into a really intense writing mode where I might sit and work for anything up to 6 or 7 hours per day. The stuff I write in these periods is always really rough, and really fast, but at least it gets the story onto paper so that I can then start cleaning it up and turning it into something publishable. I do my best writing first thing in the morning, usually between about 0830 and 1130.

Do you have a morning ritual? Roald Dahl was said to sharpen pencils. What settles your mind for writing?
That's easy – coffee! The first thing I do in the morning is turn on our coffee machine, and make myself a double-shot flat white. The other thing I've started doing of late is that when I get into my office I fire up my computer and voice recognition software (for the last few months I've been doing my writing using a cool program that allows me to simply walk up and down and talk into a headset, rather than being stuck behind a keyboard) and write what I think of as ‘random paragraphs’. Sometimes these are out-of-sequence fragments of whatever it is that I'm working on at the time (might be a book, might be an academic paper or essay, might be a blog post) and sometimes they are just completely random 200 or 300 word snippets of writing. What I like about them is that there is a sort of freedom that comes with them – random paragraphs don't need to have any context, or even make any sense, and getting my head into that space is really useful when I then start working on whatever I'm focusing my attention on that morning.

Thanks Anthony, first author in The Writer's Studio for 2012!

Soar, Award-Winning Short Film on SMH TV

2012-01-09T15:50:00.000+11:00

Soar, a short film that I directed has hit the web for the first time on Flickerfest at SMH TV, The Sydney Morning Herald's new TV channel. Soar has won a bunch of awards at international film fests (list below) and has screened widely on TV, including Qantas Inflight and the US Sundance Channel.

The film was written by Damon Herriman and stars Herriman (J. Edgar, Love My Way, Breaking Bad) and Rupert Reid (Matrix 2 and 3).

I hope you get a chance to watch and rate it. NB: unlike my books, Soar was not specifically made for children. It has some strong language but, other than that, is fine for all ages.

More info on the film below. All pics by Kuji Jenkins

Rupert Reid, Tristan Bancks and Damon Herriman on the set of Soar.

Soar is a short film about everybody’s worst travel nightmare - getting stuck next to an obnoxious dork on a plane where there are no spare seats.

Soar was shot on Fox Studios Australia’s 747 plane set, which was built for Mission Impossible 2. Fox were highly supportive of the production. Soar was originally a hit play at Sydney’s Old Fitzroy Hotel and at the Adelaide Festival and was subsequently turned into an ABC radio-play.

Director's Approach

‘The best production is the least production. “Production value” is code for forsaking the story’ – David Mamet

One set. Two actors. Two digital cameras. Few lighting setups. Minimal crew. Maximum spontaneity. This was the brief for the production of Soar, an example of how digital technology can be used to capture immediacy in a screen comedy in a way that a single-camera film shoot never could.

Our approach was entirely actor-oriented. So many times on a shoot, performances are relegated to low-priority because technical elements are impacting on the creation of the scene. Here we had a very clever comedy script, proven in a live medium and we needed to create a shooting style and mood on set that would allow the actors to feel as impulsive and free as they would be on a stage.

Two digital cameras running simultaneously allowed us to cut between the characters’ reactions on the same take without the actors being concerned with overlaps which can be the death of good comedic dialogue. We ran the script from start to finish four times on the day of the shoot, only stopping to repeat a scene if there was a major problem with what we’d shot. This way the actors built a sense of where their character was at in terms of the overall story as opposed to getting bogged down in any particular scene.

I was looking for spontaneity in approach both in front of and behind the camera and the hand-held Canon XL-1s allowed us to do that. There is only very minimal camera movement but the hand-held does give an observational feel, which furthers the sense that we are watching a ‘real’ conversation as opposed to a comedy where the jokes are ‘flagged’ and forewarned by the shotflow and shooting style.

Children's Writing Workshops

2012-01-05T15:59:00.000+11:00

In January I'm running a series of writing workshops for kids in Sydney, Brisbane and Byron Bay. They will energise, inspire and possibly make your head explode with wild new ideas.
Spread the word and I hope that you or someone you know can make it along. Some of the workshops may be fully booked so call to book!

Wed 11 January 2012, Fairfield Library, Brisbane. 2pm.
Your Life and Other Stuff You Made Up

How can you use all the odd, boring, funny stuff that happens to you and turn it into excellent stories? Author Tristan Bancks used bits from his life to inspire his new short story collection, My Life and Other Stuff I Made Up. Like the time his sister made him eat Vegemite off her toe and the time he had his appendix removed just to get out of school detention. Learn how to mine your own life for cool, weird, funny stories that your friends and teachers will love. Ages 7-13. 07 3403 8615.

Tues 17 January The Children's Bookshop, Beecroft, Sydney. 9am-12:30pm.

Learn new ways to fire up your imagination, discover ideas, create characters and build confidence in your writing. Create a short story on the day. Hear how writers find inspiration and keep the stories coming. Go behind the writing scenes and learn the tools that Tristan and other authors use to create their books. Packed with information and activities, this will be a fun, high-energy morning of imagination and ideas that will inspire young writers to take their writing to the next level.
For Children Aged 8-12 Cost? $50 per student. All materials are provided. 02 94818811.

19-20 January Writing Safari, Northern Rivers Writers Centre Byron Bay
A fun and active two-day writing adventure where young participants (aged between 9 and 13 years) will be encouraged to use nature, their own lives, and the world around them for inspiration.
Day one will involve fully supervised walks along the beach and through local parks, using the world around to inspire their stories.
Day two, kids taking the characters and ideas they discovered on safari and spin them into stories. Participants will also be encouraged to use a range of tools to structure their story, including Tristan’s new Story Scrapbook app.
Phone 02 6685 5115

Happy New Year

2012-01-03T07:00:00.000+11:00

I'm kicking off 2012 with one of my favourite quotes. It was this idea and many like it from Joseph Campbell that encouraged me to do a degree and move away from the city and head out on my own creative path a few years ago. I hope that you are on your own journey.

Photo by Amber Melody

It takes courage

to do what you want.

Other people

have a lot of plans for you.

Nobody wants you to do

what you want to do

They want you to go on their trip,

but you can do what you want.

I did. I went into the woods

and read for five years.

– Joseph Campbell

2011 in Review

2011-12-16T08:21:00.000+11:00

Here are a few of my favourite moments from 2011. I had a cracking year. Hope you look back on it fondly, too.

I met and hung out with lots of cool authors and kidlit folks. From L to R,
Kristina Schulz, Tristan Bancks, James Moloney, Wendy Orr, James Roy.

With author, John Danalis.

Taking Simon Higgins' sword for a spin.

We revamped my website, designed by my lovely wife, Amber Melody. Here's one of the early design concepts.
I wanted it to feel like a work in progress, like something active and vigorous and fun.

I travelled a lot.

I visited the locations from my second Mac Slater book in New York.

I visited a bookstore outside L.A. where Henry Winkler (The Fonz) had recently been! Woohoo.

New York Public Library

My favourite building in the city... The Chrysler.

A misty, wet morning spent wandering Central Park. I felt like Holden Caulfield.

Hollywood, baby.

I spent a few days writing at the beautiful and very grounding Varuna Writers' House
in the Blue Mountains.

I swung on a rope swing at some stage.

One of my two new books... the very first copy. I am smiling as I take this.

I did lots of speaking about my books and children's literature and the creative process.
This is at Byron Bay Writers' Festival. Picture by James Roy.

At Voices on the Coast Festival. (I told them to go wild like this in order to give the sense
that my sessions are perhaps the most fun thing you are likely to encounter at a kidlit fest.)

I did a lot of Skype sessions.

On tour with Get Reading. From Townsville to Sydney to Wollongong to Melbourne to Geelong in five days.

Delivering 'My Life and Other Stuff I Made Up' talks at Ipswich Fest of Children's Literature
with my mate and the other half of Tom Weekly's brain, Gus Gordon.

I loved seeing the books heading out into the world and chatting to kids about what they liked
and what was slightly too gross..

Being interviewed in a school's own TV studio!

People-watching and freewriting with kids at the State Library of Queensland.

I loved offering tools like modelling clay and drawing paper and toys and the web and magazines
as stimulus for stories in writing workshops this year. Cool critters and Jack Sparrow!

My jealousy of other authors' stamps became too much and I had one made. ;-)

Opening night of Brisbane Writers' Festival was incredible.

Nit Boy creation by a student!

And, of course, Bertie Bots Every Flavoured beans pilfered from Adele at the State Library of
Victoria's Centre for Youth Lit.

I finished up 2011 with three months of fairly solid writing and developing some new app
and TV projects for 2012. Looking forward to diving in but, first, two weeks screen-free. Sweet justice.

May you be well and happy.

Room to Read : Meet Inkam

2011-12-15T07:00:00.000+11:00

The video below illustrates why I support Room to Read, an organisation showing us that 'World change starts with educated children'. They have built more than 12,000 libraries in developing countries in the past 11 years. This video is a personal story of one of the six million children whose lives have been impacted by their global mission.

I showed the vid in schools this year and used it as a story starter. The results were interesting, with kids showing an easy ability to empathise and to place themselves in the shoes of a child with a life totally different and yet strangely similar to their own.

It's three minutes and worth a look. There are more Room to Read videos at www.youtube.com/roomtoread

Children's Author Hazel Edwards : The Writer's Studio

2011-12-14T07:01:00.000+11:00

Hazel Edwards is the 'authorpreneurial' (a term she coined) creator of more than 200 books such as There's a Hippopotamus on the Roof Eating Cake and The Business of Writing For Young People. She is a forward thinker with a dynamic web presence and personality. Here is a glimpse of her writing space and process.

Where did you write your latest book? How important to you is the space in which you write?
Most recently I've been working with illustrator-graphic designer Jane Connory and she lives in the next suburb, so we alternate studios or use Skype. Possibly the most extreme place in which I've written was an Antarctic polar ship 'The Polar Bird' when we were beset in the polar ice during an expedition to Casey Station in Antarctica. Usually I work in my study at home, but my lap top is well travelled. For my 'Frequent Flyer Twins' mystery e-books, I wrote a lot in airports. For the Project Spy Kids series, I visited a greyhound race.

Do you transform your space in any way for each book? Do you 'get into character' at all?

Sometimes I use maps or setting photos like Darwin for the 'Outback Ferals' YA novel. When I was writing 'Antarctic Closeup' about John Close and his telescope from the Mawson 1911-12 expedition, I had his face as my screensaver for months, as inspiration. Jane Connory made me a Frequent Flyer Twins t shirt with the logo and a coffee cup!

Hazel Edwards in her recently tidied office.

Do you keep regular writing hours? If not, when do you write?
I'm a fairly self-disciplined writer. I work more than 9-5pm, but I travel to research too.That's the fun bit.

The making of the short film There's a Hippopotamus On Our Roof Eating Cake based on Hazel Edwards' 1980
picture book.

Do you have a morning ritual?
Coffee. And a swim or walk late afternoon for plotting. Authors need to exercise more than their imaginations.

For more writer's spaces, check out The Guardian's excellent 'Writers' Rooms' series or more children's authors in 'The Writer's Studio'.

Australian Children's Laureates Announced

2011-12-12T13:27:00.001+11:00

Exciting news that Alison Lester and Boori Monty Pryor have been announced as the inaugural Australian Children's Laureates, following in the footsteps of the successful UK and US laureate programs. The Laureate roles will bring more children to books and literacy ahead of the 2012 National Year of Reading.

Read more on Boori and Alison and the new Australian Children's Literature Alliance here:
www.childrenslaureate.org.au

Congratulations to Boori and Alison. Fine choices to champion the importance of reading, a skill needed now, in this information-drenched age, more than ever.

Free Audio Story – 'The Dog Kisser'

2011-12-12T06:30:00.000+11:00

'The Dog Kisser' illustration sketched live by Gus Gordon while I read the story at
'Ipswich Festival of Children's Literature'

Have you ever been kissed by a dog? If so, where do you draw the line? The hand? The neck? The face?

Well, whether you're a 'Kisser' or not, Merry Christmas. Here's my present to you. A free audio short story – The Dog Kisser – written and read by me, from my latest book My Life and Other Stuff I Made Up, a bunch of weird, funny, sometimes gross and partly true short stories illustrated by Gus Gordon.

I hope that Christmas is fun, relaxing and full of love – for both you and your canine pals.

Children's Author Susanne Gervay : The Writer's Studio

2011-12-06T07:00:00.000+11:00

Susanne Gervay is a friend to many in Australian children's and young adult literature. She is a strong woman, funny, self-deprecating, a tireless networker, a generous spirit, a fine writer and, this year, was honoured with the Medal of the Order of Australia (OAM). Here, she shows us the engine room, where her exploits in kidlit manifest.

Where did you write your latest book? How important to you is the space in which you write?
In my home study. I wish I could say it was a romantic spot under an ancient tree, but it in my cluttered office with files and books and my computer switched on.

Do you transform your space in any way for each book? Do you 'get into character' at all?
My space gets messier and messier as I write and everything is put aside. I don’t transform my space for each book. However I do get into character. When I was writing That’s Why I Wrote This Song, Eminem and Good Charlotte rocked through my study. When I was writing Ships in The Field, I was a little girl again reliving growing up in a family which escaped war and communism to find home in Australia.

How has the place that you write evolved or changed since you first began writing novels?
It’s got messier with more files. It’s my internal life that evolves and deepens, rather than my physical space.

Do you keep regular writing hours? If not, when do you write?
If I could I’d write every morning, then work and carry on with the responsibilities of life and even have some ‘play time’. However the writing life has increased my involvement in tours, festivals, conferences. I also work at another job. There’s family, too. So I don’t have regular hours. I write under pressure and can stay up late into the nights for months to get a book completed. Not the best way to write.

Do you have a morning ritual? Roald Dahl was said to sharpen pencils. What settles your mind for writing?
My very early morning ritual is to go to the computer and see what emails have come. I answer those I need to. I love it if I have a writing project. I just finished co writing the film script for my JACK books – with John Larkin. However, I really don’t have a ritual. I’d like one.

1000 Awesome Things

2011-12-01T16:21:00.001+11:00

It's a big call but I think this talk is in the running for best TED talk ever. If you don't know www.TED.com yet, head over and check it out. The most amazing talks by extraordinary people (from Michelle Obama to Bono, Martin Seligman to Al Gore and tons of cool humans that you have never heard of) on a wide range of fascinating subjects.

Here, Neil Pasricha (blogger - 1000 Awesome Things) inspires us to be thankful for little things with a personal tale that has universal resonance.

3 Must-Read Books on Children's & Young Adult Literature

2011-11-25T07:09:00.000+11:00

Here are three books that I recommend for everyone who cares about children's and Young Adult literature. I'd love to hear your recommendations for books that give insight into the world of kidlit.

The Wand in The Word – edited by Leonard S. Marcus.

The Wand in the Word is a book to curl up with and be inspired by. Interviews with the gods and goddesses of children's fantasy from Ursula K Leguin and Madeleine L'Engle to Phillip Pullman and Garth Nix. The 'Q and A' style creates a sense of sitting down for an intimate chat with the masters.

1001 Children's Books You Must Read Before You Grow Up

1001 Children's Books is a fantastic reference, separated into rough age-group recommendations. My copy sprouts thousands of scrap-paper bookmarks of titles I hope to get to in the near and distant future. Thankfully I'm not threatening to grow up any time soon.

A Family of Readers

A Family of Readers is my favourite of the three books, recently released in paperback. It is a collection of wide-ranging essays and lists of great-reads in many different genres. Contributors and interviewees include Maurice Sendak, Betsy Byars, Judy Blume and Jon Scieszka. Edited by Roger Sutton and Marth V. Parravano from The Horn Book Magazine, it's an ambitious, surprising and satisfying read for anyone who loves children's books. This book is an agitator of discussion, daring the reader to delve into serious issues and ideas around creativity, craft and what constitutes the best in children's literature.

STOP PRESS: Okay, I lied. I have four recommendations. The Paul Jennings biography by Matthew Ricketson is also a must-read and gives great insight into a fascinating man.

Don't forget to leave a comment with your favourite books on the subject of kids' and YA lit.

Illustrator Greg Holfeld : The Writer's Studio

2011-11-23T07:01:00.000+11:00

Greg Holfeld is an illustrator, comic creator, animator... basically anything with '-ator' at the end. Apart from 'elevator'. He's obviously not an 'elevator'. Or an 'aligator'. He's human, but he does draw animals exceptionally well. Greg shows talent across a broad array of mediums from his illustration work on the wonderful Captain Congo series (written by Ruth Starke) to his comics, advertising and award-winning short films (see Sumo Lake below). Let's take a look inside his writing space and creative process...

Where did you create your latest book?
Not in this studio. We moved here early this year and Captain Congo and the Klondike Gold was drawn in the garden shed in our old house. New studio is a room at the front of the new house, and though it is cleaner, brighter and has significantly less spiders and mice, I've only just stopped missing the old place. Maybe because I've finally got this place messy enough. Sometimes my studio is nice and tidy. Or it looks like this. Don't show my mother these pictures.

Panoramic shot of Greg Holfeld's creating space. Click for larger version.

How important to you is the space in which you write?
I'm considered an illustrator rather than an author, but when I'm not drawing I'm figuring out what to draw which I guess amounts to writing. Certainly that's true for any of the comics I write myself. I always conceive the images and the text simultaneously.
The space for "drawing" is pretty specific - it has to be in my studio with all my tools and resources. For "figuring out what to draw" it's best if I'm away from all that otherwise I get distracted or find excuses to avoid something I find much harder than drawing. I keep the tools for this simple - paper, pencil, clipboard - and go somewhere far from my computer, comic book collection, etc. Perhaps a cafe, or a sunny picnic table in the back garden. The last thing I wrote was actually in front of the telly during a bad movie one night. You would think that would be distracting, but all the family were in bed, I was out of my studio, and the movie didn't really warrant much attention (the Dawn of the Dead remake, if you're interested - not recommended unless you happen to be writing a zombie short story and want examples of every cliché to avoid).

Do you transform your space in any way for each book? Do you 'get into character' at all?
The pin-board gets covered with reference and the tables get covered with relevant books. The greatest mess in my studio occurs at the point of maximum involvement in a project (clearly I've been pretty pre-occupied lately).
While my physique is hardly that of a gorilla or penguin, I often use myself for a model, so I will most definitely be pulling faces and poses in the mirror to match the character I'm trying to get down on paper. When I'm doing an animation project it goes even further and I'll often act out a piece of action before I draw it. I'm glad I work alone.

Greg Holfeld. And a chicken.

How has the place that you create evolved or changed since you first began writing novels?
This new studio has room for what a friend called "the thinking space" - and I bet you thought it was just a comfy couch for reading and napping!

An illustrator's work is never done.

Do you keep regular writing hours? What are they? If not, when do you write?
I start work the minute the family is out the door around 8:15. I then go as hard as I can until about 3:30 - 4:00 when everyone starts coming back. What follows is a couple of hours where I'm too busy helping with homework and being the family IT expert and chief cook to get much drawing done. On a good day, this is when I'll go for a swim or a bike ride. In the evening I'll head back into the studio and see if I can manage to get to the stuff that I missed during the day. That's usually the time for e-mails, bookkeeping, or doing whatever it takes to meet a hard deadline. With a family, I can't work late like I used to. I have to get up with everyone else and a late night just means a tired, useless morning afterwards, so it's not worth it.

Captain Congo, Klondike Gold by Ruth Starke, illustrated by Greg Holfeld.

Do you have a morning ritual? Roald Dahl was said to sharpen pencils. What settles your mind for writing?
Other than taking a moment to enjoy the sudden quiet of the house and seeing if my wife has left any coffee, I just go straight into the studio. If I knew what settled my mind and got me focused on creative work, I'd put it in a jar and spread it on my toast every morning. Instead I just sit down and hope for the best. Sharpening pencils happens all day long.

If you have time, watch Greg's stunning short film Sumo Lake which has had around 150,000 plays on Vimeo.

And the Winner is...

2011-11-22T11:42:00.001+11:00

Huge thanks to all who participated in the competition on my new Facebook author page. So good to connect with lots of new people and others I haven't seen in aeons.

The winner of the prizepack containing:

* My Life and Other Stuff I Made Up (My new book of weird, funny, gross short stories for ages 7+)

* Galactic Adventures First Kids in Space (My new, explosive action-adventure book for ages 9+)

* Mac Slater Hunts the Cool (US hardback edition, 9+)

* Mac Slater Vs. the City (New US hardback edition, 9+)

* Galactic Adventures A2 Poster and Bookmarks

...is Lauren Mazzeo! Congratulations.

I will put this up on Twitter and Facebook and wait for you to drop me a line, Lauren. You can put up a comment on FB and email me the address to send the prize to via the Contact page on my site.

I quite like giving things away. Will run another competition soon.

Illustrator Heath McKenzie : The Writer's Studio

2011-11-15T07:00:00.000+11:00

Heath McKenzie with The Little Bookroom's resident Schnauzer.

I like illustrators. They seem like happy characters, in general – amusing themselves while giving stories a visual life. Heath McKenzie is one of my faves. I worked with him on the Nit Boy books. I love his edginess and the way he makes static images feel as though they are moving. Heath loves monster and zombie movies and suggests reading lots of comics if you want to become an illustrator. Come look inside his toy-riddled creative space.

Where do you currently create? How important to you is the space that you work in?
I currently create in what the real estate agent may have referred to as the 'master bedroom' but I took it over straight away and turned it into my studio/office (the other bedrooms are much smaller but really, all I'd be doing is sleeping in there so no need for all that space just for that!). It's very important to have this space, mainly because of the large amount of stuff I seem to have amassed over time!

Heath McKenzie's creative space

Do you transform your space in any way for each book?
On the odd occasion I'll tidy it up as the desk area around me tends to become very cluttered and starts to overcrowd me during a project (largely because I'm busy concentrating on the work I'm doing and am not bothering to put things away properly).

How has the space that you create evolved or changed since you first began illustrating?
It's mainly just filled up with more stuff!

I think Heath likes toys.

Do you keep regular hours? If not, when do you work?
I try as best I can to keep regular hours, largely because everyone else around me does. So while I am free to work whenever I fancy, keeping regular hours helps me maintain a social and family life. I do find working late into the evening good, though, when necessary. It's always much, much quieter and there's this sense of 'no pressure' from the outside world as everyone's gone to bed... no emails or phone calls to break my concentration.

Heath McKenzie's cover illustrations for my book, Nit Boy Liftoff

Do you have a morning ritual? Roald Dahl was said to sharpen pencils. What settles your mind for work?

Roaming aimlessly online seems to have become my morning ritual... I have a set little roster of websites I pop into one by one and then (if that hasn't lead me on some path of distraction, chasing links and more links) I'll get my head around to the idea of starting proper work! This is, of course, after the breakfast, dog walk and shower ritual!

Heath McKenzie's illustrations for Evil Genius and Genius Squad by Catherine Jinks.

Thanks Heath. Next week the awesome Greg Holfeld (Captain Congo books) is in the Writer's Studio.

Children's Author Felice Arena : The Writer's Studio

2011-11-08T09:07:00.000+11:00

I have shared the writing space of 22 Australian and international authors in my regular blog series, 'The Writer's Studio'. Today is the first to be delivered on video. Felice Arena (popular author of Specky Magee, Boyz Rule, Whippersnapper), like me, started out telling stories as an actor before becoming an author. Here, he invited me to join him on a mission to reveal his writing haunts around Melbourne's State Library of Victoria. It was fun hanging out with 'Fleech' and I hope it gives you insight into the man, his space and his process.

Felice Arena's latest book, Whippersnapper.

Thanks Fleech. Next week, another author in The Writer's Studio.

Win! on My New Facebook Author Page

2011-11-03T15:08:00.001+11:00

I have finally published my Facebook Author Page where I will be sharing links, tweets, new blog posts, book trailers, learning resources and interviews relating to Children's Books, Publishing, Creativity, Competitions, Writing and new possibilities in storytelling.

WIN! To launch the page I am giving away signed books, posters and bookmarks. The prize pack contains:

* My Life and Other Stuff I Made Up (My new book of weird, funny, gross short stories for ages 7+)

* Galactic Adventures First Kids in Space (My new, explosive action-adventure book for ages 9+)

* Mac Slater Hunts the Cool (US hardback edition, 9+)

* Mac Slater Vs. the City (New US hardback edition, 9+)

* Galactic Adventures A2 Poster and Bookmarks

To win, just hit 'Like' on the page before 21 November 2011 and you will go in the draw. Winner will be published here and on Facebook on 22 November.

Galactic Adventures First Kids in Space A2 poster.

Children's Author Briony Stewart: The Writer's Studio

2011-11-02T12:03:00.000+11:00

Children's author / illustrator Briony Stewart seems to live an idyllic life, surrounded by stories, art, nature and animals. She says 'All my creative work as a writer is done in short, excited bursts between making tea and pottering around in the garden.' Briony is the author of the Kumiko books, the first of which won the 2007 Aurealis Award for Children's Short Fiction. Here, she takes us inside her organic space and process.

Briony Stewart's Writing Studio

Where did you write your latest book? How important to you is the space in which you write?
My last book was written mostly from my studio at home, but I also took it with me to a small bush cottage about 3 hours south of Perth. My writing space is important, but it doesn't have to be constant. I can write in a lot of different places as long as I'm alone. I used to write on trains and busy public places, but I've trained myself to use my studio more, and when I am editing I like to be able to read aloud and not be overheard.

Briony Stewart's art space.

Do you transform your space in any way for each book? Do you 'get into character' at all?
I never change my studio space, I feel it is set up completely in a way that gives me ideas. It is full of books and toys, old photographs and old journals. It is crowded and cluttered, but I can rummage through things for ideas. I usually hang art which has been given to me by other artists and by children. I don't hang my own work in there because its a space for new creation and I like to be surrounded by things that either remind me what its like to be a kid, or which inspire me to be a better artist. I can't listen to music when I write, but I can when I'm painting and often I will put on music to suit the mood of illustrations I am working on. Often there will be a little side project of drawings going on even if I am writing a novel, so sometimes I will start the day drawing and listening to music to get me into the right frame of mind for writing.

Briony Stewart at work.

How has the place that you write evolved or changed since you first began writing novels?
The spaces haven't changed, but the way I use them has. When you start getting publishing deadlines, you need to teach yourself how to work more on demand. Writing on trains is fun, but it's a bit more like courting a whim, than actually getting down and doing some work. I still do both things, but having a studio or office does remind me that I am 'at work', not just entertaining myself on the way to town.

Do you keep regular writing hours?
I find it hard to keep regular writing hours, especially with a split writing/illustrating practice like mine, and I am not nearly as disciplined, as I'd like to be! I'm still learning how to manage my time as an artist, between the demands of general business things, festivals and all my diverse and changing projects. However... I have found that I am more of an after lunch person when it comes to writing. Afternoons and evenings seem to produce the best work. All my creative work as a writer is done in short, excited bursts between making tea and pottering around in the garden, but I can spend many hours editing and tweaking, without having to get up once. On an ideal day I will do business/admin and drawing in the morning, writing in the afternoon. I nearly always have a "reward" project I'm allowed to work on if I finish a good amount of writing. Either I can go back to my drawing or I can work on a fun story I'm not supposed to be working on. I have to be my own parent!

The latest Kumiko book, Kumiko and the Shadow Catchers

Do you have a morning ritual? Roald Dahl was said to sharpen pencils. What settles your mind for writing?
Drawing settles me - it's very meditative I think. Sometimes I tidy my studio. My space is always a direct indicator of what state I'm in. If it looks like a bomb's hit it then I've been busy and frantic - I can't control my mess making. Resetting the space back to being clear and tidy puts me in a clearer state of mind. Also, I have a pet rabbit called Winston who plays in the garden and naps in the doorway of my studio. I start most mornings with a cup of tea on the back doorstep, surveying the garden and giving Winston less pats than she'd like (she can never have enough). This always settles me too, and I find a lot of inspiration from nature and animals. I think they bring me back to a childlike state of wonder and amazement. I like to get in touch with this whenever I'm writing, not because I write for children, but because children see the world with fresh eyes everyday, and I think the best writing comes from this kind of openness and wonder.

Thanks Briony. In coming weeks, Felice Arena stars in the first video Writer's Studio post, sharing his haunts at the State Library of Victoria.

Writing Safari

2011-10-24T17:04:00.003+11:00

Sometimes writing books is boring. I know it's hard to believe. But the nature of writing a book means spending extraordinarily long periods of time sitting down in front of a screen typing. And staring out a window. And checking email. And going to the fridge. And eating chocolate. And drinking coffee. Anything to propel you through the day.

There is now research that says that sitting down all day is slowly killing us. But there is a solution. Every now and then I go on a writing safari. I grab notepad and laptop and hit the cafes and beaches - writing, walking, writing, running, writing, swimming, writing, eating berry muffins. I don't think it's any less productive than sitting at the desk and it may keep me alive.

Here's today's writing safari in pictures... Hope it inspires you to get out of the chair and go see the world.

Vegan graffiti in a toilet block.

Young Adult Author Penny Tangey : The Writer's Studio

2011-10-20T13:05:00.000+11:00

Young Adult author and comedian Penny Tangey will be appearing at next week's Inkyfest at the State Library of Victoria. I'll be there, too, and I'm looking forward to meeting the Tangmeister. The Penners. Anyway, she's performed on TV and at fests everywhere. Here she gives insight into the writing of her novels Clara in Washington and Loving Richard Feynman and takes us inside her writing space.

Where did you write your latest book? How important to you is the space in which you write?

I wish I could say I’d written it while bunkering down for the winter in Antarctica. Or sitting on a park bench next to a homeless person in Barcelona. Or in a prison. In fact, I wrote most of Clara in Washington in my study. Boring.

Occasionally I go away to write. While I was editing Clara in Washington I went to Cairns for a week where my partner was at a physics conference. I spent the days by myself writing (with small breaks at the ‘lagoon’) and at night I’d have dinner and drinks with the physicists. It probably sounds appalling but it was a great week.

Do you transform your space in any way for each book? Do you 'get into character' at all?
Can’t say I do. Unless by character you mean tracksuit pants, in which case, yes.

How has the place that you write evolved or changed since you first began writing novels?
I wrote my first book, Loving Richard Feynman while I was living in Washington DC in an apartment the size of a cupboard. So my writing space has evolved such that I can now turn around in it.

Do you keep regular writing hours? What are they? If not, when do you write?
I work full time, which makes it tricky. The idea of coming home from work and then writing for a couple of hours is horrifying so I try to write on the weekend. I also occasionally take leave so I can write for a few days in a row.

Do you have a morning ritual? Roald Dahl was said to sharpen pencils. What settles your mind for writing?
Sitting still is not one of the things I do best. So I go for a run in the morning to tucker myself out, and cut down the urge to leap up every five minutes. I also find a hot beverage can help anchor me to the desk. (Not that sitting down for a long time is actually good for you. In fact, I think they’re saying it gives you cancer.)

Meantime, here's a fine dose of Writers' Rooms at The Guardian.

Young Adult Author James Phelan : The Writer's Studio

2011-10-10T15:06:00.000+11:00

James Phelan, author of the Lachlan Fox thrillers and Young Adult series Alone and takes us inside his writing space and process. I've been lucky enough to spend time with James at writers fests and events over the past couple of years. He is a fascinating man. Funny, positive, self-deprecating, he was once a journalist at The Age, studied as an architect, did his PHD on children's literature and began writing his first novel at age 15. Hope you enjoy hanging out with him...

Where did you write your latest book? How important to you is the space in which you write?
ALONE: Quarantine, the final book in the Alone trilogy, was written at cafes and at home, and a bit on the road while touring and traveling. I can write anywhere and almost any time, but what I need to sort out is my own headspace. Music helps, and for the entire trilogy I listened to a loop of all of Radiohead's music (both their own recordings and covers), usually on shuffle via iTunes.

Do you transform your space in any way for each book? Do you 'get into character' at all?
I reorganise my office space when starting each new project, and by the end it's full of research notes, books, and unopened mail. I've written five adult thrillers and the 2nd and 3rd I did get into character and realised for the sake of my sanity and those around me it wasn't worth it.

How has the place that you write evolved or changed since you first began writing novels?
My first novel I wrote at my parent's house, which is on the southern coast of Victoria. I'd moved out after high school, aged 17, to study architecture at RMIT. After a couple years I deferred a year to see if I could write the novel that'd been bugging me to be written, so I moved back home for the year. I managed to complete it (FOX HUNT) and enjoyed the process so much that I ditched architecture to focus on writing. The 2nd book was written in a rented apartment in the eastern 'burbs of Melbourne, an old terrace above a persian rug shop, where I had a windowless study. From book 3 to 10 novels later, the space has been the same: my study, in Richmond, in a space that I designed and built myself as a warehouse conversion.

James Phelan's 'editing desk'.

Do you keep regular writing hours? What are they? If not, when do you write?
My first 2 novels I had a day job at a newspaper and then university, so my writing was mostly done at night and weekends. The last five or so years it's been full-time novel writing, and I write in the morning and day, and only into the late night when deadlines approach (or pass by).

Being a young, full-time writer probably seems like a romantic existence, and I guess on some levels it is, but it's all about being disciplined. The curse is that you can't escape it - I write every day, because I cannot find the off switch. That means each day I have to trawl the depths of human experience and emotion, which can be wearisome and worrying. Yet to me it seems like the only way to live. Each moment I write I just want to get it right; I'm always trying to be accurate, to not cheat readers nor my characters.

Do you have a morning ritual? Roald Dahl was said to sharpen pencils. What settles your mind for writing?
I start each day over a couple coffees at a local cafe, reading through the previous day's work and then getting into typing the new stuff.

Is that Dahl comment a euphemism? As a kid I enjoyed his books yet I've rarely heard nice things said or written about him as a person - not that it's a big deal, for most of us writers can be prickly, but from what I've read and heard it seems he wasn't much fun. See this: http://boingboing.net/2011/06/07/roald-dahl-kind-of-a.html

What settles my mind? Unfortunately, very little. Music helps with blanketing out the background clatter. Writing a good book feels like a good achievement, if only until page one is started on the next thing. Perhaps most settling are the two or three little moments of literary magic that seem to occur each day - when you write, and really put the effort in to get lost in the characters and story, connections are made and moments arise that are completely unforeseen and unknowable for the author. That's a fulfilling and settling, feeling; each day, after those moments, I feel some work of worth has been done.

Children's Author & Illustrator Tohby Riddle : The Writer's Studio

2011-09-26T12:07:00.000+10:00

Tohby Riddle is a genius. Well, he's really smart. I mean, he knows everything about stories and publishing. He should. He's done it all. After art school he started out in the proverbial mailroom, was cartoonist for The Good Weekend for nearly ten years, he has edited The School Magazine, written and illustrated award-winning picture books and published a YA novel. He also has a spectacular space in which to create. Here, he shares it with us and gives insight into his process.

Where did you create your latest book? How important to you is the space in which you write and illustrate?

I created my latest book in my studio - which is a fancy-sounding word for a small attic space with skylights. My studio is important for my creative process in that all my books and equipment are there - and it's my personal space - but I also do good thinking work in cafes and on trains and other such places - and also while walking. Basically anywhere where I have some time to get going on a thought and that is relatively peaceful.

'This pic of the studio captures it mid-project with piles of books and papers everywhere ... it's also hard to show the whole studio in a photo but this at least shows the two desk spaces: one with a computer for writing and digital image-work and the other for creating artwork by hand.' - Tohby

Do you transform your space in any way for each book? Do you 'get into character' at all?
No, the only transformation, which is actually very important, is a big clean up that leaves no signs of the previous project. Then I can fully focus on the next book. Occasionally I might have an image or object out on my desk or nearby that is relevant to the project or just fun and pleasing at the time - like for My Uncle's Donkey I had a little brass donkey on my desk which was kicking its back legs up. Currently I've got an old iron clown money box that you can feed coins to.

Do you keep regular writing hours? What are they? If not, when do you write?
Since my family commitments arose, I'm much less of a night owl and more a diurnal kind of bird like a pigeon or a galah. That means I more or less keep to business hours (9–5), though I often do an hour or two in the evenings after the kids are asleep (and before I get tired). That's not to say that I'm not thinking and problem solving at any hour of the day or night - for me, creating a book is often completely preoccupying.

Do you have a morning ritual? Roald Dahl was said to sharpen pencils. What settles your mind for writing?
I often go to a cafe to start the day (after dropping the kids off at school) - and after a skim of the newspaper, start scribbling thoughts in my notebook. Then I return to my studio, choose music which will create the right emotional space to work within, and get to work.

Tohby has a very cool website here and a fun illustrated profile of himself here.

Next week, another author in The Writer's Studio. In the meantime, you can sneak inside the creative spaces of previous guests here.

Children's Author Pat Flynn : The Writer's Studio

2011-09-20T13:09:00.000+10:00

Pat Flynn is an ex-pro tennis player and prolific author of children's books with awards and honours in Australia and the US. Here, he takes us inside his creative space during the writing of his new book The Best Ballgirl.

Where did you write your latest book?

In my office near the beach on the Sunshine Coast.

How important to you is the space in which you write?

It’s very important as I can’t seem to write anywhere else. It’s a decent size and comfortable, with everything I need within rolling distance on my chair such as filing cabinets, bookcases and the back door to let in those summer breezes. Having a comfortable work environment is really important because I got RSI in my neck early in my career and I learnt the importance of screen height and posture.

Do you transform your space in any way for each book?

Not consciously. Although my latest book – The Best Ballgirl – is about tennis and right now I can count 5 rackets and about 50 tennis balls in my writing space!

Do you 'get into character' at all?

Only in my head. I do like to look at pictures on the Internet of the places that I write about, but I don’t dress up like my characters.

How has the place that you write evolved or changed since you first began writing novels?

I now have a much better chair, a bigger screen, and one of those clipboards that hangs up next to your computer. Otherwise it serves the same purpose – a place to tell stories using words via a computer. I find the biggest difference is being connected to the Internet all the time. This can be much more distracting than the old days. However, when I get stuck with my story I tend to now stay in my chair, flick over to the Internet, and flick back to my story a few minutes later. Before, I’d get up and walk to the fridge!

Do you keep regular writing hours? What are they? If not, when do you write?

Not really. There are large chunks of the year when there seems to be no time for writing. However, I always seem to write a book over the summer period. When I’m writing I aim to do 1000 words per day until the first draft is done. I seem to get more done in the afternoon and at night. Perhaps I’m still half asleep in the morning?

Do you have a morning ritual? Roald Dahl was said to sharpen pencils. What settles your mind for writing?

In the winter a hot chocolate. In the summer, a surf. I try and get a hundred words done before I check the online newspapers but it doesn’t always happen.

Thanks Mr Flynn. Next week another author will take us inside their story world.

Ipswich Festival of Children's Literature

2011-09-06T21:30:00.000+10:00

This week I'm at Ipswich Festival of Children's Literature and Brisbane Writer's Fest. Lots of fun sessions. Looking forward to Thursday at Ipswich doing My Life and Other Stuff I Made Up sessions with Gus Gordon and Friday's Book Trailers session at BWF with YA writer, Maggie Stiefvater.

The pics in this post are from this afternoon at Ipswich City Hall. I was following Andy Griffiths which is a tough gig but the audience were super-attentive and had some interesting ideas to share. We were brainstorming a sibling rivalry story and these were some of the things that their brothers and sisters had done to them! Definitely going into the story. Did your bro's and sisters do anything weird or mean to you when you were a kid?

Young Adult and Middle Grade Author James Roy : The Writer's Studio

2011-09-04T21:00:00.000+10:00

James Roy is a generous, funny and dedicated man. He is also one of the most respected and awarded authors of Young Adult and Middle-Grade fiction in Australia. His book Town is currently up for a major German literary prize and, this week, he will appear at the Brisbane Writers Festival. Here, James takes us inside his writing space and sheds light on the quirks of his process.

Where did you write your latest book? How important to you is the space in which you write?
I wrote most of it in the space that I usually work in, although some of it was written in airport lounges and cafes, some was written in the car on a long drive to Canberra (I wasn't driving the car at the time) and some was actually written on a sick-bag on a Jetstar flight to Geelong, when the muse arrived just as the cabin crew asked us to turn off our computers. I think a quiet space is fairly important, but when all's said and done, if you're determined to write that book, you'll find a way, no matter where you are.

Do you transform your space in any way for each book? Do you 'get into character' at all?
I don't get into character through my space, although I do transform it a little by wiping away the planning notes from the last books and starting again. I don't use a white-board - I use whiteboard markers on the big front window of my study. It's a fairly big space, and it makes me feel like that guy from A Beautiful Mind.

How has the place that you write evolved or changed since you first began writing novels?
I used to write in a tiny study at the back of the house. I built a floor-to-ceiling bookcase, which made me feel very studious, but it was still a very small, rather claustrophobic space. But then my wife stopped working from home, and the front room that she'd used for her business became available, and I moved into a more common area. My family is out for most of each day anyway, so it's still quiet, but I can see the bush and the horizon, I can hear when the mail comes, and I don't feel like I'm in exile every time I go to work.

The other way it's changed is that I carve the name of each book I complete on the front edge of the old kitchen table that I use as my desk. It means that just by glancing down, I can see that what I'm doing isn't wasted effort - there is a final goal that is worth striving for.

Do you keep regular writing hours? What are they? If not, when do you write?
I travel so much now that I find it quite tricky to get into any kind of regular routine. Also, three hours of work will feel like work (emails, invoices, 'researching') but I won't have any writing done. So now I set myself a minimum word quota of 2,000 words a day, five days a week. That way, if I get it done by lunchtime, that's good, and I can have the afternoon off, or I do it again. But if I'm still sitting at my desk at 1am with no words written, that's no one's fault but mine.

Do you have a morning ritual? Roald Dahl was said to sharpen pencils. What settles your mind for writing?
A cup of tea and some breakfast, and then I'm into it. I recently decided that I was best able to discipline myself if I got my words out of the way first, then did the other stuff like the emails and invoices after I'd written my words. So far that's working for me.

I also like to read a page from one of my favourite writing motivational books, Walking on Alligators, by Susan Shaughnessy, which encourages me to get into it.

Thanks Mr Roy. Next week, another children's / young adult author will be here, sharing their space.

Children's Book Week 2011

2011-08-29T10:04:00.001+10:00

Over the past week Australian children's authors and illustrators have been hitting the streets and the schools, taking their stories to the peeps, enthusing kids on writing and reading and creativity. I was among them and it was good.

I am constantly amazed and inspired by the wacky ideas, questions and mindful meanderings of kids. We have so much to learn about present-momentness from children. The more time I spend brainstorming, sharing stories and chatting with kids the greater respect I have and the more informed my stories are. So, thank you for a fun Book Week and thanks to the CBCA for promoting the value of children's books.

Here is my week in pictures and a few words.

1100 boys from 100+ different nationalities in the hall at Patrician Brothers Fairfield for a Book Week chat and reading.

At Sydney's Shore Prep they did 'book busking' to raise money for Room to Read - www.roomtoread.org - a seriously amazing charity building libraries and providing girls' education in developing countries. Book busking involves students reading from fave books while other students wander and listen and toss coins into the hats of the readers.

I travelled to schools north, east, west and south of Sydney throughout the week.

Modelling clay sheep and snail created by students at a workshop I ran at Voices on the Range festival, Toowoomba, the week before Book Week.

A series of pop-up displays created by students at Moriah College , based on my 'Nit Boy' books.

I finished the week fittingly with a visit to Sydney's amazing 'Art of Dr Seuss' store. Inspiring to read about the good doctor and see some of his 'secret' artwork.

This week it's Melbourne Writers Festival. Will post some pics soon.

The view from the 47th floor of the hotel in Melbourne. This is a seriously fantastic city. Like a mini New York.

My Life and Other Stuff I Made Up reviews

2011-08-25T07:22:00.000+10:00

The reviews are in... Some recent reviews of my book of short stories My Life and Other Stuff I Made Up.

Good Reading Magazine:

(Highly recommended)
'What an exhilirating ride it is to follow the misadventures of Tom Weekly ... Delightful and funny. Bancks has beautifully captured the essence of boyhood. Tom is a typical 21st-century schoolboy, following in the fine tradition of Ginger Meggs... Best of all, it made me laugh.'

From 'Kids Book Review'

Are you ready to laugh? Yes? Good. Because you won't be able to help yourself once you open this cover.

Tom Weekly loves to write and draw, so he puts together lots of short stories and drawings and other crazy stuff that comes to his imagination.
With a passion for funny stuff, the big questions (like, why do dogs eat poo?), lists and quirky captions, Tom is kind of weird - but in a good way. And a bit of a gross way, too.
Boys will love this book. Fans of Griffiths, Gleitzman and Jennings will be thrilled to have this book in their collection.
Author Bancks doesn't skip a beat as he writes from his character Tom's perspective, and illustrator Gordon adds his usual funny and clever drawings to it all.
What a great book.

DMag review excerpt:

'A serious dose of pant-wetting, cringe-worthy short stories and we love 'em! Just don't read it if you like the taste of Vegemite. It'll never taste the same again.'

Reading Time review:

**BANCKS, Tristan (text) Gus Gordon (illus.) My Life & Other Stuff I Made Up Random House, 2011 200pp $15.95 pbk ISBN 9781864718171 SCIS 1513192
The cover of this book of nine short stories is reminiscent in design of the Penny Pollard series, with cartoon ink sketches, bandaids and a sticker on the cover. There are wide margins, ink sketches and varied fonts to break up the text and appeal to emerging young readers. The comic style illustrations and ideas lists throughout extend and enhance the text and make it a visual experience rather than a series of stories to be read. Each story involves Tom’s family and friends and most have indefinite endings that allow the reader to visualise several alternate endings. The topics are slapstick, funny and gross in places, with a hot dog eating competition, tough nans in battle, an evil swooping magpie and a gruesome scab story to mention a few. The voice of Tom is convincing and conveys a good sense of family and pets in each story. The themes of the importance of friends, coming to terms with girls, mothers who go on dates and dealing with bullies are explored. There are website details and an email address for readers to send their own stories, messages and ideas. Suitable for 8-12 year olds. JL

And here's Author Oliver Phommavanh's review in Buzz Words Magazine

Children's Author Libby Gleeson : The Writer's Studio

2011-08-22T16:41:00.000+10:00

Libby Gleeson is one of Australia's most respected and awarded children's book authors. She has written everything from picture books like Amy and Louis to Young Adult novels like Mahtab's Story. Libby is a great advocate for children's authors and Australian children's literature so it is very fitting to celebrate Children's Book Week by having her in The Writer's Studio. Here is a little peek into Libby's process and writing space...

Where did I write my last book?
All done in the small space left after papers and junk have taken over my desk. All done on computer.

How important is the place where I write?
I write best at my desk. Sometimes when it's not going well I migrate to the kitchen table or to the sunshine outside but it never works.

Children's author Libby Gleeson at work in her office.

Do you get into character at all?
Not physically but very much mentally. I try to take on the persona: thoughts, actions, voice of whoever I'm writing about.

How has the place where you write evolved or changed?
I wrote my first novel on a tiny desk in a London flat. Then my second on the kitchen table in Newtown and then a number of desks in our house in Petersham. Now it's on my fabulous huge desk here (in Petersham) but gradually books and papers from everything else I do keep invading and reproducing all over the place. Now it's the equivalent of that tiny desk in London.

Do you keep regular writing hours?
Theoretically yes - 9 to 5 but the reality is that's only sometimes. It's any time in the day- usually about 9 to 3ish - and never at night.

Do you have a morning ritual?
Coffee, the Sydney Morning Herald, stretching at the gym so I can sit down for hours without a crook neck and then I start.

Check back next week for another children's author in The Writer's Studio.

Tweets on Writing and Creativity #2

2011-08-19T07:48:00.010+10:00

I tweet a lot on writing and creativity. Here are eleven interesting links, ideas and inspirations that I have come across in Twitsville in recent weeks. Hope they're useful.

'If you don't jump, the wings never come.' - Bruce Coville #LA11SCBWI (via @drydenbooks)

#MWF2011 guest Alice Pung on writing: 'Keep on keeping on & let go of fixed ideas' bit.ly/pLWqb0

myleejoseph Mylee Joseph by tristanbancks
“@kylie_ladd: Fabulous piece about the state of publishing in Australia from The Oz. theaustralian.com.au/news/arts/pagi…Featuring @booktopia @Tim_Coronel

Kate DiCamillo & Bagram Ibatoulline take us behind-the-scenes on writing / illustrating Edward Tulane http://bit.ly/qKZZg0

Noisy kids, stacks of books, Darth Vader & computer games. Inside @George_Ivanoff's writing space: http://bit.ly/nJFawY

How Writers Work. I was lucky enough to be interviewed for @gabriellewang's series on creativity http://bit.ly/nRbYKF

Important piece via @scbwi: Bruce Coville: at the intersection of plot and character: http://bit.ly/q2Bq5s #LA11SCBWI

Great Ocean Rd, Taiqi, ironing. Author/illustrator @GabrielleWang on writing space & process http://bit.ly/90r5kT

Nice collection of digital storytelling apps: http://bit.ly/mcrNox (via @ipadeducators @BookChook)

Children's Book Journey: Author, Publisher, Editor, Illustrator, Designer perspectives on my new book http://bit.ly/nuqpmW

A 9-yr old girl removed her own tooth in front of me with a piece of string yesterday. I love school visits.

Children's Author Kate Forsyth: The Writer's Studio

2011-08-16T21:08:00.000+10:00

Kate Forsyth's lifelong dream has been to write, to be an author, to bring fantasy worlds to life. She lives that dream every day, writing in her study, on planes, trains, automobiles and in hotel rooms. And, occasionally, in the Italian Alps. Here, she smuggles us inside her writing world, giving insights into her life and creative space and shows us how she has made her childhood fantasy a reality.

Where did you write your latest book?

Most of the time I write in my study, but I also have been known to take my notebook with me to bed, to the beach, to a cafe, or while I’m travelling. This year I was lucky enough to go to France & Italy for research, and so I wrote in my notebook in Paris, Florence, Venice, in the Italian Alps and in Bordeaux.

How important to you is the space in which you write?

Its very important to me, but not always something I can control. My preference is to write in my study, which looks over the garden to the harbour and the ocean. Its painted pale green and is lined with bookcases and framed prints of my covers or illustrations from my books.

Do you transform your space in any way for each book?

I put all the research books for the last book away in my library (yes, I’m lucky enough to have a library!) and then I start to collect books for the new book. I have them all together on a shelf in my study. For example, when I was writing The Puzzle Ring my bookshelf was laden with books on Mary, Queen of Scots and Scottish fairy lore. I had photographs of Scottish castles and mountains and lochs on my wall and on my computer, and maps of Scotland everywhere. All those books and photos and maps are put away now, and new ones have taken their place.

Do you 'get into character' at all?

Only in my imagination.

How has the place that you write evolved or changed since you first began writing novels?

My first novel was written on a rickety old table in the corner of the living room. Then we renovated and I got a room of my own which was very exciting. However, I kept having babies and so I had to give up my study for a nursery. When Baby No 3 came along, I told my husband I wasn’t giving up my study again and that we had to move. Now our house is big enough for all my 3 kids to have a room of their own, and I have a study AND a library. Life is good.

Do you keep regular writing hours? What are they? If not, when do you write?

I’m very regular indeed in my work hours. I take my kids to school at 9am, walk the dog until 10am, then turn on my computer and have a cup of tea. I work steadily till 12.30pm, have lunch and read a chapter or an article about books or writing, walk around my garden, then have another cup of tea and get back to work. Three afternoons a week, I work through until 5.30pm. The other two afternoons, I pick up my daughter from school at 3pm. Quite often I’ll go back to work till 5.30 or 6pm, when I start cooking dinner and helping my kids with their homework. If I’m really excited about the book I’m writing, I’ll start work again at around 8.30pm and work till late. Usually, though, I read or do some research instead. This happens every day I’m at home, but you must remember I do spend a lot of time travelling, talking about books and writing, or appearing at festivals and so on. During those times, I take my notebook and my laptop with me and work whenever I can i.e. on the plane, in the airport, in my hotel room. Usually I only get a few hours' work at a time done then.

Do you have a morning ritual? Roald Dahl was said to sharpen pencils. What settles your mind for writing?

I love my morning walk. I always think through what I want to do that day, so I’m all keen and eager to begin. I usually have a cup of tea and a banana before I start work – does that count as a ritual? The other thing I always do is read through what I wrote the day before, and edit and polish it. It gets me back in the swing of things.

Thanks Kate! Check back next Wednesday and climb inside the world of another author.

Children's Author George Ivanoff: The Writer's Studio

2011-08-10T16:42:00.000+10:00

George Ivanoff is a wonder to behold – children's author, prolific blogger (Boomerang's Literary Clutter) and stay-at-home-dad. Here he shows us how and where he writes, surrounded by noisy children, piles of books, Darth Vader statues and computer games.

Where did you write your latest book? How important to you is the space that you write in?

The bulk of Gamers’ Challenge was written in my little corner of the office that I share with my wife (a graphic designer). It’s cluttered and rather closed in and cosy. I’m surrounded by bookshelves and piles of books and movie memorabilia and… stuff. I like the feeling of being surrounded by the things that I like. It’s fairly daggy. It’s quite a contrast to my wife’s side of the office, which is open and tidy and bright… quite stylish, in fact.

Do you transform your space in any way for each book?

No, I don’t transform the space. But while writing Gamers’ Challenge (and Gamers’ Quest before that), I would take regular computer game breaks. I found a great website with retro games like Asteroids and Space Invaders. Given that the Gamers books are all set inside a computer game world, I figured that this was legitimate research. ;-)

Do you 'get into character' at all?

I certainly do. When I’m creating characters I test them out — I do the voices and even act out their mannerisms sometimes. It helps me get a clear picture of them in my mind. It also helps me keep the dialogue consistent. I always do read-throughs out loud in character (much to the amusement of my wife and kids) and, if anything doesn’t sound right, I know I have to re-write it. This means that when the book is finished, and I’m doing readings, I find it really easy to slip into character, do the voices and perform them.

Gamers' Quest by George Ivanoff

How has the place that you write evolved or changed since you first began writing novels?

When I first started writing I had a small study, cluttered and cosy and full of ‘stuff’. I was very protective of my space and I didn’t share it with anyone. I had to have complete silence (not even background music) while writing. But then I had kids and everything changed. Since then I’ve learned to write under any circumstances. I no longer need silence (in fact, I can write while surrounded by screaming children) or solitude. When my wife and I had our current home built, we included a joint office. My space is now bigger, it’s shared and it’s never quiet (my wife always has music playing). And I like it a lot better than my old study.

Do you keep regular writing hours? What are they? If not, when do you write?

As a stay-at-home dad, regular writing hours are a luxury I don’t get all that often. In fact, only once a week. Every Tuesday my youngest daughter goes off to day-care and my eldest gets picked up from school by her grandparents — so I get a complete, uninterrupted day in which to write. The rest of the time, I fit my writing in around the schedule of my kids (who have much busier social lives than me). So I’ll write during nap time, after the kids are in bed, on weekends, late into the night, etc.

Gamers' Challenge by George Ivanoff

Do you have a morning ritual? Roald Dahl was said to sharpen pencils. What settles your mind for writing?

Ha. I am so not a morning person! My morning ritual involves hitting the snooze button several times, stumbling out of bed, tripping over toys, then getting daughter #1 ready for school. On Tuesdays, after she’s at school and #2 is at day-care, I’ll make myself a nice, strong cup of coffee (like any true caffeine addict I have my own espresso machine), get myself a piece of chocolate (like any true chocoholic, I keep a large supply in the cupboard) and settle down at the computer to read email, Twitter and FaceBook. Then, when the coffee is finished, I get stuck into the writing!

Gamers' Quest is out now and Gamers' Challenge hits stores September 2011. More on George over at www.georgeivanoff.com.au. Another children's author will be in the Writer's Studio next week.

Journey of a Book: My Life & Other Stuff I Made Up

2011-08-05T07:00:00.001+10:00

Ever wondered how a children's book is made? Here you can discover how we made My Life and Other Stuff I Made Up, my new book of short stories. I recently interviewed the publisher, editor, illustrator and designer of the book as well as giving my own insights over at the Random House Australia blog. Link to each of the short pieces below. I hope this is useful.

Author: Tristan Bancks

Random House Children's Publisher: Zoe Walton

Random House Managing Editor: Brandon VanOver

Illustrator and Cover Designer: Gus Gordon

Book Designer: Astred Hicks

Children's Author Gabrielle Wang: The Writer's Studio

2011-08-03T07:58:00.002+10:00

Author / Illustrator Gabrielle Wang

Author / illustrator Gabrielle Wang has worked as a sales girl, abalone sheller, dishwasher, waitress, graphic designer, English teacher and Chinese teacher. She says she wasn’t particularly good at writing at school but is now the author and illustrator of lots of books for young people. Here she gives an intimate insight into where and how she approaches the creative process.

Where did you write your latest book?
My latest series of books are the Poppy books published this year. They were written in my writing room in Melbourne. I liken this room to a bear's den. It’s dark and a bit gloomy, but it does have a lovely view out onto a bed of camellia trees, which are in full bloom at the moment.

How important to you is the space that you write in?
When I first started writing I took over a small corner of our bedroom, propped my laptop on an old cane table and wrote my first two books there. Later, as my writing grew into a profession, I set up the office I use today. But I also enjoy working on the kitchen table, or in the back room where the sun streams in, or in a noisy cafe. It all depends on what stage I'm up to in my WIP, and how I’m feeling.

Gabrielle Wang's Writing Room

When I’m writing the very first draft of a new book, I like to sit in a cafe with a pen and notebook. That way I won’t be tempted to do housework. Even the ironing is more enticing than working on my novel sometimes. I find writing such hard work that I need to take myself away. I often go down to a friend’s beach house on the Great Ocean Road. I love it there. It’s just me and my dog, the koalas and the kookaburras. It would have to be my favourite place to write.

Do you transform your space in any way for each book?
My actual writing room is very messy. But the space inside my head, where the story is written, is tidy. That is where my writing space really exists. I turn my eyes inward and let the story play out at the back of my mind. I always begin a new novel with the setting because that is where my characters will act out their story. Perhaps it’s because I was a graphic designer and illustrator that I tend to see the story like a movie.

The Poppy Books by Gabrielle Wang

Do you 'get into character' at all?
If I’m writing dialogue I might put on a certain voice in order to hear the dialect of my character. Or if I’m writing an action scene I sometimes role play the action to see how the characters would interact with each other.

How has the place that you write evolved or changed since you first began writing novels?
As I mentioned before, I began writing in a corner of my bedroom and used my bed to spread out various drafts of my novel. But as my writing life took over, I needed to file things away. I needed bookshelves, a space for all the printed drafts and editor’s notes and reference books. And I also needed a filing cabinet for the business side of writing. And because I still illustrate I have taken over the dining room as my painting studio.

Gabrielle Wang's Painting Room

Do you keep regular writing hours? What are they? If not, when do you write?
During the week, I keep very regular hours. I begin around 8.00 am and write until about 2.30. I’m always best in the morning. A few weeks ago I lost my dog of 14 years. I would take her for walks everyday and gather fresh ideas or sort out plot problems. A dog will always be a part of my life. On the weekends I’m a bit more flexible when it comes to work, but I do like to write everyday.

Saffy

Do you have a morning ritual? Roald Dahl was said to sharpen pencils. What settles your mind for writing?
Sometimes I practice taiqi, which is a great way to calm the spirit. Before I go into my writing room, I have to tidy the kitchen. If there are dishes lying around I feel quite unsettled. After that I make a pot of Dragon Well Tea and begin my writing day.

Thanks Gabrielle. I was lucky enough to be interviewed over at www.gabriellewang.com recently as part of the How Writers Work series. Next week, another children's author will be here to take us inside their world. Meanwhile, here's a link to previous authors and illustrators in The Writer's Studio.

Story Starters: Food Glorious Food

2011-07-31T19:58:00.000+10:00

In my 4th grade 'Anything Goes' writing book, almost every story was about food. Lollies mainly. Food is an important aspect of stories for kids and by kids. In my latest book Galactic Adventures: First Kids in Space there is a giant food-fight scene at the spaceport and in 'Hot Dog Eat', a short story in My Life and Other Stuff I Made Up Tom Weekly tries to defend his grandfather's honour and break the world hot dog eating record. Here's a food-based story-starter for you from the My Life teaching materials.
All illustrations escaped from the kooky mind of Gus Gordon.

The Story Behind the Story
I heard about the annual Nathan’s Hot Dog Eating Competition held at Coney Island, New York, and I was fascinated by the concept of 'professional eating'. I am also an enormous fan of Stephen King’s fantastic story The Body, made into the film Stand By Me. In that story there is an unforgettable “pie- eat” scene. 'Hot Dog Eat' is kind of my homage to it.

Activity
What is your favourite or least favourite food? Tell a story about it. Set yourself five or ten minutes on the timer on my Create page and go for it. Don't think, just write. The story can celebrate the beauty of food or, like Hot Dog Eat, it can be a little bit gross.

Resources
Google ‘Nathan’s Hot Dog Eat’ and click on a video of the famous Dog Eat that inspired my story.

Good luck. Let me know how you go.

Get Reading Tour

2011-07-29T13:36:00.001+10:00

I have just returned from a Get Reading book tour, speaking about My Life and Other Stuff I Made Up and Galactic Adventures: First Kids in Space. The tour took in Townsville, Sydney, Wollongong, Melbourne, Geelong and Ballarat – 15 talks in five days with kids and teens from kindergarten through to year 9. It was a wild, hard-working week, interacting with thousands of kids, hopefully inspiring them to pick up a book and also giving them some tools for creating their own stories.

Get Reading publishes the annual guide, '50 Books You Can't Put Down' and they have just begun touring authors around Australia. Here is my tour in pics and video.

A giraffe by Australian artist John Olsen on the wall of the amazing Olsen Hotel in Melbourne.

With two dynamos, Maryanne Hyde from Geelong Library Service and Bethany Clark from Get Reading

View from my hotel room in Sydney.

Speaking to kids at Balmain Primary School.

My new rocket, powered by baking soda and vinegar.

Signing books with Paul MacDonald from The Children's Bookshop in Sydney.

More pics on Get Reading's Facebook page at
https://www.facebook.com/pages/Get-Reading/119040328117983

Story Starters: Worst Job in the World

2011-07-19T07:57:00.004+10:00

Here's another Story Starter, perfect for getting kids and adults writing. This one is based on my short story 'Tooth Job' from My Life and Other Stuff I Made Up. The illustrations in this post are by the extraordinary and kooky Gus Gordon.

'Tooth Job' was inspired by a story told to me by an old friend when we were discussing the worst jobs that we had ever had. His worst job was delivering teeth and, in my story, things go very, very wrong for Tom Weekly on his first day in the tooth delivery biz.

Story Starter
What do you think would be the worst job in the whole world? Is it grubby or embarrassing or dangerous? Get a blank sheet of paper or a fresh page in your writing book. Brainstorm a big list of ‘Worst Jobs’ (make them up if you like) and then choose one of the jobs and write ‘A day in the life of a ...’

In the TV series Dirty Jobs they feature a worm dung farmer, a snake wrangler and an owl vomit collector. For inspiration, check out this list of episodes from Dirty Jobs: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_Dirty_Jobs_episodes

Good luck!

The Secret to Writing for Children

2011-07-15T07:57:00.001+10:00

'And above all, watch with glittering eyes the whole world around you because the greatest secrets are always hidden in the most unlikely places. Those who don't believe in magic will never find it.' – Roald Dahl

I love this quote. It's the secret to being a children's writer.
[I'm unsure of source for image but please let me know before you sue.]

Children's Author Shamini Flint: The Writer's Studio

2011-07-13T08:01:00.001+10:00

Shamini Flint is a Singapore-based children's and adult author, a Malaysian national, educated at Cambridge. She has self-published many of her books via the company she established, SunBear Publishing and now has deals with Little Brown UK and Allen & Unwin. She was a corporate lawyer and is now a proud stay-at-home soccer mum. She was a hit at this year's Sydney Writer's Fest where I had the good fortune to meet her. Here she takes us into her writing space which she describes as 'a pile of rubbish on the carpet while the house is being painted'. But writers work in all conditions...

Where did you write your latest book?

I have a very nice room in my house in Singapore – high ceilings, windows with shutters and lots and lots of pictures and books and that’s where I do most of my writing. I also keep a notebook next to my bed. Sometimes, when I can’t sleep, I get a few ideas but if I don’t write them down I’ve forgotten by the morning!

How important to you is the space that you write in?

It’s not the space that matters so much to me but the peace and quiet – so I can only write when the kids are at school. If they’re home they interrupt me every five minutes. Even if I lock myself in they bang on the doors and promise that they have ‘just one more thing’ to ask me or tell me – but it never is just one more thing!

Do you transform your space in any way for each book?

Not really. Sometimes the room is messy, sometimes it’s tidy, sometimes it’s somewhere in between. Today there are bits of paper and colour pencils everywhere because the kids were working on an art project last night and didn’t tidy up. And my computer mouse is sticky which is not so great.

Do you 'get into character' at all?

I don’t dress up or anything weird like that but when I’m writing dialogue, I sort of think that I’m that person in the book so that I ‘sound’ like them. I get a lot of my children’s characters from my own kids so sometimes I just imagine how they’d behave in a particular situation rather than try and squeeze my forty year-old self into a child’s space.

Do you keep regular writing hours?

In the morning when the kids are at school and at night when they’re in bed if I’m not too tired. Sometimes I drift off when I’m putting them to bed.

Do you have a morning ritual? Roald Dahl was said to sharpen pencils. What settles your mind for writing?

Coffee, coffee and more coffee with lots of milk and sugar. Writing makes me fat!

Story Starters: Vision-Boarding

2011-07-12T08:53:00.000+10:00

Each week I'll be posting a new Story Starter here, perfect for getting kids and adults writing. This one is based on my short story Swoop from My Life and Other Stuff I Made Up.

All Australians understand the blinding fear of magpies in the springtime. I wrote this story a few years ago to vent my frustration with the magpie living on the telegraph pole in front of my house. When I sat down to write I set myself the simple challenge of getting my character, Tom Weekly, from his house to the bus stop without being swooped or humiliated in front of Sasha, the girl of his dreams. Then I threw absolutely everything I could at him in order to stop him from getting there.

Click image for source.

Vision-Board: One of the tools that I use in my writing is to gather pictures like those above that feel like the story that I am creating. I collect them together in a folder on my computer desktop called a Vision Board. Can you find some images of a dangerous domestic / suburban animal from sites like Google Images and Flickr and use them as inspiration for a story? A personal favourite Google Images search is 'Weird Cats'. Give it a shot and see if it inspires anything.

Magpie Illustrations by Gus Gordon from My Life and Other Stuff I Made Up

Once you have a couple of images you can use the Creative Bank timer app on my Create page if you like. Set yourself either 5 or 10 minutes. Don't think. Just write. See what happens and let me know how it goes.

Good luck.

Children's Author / Illustrator Gus Gordon: The Writer's Studio

2011-07-06T08:01:00.026+10:00

Gus Gordon is much-loved in the children's book industry for his generosity, good humour, talent with both pen and paintbrush and his extraordinary moves on the dancefloor. He is the author-illustrator of picture book Wendy and the upcoming Herman and Rosie. I was fortunate enough to have Gus illustrate My Life and Other Stuff I Made Up (Random House) our book of weird, funny short stories for primary schoolers that is released this week. Here he takes us on a tour of his writing space.

Where did you write your latest book? How important to you is the space that you write in?

I do pretty much all of my writing in my studio but I think about the writing everywhere - the supermarket, cafés, in the surf, dancing (I'm kidding - it's really hard to think about anything while you're dancing). But it’s the shower that works best for me. Especially when I have a problem that needs to be resolved. It must be the flowing water, I don’t know, but for whatever reason I think very clearly and visually in the shower. Most of my book ideas have come from there. It’s weird, I’m sure there must be something sciency to it.

Gus Gordon's writing studio. (Gus wanted me to publish a pic of him in the shower but I declined.)

I think a good working space is invaluable. I have a good imagination but if you are not comfortable and in the right head space then it’s so much harder to tap into that place – wherever that is. Poland, I think. Anyway, I need a mental run-up to get on a roll so the less distractions the better. Especially since I am rather prone to distraction. Thankfully my studio has good light, space and most importantly it is my place – my room, and everyone respects that (sort of). Some days nothing happens in there but as long as I have a place to stare blankly into space I’m happy.

'Nit Cures' from My Life and Other Stuff I Made Up, out this month.

Do you transform your space in any way for each book? Do you 'get into character' at all?
I do a bunch of research so I can get a good feel for the time, place or character/s I am illustrating or writing about. My cork boards are forever changing according to what I am working on at the time. I pin up photos, sketches and things that I find inspiring in some way (like a photo of a beer or some cheese). It’s important for me to be constantly reminded about my character’s environment or about the way I intend to handle the visual or graphic elements of the story. The more stuff the better.

How has the place that you write evolved or changed since you first began writing novels?
Since I started writing I have added another cork board to the wall that I use solely for laying out the story. It’s good to have an area where you can step back and see the story unfolding, not just visually but structurally, in front of your eyes. You need that kind of space with picture books to see if it’s all flowing or if there are any weaknesses in the story arc. Or if it's crap. I do a surprising amount of standing, thinking and just looking at that board.

Do you keep regular writing hours? What are they? If not, when do you write?
For the most part I keep fairly regular hours unless I’m chasing a deadline or working on multiple projects. It’s better for everyone that way. Nights are normally good for me until about 10pm when I always seem to hit a wall and my brain ceases to function on any creative level at all. It’s at this time of night when I begin to write off everything I’ve done that day. I’ve learnt it’s best to put done tools before this happens. I have been trying very hard not to work weekends this year and until lately I’ve been mostly successful. Having said that, I have been working away madly on my new book, Herman and Rosie, so I can see some weekends merging into weekdays before it’s all done.

Herman and Rosie illustration by Gus Gordon.

Do you have a morning ritual? Roald Dahl was said to sharpen pencils. What settles your mind for writing?
I’m not really a ritual guy - other than coffee and then more coffee. I am usually down in my studio around 8.30am. I read a few blogs – books and music stuff – then slowly get going around 10ish. I pick some music to set the tone of the day and then I’m away. Afternoons are normally the most productive and I’m always sharpening bloody pencils.

Next week in The Writer's Studio, Shamini Flint, Cambridge-educated corporate lawyer turned children's author and 'soccer mum' who was a hit at this year's Sydney Writer's Festival. She's a dynamo, a funny lady and has written dozens of books, both self-published and through major international publishers. See you then.

Free Short Story – 'My Life and Other Stuff I Made Up'

2011-07-04T08:01:00.003+10:00

To celebrate the release of My Life and Other Stuff I Made Up (Random House), my book of weird / funny / gross short stories for children, I'm giving away a story for free. You heard it here first. You pay nothing, nada, niente. And it's a real (toe)nail biter, perfect for reading out loud to kids. Just click the book image above to grab Toe, the free story. (Based on a true-ish story of sibling rivalry.)

[NB: Extract taken from My Life and Other Stuff I Made Up, published by Random House Australia. Text copyright ©Tristan Bancks 2011. Illustrations copyright ©Gus Gordon 2011. RRP $15.95.]

See author Oliver Phommavanh's review of the book in BuzzWords below.

My Life and Other Stuff I Made Up by Tristan Bancks and illustrated by Gus Gordon (Random House)

PB RRP $15.95

ISBN 978-1-8647-1817-1

Reviewed by Oliver Phommavanh

My Life and Other Stuff I Made Up is a collection of short stories for younger readers. These bite-sized bursts of fun are inspired by Paul Jennings, Andrew Daddo and Andy Griffiths, the sort of stories that will keep kids enthralled and wondering if it really happened or not.

Tom Weekly is just your normal kid with a wacky life. This collection kicks off with his pet dog that is constantly getting kissed by a weird dog lover. Bancks just keeps upping the zaniness and laughs from there. Tom takes part in a hot dog eating competition, he is dared to eat vegemite off his sister’s toe and he gets attacked by magpies. Kids will be able to relate to that for sure! In fact, kids will find a part of themselves in Tom, who always finds himself in all sort of weird situations. My personal favourite is the story where Tom and his friend Jack challenge one another to see who has the toughest nan. It reads like a wrestling match.

Bancks is joined by Gus Gordon, who provides some illustrations to flesh out Bancks’ out-there descriptions. They’re a reliable combination to deliver laughs on each page. The notebook layout will inspire kids to write out their own fantastic tales.

My Life and Other Stuff I Made Up has been tried and tested by Bancks. There are some amusing lists and answers from kids on his school visits. He has tapped into a kid’s curiosity and runaway imagination with these short stories. They’re easy to devour and perfect for reading out loud.

My Life and Other Stuff I Made Up is highly recommended for ages 9 and up.

Ginger Meggs' 90th Birthday: A Tribute to My Great Great Uncle, J.C. Bancks

2011-07-01T10:23:00.003+10:00

Ginger Meggs mashup by Amber Melody

As a kid of the 1980s, being the great, great nephew of Jimmy Bancks, the creator of Ginger Meggs was a source of immense schoolyard pride. I spent hours reading the strips, inventing my own characters and gazing up at the Bancks originals on my grandmother's lounge room wall. One of my most memorable childhood moments was meeting James Kemsley, the Meggs cartoonist of the time, at the Royal Easter Show. Ginger and Bancks have been inspirational in my work as a children's author, too. (I only wish I could draw.)

From the 1920s to the 1950s no fictional creation embodied Australian national character like Ginger Meggs. In terms of notoriety, he was the Aussie Bart Simpson of his time. His personification of an idealised Australia spawned two feature films, four stage plays, more than fifty ‘annuals’ and made his creator, J.C. Bancks, the highest paid black and white artist or journalist around. Meggs is the longest-running and most popular comic strip in Australian history and is now read in 34 countries around the world.

2011 is the 90th anniversary of Ginger Meggs and, to celebrate, the Perth Mint have released a rather amazing silver one dollar coin designed by current Meggs cartoonist Jason Chatfield (who is doing a fantastic job with the strip) and fellow artists Peter Broelman and Rolf Harris. You can order the coin here. Today, 1 July, is also the 59th anniversary of Jimmy Bancks' death.

‘Larrikin. Fair go. No matter what you do you’ll never win, so enjoy what you can. Don’t worry. You’ll never be rich but you can have a lot of fun doing things for free. All that is in Ginger Meggs... A basic understanding of Australia’s self-image.’

- Lindsay Foyle, Comic Strip Historian.

Go Meggsy.

Galactic Adventures & My Life and Other Stuff I Made Up on Channel Ten's 'The Circle'

2011-06-30T08:46:00.001+10:00

Galactic Adventures: First Kids in Space and My Life and Other Stuff I Made Up were featured in Cheryl Akle's kids' book segment this week on Network Ten's 'The Circle'. They said some very nice things.

Also reviewed, books by Libby Gleeson, Anthony Horowitz, David Melling and Susannah McFarlane.

'The Circle' is hosted by Denise Drysdale, Chrissie Swan, Yumi Stynes and Gorgi Coghlan.

Children's Author, Tristan Bancks: The Writer's Studio

2011-06-29T08:01:00.033+10:00

I've recently been interviewing lots of super-cool children's authors including Wendy Orr, John Boyne, Michael Pryor, Deborah Abela and many others on where they write. I'm fascinated by writers' spaces and how the space impacts on the writing. This week, with the release of my book Galactic Adventures: First Kids in Space, I have turned the lens on myself and answered the five questions, with lots of pics of the weird places that I write.

Where did you write your latest book? How important to you is the space that you write in?

I wrote Galactic Adventures: First Kids in Space in many, many different places. I am a roving writer. I always have a desk set up, a home base, but I can usually be found at the dining table or at a cafe or in a hotel room or on some form of transport. My current favourite is to write outdoors on verandas and beaches and in parks.

My desk last year. Ganesha statue and Buzz Lightyear mug are regular fixtures.

Veranda where I work for a period most days.

Do you transform your space in any way for each book? Do you 'get into character' at all?
My desk space is usually plastered with images and quotes and ideas about the book that I'm writing. I listen to different music for each book with a soundtrack playlist in my iTunes. That music drops me into character each morning. I mutter to myself a lot, especially with dialogue, trying to 'hear' each character. I try to visit the places that I'm writing about or get as close as I can to them by digital means.

Pictures, notes and quotes around my workspace.

How has the place that you write evolved or changed since you first began writing novels?

I started out writing at a table in the corner of my bedroom but I realised that I was spending 18 hours a day in that room and it disturbed me slightly so I moved. Now it's a desk in a sunroom turned office space. It has good light, warmth (apart from at 6.00 a.m.) a view of the hills (above) in the distance and a door that opens on to a veranda. Other assorted places I have been caught writing are below in pics:

Me, years ago, working on a screenplay while camping in Joshua Tree National Park.

Caught last year in Sydney sitting on a plastic tub, writing in the garage.

Every now and then I spend a day at the beach writing and walking and writing and walking.

Do you keep regular writing hours? What are they? If not, when do you write?

In theory I keep regular hours. In reality, not so much. Currently I handwrite three pages in my 'Morning Pages' book at 6.00 am, before moving on to my manuscript. I stop at about 7 for breakfast and then write from 8-11 (I'm usually late getting back into it). I do email and web stuff and meetings and business from 11-3. This changes when I have to go out to speak but I return to this ritual whenever I am home. Like most children's authors, I also spend 60-70 days a year on the road talking about books and bringing them alive.

I always keep some of my favourite books close at hand. It's inspiring just to see the spines.

Do you have a morning ritual? Roald Dahl was said to sharpen pencils. What settles your mind for writing?
Trying to start at the same time each day, freewriting in my morning pages book, drinking green tea, listening to the soundtrack for the book, looking at pictures that relate to my story. I try to stay away from the web if I can because I quickly disappear down rabbit-holes and it devours writing time.

Next Wednesday, Gus Gordon, the illustrator on my upcoming book My Life and Other Stuff I Made Up is in the Writer's Studio, sharing his very cool space and quirky approach to creating.

Galactic Adventures: First Kids in Space

2011-06-20T21:26:00.006+10:00

‘This is the perfect book to recommend to reluctant middle-school readers, especially boys who aren’t interested in fantasy or vampires.’

- B+P (Bookseller + Publisher) Magazine

A gripping and inspiring space adventure for kids of all ages.

‘A galactic journey that will have you spinning through Space!’ - DMAG

'I loved it. A great balance of action, charactersand unexpected elements. Is this the first in a series? I hope so.'

- Paul MacDonald, The Children's Bookshop, Sydney

Dash Campbell has only ever had one dream. To go to space.

Now he and four others have been given the chance to become the first kids ever to leave our planet. From building rockets behind his family’s laundromat in Australia to attending a hardcore Space School in the US, Dash is a long way from home. And he still has an intense month of training ahead before he can even think about that glorious moment of blasting out of Earth’s atmosphere and living his dream.

But does Dash have what it takes to survive Space School? Gruelling physicals, fierce competition, media attention, medicals, the Vomit Comet, a skydive from 4000 metres and an instructor who despises him. Can he push through his deepest fears and make history? Does he have the right stuff to go to space?

>> Read a Chapter

>> WIN Cool Prizes (Coming soon!)

>> Read a Review

>> Buy the Book

>> Download Teacher's Notes

Anatomy of a Novel: Click Above and Go Behind-the-Scenes on the writing and research of Galactic Adventures: First Kids in Space at Simmone Howell's blog.

Cool Space Travel Links and vids

This video gives a taste of the gruelling space training that the first five kids in space must endure in order to live their dream.

Vomit Comet – Zero Gravity Classroom:

Links

www.spaceadventures.com
www.space.com
NASA Kids' Club
Cool Article on Civilian Space Travel at Wired Magazine
Space Tourism Wiki
www.spacefuture.com

Why I Wrote the Book

When I was seven years old I built a spaceship with my friend, Luke. It was made out of chipboard and u-nails and we planned to attach an outboard motor to get us into space. One of my strongest memories of childhood was, on my first day of year six, watching the Space Shuttle Challenger disaster on TV. Then, as an adult, one of the greatest days of my life was visiting the Kennedy Space Centre in Florida. I walked away filled with a sense of hope and possibility. I love stories about kids forced to face their greatest fears, be resourceful and discover great strength within themselves. That's what this story is about.

The first book I ever wrote was about Space Stations. I’ve always been fascinated by space travel and I can’t wait for the day that I am looking back at Earth from high above. Then my journey will be complete. Or maybe it will be just the beginning.

Reviews

Galactic Adventures: First Kids in Space Review - B+P (Bookseller + Publisher) Magazine

‘Many fascinating facts revealed with wonderful Roald Dahl-style humour that children will love. Bancks understands his audience and delivers an emotionally engaging adventure story that manages to be engrossing without leaving earth’s orbit – that is until (fingers crossed) the next book.’ Bookseller + Publisher ‘Four-star Review’– July-August 2011

‘Loving the concept of this book plus the additional addendum – a must–read handbook on how to become a space kid. This is not only a lot of fun but a priceless way to engage kids in the story post-read.’ Kids Book Review – 7 July 2011

‘A high action page turner that tells the hard truths.’ Buzz Words – 15 Sept 2011

‘Filled with fascinating space facts and true-to-life methods of training astronauts, this is an engaging and, at times, heartfelt journey about a little boy who is doing his best to make his ultimate dream come true.’ Deborah Abela, ABC 666 – 7August 2011 (and Pass it On – Issue 351)

Wendy Orr, Children's Author: The Writer's Studio

2011-06-19T21:18:00.000+10:00

Children's Author Wendy Orr

Wendy Orr is a fascinating character. She lived in many parts of the world as a child and survived a life-changing accident as an adult. She writes books about 'the resilience of the human spirit; finding the courage we need to face adversity'. Wendy is the legendary author of Nim's Island, turned into a feature film starring Jodie Foster, and the new book Raven's Mountain. Here, Wendy invites us into her writing space, giving an intimate portrait of her writing environment and process.

Where did you write your latest book?
Mostly at this desk, but also at my parents’ house on an island near Vancouver, hotel rooms in New York and Boston and waiting at the hairdressers.
How important to you is the space that you write in?
Having my office the way I want it is important to me – but the actual writing I can do anywhere, as long as it’s quiet and I can sit in some comfort.

Wendy Orr's Writing Space

Do you transform your space in any way for each book?
I put pictures and small objects etc. up on my windowsill and the desk, maps and larger pictures on the door and collect photos for a screensaver. So for Raven’s Mountain, I had pictures of mountains, waterfalls, bears etc.
Do you 'get into character' at all?
Mostly in an inner way, going inside myself to find what the character is feeling, but I also work out some things physically – like actually climbing in the kitchen window. It’s surprisingly awkward to get in and out of the sink!

Wendy Orr's memorabilia from life as a children's author.

How has the place that you write evolved or changed since you first began writing novels?
This is our fourth home since I started writing – so I started on an old laminex table that the previous owners of our farm had left behind, on a built-in verandah. Our next farmhouse had a strange, skinny office, where I had an IKEA desk and faced a brick wall, which I completely covered with pictures to set the scene for each book. So when we built this house, I put a lot of care into designing the office. And as I’ve now been writing for over 20 years, the office is now crammed with book and film souvenirs, awards, book covers etc – all things that make me happy.

Do you keep regular writing hours? What are they? If not, when do you write?
I read my emails before breakfast and answer the urgent overseas ones immediately, so I can catch people before they leave work for the day. Then I walk the dog and start work after that – I’ve got into the habit of checking twitter and facebook as well as emails before I actually start writing, but try to then switch those all off while I’m working. I try to make sure I stand up and stretch (or hang up washing etc) every half hour, and then walk the dog again around 4:00, then work through till about 6:00. In theory that’s when I do emails, but often I continue writing. On the weekends I try to catch up on emails and readers’ letters.

For more on Wendy, check out the her FAQ with lots of readers' questions at www.wendyorr.com or swing by Wendy's blog http://wendyorrjournal.blogspot.com. Another author in The Writer's Studio next Wednesday.

Voices on the Coast 2011

2011-06-17T12:02:00.000+10:00

Wild and crazy students at Voices on the Coast Youth Literature Festival. I asked them to cheer and then we launched into a series of Mexican waves.

Here are some pics from Voices on the Coast 2011 – a very cool youth lit-fest held each year at the University of the Sunshine Coast, run by Immanuel Lutheran College. Voices was the first fest that I spoke at as an author three years ago. Thankfully, since then, I've had many opportunities to hone my craft. The sessions were lots of fun.

This year the fest hosted tons of great authors including (are you ready?) - Oliver Phommavanh, Lili Wilkinson, David Stavanger, Mark Wilson, Katherine Battersby, James Phelan, Richard Newsome, Pat Flynn, Julie Beveridge, Kate Forsyth, Melaina Faranda, Julie Fison, Caroline Magerl, Marianne De Pierres, Aleesah Darlison, Lyndon Davis, Pascalle Burton, Steph Bowe, Michael Gerard Bauer, Rebecca Byfield Kennedy, Serena Geddes, Judy Barass and Deborah Abela.

My feet at the skatepark one day before the fest. Pic by Amber Melody using Camera+ iPhone app

Big thanks to Kelly Dunham, legendary fest director, her husband Clint who can turn his hand to just about anything and all the volunteers and kids who made it a cracking festival.

Local skater ready to launch. Pic by Amber Melody using Camera+ iPhone app

Article and image in the Buderim Chronicle. Click to read.